Bike reviews

Hi all, I am looking to buy a road bike to co some extra training. I don't know anything about bikes except how to ride one. If you know any good sites with reviews and information I would appreciate it very much if you could pass them on, many thanks.

Comments

  • cb - what a question!

    to be honest, there are loads of road bikes at different prices, qualities and performance - and your needs will be dictated by it's usage and your budget...........for instance if you plan to do lots of cycling you may want to consider quality of the frame and components; if it's only going to get occasional use than maybe a 2nd hand bike would suit better..........

    you could look at RoadCycling UK

    or



    or probably best imho

    [url=
    http://www.cyclingplus.co.uk/] Cycling Plus which has a big forum like this site to ask questions

    but your best bet is to go talk to a decent bike shop (NOT Halfords!) and discuss your needs with them

    or head over to the Tri section of this forum and ask there as all triathletes are cyclists as well
  • You might also be like me & not particularly look after bikes. For this reason I've banned myself from buying the expensive bikes I lust after. About 400 GBP os my upper limit.

    Edinburgh Cycles has copies of a few magazine reviews of their bikes on their site
  • What's wrong with Halford's?

    I got my bike from there this summer. Was my firstest ever bike, never learnt to ride as a kid, and just needed something cheap that I could sell on if I couldn't balance. Bloke there was really helpful, and didn't even laugh when I told him I'd never ridden before. Didn't try to flog me an expensive one either, unlike the guy at my local bike shop who tried to get me to pay £200 for one.
  • Hi,
    thanks for the replies. The sites suggested look really useful. I have a couple of ideas of the bike I want now I just need to see if it's any good, cheers again.
  • ah Halfords - where to start???

    Kwiter - in your price bracket and ability, then I can see Halfords being a possibility but for those with slightly more serious tendencies with the bike, then it's like going to Sportsworld for your running gear - you wouldn't!

    the staff are usually spotty oiks who know nothing technical, and their bikes are, frankly, cheap end of the market tat

    £200 at your local bike shop is still very cheap - nowhere near expensive - but I think you'd get better service and support there...........

    once you get into more serious biking then anything below £500 is cheap, £500-£1000 is OK, £1000-£2000 is good, £2k-£4K is serious, £4K + is pro or you have money to burn..........
  • I use an old Mountain Bike, keep the gearing low so no straining chain/sprockets and it pumps the legs - over 4 years including initial purchase I have spent £400 and that was with a few cables and services - unless you do mega distances, why spend.  Only thing I wanted was an alloy frame to save some weight, but then again I'm a big bloke.

  • check out Bike Radar website and make use of the forum

    I bought a Specialized Allez Sport earlier this year using Cyclescheme and haven't looked back since

     

  • Kwilter39 wrote (see)

    What's wrong with Halford's?

    Didn't try to flog me an expensive one either, unlike the guy at my local bike shop who tried to get me to pay £200 for one.

    £200?!?!
    Sorry if it sounds (even in the slightest  elitist), but that won't even get you a reasonable pair of wheels - & that's not including tyres, or a cassette

    Conor Byrne wrote (see)
    Hi all, I am looking to buy a road bike to co some extra training. I don't know anything about bikes except how to ride one. If you know any good sites with reviews and information I would appreciate it very much if you could pass them on, many thanks.

    First question is how much are you wanting to pay?

    'Planet X' (Rotherham, South Yorkshire) & 'Ribble' (Preston, Lancashire) are possibly two of the best purveyors of decent bikes.
    Both will allow you to build to your own price/specification (even down to handlebar width/stem length/crank length, etc...) 
    I'm on the cusp of ordering one of their 'winter bikes' to replace my 18 year old Dyna-Tech (work-bike)

    http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/pu/road-track-bike/bike-builder/bikebuilder/1

     

    http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/bikes

  • i would suggest you go to www.bikeradar.co.uk - it has amazing forum. How much do you want to spend? 

    For £300 you can get the Triban 3 from Decathlon which gets amazing reviews for it's price. If you are going to go up from there the Giant Defy 1 gets tonnes of recommendations at the £1000 bracket.

    Mostly it will come down to how you 'fit' on the bike though.

  • God the bike snobs are out in force.

    The TdF Carrera from Halfords is going cheap at the moment, about £300, its a good starter bike and has the equivalent spec as bike twice the price.

    Dont get caught up in all the hype with expensive gear, it is the engine that peddles it that makes all the difference.

    With winter coming up do you really want to be spending loads of money on a bike that will sit in the shed and depreciate in value?

     

     

     

  • errrm - the original thread is over 5 years old so I would think that the OP will have sorted something out by now..... image

    as for bike snobbery - there is in every sport - deal with it.  £300 will get you a bike yes, but whether it's "good" is down to a person's individual view on this

  • There is bike snobbey in every sport, what even darts image

    I ride several bikes, in sportives, triathlon/duathlons and see lots of guys with all the gear but on idea.

    I also see many people throw money away on expensive light weight bikes, when they themselves are carrying several spare tyres around their middle.

    But you are right its the individuals point of view and up to them on what they spend their money on.

    I was merely providing another side to the arguement.

  • I don't disagree Rod - all the kit and still shit etc....

    but if people want to spend their money on expensive kit let them.  for many who do it's usually because they can justify it, will get improvements, or just snobbery.  but equally you will get many who think an expensive bike will bring perormance when in reality, they don't have the engine for it.

    we have 8 bikes - we each have 2 road (race and everyday), a singlespeed, and a good MTB.  I also have a Ti MTB frame waiting to be built up.  we like bikes, we like spending money on good bikes but we don't go OTT and spend on bikes that are we are unlikely to justify the spend or gain anything from.

    I've held off buying an out and out TT bike for tri as I don't think that with my weight and windblocking shape that I will gain any more than losing weight will gain.  and tbh - I'd rather spend that money on beer and food!!  image  call it balance......image

     

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