Newbie needs a road bike
Discussion
Morning all,
I've entered a triathlon in July and as yet I don't even have a bike.
I'm in 2 minds about the best way ahead... I'm limiting my budget for the bike to about £550. Can anyone suggest whether it's better to go down to my local bike shop and buy the entry level Specialized Allez, or whether I should save some money and go second hand (or get a better spec 2nd hand bike using the full budget).
Anyone got anything for sale? (I'm 6'4")
I've entered a triathlon in July and as yet I don't even have a bike.
I'm in 2 minds about the best way ahead... I'm limiting my budget for the bike to about £550. Can anyone suggest whether it's better to go down to my local bike shop and buy the entry level Specialized Allez, or whether I should save some money and go second hand (or get a better spec 2nd hand bike using the full budget).
Anyone got anything for sale? (I'm 6'4")
Getting the correct size and fit right is more important than which entry level bike is best, they are all much of a muchness at that sort of price, although you will get slightly more value for money buying something other than a Specialized/ Giant/ Trek unless it's on sale. Go and find a local road orientated shop and try a few on test rides.
Personally I would buy new. I bought an Allez a couple of years ago and loved it - that style of bike (be it Specialised, Trek or whatever) are fantastic value for money.
I've now passed it on to a friend but still can't recommend one enough. I personally think the beauty of buying new is that everything works as it should and is nice and smooth - important factors to get you in to road biking.
I've now passed it on to a friend but still can't recommend one enough. I personally think the beauty of buying new is that everything works as it should and is nice and smooth - important factors to get you in to road biking.
dont be afraid of a s/h bike and do speak to your local road shop, your local roadie club and the tri club, people will be selling stuff now to buy shiny 2012 gear as all triathletes know that pounds spent on new shiny things is directly proportional to hours spent training
they will also give you loads of advice regarding the race itself and sort you out for transitions and things.
I'd buy new as it's a first bike. Once you move on you'll know a lot more about fit and components generally so you'll be in a better position to decide for yourself what you want/need.
For your first bike however this is virgin territory and fit is everything on a roadie so it's important that you get good advice; something you're not likely to get in Halfords. Any decent bike shop will be happy to fit you to a bike, be it a Specialized, Trek, Scott, whatever. You will then be safe in the knowledge that you've got the basics right and can either upgrade the bike from there or buy a nicer machine after a season of racing.
For your first bike however this is virgin territory and fit is everything on a roadie so it's important that you get good advice; something you're not likely to get in Halfords. Any decent bike shop will be happy to fit you to a bike, be it a Specialized, Trek, Scott, whatever. You will then be safe in the knowledge that you've got the basics right and can either upgrade the bike from there or buy a nicer machine after a season of racing.
t.My motivation is slightly different for 2012. I am going to ride a century to raise money for a hospice that cared for a close friend. Having not ridden for 18 years i'm looking forward to the challenge and preparation.
Like buying a car I did alot of research and talking to people and in the end opted to buy second hand.
I ended up buying a 2011 Bianchi which after looking carefully and finding the right bike from a good seller it had only been ridden twice and has 1 microscopic mark on a fork. I paid £350 for it so good bikes are out there if you look second hand.
I needed to look second hand to get a decent bike on my budget however as you have a little more then maybe there are a few new bikes like the Boardman that fit the frame (pardon the pun)
The advice on getting the bike that fits is very true. There are quite a few really helpful videos on you tube that give great advice on how to set the saddle height and fore/aft position as well as adjusting the gearing. (I do like to know myself how things work
) Worth a look.
It may be worth visiting your local bike shop to see what size frame will fit you if you do opt for buying second hand. I didn't do this and went from the advice based on height and the type of riding position I need for a long ride so opted for a 57 frame and it fits perfectly (i'm 6ft)
I'd narrowed my search down to either the Boardman, Ribble, Bianchi or Cannondale CAAD 8 which all fit within your budget.
Like buying a car I did alot of research and talking to people and in the end opted to buy second hand.
I ended up buying a 2011 Bianchi which after looking carefully and finding the right bike from a good seller it had only been ridden twice and has 1 microscopic mark on a fork. I paid £350 for it so good bikes are out there if you look second hand.
I needed to look second hand to get a decent bike on my budget however as you have a little more then maybe there are a few new bikes like the Boardman that fit the frame (pardon the pun)
The advice on getting the bike that fits is very true. There are quite a few really helpful videos on you tube that give great advice on how to set the saddle height and fore/aft position as well as adjusting the gearing. (I do like to know myself how things work
) Worth a look.It may be worth visiting your local bike shop to see what size frame will fit you if you do opt for buying second hand. I didn't do this and went from the advice based on height and the type of riding position I need for a long ride so opted for a 57 frame and it fits perfectly (i'm 6ft)
I'd narrowed my search down to either the Boardman, Ribble, Bianchi or Cannondale CAAD 8 which all fit within your budget.
Edited by Evo on Thursday 29th December 21:24
Edited by Evo on Thursday 29th December 21:26
For your budget (similar to mine when starting Tri last year) try shopping around on t'interweb for a 2011 Specialized Allez. Going for what is now last years' model will save a fair bit of cash. Any spare cash you have, spend on Tri-bars (they really make a big difference) and some decent rubber for racing on.
Good luck with your first Tri; be prepared though as it becomes a bit of an obsession!
Good luck with your first Tri; be prepared though as it becomes a bit of an obsession!
T350 Al said:
For your budget (similar to mine when starting Tri last year) try shopping around on t'interweb for a 2011 Specialized Allez. Going for what is now last years' model will save a fair bit of cash. Any spare cash you have, spend on Tri-bars (they really make a big difference) and some decent rubber for racing on.
Whilst I agree on the bike idea, (my brother in law just got one for that sort of money, and loves it, I DON'T recommend buying your first road bike from the internet.A good fit is sooo important, the extra you'll spend buying one from a shop will be well spent, as you can try before you buy, and get some good advice. If you go and try bikes, then buy from the internet, there will eventually be no bike shops left.
Further, for the OP particularly, Sigma Sport in Kingston are a Specialised Specialist, but have other makes too. They usually retail at RRP, but I have found the service to be very good.
Also, I live in Clapham, and have some old tri-bars I never use, which could be yours for a beer or two. I'll even let you tow me round the park a few times in training if you ask nicely.
Thanks for all the advice guys,
I've entered the Blenheim Sprint tri (though once I've done the training I imagine I'll end up entering enter a longer event in the summer as well).
I'll try to visit a couple of bike shops this weekend see if I can persuade them to measure me up and possibly ride a few.
There's so much info out there on the web!
Evo: find a Bianchi 2011 for £350 sounds like a great bargain!
Lewis: I've heard of Sigma so will try to check them out. Those tri bars and a lap of the park sound great - I'll get in touch in the new year.
Graham
I've entered the Blenheim Sprint tri (though once I've done the training I imagine I'll end up entering enter a longer event in the summer as well).
I'll try to visit a couple of bike shops this weekend see if I can persuade them to measure me up and possibly ride a few.
There's so much info out there on the web!
Evo: find a Bianchi 2011 for £350 sounds like a great bargain!
Lewis: I've heard of Sigma so will try to check them out. Those tri bars and a lap of the park sound great - I'll get in touch in the new year.
Graham
The Allez is a good bike but it wouldn't be my choice for starting triathlons.
They have one of the tallest head tubes on the market which would put your torso in quite an upright position acting as an airbrake.
A bike with a shorter headtube such as a Boardman, Cannondale CAAD8, GT or Scott will all have shorter head tubes which would help you to get comfortable riding in a lower tucked aero position. These have 'Racing geometry' as opposed to the more 'Sportive geometry' of the Allez.
Definitely try some in a shop for size & fit, Evans Cycles should match these prices if they have the same models & sizes in stock:
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m7b...
They have one of the tallest head tubes on the market which would put your torso in quite an upright position acting as an airbrake.
A bike with a shorter headtube such as a Boardman, Cannondale CAAD8, GT or Scott will all have shorter head tubes which would help you to get comfortable riding in a lower tucked aero position. These have 'Racing geometry' as opposed to the more 'Sportive geometry' of the Allez.
Definitely try some in a shop for size & fit, Evans Cycles should match these prices if they have the same models & sizes in stock:
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m7b...
Edited by Roman on Friday 30th December 10:59
I found the Specialized road bikes to be very poor vfm. I would be looking at sale bikes (Pedalon have a good deal on Synapse Tiagra) or possibly s/h although when I was looking alot of used bikes were selling for nearly RRP!
I'm the same height as you and am considering selling my bike if you're interested, this : http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?Mod...
I'm the same height as you and am considering selling my bike if you're interested, this : http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?Mod...
louiebaby said:
Whilst I agree on the bike idea, (my brother in law just got one for that sort of money, and loves it, I DON'T recommend buying your first road bike from the internet.
A good fit is sooo important, the extra you'll spend buying one from a shop will be well spent, as you can try before you buy, and get some good advice. If you go and try bikes, then buy from the internet, there will eventually be no bike shops left.
.A good fit is sooo important, the extra you'll spend buying one from a shop will be well spent, as you can try before you buy, and get some good advice. If you go and try bikes, then buy from the internet, there will eventually be no bike shops left.
I do agree a good fit is important, but given I only bought my Specialized for commuting and got it for a steal, I wasn't too worried about the fit initially. However, the more time I spent in the saddle the more I tinkered with the set-up to get more comfortable. I have heard of a poor fit putting some people off cycling altogether so point taken!
However, when I bought my Planet X TT bike I bought from the shop and got a Retul fit too; when spending out that sort of cash I wasn't going to chance a crap fit!
I was down at Sigma yesterday and was very impressed.
My budget puts me in the Specialized Allez arena.
I've looked at one or two bikes and shops before getting to Sigma and I'm fairly certain I'll be buying a bike from them. The recommendation was the Allez 2012, but it's as much about getting the fit correct as anything else.
I looked at Ribble and like their bikes (and prices) but by the time I've gone up to Preston to get the size right I have added £150 to the price of the bike. And if anything goes wrong it's a long way for a quick repair.
I'd only go to Evans or Cycle Surgery if I knew exactly what I wanted. The service and level of knowledge I've observed in several (London) branches puts them on a par with Currys / PC World in my eyes.
So, come the new year and being back at work (to get C2W signed off) I'll be revisiting Sigma for my new Allez.
My budget puts me in the Specialized Allez arena.
I've looked at one or two bikes and shops before getting to Sigma and I'm fairly certain I'll be buying a bike from them. The recommendation was the Allez 2012, but it's as much about getting the fit correct as anything else.
I looked at Ribble and like their bikes (and prices) but by the time I've gone up to Preston to get the size right I have added £150 to the price of the bike. And if anything goes wrong it's a long way for a quick repair.
I'd only go to Evans or Cycle Surgery if I knew exactly what I wanted. The service and level of knowledge I've observed in several (London) branches puts them on a par with Currys / PC World in my eyes.
So, come the new year and being back at work (to get C2W signed off) I'll be revisiting Sigma for my new Allez.
i'd get the boardman if you want a new bike. buy it online, collect it boxed, take it home, build it yourself with a beer. its not hard. most of it is already done for you but you geta better appreciation of how to fix stuff if you put some of it together in the first place. you dont need to take it back to halfords for servicing etc. its a bike, not a spaceship, its not rocket science.
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