Road bike buying advice for newbie

[T4tomo]

planet X take cyclescheme vouchers, their London road would fit the bill, with change and available in Lime flavour...

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXLDNRDSA1/planet-x-london-road-sram-apex-1-disc-road-bike

 

[vickster]

Won’t be much commuting as i wfh a lot. And when there is it is pretty much a straight cycle along the beach and then 2 miles of road!

Nothing to stop you doing a loop before and after work from home or before and after the office

 

[vickster]

Another + from me for the Cube. I've had 2 now (first one sadly stolen ) and replaced with a the next model up. I would avoid mechanical discs, I've heard they cause no end of issues, go for hydraulic or stick with rim brakes if not.

TRP Spyres are very good though being dual piston. He won’t get a hydraulic braked Cube (or any other brand) for a grand these days

 

[AdamD1]

I’m now wondering whether it is worth spending a bit more for longevity, ie. I’d rather spend £1,300 for 5+ years and be a little up-specced to start than go lower (say £700) then change it after 2-3 years and then fork out £1,500 plus.

The most I can get on the cycle scheme is £1k (so £750 liability for me) so perhaps my actual budgeted outlay should be £1k (so £1,250 with the voucher plus £250 cash) to open up more options.

 

[Xipe Totec]

I would avoid mechanical discs, I've heard they cause no end of issues, go for hydraulic or stick with rim brakes if not.

What kind of issues? I have mechanical calipers on my Boardman CX winter hack - when I got it it had the original Tektro Lyras, which were woeful - different pads made no difference so I picked up a s/h set of Avid BB7s, which are a massive improvement. This unfortunate bike gets abused through all sorts of horrible conditions & the only "issues" I've had with mechanical calipers were that the old Tektros were about as much use as sticking your boot on the tyre!

 

[stalagmike]

If you have never done road biking before I wouldn't spend a grand plus on your first road bike. You might hate it! I bought my Triban second hand for £150 about 5 years ago and apart the recent purchase of a new wheel (and cassette a few months back), I've only ever spent money on tyres, tubes and cables. Like you, I had no idea about size, but the guy I bought it from let me test ride it, and it felt ok, so I went for it. Up until lockdown I commuted 16 miles a day on it. The bike is approx 10 years old and it still works perfectly well. A bit like Trigger's broom but hey!

Do you know anyone of a similar stature to you who has a road bike? Maybe you could have a go with theirs, just to get an idea?

As others have said, I would be on the lookout for bikes purchased during lockdown that are now being sold off. Save all the carbon and discs etc for later, after you've got some miles under your belt and you know more about what you really want.

 

[AdamD1]

Isn't the black one available?

If you have never done road biking before I wouldn't spend a grand plus on your first road bike. You might hate it! I bought my Triban second hand for £150 about 5 years ago and apart the recent purchase of a new wheel (and cassette a few months back), I've only ever spent money on tyres, tubes and cables. Like you, I had no idea about size, but the guy I bought it from let me test ride it, and it felt ok, so I went for it. Up until lockdown I commuted 16 miles a day on it. The bike is approx 10 years old and it still works perfectly well. A bit like Trigger's broom but hey!

Do you know anyone of a similar stature to you who has a road bike? Maybe you could have a go with theirs, just to get an idea?

As others have said, I would be on the lookout for bikes purchased during lockdown that are now being sold off. Save all the carbon and discs etc for later, after you've got some miles under your belt and you know more about what you really want.

Makes sense but I mostly road cycle now anyway, but on a 15 year old mountain bike. I think I’ll be even more keen with a more suitable bike. What are the most stark differences between an mtb and rb that may put me off?

Yep, been on the lookout second hand lately but nothing that takes my fancy, it’s one of those where I think how long do I leave it? I want to get into it now so feel I need to make the jump.

 

[stalagmike]

Makes sense but I mostly road cycle now anyway, but on a 15 year old mountain bike. I think I’ll be even more keen with a more suitable bike. What are the most stark differences between an mtb and rb that may put me off?

Yep, been on the lookout second hand lately but nothing that takes my fancy, it’s one of those where I think how long do I leave it? I want to get into it now so feel I need to make the jump.

The main difference I found was that road bikes 'feel' like they want to go fast all the time. I guess that's a combination of the lightness and the different geometry to mountain bikes. But I guess this is what makes it fun! If you've done a lot of riding on roads on your MTB then you'll already know about the way drivers treat you, the different routes and surfaces etc in your local area. That was something I didn't know when I got mine as I hadn't ridden locally before (I'd moved to the sticks from London).

When you say nothing local has taken your fancy, do you mean not the right size or more style/colour? You might have to be prepared to sacrifice on the look of it and just go for something that's right size and in decent condition. But that's only if you want to go local and 2nd hand. I guess that's why you might prefer to buy new. I didn't have the money to spend, so I just took my chances with what I could find in my price range. If it had turned out bad then it wouldn't have been an expensive mistake. Absolutely, if you're going to look to spend 1000+ then go to the shops and get them to ensure you have the right size and colour you want. I'll stop wasting your time now 🙂

 

[AdamD1]

The main difference I found was that road bikes 'feel' like they want to go fast all the time. I guess that's a combination of the lightness and the different geometry to mountain bikes. But I guess this is what makes it fun! If you've done a lot of riding on roads on your MTB then you'll already know about the way drivers treat you, the different routes and surfaces etc in your local area. That was something I didn't know when I got mine as I hadn't ridden locally before (I'd moved to the sticks from London).

When you say nothing local has taken your fancy, do you mean not the right size or more style/colour? You might have to be prepared to sacrifice on the look of it and just go for something that's right size and in decent condition. But that's only if you want to go local and 2nd hand. I guess that's why you might prefer to buy new. I didn't have the money to spend, so I just took my chances with what I could find in my price range. If it had turned out bad then it wouldn't have been an expensive mistake. Absolutely, if you're going to look to spend 1000+ then go to the shops and get them to ensure you have the right size and colour you want. I'll stop wasting your time now 🙂

Yeah, fortunate that I know the local area and have lots of experience riding around here. Oh yes I know about the drivers, mostly fine but get a few…

Second hand - I mean combination really of the correct size (rough idea what I am), specs and condition. Agreed I’m not being fussy on colour if secondhand as need to tick other boxes first. I also appreciate the impact of depreciation of a new bike (I’m an accountant so constantly analysing costs!!) and assume that it’s worth 30% less when walking out of the shop, much like a new car (something I’d never do, fwiw).

Not wasting my time at all, it’s all good conversation. If anything I’m concerned I’m wasting the forums time with constant questions and challenges but how else does one learn? The more replies I get the more questions I have!!

 

[AdamD1]

I almost wonder if it’s worth buying a second hand for like £100 just to trial it for a few weeks, get the feel etc and then re-sell it. Take a 15% loss to be able to trial it, although I appreciate it won’t be a great bike!

 

[stalagmike]

I almost wonder if it’s worth buying a second hand for like £100 just to trial it for a few weeks, get the feel etc and then re-sell it. Take a 15% loss to be able to trial it, although I appreciate it won’t be a great bike!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/giant-road-bike-large-/265322021143

Something like this would do. And you could keep it as your winter bike once you've got your fancy carbon jobby.

Evans used to do extended test rides. Might be worth a visit if you have a local branch. They have had some troubles.

 

[400ixl]

I looked at getting a bike through cycle for work scheme, but decided against it and bought secondhand in the end. I would look for something with 9 speed Sora or above components on it and carbon forks which should do you for a few years or until you get serious and jump to a full carbon set up.

I wouldn't go for something too basic as you will be wanting to spend money on it fairly quickly which will defeat the objective.

You should be able to get what was a £1k bike for £300-400.

 

[AdamD1]

I looked at getting a bike through cycle for work scheme, but decided against it and bought secondhand in the end. I would look for something with 9 speed Sora or above components on it and carbon forks which should do you for a few years or until you get serious and jump to a full carbon set up.

I wouldn't go for something too basic as you will be wanting to spend money on it fairly quickly which will defeat the objective.

You should be able to get what was a £1k bike for £300-400.

Good plan. And to be honest, given the shortages and delays with new bikes, I may end up getting it sooner. Didn’t want to shell out too much up front as the cycle scheme is a nice low monthly payment, but to save 50% it has to be considered.

 

[C R]

Makes sense but I mostly road cycle now anyway, but on a 15 year old mountain bike. I think I’ll be even more keen with a more suitable bike. What are the most stark differences between an mtb and rb that may put me off?

Yep, been on the lookout second hand lately but nothing that takes my fancy, it’s one of those where I think how long do I leave it? I want to get into it now so feel I need to make the jump.

The main difference is the riding position, which is more aerodynamic and allows for more efficient pedalling. I almost immediately preferred the road bike riding position, and it is definitely more comfortable for long rides.

 

[Alex321]

Makes sense but I mostly road cycle now anyway, but on a 15 year old mountain bike. I think I’ll be even more keen with a more suitable bike. What are the most stark differences between an mtb and rb that may put me off?

Well that Cube I have is the first road bike I've owned since 5 gears with downtube shifters were the norm, and I bought it just overa month ago to switch from the Boardman hybrid I had been riding.

Not quite the same as a mountain bike, but not too far off, particularly since it had front suspension.

The first thing I noticed was how twitchy the road bike felt. The first time I went out on it, I wondered if I was going to be able to cope. But the 2nd time was much better, and I was past the twitchy feeling within 4-5 rides. That now translates to it being much more responsive

The riding position is a bit different - I still don't feel very comfortable in the drops for long, but I think most road cyclists spend most of their time on the hoods, so that doesn't bother me. On the hoods, the position isn't different enough to be uncomfortable for me, but it is possible you would find it so.

The ride will also be firmer, even relatively wide tyres on a road bike will be narrower than you have on a mountain bike, and you need to have them inflated a bit harder to avoid pinch flats. Though again, having gone from 38mm at 80psi on my hybrid to 28mm at 100psi on my road bike, the difference wasn't really all that big. And having just switched to tubeless on the road bike, I'll be dropping the pressure back to 80-85psi.

And then gearing. The lowest any of your examples have is 34/34, while your mountain bike probably has a lower bottom gear than that. Although the road bike will be lighter, if you have hills around where you are regularly using the lower gears on your mountain bike, you may find it hard at first. You almost certainly want a compact (50/34) chainset, unless there are really no significant hills where you ride, and an 11-32 or 11-34 cassette. But I think all your example bikes come with that.

Yep, been on the lookout second hand lately but nothing that takes my fancy, it’s one of those where I think how long do I leave it? I want to get into it now so feel I need to make the jump.

Yes, there is always going to be the issue of timing, and do you wait for something better. You really have to make a decision and just go for it at some point - then stop looking at others once you have decided, to avoid regretting your decision if something better comes along.