Looking at purchasing my first bike

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Simba1off

Active Member
Hi
Having looked around at the bikes for sale at a shop in my home town I find I'm confused over which brand/make to go for. I've got around £700 to spend on a road bike and the two brands I was looking at were Trek & Scott both seem to build bikes in my price range. Any advice would be welcome as £700 is alot of money for me.
Mark
 
Can I ask where you intend to ride it?

If you intend to ride off road then a mountain bike style would be best, if road use is intended then a drop handlebar road bike of some sort, if a combination of the two then a hybrid or cyclocross style of bike would most likely fit the bill. Apart from those main groups of bikes, there are load carriers and other more specialised kinds of bikes...

A little more info would help us give you some more targeted advice
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OP
OP
S

Simba1off

Active Member
Can I ask where you intend to ride it?

If you intend to ride off road then a mountain bike style would be best, if road use is intended then a drop handlebar road bike of some sort, if a combination of the two then a hybrid or cyclocross style of bike would most likely fit the bill. Apart from those main groups of bikes, there are load carriers and other more specialised kinds of bikes...

A little more info would help us give you some more targeted advice
biggrin.gif

Mainly road looking at a racing type of bike also hoping too get a MTB at a later date.
Thanks
Mark
 
Mainly road looking at a racing type of bike also hoping too get a MTB at a later date.
Thanks
Mark

Ok, well depending on what you wish to do with a road bike, then I would be inclined to see what brands you local shops sell, so you can have a go and try them out.
Off the top of my head, the big three bike brands and models would be the Trek 1.2, Giant Defy 3 and Specialized Allez - which all fit into your price range.

None of them are 'get you up a mountain without effort' types of bikes, as their gearing is less forgiving than say a tourer and none of them are very good at carrying more than the rider either., but they are good at going fast on reasonably flat terrain, if this is what you are after. So, if you are after a fitness training and performance bike then any of the above will be good - try them out to see which of them fits your body before deciding.

Mudguards, racks (carrying pannier luggage bags etc) may be an issue for certain models, but I have no idea if this is an issue for you. I would suggest that you go and have a chat with your local shops and narrow down the choices and your requirements, but the above three are a good start to decide what is and what is not important to you.
 

accountantpete

Brexiteer
Try a test ride to see which bike you prefer as they have slightly different geometries between the manufacturers.

Ideally for £700 you should be looking at a bike with Shimano Sora/Tiagra as the basis for the groupset - but be aware that to keep the price down the rest of the components will be on the cheap side and may need an upgrade in a year or so.
 

BrumJim

Forum Stalwart (won't take the hint and leave...)
Generally the feeling is that Scott and Trek are both good brands, so go with what feels better. Take them for a test ride. If the bike shop won't let you, go to another one that will.

If, like me, your last ride was so far away from either of these so that you can't tell what is better, then either go for the colour you prefer, or choose the more ethical company. Although it will be a bit marginal, there.
 

Chris S

Legendary Member
Location
Birmingham
I spent £50 on my first bike - It was a 1994 Raleigh which I though would be more sturdy than those £80 bikes form Argos.

I'm going to wait until I'm a competent rider before I get anything more expensive.
 

Banjo

Fuelled with Jelly Babies
Location
South Wales
I have a Scott Speedster for fun and a Trek Hybrid for commuting/shopping etc.Both good makes.

I think the bontrager wheels on trek roadbikes are better quality than the alex wheels on Scotts but go for the one you feel good on.

More importantly make sure you get one the right size,If in doubt ask advice from the experts on here before ordering one.The simple height/size charts on some websites are only a guide take advice from the shop you buy from but make sure they measure you properly and not just let them sit you on one and say that will do.
 

Norm

Guest
Potsy would feel aggrieved if I didn't follow up on 2Loose's suggestion for looking at a cyclo-cross style bike. I have a road bike (Spesh Secteur) and a CX (Spesh Tricross) and, whilst I love the Secteur, I'd choose the Tricross if I could only have the one.

A road bike, with 23/25mm tyres, gives a much firmer ride. The light weight means you can get up to speed faster but the tyres are pretty solid, so every bump is transmitted. It feels like I could ride over a coin and tell you whether it is heads or tails.

The extra weight of a CX bike is a little slower on the road (the difference on mine is around a minute over a 30 minute ride) but that depends on your route as the larger tyres mean that the CX can be ridden harder over crap tarmac. I never have to choose a line on the Tricross, and I seldom have to consciously unweight the bike over pot-holes, unlike the Secteur.

The CX bike also opens up the option of leaving the tarmac, whether you are following gravel tracks, tow paths or riding across grass, CX wheels and tyres will cope better than a road bike.

Ultimately, getting both is the best option and the two complement each other perfectly. But, if I was starting again and I had bought the CX bike before the road bike, I'm not sure whether I would have bought the road bike.
 
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