Good, cheap(ish) entry level road bike?

[adao]

Hey everyone,

new to the forum but just looking for advice

i'm looking to start cycling (mainly to work, but in general as well) and looking to purchase a road bike.

been recommended things like the BTwin triban ranges but wanted to get more opinions?

I wouldnt mind purchasing a 2nd hand bike either but not really to sure where to go and look and what to look out for etc. (have had a look on ebay and gumtree, but hard to search when i'm not really sure what to be looking for!)

any advice is greatly appreciated!

thanks

 

[nickyboy]

As far as new bikes go, the Btwin Triban range represent tremendous value for money and for anyone looking to buy their first road bike to see whether they really like road cycling I would always recommend this.
Can get great bargains second hand but you need someone with you (when searching online and looking in the flesh) who knows a reasonable amount about road bikes. Easy to get a pile of junk if you're not careful

 

[Cubist]

What's your budget?

 

[vickster]

Merlin PR7 is a steal at £300

 

[adao]

Can probably go up to £400 but ideally looking for cheaper

Merlin PR7 is a steal at £300

I saw this but it says out of stock until March 2015

 

[vickster]

That's a shame but not really a surprise. The tribans sell like hot cakes too

Here's another couple of potentials, around budget

http://www.merlincycles.com/felt-f95-road-bike-2014-72321.html

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/mekk-pinerolo-al-zr-sora-claris-2015/

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sed/r...quipped?part=SE14PRIMERIBCLARIS&sub=conf_SERW

 

[adao]

Thanks for the suggestions!

Question, what would those bikes that were recommended set those apart from the triban 500 or the triban 500se? If at all?

Would anyone recommended places to look at and purchase second hand bikes in London? Things to look for? Or because of my inexperience just look to a new bike?

 

[Cycleops]

If you want to get most bangs for your buck go secondhand. If you're not sure how to vet them give @biggs682 a call on here, he'll sort you out a lovely retro job and take the chance out of it.

 

[biggs682]

@adao i normally have a couple of retro style road racers on sale .

so a couple of questions for you

1. how tall are you
2. where are you based
3. down tube , bar end or sti shifters
4. any specific hated colour schemes

 

[Saluki]

I was about to ask the same as above. I am thinking of selling my Giant Defy and getting a CX bike. It's a great bike and a stunning bike, more than adequate for a beginner/intermediate rider.

 

[vickster]

Thanks for the suggestions!

Question, what would those bikes that were recommended set those apart from the triban 500 or the triban 500se? If at all?

Would anyone recommended places to look at and purchase second hand bikes in London? Things to look for? Or because of my inexperience just look to a new bike?

If you don't know what you are looking for, I'd stick to new - you could end up with a lemon needing new parts or worse still, a stolen bike. With a new bike you get consumer protection if an issue and some level of warranty

I personally think the styling of tribans is a little dull and the wheels aren't too great, but they are solid bikes at the entry level

 

[Soltydog]

Planet X do an alloy road bike with choice of Sram or Shimano for £499, use the code in discounts thread & You'll get a decent bike for £400

 

[sreten]

Hi,

IMO you rapidly will discover a decent road bike is a lousy commuter.
They are also lousy urban bikes, and IMO pretty useless for any
ride less than about 20 miles as a round trip, i.e. your second
bike should be a nice road bike for the weekend road warrior.

At £200 this is a utterly great commuting bike, any way you look at it :
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/hoprider-500-city-hybrid-bike-id_8222609.html
(Just add up the cost of the extra's to fit to a horrible basic £100 bike,
then look at the basic bike spec ignoring all the extras, no brainer.)
Its also a good urban / shopping bike and a decent touring bike,
day jaunts of up to say 50 miles should be fine, taking your time.

What it won't do is tanking > 30miles as fast as possible decked
out in all the lastest road racing kit, for that you need a road bike.
And the best new cheap road bike is a B-Twin by a country mile,
according to very consistent reviews over the recent years. *

rgds, sreten.

* People whinging about the wheels are pathetic. A really good
set of wheels cost more than the Triban 3. Ergo anyone with
such wheels insists the Triban 3 wheels must be crap.

No, IMO the French know a thing or two about building bikes,
especially road bikes, with a passion alien to any pretence.

Say you spent £150 improving the wheels of a £300 Triban 3,
pointless. See what B-Twin road bike is offered for ~ £450.

 

[adao]

@adao i normally have a couple of retro style road racers on sale .

so a couple of questions for you

1. how tall are you
2. where are you based
3. down tube , bar end or sti shifters
4. any specific hated colour schemes

1) I'm 5'8
2) based in sw london
3) I havent really got a clue here
4) Not really, probably nothing bright yellow/pink i guess

Hi,

IMO you rapidly will discover a decent road bike is a lousy commuter.
They are also lousy urban bikes, and IMO pretty useless for any
ride less than about 20 miles as a round trip, i.e. your second
bike should be a nice road bike for the weekend road warrior.

At £200 this is a utterly great commuting bike, any way you look at it :
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/hoprider-500-city-hybrid-bike-id_8222609.html
(Just add up the cost of the extra's to fit to a horrible basic £100 bike,
then look at the basic bike spec ignoring all the extras, no brainer.)
Its also a good urban / shopping bike and a decent touring bike,
day jaunts of up to say 50 miles should be fine, taking your time.

What it won't do is tanking > 30miles as fast as possible decked
out in all the lastest road racing kit, for that you need a road bike.
And the best new cheap road bike is a B-Twin by a country mile,
according to very consistent reviews over the recent years. *

rgds, sreten.

* People whinging about the wheels are pathetic. A really good
set of wheels cost more than the Triban 3. Ergo anyone with
such wheels insists the Triban 3 wheels must be crap.

No, IMO the French know a thing or two about building bikes,
especially road bikes, with a passion alien to any pretence.

Say you spent £150 improving the wheels of a £300 Triban 3,
pointless. See what B-Twin road bike is offered for ~ £450.

I am currently using a hybrid bike for my commute at the moment. One i picked up a few years ago - Carrera crossfire 2 i believe.

my journey is around 13 miles round trip into work at the moment.

 

[adao]

also i apologise if i posted in the wrong section, just saw a what bike? sub forum maybe i shouldve posted in

One other thing, my workplace does have a cycle 2work scheme available. However it is limited only to evans cycles (i think if it were available with decathlon I probably wouldve just bought one of the triban models)

I've looked on the evans website and they tend to be a bit pricier? and generally comes with less?
Probably why i'm a lil apprehensive about using the scheme even though you get the discount and considering 2nd or just buying a bike elsewhere