Recommendations for a newbie
Discussion
Hi all, considering giving proper cycling a bit of a try, but havent a clue where to start, I'm looking for a roadbike. I suppose what I'm looking for is a beginners guide. What bike/equipment is good, reliable, reasonably priced and what equipment is a must to make cycling enjoyable.
I'll give a little info about myself if it helps in giving advice. I'm 27, quite unfit, would in the beginning anyway be using the bike for fun but would be setting myself training targets to keep things interesting. I will eventually enter races but its a long way away. I'm 15 stone 8 so frame would need to be able to take that weight, I'm a stocky but not overly fat build. The bike would primarily be used on some quite bumpy mountain roads so needs to be fairly durable.
Also if anyone knows of websites or (novice) training plans, any help in this department would be greatly appreciated.
Please note my funds are limited so I'm not looking for carbon fibre bikes or anything yet, just a good, useable, reliable starter bike that doesnt cost the Earth.
Cheers
EFA: because I dont know correct terminology, Sorry
I'll give a little info about myself if it helps in giving advice. I'm 27, quite unfit, would in the beginning anyway be using the bike for fun but would be setting myself training targets to keep things interesting. I will eventually enter races but its a long way away. I'm 15 stone 8 so frame would need to be able to take that weight, I'm a stocky but not overly fat build. The bike would primarily be used on some quite bumpy mountain roads so needs to be fairly durable.
Also if anyone knows of websites or (novice) training plans, any help in this department would be greatly appreciated.
Please note my funds are limited so I'm not looking for carbon fibre bikes or anything yet, just a good, useable, reliable starter bike that doesnt cost the Earth.
Cheers
EFA: because I dont know correct terminology, Sorry
Edited by patmahe on Thursday 28th February 12:15
Try the search function for advice on 'what bike'. For the more burly of us (no comments please atom111) a Trail / All Mountain orientated Hardtail (HT) is the type of bike to go for. Don't even consider a Full Sus (FS) bike unless you're going to spend over £800 - and besides your skills will better if you start off on a HT. Kona bikes are well regarded for the hefty rider.
MBR, MBUK, WMB and Cycling Plus are all good mags to start reading. All contain advice on training and nutrition.
As with everything, what works for one doesn't always work for another, so you need to bite the bullet and start reading!
Although it's great to spend £££'s on the latest Ti-Carbon gizzmo you will need to be realistic with you budgeting. New, you'll need to spend at least £300 on a bike to get anything useable and reliable (£500 would be better). Secondhand (e-Bay etc...) you can get a real bargain but you need to know what you're looking at and understand the maintenace liability that comes with modern mtb's.
That moves me nicely onto tools. Again you can spend a fortune. Modern mtbs are specialist machines - although reasonably straight forward to service and keep in good shape. You'll need a 'Trail Kit' of tools any half decent local bike shop (LBS) can advise on what you need, some have put together their own kits (Bike Plus in Croydon do). I have a very comprehensive kit that I've built up over time but a pump, spare inner tube, puncture repair patches and a decent multi tool will suffice. Start off with the basics and add to it over time.
And then there is the clothes to go with it - helmet, gloves, padded shorts are the bear min. Cycling specific clothing makes riding more comfortable and enjoyable - but is expensive and it is easy to spend more on the clothes than the bike! Again start off with the basics and add to it over time.
MBR, MBUK, WMB and Cycling Plus are all good mags to start reading. All contain advice on training and nutrition.
As with everything, what works for one doesn't always work for another, so you need to bite the bullet and start reading!
Although it's great to spend £££'s on the latest Ti-Carbon gizzmo you will need to be realistic with you budgeting. New, you'll need to spend at least £300 on a bike to get anything useable and reliable (£500 would be better). Secondhand (e-Bay etc...) you can get a real bargain but you need to know what you're looking at and understand the maintenace liability that comes with modern mtb's.
That moves me nicely onto tools. Again you can spend a fortune. Modern mtbs are specialist machines - although reasonably straight forward to service and keep in good shape. You'll need a 'Trail Kit' of tools any half decent local bike shop (LBS) can advise on what you need, some have put together their own kits (Bike Plus in Croydon do). I have a very comprehensive kit that I've built up over time but a pump, spare inner tube, puncture repair patches and a decent multi tool will suffice. Start off with the basics and add to it over time.
And then there is the clothes to go with it - helmet, gloves, padded shorts are the bear min. Cycling specific clothing makes riding more comfortable and enjoyable - but is expensive and it is easy to spend more on the clothes than the bike! Again start off with the basics and add to it over time.
Edited by mk1fan on Thursday 28th February 11:45
If your starting from absolute scratch you'll need two budgets, one for the bike and one for the kit.
Bike budget: You won't get anything near decent for under £200. Don't bother looking at full suspension, it's crap unless your spending £800+. Shimano & SRAM components are what to look for amongst others, but they are the most commonly found. If you want disc brakes, pay extra and get hydraulic ones, otherwise stick to decent V-brakes. If your employer supports the scheme, Cycle2Work might get you onto the saddle of a better bike than your budget affords. Lots of companies support the C2W scheme, look here for the particulars http://www.wiggle.co.uk/CustomerServices/cycle2wor...
Kit budget: You'll need a helmet, gloves, spare inner tube, pump and repair kit at least. The helmet is the important bit, spend your money on that and get something decent that meets approved standards. The rest of the kit can be bought fairly cheaply (<£30).
Websites to look at (there are lots of others though):
www.wiggle.co.uk
www.chainreactioncycles.co.uk
www.merlincycles.com
Bike budget: You won't get anything near decent for under £200. Don't bother looking at full suspension, it's crap unless your spending £800+. Shimano & SRAM components are what to look for amongst others, but they are the most commonly found. If you want disc brakes, pay extra and get hydraulic ones, otherwise stick to decent V-brakes. If your employer supports the scheme, Cycle2Work might get you onto the saddle of a better bike than your budget affords. Lots of companies support the C2W scheme, look here for the particulars http://www.wiggle.co.uk/CustomerServices/cycle2wor...
Kit budget: You'll need a helmet, gloves, spare inner tube, pump and repair kit at least. The helmet is the important bit, spend your money on that and get something decent that meets approved standards. The rest of the kit can be bought fairly cheaply (<£30).
Websites to look at (there are lots of others though):
www.wiggle.co.uk
www.chainreactioncycles.co.uk
www.merlincycles.com
Starter roadbike, unless I've mis-read the op.
Go for something you can try out, so a brand that your local bike shop carries; entry-level bikes with a reasonable specification and good frames like the Specialised Allez or Giant SCR series will set you back £400 - £500; for that you should get durable wheels, a frame that will stand upgrading if you wnat to and a mix of Sora/Tiagra-level components.
You almost certainly don't need a triple chainset - a double will be plenty and you can always fit a different cassette on the back if there are local hills that you find you can't deal with.
You'll need to find the thick end of another £100 for helmet, decent shorts, gloves and a multi-tool, spare inner tube and pump; get a flat ten miles from home and you'll wish you had these with you...
Go for something you can try out, so a brand that your local bike shop carries; entry-level bikes with a reasonable specification and good frames like the Specialised Allez or Giant SCR series will set you back £400 - £500; for that you should get durable wheels, a frame that will stand upgrading if you wnat to and a mix of Sora/Tiagra-level components.
You almost certainly don't need a triple chainset - a double will be plenty and you can always fit a different cassette on the back if there are local hills that you find you can't deal with.
You'll need to find the thick end of another £100 for helmet, decent shorts, gloves and a multi-tool, spare inner tube and pump; get a flat ten miles from home and you'll wish you had these with you...
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