I know there's some around here somewhere!

Anyway, I'm thinking of getting a road bike for the first time and was wondering if anyone could make any recommendations?

I may be moving to a place where it's harder to get out into the countryside, so MTB-ing will become more of a weekend thing. Therefore I've decided to get a semi-entry-level road bike for day to day fitness and the odd race.

Road bike experience: Zero!

Budget: £700 - £1000

Intended use: Fitness purposes, around 80km - 100km p/w plus the odd race (for fun)

Looked at: Giant Defy 1/2, Giant TCR 2

I'll probably mainly be riding with my mate who has an old second hand carbon framed thing.

Any advice would be great!

Thanks

Frazer

Hi Fraser

I've gone mail-order for the last couple of road bikes I bought - Ribble for a commuter and Wiggle (Focus) for the weekend steed. The online discounts basically let me go up one level on groupset quality - 105 for the commuter, Dura Ace for the racing bike. For the commuter, this was essential for longevity - Sora or even Tiagra wouldn't stand up to day after day of winter miles. A further plus of Ribble is that you chose what components you want, which saves (for instance) having to immediately go out and spend another £50 to get decent tyres. No test ride for Ribble, but if you know what geometry you want then it's less of a risk.

Having said that, I also got my old steel frame road bike back on the road this week (after a hiatus of 7 years!) and I don't know if it's just because I'm getting old and have a dodgy back, but it felt wonderful and I don't know if I'll buy another aluminium frame...

Cheers

Paul

Frazer, Pat will put you on the rite tracks think he has a spesh and he did that lands end thing!.... I myself have a entry level Merida to me all bikes a pretty much the same. I looked at a few bikes within my budget £700 they all had the same groupset ,in the end it came down to colour preferance.

What sort of bike are you after? Something comfy over 100 miles or something that is more racey?

The two Giants you suggest are fantasic, not the best value compared to ribble or planet-x but they are superb frames.

The Defy is comfortable for sportives, and the tcr is true arse in the air racer.

For your budget I'd want Tiagra groupo, if you wanted to get a more "alternative" brand, something like the Cube Attempt got a veyr good write up on bike radar yesterday, you get 105 group set (which is on bikes of 1.5-2k normally) for £999.

Ribble do carbon bikes for same money and same group set, but dont order one if you are in a hurry.

If it was me, I'd get a slightly cheaper bike and make sure I get some good quality light wheels. Wheels are everything, remember DuraAce does the same job as 2300 or sora, all you pay for is a few more ratios and less weight, but having knocked 650g off my wheels/tyres the difference was massive.

Also do your best to try as many as you can first. Fit is so important on a road bike, you sit in the same position for hours, unlike a MTB where your body moves about, so its important to be comfortable and non stretched or compacted

Hi Ian/all,

Some good advice!

Yeah, I need to give a few a go I think. I won't be doing many 100+ mile rides, but maybe some. It's more for bi-weekly fitness rides and the odd biking holiday weekend.

The updated short-list at the moment is:

Planet X pro carbon SRAM rival
Cube Attempt
Ribble Bianco
Defy 1

I definitely don't like the Sora style shifters. So I'm looking at anything with a Rival/105/Tiagra setup.

I really like the look of the Cube, but am worried about the ally frame...

They all have good reviews, maybe I should just pick the sexiest looking!

:o)

Frazer

Road bikes, that's something that gets you as many questions as answers over what to buy.

2 of the guys i work with have Giant Defy bikes, a Defy 3 and a Defy 3.5, and they use them for commuting. the guy with the 3.5 did LEJOG with me on it and said it was fine, we just put some Fulcrum racing 3 wheels and specialized PHAT tape on the handle bars.

As Paul D said if you have anything less than a 105 groupset it does not last, and it feels a bit tacky.

something to note though is the Defy model's all use the same frame in diferent colours but the components vary, so if you are sneeky you can get a lower model (if you don't mind the colour) then buy a beter groupset and put those bits on one at a time as the cheep ones wear out, or go the whole hog and swap the lot in one go but put the cheep drive train back on for the winter....that's what i do if i road ride in the winter.

My bike is a Spech Allez Expert in super huge lanky sod size, it's a Ally/Carbon mix, i.e. carbon forks, seat stay and rear stays, the rest is ally. it's a realy comfy bike for crusing long distances and sportives. in fact it is the most comfy bike i have and it is stable up to 58.5Mph decending Alpe D'Huez.
longest ride in one day 186Miles and no vibration numbness.

i bought it as a frame only on e-bay and added a 105 groupset and a set of Fulcrum Racing 3's (ceramic bearing wheels, this makes a big difference), saddle is a Selle Itallia X0 Trans AM.

if you intend to ride through the winter i can't stress enough KEEP THE BRAKES CLEAN, they are PANTS compared to a mountain bike, there is no grip for cornering, and the salt will build up in the brake mechanism and stop it working as well/totaly. wash them from time to time and put some thin oil like 3 in 1 on the moving links. saves you £ in the long run.

finaly tyres, go for Conti GP4000S tyres, they last well, roll fast and give you "good" predictable grip. for racing try looking at something from TUFO, they do a clincher TUB that will go on a standard rim and will run at 180psi to 200psi. They also have a slime/latex in them that helps reseal a puncture and weighs practicaly nothing.

i'm sure this has done nothing to make your choice easier but just remember, we are here for you if you come back to the trails.

road = fitness
MTB = FUN

Cool, thanks Pat.

If an ally frame is good enough for you, it's certainly good enough for me.

I think I'll probably go with the Cube Attempt (3 speed):

- 105's
- Fulcrum 7 wheels (will upgrade later)
- Carbon forks
- Schwalbe Ultremo ZX tires (which I'll swap out towards the winter)
- 8.9kg
- Plus, it looks sexy!