Thinking about buying this bike...

[HLaB]

I don't know why I didn't think of this before but i've had a look on SportsDirect and they have some modern road bikes well within my price range. Definately getting a lot more bang for my buck. I know they won't be amazing, nothing compared to what some people on here have but I'm no professional

Probably because you had better sense before you'll get more for your money second-hand a new bike will be a weighty beast and you'll get less bang for buck. That said the linked bike is overpriced IMO but keep your eye out for the right size of frame and you'll pick up a bargain 2nd hand.

 

[jlamontagne]

Well from about 3 hours of research i've found that the Triban 3 is the best one to go for. What do you guys think?, I will be commuting 1 mile each way for 4 days a week and then I intend to do a 25 mile round journey every weekend to start off with (I used to do it with my previous bike)

 

[ianjmcd]

that bike is worth no more than 120

 

[HLaB]

Well from about 3 hours of research i've found that the Triban 3 is the best one to go for. What do you guys think?, I will be commuting 1 mile each way for 4 days a week and then I intend to do a 25 mile round journey every weekend to start off with (I used to do it with my previous bike)

If you can afford it go for it, it gets good reviews from folk on here

 

[betty swollocks]

Identify why you want a bike - for what purposes or purposes and ensure it's suitable for your needs. There are all sorts of bikes out there. Road bike, touring bike, some sort of hybrid or a mountainbike. I note that you say that you want a proper road bike, but if you have just the one bike, will it suit most or all of your needs?
If you're going to be using it all year round, you might want to be able to fit mudguards. If you want to do shopping or carry stuff around, you may need to investigate its capability for having a rack and panniers fitted.
Most important and as others have mentioned: make sure it's the right size.

 

[jay clock]

The Sports Direct bikes are really poor quality. A clubmate has just bought one for turbo training only and it really does look terrible in every regard. Weighs a ton too

 

[ianrauk]

Well from about 3 hours of research i've found that the Triban 3 is the best one to go for. What do you guys think?, I will be commuting 1 mile each way for 4 days a week and then I intend to do a 25 mile round journey every weekend to start off with (I used to do it with my previous bike)

This is your best bet.
Just do a search of the forum and you will find many happy owners of the Triban.

 

[Cycleops]

Don't know if you are still interested in the second hand bike but if you and you decieded to look at it this is what you can do to check it out. Spin the wheels to see if they are true and check the spokes for tension. Wiggle the cranks from side to side to check for play. Hold the the front brake on and push the bars back and forth to see if there is play in the steering headset. Also look at the teeth on the cassette and chain wheel and see if the pointed which indicates wear. The bike is about twenty years old but that is no problem if its been well maintained. You will need to change the pedals as they are for specific cycling shoes (clip in type). It probably is a bit overpriced especially as there appears to be no makers name. The components are Shimano exage and good quality. If you could haggle it down to 150 - 175 that would be reasonable. I am prejudiced as I love old bikes.

I understand that if your budget is 200 then being a student you cannot afford more. If you can go for the triban 3 all the secondhand issues go away and you can relax knowing it will be sound. The Triban has an aluminium frame so the ride will be a bit different to a steel 531 bike, but that shouldn't concern you.

Good luck whichever you go for and don't forget to budget for a helmet and a good lock. I am sure you don't need reminding about the latter!

 

[jlamontagne]

Thanks for the advice Cycleops, I'm 99.9% sure I'm going to get the Triban 3. For £299 it seems I can't go wrong so I may as well go over my budget to save me money and hassle in the long term compared to a cheaply made sub £200 bike. The only thing putting me off is that my nearest Decathlon store is in Sheffield (I live in Leeds) so I would probably have to get it delivered.

 

[Psyclist]

Thanks for the advice Cycleops, I'm 99.9% sure I'm going to get the Triban 3. For £299 it seems I can't go wrong so I may as well go over my budget to save me money and hassle in the long term compared to a cheaply made sub £200 bike. The only thing putting me off is that my nearest Decathlon store is in Sheffield (I live in Leeds) so I would probably have to get it delivered.

Go to bike shop and get sized up, it may be cheeky getting them to size you up, and not buying one from your LBS, but at least you'll know which size Triban you'll need when ordering. I have a friend who works in the Decathlon Ireland branch and he says they're great bang for your buck. I can vouch for the Shimano 2300 groupset (had it on my old Defy) which comes on it. It's a reliable groupset and is rather smooth for the bottom end Shimano groupo range. And if you're not a serious rider, it's perfect to ride with.

 

[Kins]

Thanks for the advice Cycleops, I'm 99.9% sure I'm going to get the Triban 3. For £299 it seems I can't go wrong so I may as well go over my budget to save me money and hassle in the long term compared to a cheaply made sub £200 bike. The only thing putting me off is that my nearest Decathlon store is in Sheffield (I live in Leeds) so I would probably have to get it delivered.

Thats what trains are for! Or tap up a m8 with a car to take you over, few pints in the Union and petrol money and most people will help.

 

[akb]

To add to the already great answers above, dont forgot to budget for accesories that you will need. IMO, you will need the following as standard:
Lock
Lights, front and rear
Mini Pump
Puncture repair kit
Spare Inner Tubes.

 

[jlamontagne]

Already looking into them, I'm gonna get kryptonite d-lock and a good quality cable lock and lock both wheels independently to the frame and immovable object. Getting some cat-eye lights or maybe Bontrager, I've got a puncture repair kit and a pump and just need some spare inner tubes and I'll be on my way . I've just been looking on YouTube at bike locking tutorials and I just can't believe how naive I was in thinking that a cheap, thin cable lock attached to only the frame would protect my previous bike from theft. Oh well, we all learn from our mistakes.

 

[akb]

If someone wants your bike, they will have it. Locks are a good detterent, but not bombproof. Krptonite do have great locks, go for a Gold rated lock and it should slow down any attempt to break it.

Ref lights; assuming you will be riding into the dark, you will need both 'be seen' lights and 'seeing' lights, especially for your country rambles which I assume will be on unlit roads? Any cheap flashing light with wide spill are good for be seen, Cateye do quite a few. IME (Cateye EL530-£50) was a waste of money as a seeing light. The light emitted was poor and is not good enough for the 10mile pitch black winter commute. I wont go into too much detail as lighting has been covered plenty of times before, but I would suggest research your seeing light and not waste money on poorer products. Good luck!

 

[pedallinghard]

The only good bike I know about near that price is the triban 3 for £299.99 I appreciate that may be to expensive but it has got rave reviews from everybody who owns one

*Almost* everyone. I kept mine for about four hours before driving back round the M25 and sadly taking it back.

Why? Somehow the geometry didn't fit me - it went like a rocket on the carpet in the shop (compared to my 16kg tourer). But when I got it home it was tiny compared to my other bike - 8cm shorter for a 54cm seat tube. I set the seat to the same height but my knees were up into my chest, my leg never straightened at the bottom of the stroke and worst of all, whenever I tried to steer (which you don't get a chance to try in the shop) the toe clips hit the back of the front wheel and stopped any further steering - dangerous on the street, and no adjustment could stop it due to such a short frame. So with great sadness after reading so many good reviews, it was back to Decathlon who were very good about a refund. Not knocking it, I would have loved to keep it, but maybe I'm just too used to a traditional geometry and butterfly bars? The lesson....try very well before you buy!

I have one bike with front and back panniers for long trips away, and I wanted a second bike for fast day trips circa 70-100 miles and was looking for something light in the £200-300 region. With the Triban crossed off, does anyone have any suggestions? Viking Giro D'italia at £200 and 11.9kg? Carrera TDF at 11.7? Any suggestions gratefully received.