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Road Biking

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 Jamie B 22 May 2009
I think this could be the Next Big Thing for me. I think it would suit my character and what I look for in a sport.

Any advice on starting out for me? Crucially, what would I pay for an affordable start-up bike?
 andy 22 May 2009
In reply to Jamie Bankhead: "Crucially, what would I pay for an affordable start-up bike?"

£4-500 should see you ok, especially if you look at 2nd hand or last year's models, although you 'll get a lot more if you can stretch to £750.

That'll do you for a few weeks, but then you will obviously need a summer bike and a winter bike, and probably a commuting bike to be on the safe side. Then you may choose to get something carbonny for best.

Newton 22 May 2009
In reply to Jamie Bankhead: 600 quid will get you a good bike new. Unfortunately because they tend to sell fewer road bikes, adn cos the STI brake/gear levers are pricey, this is really entry level for a road bike. That said a £600 bike will do you fine. Beyond that bikes get better and better up to about £1500 at which point you start getting to tne point of diminishing returns. For a start out bike anything up to a grand would be great.
OP Jamie B 22 May 2009
In reply to andy:

Phew, thought you said £4,500! So are we talking about something that can go quite fast?

Excuse my ignorance; why a summer bike and a winter bike? Commuting shouldnt require a bike as it is currently 3 minutes on foot.
 Horse 22 May 2009
In reply to Jamie Bankhead:
> (In reply to andy)
>
> Phew, thought you said £4,500! So are we talking about something that can go quite fast?

You could easily spend £4500 if you wanted to but a more realistic budget might be £750. Something like a Specialized Allez or Giant Defy. I think the problem with anything cheaper is that you will soon realise the compromises made.

>
> Excuse my ignorance; why a summer bike and a winter bike?

The seasonal distinction may not apply where you live!!!
 holly 22 May 2009
In reply to Jamie Bankhead:
you can (and probably will) spend as much as you've got. bought the girls version of a specialized allez in january. I got the last years model for £460 but the only different thing appears to be the color. I have probably spent about £500 on extras and bits and bobs since.
Im still finding it quite frustrating as its harder to improve than i thought, but really addictive and really good fun
holx

In reply to Jamie Bankhead:

Hi Jamie,

Summer Bike = Your favorite bike that you like (probably even love) and don't want to get dirty. Must clean it religeously after every ride to at least showroom condition.

Winter Bike = The bike you ride in winter on gritted roads and on wet summer days. You don't have to clean this one so often and it is ok for it to have some scratches

Commuter Bike = Should be single speed to assist your quest for PERFECT Cadance on your 3 minute journey to work.

PS: My road biking days are over as it screwed my back up
In reply to Jamie Bankhead:

There are several decent 'entry level' bikes on the market for around the £5-600 mark. You may be lucky and find a 'last year's' model a bit cheaper, particularly if you shop around on t'interweb, and aren't fixated with one or two 'high profile' brands. You can often get more 'bang for your buck' with an unfashionable Raleigh, Claud Butler, or Halfords Carrera. (A lot of 'brands' generally source their cheaper aluminium framesets from same 2 or 3 taiwanese factories - and there's nowt wrong with them as a beginners bike.)

If you go for the lightest bike you can afford, with mid range mechanicals, you'll not go far wrong.

Me -- I bought a bike from my LBS -- it was a shop soiled alloy frame - bearing the shop's name (though it possibly was sourced from the same distrubutor as entry level Ribble's and Dolan's)- with carbon forks, and a mix of mostly s/h Campag mechanical gear. It cost me £250 plus another £50 for pedals & shoes.

Things to look for are a decent alloy frame (6061 or 7005) with carbon forks. If you're likely to be cycling anywhere that's a bit lumpy, then a triple chainset / or a compact chainset will be virtually essential if you want to avoid walking up the steeper stuff until you find your 'road legs'.

Campag Mirage / Shimano Tiagra mechanicals are OK for an entry level bike. You'd need to be getting into fairly serious biking to worry about better quality equipment. Most bikes in the £5 - 600 range are actually better specced (apart from the wheels) from what I used to race on as a 2nd Category rider rather a log time ago.

The biggest improvements to bikes over the the years are in the quality and range of gearing , the STI / ergo brake gear levers, and clip in pedals. Anyting else is really icing on the cake.

Have fun
 Timmd 22 May 2009
In reply to Jamie Bankhead:The Carrera Virtuoso from Halfords got a good review as a beginner's bike in this month's (June's) CyclingPlus,and came top in thier test of five bikes. They said 'It's exactly the sort of recreational/practical road bike that most beginners need,and it's eminently suitable as an experianced rider's hack bike too.' It weigh's 24.5lbs minus pedals.

It was 329 pounds,and the others were 389,399,399 and 429 pounds. The June issue has a guide to buying second hand bikes in it,too.

http://www.buyabikedirect.co.uk/category/140/JAMIS_ROAD_BIKES

Possibly more likely to be comfier to ride is the Jamis Satellite bike from the shop above,which is steel with a carbon fork for 500(i do't know the weight for it),or the Jamis Quest for 700 pounds which is steel with a carbon fork and weigh's 19.75 lbs,which is average weight for bikes around 1000 pounds.

Happy cycling,it can help to keep you fit and cheefull. Remember to stretch as well.

Cheers
Tim
 Jasonic 23 May 2009
In reply to Jamie Bankhead: Cycling is great, carbon forks make for more comfort. Postioning is very important, if your local bike shop are good at this it would be worth £100- over a net deal and you should get the first service as well.

Modern brakes are great, less convinced about clip pedals, you can get double sided ones for touring shoes. Gearing is confusing, for hills the choices are 34/50 compacts or triples which feature a granny gear. In the old days I had a 39/52 set up which I think worked as well.
scottreid 23 May 2009
In reply to Jamie Bankhead:

see my thead for some advice, stay safe!

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=356411
psd 23 May 2009
In reply to Jamie Bankhead:

When my (rather cheap and extremely dodgy) road bike got pinched the insurance paid out for a new Giant Defy 4, which is about 475 in the shops. The good thing is that it shares the frame with its much more expensive big brothers, so if you get on with roadies and decide to upgrade, you've got a good frame to hang fancy kit off.
 McGus 23 May 2009
In reply to Jamie Bankhead: hmmm! Jamie, knowing that you and I share certain characteristics - namely, we're not the lightest or smallest of chaps - I'd recommend on the evidence of my participation in the Etape Caledonia last weekend that you seriously consider a triple (i.e one with a granny ring).

If only i were 10 stone instead of 14 (cough, 15?!) I'd be a damn site quicker!

Still, all told, I'm happily pootling along doing lots of 50 mile plus rides up to 80 odd and it's a good way to get fit when you're not able to get out into the hills.

warning - as suggested above - you can spend lots of money on nice shiny stuff
Ian Black 23 May 2009
In reply to McGus: I'm 14 1/2 stone and ride a compact. Never wished I had a triple and I do most my riding in N.lancs and Cumbria. My commuter has a triple but it I never use the small ring. I honestly don't think he'll need triple.
In reply to Jamie Bankhead:

All lot of modern road bikes have fairly aggressive geometry and can be quite harsh on your back, especially if you are over a certain age. It could be worth considering something with a slightly more relaxed geometry such as a Specialized Roubaix or similar.
 Toby S 23 May 2009
In reply to Ian Black:
> (In reply to McGus) I'm 14 1/2 stone and ride a compact. Never wished I had a triple and I do most my riding in N.lancs and Cumbria. My commuter has a triple but it I never use the small ring. I honestly don't think he'll need triple.

Yep I'm a wee bit heavier than you and find the compact to be more than adequate.
Ian Black 23 May 2009
In reply to Toby S: D-Day tomorrow. Is there another twist?
 Liam M 23 May 2009
In reply to Ian Black:
> (In reply to McGus) I honestly don't think he'll need triple.

Sometimes it can be nice to have that 39t wheel though, especially on mild hills or undulating terrain. I think as a first road bike it can be quite useful to avoid developing a habit of trying to power through in too high a gear and too low a cadence (i.e. doing everything on the big chain wheel), and manic spinning on the little wheel would be interesting to get used to at first. I think a triple can help that whilst still allowing you to have the little gears.
 Toby S 23 May 2009
In reply to Ian Black:
> (In reply to Toby S) D-Day tomorrow. Is there another twist?

I'm going out on the bike instead. Can't bear to watch/listen to the game!

I reckon we'll f'ck it up though. Not convinced they've got the bottle.
Ian Black 23 May 2009
In reply to Toby S:
> (In reply to Ian Black)
> [...]
>
> I'm going out on the bike instead. Can't bear to watch/listen to the game!
>
> I reckon we'll f'ck it up though. Not convinced they've got the bottle.




Aye me to. Out at 06:30 for a ride. I honestly couldn't call it as both have dropped points against 'weaker' sides.

 BelleVedere 24 May 2009
In reply to holly:
> (In reply to Jamie Bankhead)
>
> Im still finding it quite frustrating as its harder to improve than i thought, but really addictive and really good fun
>

yeah those dam hills always feel hard

tradmania 24 May 2009
In reply to Jamie Bankhead:

If you can stretch to £1000, the Boardman Team Carbon from Halfords should keep you happy for a long time, its had great reviews all round. Carbon frame and SRAM Rival, wow!

http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/news/article/mps/uan/3570
 sutty 24 May 2009
In reply to tradmania:

LOL, I think Jamie wants a bike and a car for that money.
OP Jamie B 25 May 2009
In reply to sutty:
> (In reply to tradmania)
>
> LOL, I think Jamie wants a bike and a car for that money.

Heehee, you're about right there! It may end up being a choice between one and the other...

 Toby S 25 May 2009
In reply to tradmania:
> (In reply to Jamie Bankhead)
>
> If you can stretch to £1000, the Boardman Team Carbon from Halfords should keep you happy for a long time, its had great reviews all round. Carbon frame and SRAM Rival, wow!
>
> http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/news/article/mps/uan/3570

I've got one on the Cycle to Work scheme. A great bit of kit..... just a shame about the great lump that rides on it.
 Enty 25 May 2009
In reply to sutty:
> (In reply to tradmania)
>
> LOL, I think Jamie wants a bike and a car for that money.

It's still incredible value for a grand though Sutty.

Enty
tradmania 25 May 2009
In reply to Enty:

Or even £600 if Jamie can get it on the Bike to Work Scheme.
 Timmd 25 May 2009
In reply to Liam M:
> (In reply to Ian Black)
> [...]
>
> Sometimes it can be nice to have that 39t wheel though, especially on mild hills or undulating terrain. I think as a first road bike it can be quite useful to avoid developing a habit of trying to power through in too high a gear and too low a cadence (i.e. doing everything on the big chain wheel), and manic spinning on the little wheel would be interesting to get used to at first. I think a triple can help that whilst still allowing you to have the little gears.

I've tried my dad's bike with a compact chainset on and i really prefer the triple on my bike. You're only adding about 100 grams onto a bike by having a triple instead of a compact. I often really appreciate having a 30 th ring as my smallest ring on the front.

I read something by Chris Boardman about how 3 or 4 hundred grams doens't make any difference to how a bike performs,and people can get caught up in obsessing over hundreds of grams.

Cheers
Tim




5cifi - BAD SELLER 25 May 2009
In reply to Jamie Bankhead: I'd go for a Giant DEFY 3 Road Bike with prices starting around 500£.

If you're getting into it, you may want to ask to see if you can have a day or two on a friends as you may not like it. Don't go na dpay 500£ on something you might not get into.

Try as many bikes as you can, and ultimately get the bike which feels right to you
 Banned User 77 25 May 2009
In reply to Jamie Bankhead: I got my wife the bottom end Dawes, 300 or something. for around £300. I thought she'd like road biking but was very aware it could go tits up. She's taken to it.

I'd look for second hand. I bought mine for £200 of mooncat off here, lovely bike, no idea what it's worth but it's nice to ride and I have no niggles from riding it so all's good.

I think £300 for an affordable start up bike, the more you pay the better you get.
 fleapitfan 25 May 2009
In reply to Jamie Bankhead:

I have a Carrera Virtuoso, which I got for about £250, which I thought was good value.

Definitely ditch the stock pedals though... The cheap Shimano SPDs (M305s?) will do, and you can wind the tension off so they're easy to unclip.

One thing though: Halfords' after sales service is, of course, absolutely dreadful!
Anonymous 26 May 2009
In reply to Timmd:
> (In reply to Liam M)
> [...]
>
> I've tried my dad's bike with a compact chainset on and i really prefer the triple on my bike. You're only adding about 100 grams onto a bike by having a triple instead of a compact. I often really appreciate having a 30 th ring as my smallest ring on the front.
>
> I read something by Chris Boardman about how 3 or 4 hundred grams doens't make any difference to how a bike performs,and people can get caught up in obsessing over hundreds of grams.
>
> Cheers
> Tim

That's not my view of people worrying about hundreds of grams by the way,it's Chris Boardman's. I just like making hills a bit easier. ()
 Chris F 26 May 2009
In reply to Jamie Bankhead: Can you borrow one first. Be a shame to spend a stack of notes and then hate it.
 Rubbishy 26 May 2009
In reply to Jamie Bankhead:

For the same reason they put posters up in police stations of crack addled whores, to stop us from going the same way, I am going to impart some advice.

1) don't do it. Just buy an old Raleigh Grifter or purple mountain bike with rigid forks

2) If you must, buy something that costs no more than £150, was made by a 9 year old in China and has cotter pins. As a consequence, it will fall apart, you will hate it and revert to 1) above

3) If you do buy a halfway decent bike then never, ever read the bike mags because if you do, it's curtains. This is what happens:

It starts off innocently enough. You sit in your lounge looking at £500 of Trek and thinking how good it would be to speed down the pass into the Clach for last orders, the wind in your hair and a chicken in your trousers. Then, you open the greasy pages of Cycling Weekly and it all goes wrong from there. Some nasty man from Wiggle or Chainreaction will tempt you with his shiny bling, or which he wants only magic beans, pebbles or red berries.

Before you know it, you have ordered a set of carbon bars, a Chorus chainset and those lighter ti spindled Look pegals.

All will be well for a week or two, then the urge returns and Wiggly Man is calling you with a £120 Rapha hat and £300 Rapha bib shorts. You need them, no really need them. must have them. Off the the bank for some more magic beans and pebbles.

You're 4 weeks in now, the bike has been used twice 'cos it has rained a lot, your knee hurt and anyway you ebayed the stock wheels to pay for a pair of Mavic carbons. 50mm rims are the way to go.

As you idly fondle your dream bike something in your recently arrived copy of ProCycling catches your eye. You focus on the slinky frame and read the magic word "Colnago".

From there on it is down hill. You sell a kidney to an Arab and rent your bottom out to lonely sheep farmers to pay for this sexual piece of Italian exotica. Desperate to get hold of the new Campg 11 speed you steal from your employer, break into cars parked on the pass and wank for coins outside Nevisport.

So kids, just say No.
 sutty 26 May 2009
In reply to John Rushby:

And that is the voice of experience kiddies.
 Toby S 26 May 2009
In reply to John Rushby:

A Wiggle Addiction is easy to fix. I use these guys as my main dealers:

http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/index.html

They don't have as wide a range of product but the gear's good and prices slightly better.
 Banned User 77 26 May 2009
In reply to John Rushby: BTW did you do Bamford Sheep Dog Trials fell race yesterday? I thought I reckonised you but was in a rush registering and getting ready as we'd turned up late. We then had to dash off right at the end.
Removed User 26 May 2009
In reply to John Rushby: Is that why bike shops are referred to as "dealers"!
Removed User 26 May 2009
In reply to Toby S:
> (In reply to John Rushby)
>
> A Wiggle Addiction is easy to fix. I use these guys as my main dealers:
>
Surely this is just buying a smaller bag of dope, perhaps cut with slightly more talc?

 Toby S 26 May 2009
In reply to Removed User:

Same kit, cheaper price. Seems to work for me.

Speaking of shopping, anyone got an opinion on these:

http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/shimano-r075-shoes-id45134.html

I was thinking about getting them and a set of Shimano R540 pedals.
 Banned User 77 26 May 2009
In reply to sutty: Aye, just saw that. Cheers, didn't recognise his vest so wasn't sure.
 rossowen 26 May 2009
In reply to Toby S: Excuse my ignorance - I've been looking at the Giant Defy 3 and a couple of other more expensive models like the one in that link - shouldn't they have disc brakes? They all seem to have pads.

Also, can anyone offer me some decent motivation for riding 20 miles round trip from Newport to Cardiff and back everyday? Everyone I mention it to seems to either laugh or pull strange faces at me when I mention it.
KevinD 26 May 2009
In reply to rossowen:
> (In reply to Toby S) Excuse my ignorance - I've been looking at the Giant Defy 3 and a couple of other more expensive models like the one in that link - shouldn't they have disc brakes? They all seem to have pads.

road bikes dont have discs, think mostly down to weight and also the better braking isnt always what you want going through thin tyres (i have them on my hybride with road wheels and am not 100% convinced by them).

> Also, can anyone offer me some decent motivation for riding 20 miles round trip from Newport to Cardiff and back everyday? Everyone I mention it to seems to either laugh or pull strange faces at me when I mention it.

if you like cycling do it, if not then think about the exercise benefits.
depending on your route could take about the same as driving and is far cheaper (well until you get the disease mentioned above for dodgy italian bikes).
 Toby S 26 May 2009
In reply to rossowen:

You'll only get disks on Commuter bikes or MTB's. On proper road bikes you'll get calipers which are lighter and less likely to get mucky. Disk brakes are designed for better stopping power in muddy/wet conditions.

I think.

I'm still relatively new to road biking so could well be talking oot my arse!
 rossowen 26 May 2009
In reply to dissonance & Toby S: Thanks - I'll have to give it some serious thought. No showers in work is the biggest setback.
 andy 26 May 2009
In reply to Toby S: There's a genesis general purpose/cyclo cross bike (and Focus one as well, I think) that have discs on, but I've never seen them on a pure road bike.
 Rubbishy 26 May 2009
In reply to IainRUK:

Yes - I was in a plain white vest, black shorts, knobbly knees. I hobbled round after a week of races. Eskdale Massive put in a good time.

How did you get on?
 Banned User 77 26 May 2009
In reply to John Rushby: 4th, 33:43 I think, I'd done Jura Fell race (16 miles, 2500m ascent) less than 48 hrs earlier. I was strangely fine on the actual fell, had a great descent to catch 3rd just at the railway, just slow on the road/old railway at the start and finish. The wife was second so won a chocolate cake. Nice race with a good atmosphere.

How did you and eskdale massive get on?
 Enty 26 May 2009
In reply to IainRUK:

> The wife was second so won a chocolate cake.
>
>

Lovely! I won 3 pots of home made wild boar paté last week.

Keep your big prize money!!!

Enty

 Rubbishy 26 May 2009
In reply to IainRUK:

Esk came in the top 30, I marginally beat some mono-lunged wheezing old stalwart of the Dark Peak. Having seen a photo of myself taken by Bob at the Kildwick last week, I realise I have the running style of a Jim Henson creation.

Good effort on the race - you had some strong competition there and on the Jura - you up for the Ennerdale and the Borrowdale? I am looking at the Borrowdale assuming I have not overly bent to fit the machine as it comes straight after a 2 week pedal through the alps on the bike.
 Banned User 77 26 May 2009
In reply to John Rushby: The guy who won is a class runner. I thought I may have an outside chance of a win because most of the top Dark Peak runners were away elsewhere this weekend.

I was looking at the lakeland classics but it won't happen this year. I'm working in Germany from next Monday for 2 weeks so miss Ennerdale and will do the Garn British Champs race instead of Borrowdale, the commonwealths ultra champs clash with 3 shires, and I'm only on the waiting list for Langdale, but I've entered Wasdale so will run that.

Borrowdale is a nice run, pretty good underfoot apart from the descent off Scafell and down the Corridor Route, and makes a nice weekend if you stay for beer and the dance in the evening. Save some for Dalehead.

Did you see big Ron Fawcett? He finished quite high up the field, top 20 I think, so is going well.
 Rubbishy 26 May 2009
In reply to IainRUK:

Sounds like you have a pretty full schedule.

I hope to do t he Borrowdale and stay for the beer and watch thin people fall over after 2 sniffs of the bar maid's apron. I recall my mate Jez doing so a couple of years ago. That said, he speaks in tongues after a sherry trifle.

Yep, saw Big Ron - I reckon he has been on the sunbed!
dunc 26 May 2009
Ahh this sounds familiar . . .as my Pinarello (upgraded to Centaur group and red trimmed tyres) will testify to . . .

Compact chainsets: rubbish unless you live in the mountains or have the legs of a five year old. I'm swapping the 34-50 for 42-52. I don't know what I was thinking when I agreed to go with the compact. What an idiot.
 Rubbishy 26 May 2009
In reply to dunc:

Never mind compacts - the true evil is the triple.

Everytime you use the granny ring, God kills a kitten............. or a courier, whichever is in season.


42/52 - old skool
 sutty 26 May 2009
In reply to John Rushby:

Rubbish, I love kittens but rarely use anything but the grandad ring, being older than most.
KevinD 26 May 2009
In reply to John Rushby:

puts order in for triple.
do i get a receipt/certificate for each one culled?
psd 26 May 2009
In reply to Toby S:
> (In reply to IainFP)
>
> Same kit, cheaper price. Seems to work for me.
>
> Speaking of shopping, anyone got an opinion on these:
>
> http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/shimano-r075-shoes-id45134.html
>
> I was thinking about getting them and a set of Shimano R540 pedals.

The uppers look exactly the same as the M075, which is what I use on my roadie - http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/news/article/mps/uan/3358 - it'd make sense if the R or M designation is mtb or roadie and the number for the style.

They're pretty well ventilated, easy to adjust to get the best fit and haven't given me any gyp at all over the 300 miles or so I've done since going clipless. The only thing I'd mention to anyone buying them is that they feel quite narrow. I'm not doing anything silly with them though - just commuting and the odd longer day out to the North York Moors for the opportunity to make myself look stupid on some hills. They were comfy enough to sit comfortably at 22mph for 14 miles the other day though, and I presume the road version would be stiffer still?
 Toby S 26 May 2009
In reply to psd:

Ta. They get good reviews on chain reaction so I think they'll do nicely.
 andy 27 May 2009
In reply to dunc: put me down for spaghetti legs then. I cycle in the dales and with park rash and fleet moss the hard way on the menu for Sunday I'm happy to have 34-27 for the steep bits - and I'm usually too scared going downhill to pedal.
dunc 27 May 2009
Ha ha! My commuter has a triple (52/42/something hilariously small). I've never used it yet I can't bring myself to remove the granny ring. It sits there slowly corroding and looking ridiculous.
 Guy 27 May 2009
In reply to andy: For the Peak I use a compact with 11-23 on the back but for the Lakes i.e. Hardknott I needed the 12-27. I prefer the compact with the 11-23 block to the standard with 12-27 for riding in the hills up to 20%, the gearing feels more natural.

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