Spec Me an Entry Level Road Bike

[Freakish_05]

Greetings all!

Now that we're finally getting some sun, I'm in the market for a road bike to enjoy it with.

As with all of these things, there is a great deal of choice and I find myself stumped. How much is too much and where will I stop noticing a difference in spec is really the key question.

I don't intend on doing any off-roading, I will be using cycle tracks and roads. I'm a fan of the dropped-handlebar configuration for the more aggressive riding position and speed.

I was previously considering one of the Specialized Allez range, but a friend of mine picked up one of the Carrerra's from a well known car shop and seems to think it's okay.

Any help or advice greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[Freakish_05]

Thanks for the replies all. Budget is around £500 for the bike and £100 for everything else (e.g. helmet).

The triban's look interesting. As a 'beginner' would I notice any difference between the 3 and the 7, especially noting the higher spec chainset and rear mech?

Also are there any 'standard' features that I should be looking for to help protect myself (e.g. carbon forks over steal to reduce vibrations through the hands - *not sure if this is actually true*)

 

[Freakish_05]

Thanks for the tip Mr Jones that Fuji looks very nice!

Out of interest has anyone had any experience with Coast-To-Coast / Roubaix (sp?) frames? They have a slightly curved top bar but their main focus is to give the rider a less aggressive riding position for additional comfort. I'm told that for minus 2% speed you get plus 10% comfort... but they tend to cost an extra 15-20% on top of standard road bikes.

 

[Freakish_05]

Thanks for clearing that up for me Asprilla

I test rode the Fuji 1.3 sportif yesterday and pretty much fell in love with it. I shall be buying one later today.

Thanks everyone for your responses, they really helped