Thinking of buying this, Good or bad idea?

[£Josh D]

i really like the look of this bike and im after a new road bike and willing to spend £300, is this a good bike or bad for the amount of money i have? thanks

http://www.bikes2udirect.com/B3196.html

 

[Cubist]

It's a scaled down child's bike.... is that what you're after?

 

[youngoldbloke]

Before deciding whether it is good value - how old/tall are you? This is a 'younger persons' bike - 26" wheel, 41cm frame. 25" inside leg.

(obviously clicked the replybox at the same time as Cubist!)

 

[g00se]

Looking at Josh's profile, he's 15, so it might be the right size...

The spec doesn't look great - have you looked at Isla Bikes (www.islabikes.co.uk) for youngster's bikes - though they may be a bit too small on there.

You might want to look at this thread from another site too concerning that website:

http://www.whycycle.co.uk/whycycle_forum/read.php?1,6298,6298#msg-6298

Best bet would be to go to a good, local bike shop - they'd be able to get the best size and set up to last you a while before you grow out of it.

 

[£Josh D]

thanks guys, im 5"10 already and im still growing, is this gunna be too small?

 

[g00se]

Hi,

Well, I'm 5'9" and my inside leg is 32". That bike is for someone with an inside leg of 25" so that's 7 inches too small for me!!! If you were to ride it, your knees would be up around your ears You need an adult bike.

 

[£Josh D]

thanks, its sillybecause on th website it is listed as gents :L could u point me in the right direction on what model of bike to buy with £300, i like Felt but they dont do any bikes for that price?? thanks

 

[accountantpete]

It also looks a pretty naff entry level bike Josh - the components are more geared towards lowering cost rather than being hardwearing I suspect.

Basically you want to be looking at Shimano components throughout as far as poss.

This is slightly better for the same money but personally I'd be looking at paying a bit more.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/dawes/giro-200-2010-road-bike-ec022692

 

[PpPete]

5' 10" & still growing..... you definitely do not want a child's bike. I suggest that at the very least, if you want a road bike, you limit your search to bikes with 700C wheels

Dawes Giro 300 on same site looks a better bet - if they have the right size for you.... but the advice to go to LBS and get something that fits you properly is good.

Given your budget I'd look at Decathlon if you have one close, or even [whisper] Halfords Carrera range[/whisper]

 

[£Josh D]

can i get a bike with shimano components for £300, i forgot to mention this is my first road bike, i have a diamond back mountain bike at the moment thanks

 

[accountantpete]

can i get a bike with shimano components for £300, i forgot to mention this is my first road bike, i have a diamond back mountain bike at the moment thanks

Only second hand IMHO.

Basically you want a reasonable entry frame with carbon forks if at all possible - might be worth a look at eBay.

Trek,Cannondale,Giant and Specialized etc are all worth looking at

 

[£Josh D]

thanks alot accountantpete, that bike from evans cycles u posted is well nice, an within my budget, what does option silver,43cm mean??

 

[ianrauk]

No need to whisper Pete, the Halfords Carrera range of bikes are excellent. It's just the people who sell them.

Given your budget I'd look at Decathlon if you have one close, or even [whisper] Halfords Carrera range[/whisper]

 

[g00se]

Hi,

Check out that first thread I posted from the other website - I'd steer clear of that online seller if I were you.

The 48cm is the frame size. Annoyingly, sizes differ for different manufacturers but 48cm sounds too small for you.

When you say road bike, do you mean a proper road bike (drop handlebars, lightweight etc) - or would a hybrid-style bike suffice (road size wheels but more relaxed geometry and flat handlebars)? These tend to be a little cheaper.

 

[£Josh D]

dropped handlebars, im starting charity events soon etc, lightweight frame, 23/26mm tyres, you get the idea