Road Bike, Help Please

[CycleyJoe]

Afternoon all,

I was hoping to get some opinions and recommendations from other, more experienced, cyclists. Allow me first to introduce my predicament:

I'm 20 years old, and a regular stunt mountain biker. However, in the last few months I have been forced to commute by bike to work after some IDIOT drove their white Van into my parked VW Golf (Idiot, because it was tucked away in my personal, private property driveway!!!!!).

ANYWAY, I cycle six miles there, and six miles back (12 miles per day, 5 days a week), and have been forced to use my mountain bike and equipment (full face helmet, etc). I have 70+ year olds flying passed me on road bikes as cycling on roads on a mountain bike can be excrutiatingly painful! I'd like to see if you could recommend a good road bike I could purchase? I'm looking for no more than £300 really, and I am aware that is cheap in the world of road bikes but there are some cheaper, but I just don't know enough about road bikes to feel comfortable buying a cheap-y one.

This is the one I have my eye on at the moment, but haven't committed to any purchases yet.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_810691_langId_-1_categoryId_165710

If any of you could pass opinion on this bike, and then recommend either it, or another for around the £300 mark (or less), then you'd really be helping!

Thanks,

CycleyJoe!

 

[defy-one]

Welcome and easy ..... Decathlon do a road bike with a carbon front fork for £299 called the Triban 3
A great bike .... i bought one for commuting .... which my 16 year old son commandeered after just one ride

I would go to a store to try the sizes out for fit before buying

 

[mip]

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-3-id_8167038.html
Review: http://www.cyclingscotland.org/news/cycling-active-btwin-triban-3-review/

 

[rb58]

Search CycleChat for Triban 3 - several people have one and it got a top review in a magazine recently.

 

[CycleyJoe]

I should probably have added.. about 2 miles of my journey are on not particularly well kept country lanes. During the day I have no problem cycling on them as I know where most pot holes are etc, but I work night shifts and cycle one of those six mile journeys in pitch black darkness, one thing I'd be scared of is the frame etc snapping or something?

 

[4F]

Either the one you have linked to or the Triban will be fine, both very similar but I note the Triban is 1.2 kilos lighter. Pitch dark = good lights.

 

[CycleyJoe]

I'm happy with the lights I have at the moment, I have two sets of each which I have with one on full beam and one flashing, front and rear. Reflecters to the max also. I'm not overly bothered about "1.2 KG lighter" as I'm currently riding a full suspension mountain bike so the heavier of the two road bikes mentioned will feel a feather, in comparison!

 

[billy1561]

Whatever bike you get you need decent lights front and back for unlit roads. As others have said the Triban 3's get good reviews.

 

[ianjmcd]

i have the carerra TDF and find it solid and dependable for a winter bike but there is no way it could be classed as an out and out racer more an introduction to road bikes so is ideal for first time road user as is the triban 3 which has been pointed out is lighter but im happy with my wee yellow peril

 

[CycleyJoe]

i have the carerra TDF and find it solid and dependable for a winter bike but there is no way it could be classed as an out and out racer more an introduction to road bikes so is ideal for first time road user as is the triban 3 which has been pointed out is lighter but im happy with my wee yellow peril

I'm glad someone else has the Carerra TDF and are happy with it. I'm looking for a out and out racer as I'm not on busy roads and it's wanted for commuting, not racing. An entry level bike is good enough for me, and I can't really stretch beyond the £300 mark. Halford's do have it as £299.99 with £200 off from the £400 RRP.

 

[CycleyJoe]

Can someone also help with the gearing? I've had a look in halfords and it seems that the brake handles are flicked inwards to change gear, I've tried reading up on it to get a better understanding before buying any bikes but I've failed to find anything (probably my own failure of not knowing where to look!) ..

How does the system work when changing up, and particularly down, gears on bikes with these gear changing systems?

 

[ianjmcd]

flick the brake lever inwards to change gear and there is a thumb button to change gear the opposite way

 

[ianjmcd]

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luUvGeUm9QY

 

[CycleyJoe]

Makes for a more racey style and far less painful than changing gears on a MTB all the flamin' time! Hm, Thanks for your help everyone. Halfords gift vouchers for Christmas I reckon

 

[CycleyJoe]

How do you get on with those pedals? Are they difficult to get used to, getting your feet stuck in them or are they simple enough to get used to?