Looking to get my first Road Bike, any advice much appreciated!

ryryryan

ryryryan

ryryryan

Associate
Joined
10 Jan 2010
Posts
791
So after realising that beers and food is finally starting to impact me, I've decided to take up cycling. I enjoy going out on my dads bike currently but it's a bog standard heavy thing and I want to take it a bit more seriously, so I think I'll get my own road bike. Doing it for fun and fitness, as I don't actually follow cycling as a sport!

Initially I gave myself a budget of around £200 - £300, but when I looked about and realised the prices of entry level stuff I have now raised that to £500 - £600, depending on if it's worth it.

My primary contenders seem to be either the Giant Defy 5 ( http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Giant-Defy-5-2013-Road-Bike_56261.htm )or the Specialized Allez Compact 2013( http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Specialized-Allez-Compact-2013-Road-Bike_54927.htm ).

Though pushing my budget, I realise there is the Allez 2014, which apparantly has much better gears/shifter ( http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Specialized-Allez-2014-Road-Bike_64997.htm ).

I'm all very new to this though, so not really sure what some of it means! Also, I read that a carbon fork would make for a more comfortable ride, but that seems just out of my price bracket which is a shame as some roads around me aren't in the best of condition.

And on a small note, I'd quite like a white bike (just preference), but it's obviously not essential. I just think they look cool :D

So any advice on this? Would these bikes be okay all year round? Would love to hear what some of you experienced cyclists think.
 
For me i would go with the Specialized over the Giant, primarily because the generic sports hops round me all stock the Giants, while there is a dedicated Specialized shop which gives you far better information, fitting experience and advice, will change the saddle out for free to something that actually fits your sit bones, and is generally run and staffed by people of know, live and love bikes, rather than a guy who sells trainers and swimming trunks half the day...
 
goto
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-3-red-road-bike-id_8274036.html
Drivetrain Shimano 2300 + CARBON FORK
click at the top "my store" and see if theres one near you with that bike instock.
DO NOT GET THE WHITE ONE! it has lower specs
or
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-5-road-bike-black-id_8239801.html
sora gears + carbon forks

any new variations of the triban 5 probably have lower specs to

Most stores still have the old superior models instock but there not available in the online warehouse
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the responses guys, some great info here.

That ribble bike looks fantastic, though certainly on the higher end of my budget! Especially when I add pedals.

Also that second Triban 5 you posted looks excellent arknor. Unfortuanatly I live in Wales, so no stores nearby! I went to Halfords yesterday and tried a 54cm carrera which was a touch large, and a 53cm boardman which seemed bang on. My only worry with the triban is it jumps from 51 to 54 cm, and I can't get to a shop to try it. Also it's currently out of stock :(

Still, that's easily the best value for money I've seen so far. Going to try to pop in to cardiff tomorrow to go to a proper bike shop (evans cycles or tredz) and see what they have on offer.

I also though a compact instead of triple gears would be more ideal, though considering around me can be quite hilly I guess it doesn't matter actually.
 
RuMp3l4$k1n said:
I've been looking myself for something a bit more roadie than my current hybrid and thought this looks quite nice for the money:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/moser-bikes-speed-sora-2013/.
The boardman road sport can also be had for around £450 at the moment I think as there is an extra discount on it.
Click to expand...
10% if you join some uk cycling club as far as I know.
I couldn't be bothered but probably should have as it would have been around £40-£50 saving after the cycling club membership fee and would have paid for my pumps almost.

BTW halfords claimed they were doing 3 for 2 on cycling accessories when I picked up my bike even though nothing in the store indicated it was true.
so if you reserve one don't add any accessories to your basket just get them in the shop


one of the store workers came up and said "ooh your the one buying the mx race" like I was some big spender and they were expecting alan shearer to be picking it up... probably says it all about halfords tbh.

I was wearing 3 year old trainers with the bottom grip peeling off to which they must have saw when I was testing the seat as It was in a stupidly narrow section of the shop and with my ghangly legs it was uber hard to find the space to get on and off..

the bike actually destroyed one on the way home :D they finally split so I bought a new pair (yes I'm a tramp evn though I can afford to be otherwise , maybe it comes from living in a trampy area of newcastle lol)

EDIT: obviously I wouldn't have worn them if it were for work or going out anywhere important but it was just halfords 1mile away so :P
 
Last edited:
Halfords have stuck 10% on online (applies when you add to basket) not sure about instore pricing. The hotukdeals guys seem to think you can stack the British cycling discount and the halfords one to get it down to about £421.
 
ryryryan said:
My primary contenders seem to be either the Giant Defy 5 ( http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Giant-Defy-5-2013-Road-Bike_56261.htm )or the Specialized Allez Compact 2013( http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Specialized-Allez-Compact-2013-Road-Bike_54927.htm ).
Click to expand...

Both of these are excellent bikes and will serve you well. Both are made in Taiwan by the two biggest manufacturers in the world.

Also consider the Specialized Roubaix. Very similar to the Allez, but a little more uprights and a little less stretched out. Should be more comfortable for a novice. If I remember rightly the Defy is between the Allez and Roubaix in terms of positioning on the bike.
 
[DOD]Asprilla;24583227 said:
Both of these are excellent bikes and will serve you well. Both are made in Taiwan by the two biggest manufacturers in the world.

Also consider the Specialized Roubaix. Very similar to the Allez, but a little more uprights and a little less stretched out. Should be more comfortable for a novice. If I remember rightly the Defy is between the Allez and Roubaix in terms of positioning on the bike.
Click to expand...

He's 24, and unlikely to be doing any massively long rides, the Allez will be fine; there's no need to look at the Roubaix.
 
Just went for a ride on my halfords purchased bike and the front reflector started to vibrate lose and then half of it must have fell of at some point :|

I didn't have an allen key big enough...

noob halfords ! its an allen key bolt going into a metal nut! USE BLUE LOCTITE FOOLS! no wonder it vibrated lose it makes me wonder what other things might be lose...
I'll have to check it over before I go back out again.
I guess I'm just lucky the quick releases must have been tight enough.... I read on a forum one guy got halfway down the street from halfords and his rear wheel fell off luckily as he was stopping for a traffic light....

I think I'll go to halfords tomorrow and demand another indicator since it fell off and you need them for riding in the dark.. Guess I should ask for a senior guy to check the bolts to....

buy one of halfords more expensive bikes...
get it built by a junior....

makes sense I might actually complain directly to boardman he would probably be horrified to learn something as simple as a reflector on a bike with his name on it had managed to rattle it self loose after 10minutes of a not so smooth tarmac path across a field
 
Last edited:
arknor said:
makes me wonder what other things might be lose...
Click to expand...

Everything, either go round and check it all yourself or take it to a decent bike shop for a check over.
Halfords aren't known for paying much care or attention when it comes to building bikes.
Although this obviously isn't true in all their stores but it's a good general rule.
 
Disco Boy said:
He's 24, and unlikely to be doing any massively long rides, the Allez will be fine; there's no need to look at the Roubaix.
Click to expand...

Of course it's worth looking at. If you are going to to bike shop and they have both then you may as well sit on them.

Something against the Roubaix that you don't have against the Defy? They are pretty much the same geometry.

I don't get some people's hate for the Roubaix, like there is an age limit on it or something. The best bike is the most comfortable bike, if the Roubaix is more comfortable then that's the bike to get.
 
Last edited:
[DOD]Asprilla;24583541 said:
I don't get some people's hate for the Roubaix, like there is an age limit on it or something.
Click to expand...

Bike snobbery, I guess. The bike fitter reckoned I might get on OK on a Roubaix.

If you've got the moves, then who cares what bike you're on. I saw plenty of people on my century on Sunday on bikes that must have cost way more than mine who couldn't climb worth crap, and plenty who would have failed to make the time limit and been left stranded at the wrong end of the Birkenhead tunnel. Equally, I rode the last couple of miles chatting to a guy who'd done the full 100 miles on a mountain bike with front suspension. Now admittedly, even he said that was a stupid idea, but he'd done it, so fair play.
 
Last edited:
tom_e said:
Everything, either go round and check it all yourself or take it to a decent bike shop for a check over.
Halfords aren't known for paying much care or attention when it comes to building bikes.
Although this obviously isn't true in all their stores but it's a good general rule.
Click to expand...
well one of the guys seemed pretty interested in the bike and fairly clued up.
so I'll give them a chance to put it right.

The bike gears were indexed properly, it's quieter than other people I saw on bikes.
one of the brakes started rubbing a bit but that's probably cable stretch? which they warned me could happen and that's apparently the reason for the 6 week free service to make sure everything is still properly tuned and tightened

maybe the guy who built the bike did a good job as I have noticed some loctite has been used in what looks like everywhere you would expect and the near silent drive train is a sign someone who is fairly clued up did it? any noob would probably just make sure it changes gear and not care about alignment etc through the gears?

Maybe someone junior did the boring bits like fitting the reflectors and the bell
 
Last edited:
[DOD]Asprilla;24583541 said:
Of course it's worth looking at. If you are going to to bike shop and they have both then you may as well sit on them.

Something against the Roubaix that you don't have against the Defy? They are pretty much the same geometry.

I don't get some people's hate for the Roubaix, like there is an age limit on it or something. The best bike is the most comfortable bike, if the Roubaix is more comfortable then that's the bike to get.
Click to expand...

At his price point he would be looking at the Secteur and not the Roubaix.

The reason I say it is that the Allez isn't exactly an uncomfortable bike, and I think that he'd be much more likely to get a Secteur and wish he had a faster bike, than get an Allez and wish he had a more comfortable one.

I don't have too much against these bikes; I may be getting a Roubaix actually (but only because it'll be free/cheap, I'd rather have a Tarmac).
 
Everyone says good things about the Allez and every year you can pick up the previous year model for a really good price. If you want to stick to the £500 budget then you can't go wrong. Just my opinion, but there's no need to pay the premium for the 2014 model. They do a flat bar version as well if you don't want drops.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom