What to do? Sell new Hybrid and change to road bike?
Discussion
Hi Guys,
I bought a Boardman Comp Hybrid bike about 2 months ago to offer me some cross training for my running. I've been using it loads, and have since signed up for a Triathlon.
I'm enjoying the cycling more than i thought, and am going to keep it up and cycle as much as i run with the aim to complete more triathlons.
my dilemma is, that i paid 500 quid for the bike, and it's a decent bike. But i'm wondering if i should eBay it and buy a full road bike? Is it a complete waste of money?
I'm thinking i could easily get 300 quid for it at a minimum. I could also afford to put about 300-400 additional in. so i guess my 2 questions are;
Will i notice a big difference between a decent Hybrid and a road bike?
And what could i get for around 700 quid? Would you recommend getting something second hand, or somethnig new?
I bought a Boardman Comp Hybrid bike about 2 months ago to offer me some cross training for my running. I've been using it loads, and have since signed up for a Triathlon.
I'm enjoying the cycling more than i thought, and am going to keep it up and cycle as much as i run with the aim to complete more triathlons.
my dilemma is, that i paid 500 quid for the bike, and it's a decent bike. But i'm wondering if i should eBay it and buy a full road bike? Is it a complete waste of money?
I'm thinking i could easily get 300 quid for it at a minimum. I could also afford to put about 300-400 additional in. so i guess my 2 questions are;
Will i notice a big difference between a decent Hybrid and a road bike?
And what could i get for around 700 quid? Would you recommend getting something second hand, or somethnig new?
It depends where your current bike falls in the hybrid spectrum. A mate who only had an MTB at the time borrowed my Kona Dew Deluxe (hybrid) to do London to Brighton a few years ago and held his own with the less serious road bike riders.
Personally, if it's just for fitness (rather than time trials etc.) and you like your current bike I'd go with the 'if it ain't broke' mentality.
Personally, if it's just for fitness (rather than time trials etc.) and you like your current bike I'd go with the 'if it ain't broke' mentality.
It doesn't fail anywhere! It's just that i am thinking if i can afford it, why not?
It's a really good bike and is pretty much a road bike in all except the handlebars.
When i ride with my mates on full road bikes though, they are in a much lower position and seem to be able to get better speed on the big straights with their heads down!
Stuck in two minds here!
It's a really good bike and is pretty much a road bike in all except the handlebars.
When i ride with my mates on full road bikes though, they are in a much lower position and seem to be able to get better speed on the big straights with their heads down!
Stuck in two minds here!
I moved from a Marin hyrbid to a "proper" road bike when I was actually doing cycling rather than reading about it. The difference was night and day in my experience and if you're starting to do real training and looking at tri you may as well make the jump, I seriously doubt that you'll regret it for a moment.
I recently sold my Boardman comp road bike to buy a hybrid! (as roadbike did not agree with my back)
The boardman Hybrid should fetch a decent price.
Are you sure you want to change it for a roadbike though?. Sure the roadbike will be marginally quicker in a race, but probably will be less comfortable than the hybrid. Also if you just like to jump on a bike to go to shops etc, the hybrid makes more sense as roadbike usually involves a lot of faffing about & lycra.
Could you get a second bike past the home accountant? Perfectly justifyable, roadbike for racing & the hybrid will pay for itself in fuel savings!
The boardman Hybrid should fetch a decent price.
Are you sure you want to change it for a roadbike though?. Sure the roadbike will be marginally quicker in a race, but probably will be less comfortable than the hybrid. Also if you just like to jump on a bike to go to shops etc, the hybrid makes more sense as roadbike usually involves a lot of faffing about & lycra.
Could you get a second bike past the home accountant? Perfectly justifyable, roadbike for racing & the hybrid will pay for itself in fuel savings!
zollburgers said:
If you want to sell it for £300, give me a PM as I'll be interested!
I've listed it on Gumtree for £350 now and had a bit of interest, but if you're still interested i'd do it for you for £350 and chuck the £40 lights in that are on it that are also pretty much brand new! I'm based in Windsor so let me know! 
I think i've made my mind up then. I'll be doing more triathlons and constant training, so will go for a road bike i think!
nick s said:
Also, does anyone have any recommendations? ooking to spend about £700 max really. Do i go new or second hand? Any ideas what make? I was thinking maybe just getting the Boardman Road bike?
Boardman bikes are very well specced, Canyon are probably the best in terms of value for money thoughRibble. i appreciate its daunting buying online without sitting on one but i have done it twice now and its all about doing your research on sizing.
All their geo data isonline, get someone to measure you in all the obvious places, sit on a a few bikes of various sizes in a shop to get a feel for what is comfy, look up that bike geo on line and see where it fits in with the ribble frames. then use their custome bike builder to get one in budget. their 7005 sportive frame is nice and a tiagra build should be around £700.
All their geo data isonline, get someone to measure you in all the obvious places, sit on a a few bikes of various sizes in a shop to get a feel for what is comfy, look up that bike geo on line and see where it fits in with the ribble frames. then use their custome bike builder to get one in budget. their 7005 sportive frame is nice and a tiagra build should be around £700.
pablo said:
Ribble. i appreciate its daunting buying online without sitting on one but i have done it twice now and its all about doing your research on sizing.
All their geo data isonline, get someone to measure you in all the obvious places, sit on a a few bikes of various sizes in a shop to get a feel for what is comfy, look up that bike geo on line and see where it fits in with the ribble frames. then use their custome bike builder to get one in budget. their 7005 sportive frame is nice and a tiagra build should be around £700.
They look really good! I like the idea of customizing it aswell! Are they a decent make then?All their geo data isonline, get someone to measure you in all the obvious places, sit on a a few bikes of various sizes in a shop to get a feel for what is comfy, look up that bike geo on line and see where it fits in with the ribble frames. then use their custome bike builder to get one in budget. their 7005 sportive frame is nice and a tiagra build should be around £700.
I've been looking at Cannondales for around £750. Would you say the Ribbles are better for the money then?
nick s said:
pablo said:
Ribble. i appreciate its daunting buying online without sitting on one but i have done it twice now and its all about doing your research on sizing.
All their geo data isonline, get someone to measure you in all the obvious places, sit on a a few bikes of various sizes in a shop to get a feel for what is comfy, look up that bike geo on line and see where it fits in with the ribble frames. then use their custome bike builder to get one in budget. their 7005 sportive frame is nice and a tiagra build should be around £700.
They look really good! I like the idea of customizing it aswell! Are they a decent make then?All their geo data isonline, get someone to measure you in all the obvious places, sit on a a few bikes of various sizes in a shop to get a feel for what is comfy, look up that bike geo on line and see where it fits in with the ribble frames. then use their custome bike builder to get one in budget. their 7005 sportive frame is nice and a tiagra build should be around £700.
I've been looking at Cannondales for around £750. Would you say the Ribbles are better for the money then?
quality comapred to a cannondale is hugely debatable (see above - people will convince themselves that it must be better because it hasa a brand on the tube despite the shared origins) but i dont think you could really tell the difference at that price. the top end cannondale alu stuff is fantastic and blows everything out of the water but below £1k i dont think there is much in it at all.
i like custom builds too hence i buy frames and build them up over time, its a personal thing but i dont like the idea of someone else walking into a shop and buying "my" bike.... even if its just saddle/bar tape colour!
pablo said:
they have a good reputation, they suffer only because people are snobs and want a brand name on their down tube that they recognise or that they can see a pro ride on the telly.... ribble source direct from the factories, slap their name on it and charge a fair price.
quality comapred to a cannondale is hugely debatable (see above - people will convince themselves that it must be better because it hasa a brand on the tube despite the shared origins) but i dont think you could really tell the difference at that price. the top end cannondale alu stuff is fantastic and blows everything out of the water but below £1k i dont think there is much in it at all.
i like custom builds too hence i buy frames and build them up over time, its a personal thing but i dont like the idea of someone else walking into a shop and buying "my" bike.... even if its just saddle/bar tape colour!
This gives me somethign to think about. It's just a bit daunting selecting which parts i want on Ribble when i'm not too clued up on it all?! i.e the chainset etc? And how would i know which pedals are suitable? I want some clip in ones obviously, but don't want to spend a bomb!quality comapred to a cannondale is hugely debatable (see above - people will convince themselves that it must be better because it hasa a brand on the tube despite the shared origins) but i dont think you could really tell the difference at that price. the top end cannondale alu stuff is fantastic and blows everything out of the water but below £1k i dont think there is much in it at all.
i like custom builds too hence i buy frames and build them up over time, its a personal thing but i dont like the idea of someone else walking into a shop and buying "my" bike.... even if its just saddle/bar tape colour!
Say i was to go for a Cannondale though, or something not from Ribble, where is the best place to buy fro online? Wiggle doesn't seem to have much in Stock. What about Evans cycles? Or are there cheaper options?
Ideally you will find the local shop that your local cycling club are sponsored by/recommend, it shouldnt take too long to find. it will most likely be a one man shop kind of thing. high on service and advice.
too many bike shops think they are doing the customer a favour by simply being open never mind actually engaging with the customer and finding out about them, their intentions etc. yes, times are hard, but customer service isnt hard and if they are going to be grumpy i'll use wiggle and keep the saving...
dont be forced into buying whatever they have in stock just because they tell you its perfect for what you want to do and/or the right size. their prices are likely to be rrp or at least higher than the web. there are obvious reasons for this but if they are charging rrp you should expect the service that matches it.
the better shops with a web presence who still hold good stock, but are smaller than the wiggles of this world, are "pedalon", "high on bikes", "hargroves", "epic cycles" and "stonehenge cycles" - google will find them. they are mostly south west but thats cuz i lives here... Evans et al are ok but for a big company their non-sale prices are high and i hate the way that you have to pay a fee to get a bike ordered in. i was interested in a £2.5k bike and wanted to try it in a 54 and a 56, they still wanted £50 (refundable if i bought it) deposit on each a bike knowing full well i would only buy one, if indeed i bought either... i thought that was just crap.
try the newer concept stores too, they only sell one brand, Giant have a few as do Specialised, the staff are generally better than other shops by virtue of having only one brand to push but you are of course limited to a brand.
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