Hello & Help!

[Sloggi]

Hi,

I'm fairly new to road cycling, and have began cycling after having finally succumbed to injuries that 20+ years of 5-a-side footie happily offer

I'm in training (very loosely at the mo) for the Etape Caledonia next May and need a bike as I've been using a friend's bike for the last month or so. Budget £1,500.

Any suggestions/advice will be much appreciated

 

[wafflycat]

Get to as many bike shops as you can (H*lf*rds does not qualify) and try out as many bikes as possible. You will be looking for a proper road bike, not an MTB, 'natch

The key is fit + the best quality frame & components in your budget. Expect that you may well have to change whatever saddle comes with the bike. Saddles are a very personal thing and what is a heavenly cloud of comfort for one is a knife edge for another.

Don't go for the first bike you try - try as many as you can - look around a lot. You may end up coming back to your first try, but make sure you do look around a lot & try a lot.

 

[Shaun]

 

[Landslide]

Make sure you leave some of your budget aside for clothing and accessories e.g. proper shorts, clipless pedals and shoes, lock, tool kit, pump, spare tubes etc etc...

Then take this bit of your budget, double it, and spend it on cake.

 

[Scoosh]

Your physical flexibility may have a bearing on your bike choice too. If you are still pretty fit and flexible, a full-on racer type of road bike will give you a well stretched-out position, lots of speed, dance up the mountains and, by all acounts, be an exciting experience. If, however, life has taken its toll and you aren't as flexi as you used to be , then an audax/sportive type of bike, designed for long-distance riding, with a slightly more comfortable upright position may be more appropriate.

Racer = speed at the expense of a bit of comfort
Audax/sportive = comfort at the expense of a bit of speed

There's not a lot in it, but it's worth bearing in mind.

Go to your LBS's and try looking at bikes in the £1200-1300 range - there is lots of choice. (start low - you'll always find something more attractive is more expensive You can always come back here and ask lots of questions about what others think of your thoughts

Hopefully, I'll see you in Pitlochry in May

Oh - and

 

[gavintc]

Etape Caledonia is an excellent goal. At 80 miles, it will represent a challenge, but not an impossible one. The route is good and there is only one decent hill to worry about. In addition, the car-free ride is a delight.

Good luck with your challenge and choice of bikes. In the price point you are looking at, you have a wide range of options. The only weakness, you will find are probably the wheels and it is common for cheapish wheels to be fitted. But, this is something that can be upgraded in slow time, so do not overly worry about this. You should be able to find a bike which is either full carbon or a carbon/alu mix and your groupset (gears/brakes/levers) will be perfectly suitable (105, Ultega, Veloce or Centaur) at the upper end.

Have a good look around the shops in your area and look at reviews online. Most people will agree that a bike shop bought bike from a shop you trust will serve you better than an internet bike. You may need to go back and discuss lots of minor issues and you find this easier face to face. IMO, it is worth paying a little bit extra for this service.

 

[Sloggi]

Racer = speed at the expense of a bit of comfort
Audax/sportive = comfort at the expense of a bit of speed

Thanks for the replies

Which current bikes are racers and which are sportive bikes - sorry if this is a daft question but you may have to get used to these?

Can anyone post a link or two re bike reviews?

 

[alp1950]

Welcome Sloggi.
I've been going down a similar path. If you're anywhere near Glasgow you could do a lot worse than have a chat to Neil in Billy Bilsland Cycles: http://billybilslandcycles.co.uk/Road-Bikes.html

The bike that Neil has recommended for me is the kinesis Racelight TK. It's marketed as a winter trainer/light tourer/Audax but also capable as being used as an entry level racing bike. Given that much of your training is going to be over the winter you might want to take a look at this review:http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/road/product/racelight-tk-28905

FWIW I've been trying a demo out over the last few days & it is a nice bike that will certainly do me for the present. Of course I've already started planning that I'll need to get a full carbon racing bike for the summer (just haven't told my other half yet).

 

[Scoosh]

Thanks for the replies

Which current bikes are racers and which are sportive bikes - sorry if this is a daft question but you may have to get used to these?

Can anyone post a link or two re bike reviews?

I have been thinking about a new bike for some months now (I am currently recuperating from a minor wrist op and can't put too much weight on it ) and at my age and stage, I'm not looking for a full-on racer, more for an audax/sportive long distance comfy cruiser. More Jag XK than Ferarri ! Have a look at this thread for some useful info on frame geometries. I'm still trying to work it all out !

RoadCyclingUK has a bike test review page here and Cycling+'s version is here. No doubt there are lots of others.

Personally, I have found it a litle tricky to work out if a bike is race or audax/sportive orientated - it seems to depend on what constitutes 'comfort' for you. Add the fact that most of the bikes I want to see and try are miles away - and it becomes more tricky

So have a read through that lot and we'll see you back here in - how about a month ??

 

[Scoosh]

Which current bikes are racers and which are sportive bikes - sorry if this is a daft question but you may have to get used to these?

Further to my last post, to take the example of the FELT range of bikes.

As I see it, the F series are race bikes - designed for a fairly flat, aerodynamic, stretched out posture. Not the most comfortable (depending on your personal flexibility) but, for the time you would be riding/racing it, quite tolerable.

The Z series, is specifically designed for longer distances - slightly more upright position, not as 'aero' = not quite as fast. The principle is that, if you are more comfortable, you can spend longer concentrating on your cycling and less on your discomfort !

http://www.feltbikes.co.uk/road-index.php

Have a look here, then click The Traditions of Road Riding and Our Three Styles of Fit link. It explains quite a bit of this.

As to which bikes fall into which camp ....... let me know when you work it out

HTH

 

[HLaB]

Welcome. I done the Etape Caledonia this year it was a great ride. I done it on a 928 C2C Bianchi carbon veloce it falls just below your budget, well it did last year when I bought it at the time I was also considering the Spesh Roubaix and Tarmac but I opted for the Bianchi and looking back I'm glad I did.