WTB road bike

Jono

Jono

Jono

Man of Honour
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
13,262
Location
Northallerton/Harrogate
Hello,

If I can get 0% finance on something, I can happily spend up to 1k ish on a bike. Obviously I'd rather spend less. I don't CARE how fast it goes; I won't be racing anyone. I don't care what colour it is. I don't know enough to care about components, so I thought I'd ask some people that might.

I ended up (in a thread back last August), putting some semi slicks on my hardtail and I've been riding that, but it doesn't seem to go as well as my dad's ancient Halfords racer thing that he bought when he was about 20.

Plus I'd quite like to take it off road again.

What I want out of a bike:
Something that's expensive enough for it not to be ****
Something that's cheap enough to allow me to buy other stuff I might need, e.g. I don't have a decent bike computer (or one that works). I might want to go for clippy pedal things and shoes. I have never tried using them before.

Perhaps one day I will decided to cycle 30 miles to work and back instead of driving. It's on a mainly flatish route (vale of york) so I don't see why it wouldn't be possible. Especially if they decide to install a shower at work. I will push that.

I can cycle 30 miles in a day fine, but my buttocks aren't in training for it to be a regular thing.

My usual routes are pretty hilly though, near my house. Something that makes getting up those easier would be nice.
I know nothing about road bikes, other than there are a few places that sell them. I probably wouldn't be able to notice much of a difference if I took some out on a demo.

Halp, please :)

I'm only about 5' 8-9 with little legs, which is annoying. Also I am fat.
 
touch said:
I would go for a ribble gran fondo at £800 - £1400 depending on the spec you choose.
They do interest free credit over 9 months.

Or, sign up for a 0% credit card and buy a planet-x or boardman.
Click to expand...

Sounds a bit like Gran Fondler :)

I shall check those out, thanks :) Are the boardman's actually any good? Would I have to take it to a proper bike shop to get set up? My cousin is an idiot and he got put in charge of building bikes in Halfords, so I don't really have much faith in their ability in general to get things right.
 
Went to Arthur Caygill's in Richmond (N Yorks) yesterday, Had a look at the defy, and he didn't seem too impressed with it. Reviews online seem good, though.

What's the difference between the Sora/Tiagra/105 groupsets (or components thereof) - other than cost?

I don't care really about saving a few hundred grams here or there... but I don't want things to fall apart.
He showed me a coupe of his own bikes - anyone any experience of those? One of which had the full Tiagra groupset - Touring whatsit? I dunno.. 27 gears, which is probably what I would want - as when i'm up to it I'd love to ride over buttertubs pass or whatever it's called.

Bikes I looked at were between £900 and £1300 - 0% finance makes it easier.

I do not wish to be changing components really.

Did have a look at the ribble configurator and for Tiagra full groupset on the Gran Fondler it seemed about the same sort of price as a Caygill something or other. But The Fondler is a full carbon frame? The others I looked at were just carbon forks.

I don't care about full carbon, but is it better? Or more liable to snap on me :)
 
I waddled into halfords to have a look at boardman bikes, not many on display, but I did peruse the little booklet attached to one of the stands.
There was some road bike down from 999 to 799. Had carbon forks and alloy frame, and Shimano 105 levels/chainset (I think). Wheels were Mavic something or other.

I also picked up a leaflet saying I can apply for the BAE Systems cycle2work scheme....

I'm not an employee of BAE systems... so how's that meant to work? My own employer is poo and isn't a member of the scheme.
 
As I was advised to, I'm trying to find second hand bikes, but there are none within 75 miles of me (none suitable, since I'm a midget)... where can I look other than the bay/gumtree?
 
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