Road bike advice

[opticcircus]

Hi everyone!

I'm quite new to the forums and cycling, I started commuting to work at the beginning of march. I currently ride a bso hybrid which is fine as if it got stolen I wouldnt be *too* bothered.

I'd really like to get more into cycling and think that maybe a road bike is the way forward. I've never ridden one though and was wondering if some of you kind souls who own one could give a newbie

like myself some advice.

I am pretty clueless so any advice at all would be brilliant

 

[Hacienda71]

Avoid cheap heavy new ones that you see advertised in cataloges and shops like Sports Direct they tend to be a bit of a pastiche. You will need to pay at least £300+ to get a reasonable new bike. Decathlon do a good entry level road bike My link A lot of people rate Carreras as a good starting point at Halfords, although a lot of people on here find the lack of knowledge from some staff at Halfords to be an issue.
Try to get the bike fitted when you buy it. It is well worth it.

 

[Globalti]

There are some pretty damned good road bikes around nowadays and if your budget can stretch to it you can buy a carbon bike or an aluminium bike with carbon forks for a smooth ride. It will be astonishingly fast compared to your old commuter, it will feel responsive, it will handle like a dream, corner like it's on rails and thrill you beyond belief.

Don't go and buy a bike off the internet, bite the bullet and visit some bike shops, wearing your normal cycling attire. Chat with the assistants, ask to try some bikes, keep an open mind and don't go falling in love with the first one you ride. Somewhere near you there is a bike with your name on it; the shop will give a discount or throw in some extras, they will be friendly and helpful and won't sneer at you. That will be the place to buy from. If you can go along at a quiet time like mid-week, so much the better.

Once you've found your bike make sure the shop measures you for the correct frame size and sets the saddle and bars correctly for you. If they aren't prepared to do these simple things for you, keep walking to the next shop. I believe you're more likely to get this level or service from a small family-run shop than a big place though a lot depends on the individuals who work there. Halfrauds has a bad reputation amongst serious cyclists but they do sell Boardman bikes, which are rather good so if you can find a good shop assistant at a local Halfords, make friends with him and you should get the backup you need.

If you're in Stoke on Trent I expect somebody will come along soon and recommend some good local shops.

 

[videoman]

Two well known bike shops in Stoke on Trent are Brian Rourkes, Waterloo Road in Burslem and Swinnertons, Victoria Road in Fenton. Apart from that they are few and far between. The only other one is George Longstaffs in Chesterton.

Probably Swinnertons is the best for help and advise depending who you actually see in the shop.

 

[opticcircus]

I had planned to spend about five to six hundred pound I already decided not to give halfords any of my money and try to support the lbs.

Given the amount of money I'm willing to put down what are some good examples to look at? I'd hate to work into a lbs and feel like a real burk.

 

[Globalti]

There are so many great bikes. Many frames are made in the same factory in China or Taiwan and all bikes use the same components from Shimano, Camapagnolo, Sram, Suntour so in the end it depends on which one fits you best and has a reasonable level of quality in the components or groupset.