road bike for £350 help please

[swifty99]

i am looking at getting a road bike for going to work and back at around 20miles and trips at the weekend. i have a mountain bike but is more of a downhill bike so dont want to but road rubber on. i weigh about 16st so can people please help very confused.

thank you in advance

 

[Fab Foodie]

Welcome swifty99

When you say road-bike I'mm assuming that you mean a racing bike, drop bars etc as opposed to a hybrid (straight bars).
Unfortunately £350 buys almost nothing new. Second hand is an option but you need to know a bit.
However, all is not lost. Decathlon bikes are amazing value. My pal rides one and it's fantastic. However it looks like they are running out at the previous bargain price of £299 with Campag 10 speed. Grab one if yopu can.
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/sport-2-42393914/

But, the Sport 1 looks OK too, not quite as well appointed, but still a bargain price IMO.
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/sport-1-54-57-69567468/

It seems the new Sport 2 comes with Shimano Sora, more carbon and a big price hike.

However, you may want mudguards and some load carrying capacity and this is maybe not the bike for that. Maybe a tourer type? Recently there was a thread about the Claud Butler Dalesman as a budget tourer or take a look at Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operative's own brand range.

Give us more info, type of terrain, previous experience, what you need the bike to do!

 

[simongrant]

I got the Claud butler san remo for £379 at my lbs (CB dealer)and i love it,i know its 2200 sti and all that but it does me fine.Although having looked on Cb's website the same model(same spec)is now £499. Fab im sure the dalesman retails for around £8-900 so probably out of OPs price range.Have a mate who has 20+YO dalesman and its still like new.My other bike is the CB legend 2008(hybrid)and i love this bike too,i have fitted both with spd520's and take the hybrid out in poorer weather and for long rides where i want to take a flask etc(panniers fitted).I think i paid around £329 for the legend.

Simon

 

[joolsybools]

I got this Decathlon bike which is a great bargain http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/triban-road-7-34962548/ - as FF stted though, it depends what you are looking for. Happy hunting!

 

[johnnyh]

I picked up a Carerra Virtuoso for £250 in the sale, it was cheap, it is cheerful and it serves me well (or has done for the first 600 odd miles on it). I think they have gone up in price, but I have no regrets about buying it at all and am happily cranking out the miles on it.

 

[Radius]

Watch chainreactioncycles.com for deals as well. Unfortunately might not be any til Christmas time now, but you never know. I got my BeOne Storm (full Tiagra gearing) for £399...