Racer

thereturn

Hello there. After much waiting I have heard that cycle to work scheme is coming to my sector (primary school teacher) in September. I am also looking to do Sean Kelly 100km at end of August so hoping I can pay for the bike now and then get refund and pay again with cheque when scheme is finally approved (if that makes sense). Anyway looking for a bit of advice as to what bike and shop I should start looking at. At moment I cycle daily for fitness with reasonable capability but have never ridden racer before only a hybrid. I cycle up Howth Hill couple of times a week covering distance of 14km. Looking to progress that now to much longer distances and tougher rides.
Ideally I want a shop that is near where I live or my parents live (portmarnock laytown) as want to be able to bring bike back if I have problems with it. Looking at the scheme and the following shops seem to run the scheme near enough to me
Swords Cycle Centre
The Cycle Store Balbriggan
Duff Cycles Donaghmede
Halfords Drogheda
Tommy the Bikes Outdoor World Drogheda
Quay Cycles Drogheda

Anyway if anyone has any recommendation for shop or bike that would be super. Intend to cycle good bit over coming months as really enjoy it so willing to spend around €1,000

jinka

Tommy the bike

Was in there last week. Live near it. Very friendly and not pushy.

Otherwise the boardman bikes in halfords are class. Great value too. Hate Halfords mind!

thereturn

jinka wrote: »

Tommy the bike

Was in there last week. Live near it. Very friendly and not pushy.

Otherwise the boardman bikes in halfords are class. Great value too. Hate Halfords mind!

Right will check it out thanks. Don't like halfords myself but they seem to offer decent value right?

**Timbuk2**

Isn't Tommy the Bikes in Dundalk, not Drogheda? Or maybe they have a branch in Drogheda, idk.

thereturn

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

Isn't Tommy the Bikes in Dundalk, not Drogheda? Or maybe they have a branch in Drogheda, idk.

It's on Earl Street in Drogheda according to the circular issued by Office Of Public Works.

**Timbuk2**

It's actually Earl Street in Dundalk

It must have been just a mis-type in the Office of Public Works.

thereturn

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

It's actually Earl Street in Dundalk

It must have been just a mis-type in the Office of Public Works.

Oh right. Damn that anyway. Dundalk's prob too far away. Thanks for help anyway.

DJsail

Yeah Halfords do give good value for money and there's a closer one to you on the Malahide Road near Clarehall SC, also as your in Portmarnock try Richies Bike Store in Swords who are great with any advice and can order anything under the sun if you don't like the range already in stock and Eurocycles in the Airside Retail park although they're not the cheapest in the world but can give good advice.

As you want to progress from the hybrid for use on the road why not try a flat bar racer like the Giant FCR range which I've seen at Duff Cycles in Donaghmede at what seemed excellent value, the flat bars will give more safety if commuting in traffic or around town and the FCR frame which is the same as the Defy range will provide a fast bike worth upgrading if necessary. However for your price range get a carbon fork at least if you decide on the above.

Raam

DJsail wrote: »

the flat bars will give more safety if commuting in traffic or around town

Come on, that's not true.

Chips Lovell

thereturn wrote: »

...so hoping I can pay for the bike now and then get refund and pay again with cheque when scheme is finally approved (if that makes sense).

I'd be careful about this. Under the terms of the scheme, the employer has to pay for the bike and you have to repay them.

DJsail

Raam wrote: »

Come on, that's not true.

It fair is! Especially for those not experienced, flat bars encourage a more upright riding position allowing you react quicker and to turn sharply at far lower speeds i.e. a bus pulling out etc! Don't get me wrong I use drop bars myself 90% of the time but if the weather is rough and I'm commuting using a bike you can be sure it has flat bars fitted for this very reason.

Fitting bar ends gives allows you to adjust your body position further if travelling at speed but for anyone using a bike for commuting primarily can't reccomend drop bars

Lumen

DJsail wrote: »

for anyone using a bike for commuting primarily can't I recommend drop bars

I respectfully disagree, strongly.

Raam

DJsail wrote: »

if the weather is rough and I'm commuting using a bike you can be sure it has flat bars fitted for this very reason.

What do you be up to on your commute?

DJsail

Lads disagree all ye want, but he's not asking how or what we ride but for advice so with this in mind ask yourself what you would suggest bearing in mind all the Taxi's, Pedestrians, Buses you will have to react to when commuting especially when someone has not used drop bars/STI's previously. Still believe a road racer with flat bars is a great starting point but also accept your points of view

DJsail

Raam wrote: »

What do you be up to on your commute?

After all the feedback here I'm begining to wonder?

blorg

He has entitled the thread "racer" and mentions wanting to do the Sean Kelly 100km; a road bike with drop bars is the best choice for this. Flat bars would be far from ideal for that distance. You could do it, sure, but certainly not to be recommended.

I commute on drop bars myself and there is no problem if you are used to them.

I have flat bars on my mountain bike and yes, the bar width and upright position does give you more maneuverability but it is utterly unnecessary for commuting unless you commute on singletrack.

Note there is NOT an easy progress from a flat bar racer to drops, it is very expensive to do a bar change, mainly due to the shifters but also may be issues with your braking system if it is not calipers.

Raam

DJsail wrote: »

Lads disagree all ye want, but he's not asking how or what we ride but for advice so with this in mind ask yourself what you would suggest bearing in mind all the Taxi's, Pedestrians, Buses you will have to react to when commuting especially when someone has not used drop bars/STI's previously. Still believe a road racer with flat bars is a great starting point but also accept your points of view

It's all valid advice.
I'm on a mission to rid the world of flat bar road bikes. I liken them to 4 seater sports coupes. What's the point?
There is only one way to get used to drop bars. Having said that, you can still ride in a very upright position with your hands on the brakes with no restriction in view when in traffic. You then have the option for getting low when the wind inevitiably rises. Flat bar road bikes are just....uuggggh! I need to go wash myself after just thinking about them

In terms of getting used to drops I suppose a loose parallel could be drawn with automatic and manual gearboxes. With a manual you have to put in more initial effort, but it is ultimately a better driving experience for many people. Automatics might be easier to drive, but limit what you can do and don't give you the same appreciation of the vehicle.

DJsail

he did indeed mention the Sean Kelly 100 so on these grounds its obvious I focused on commuting which is obviously wrong, I admit defeat!

osnola ibax

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I have been betwixt and between buying two bikes, the giant fcr and the giant tcx 2. Now I know neither would strike a chord with real racing aficianados. The reason for this indecisiveness is primarily the bars. I fancied a flat bar because I thought it would be safer for me but in the end I plumped for the tcx 2 cause it has breaks on the top part so I can progress to a dropped position. I would like to start using it for fitness but this is also capable of some off road.

What do people think of these cyclo cross bikes, and this one in particular. Apologies if this amounts to hijacking

Lumen

osnola ivax wrote: »

What do people think of these cyclo cross bikes, and this one in particular. Apologies if this amounts to hijacking

I think they're great. If you eventually end up doing a lot of non-commuting mileage you can progress to a full road bike and be a little bit quicker, but then you might keep the TCX for commuting, cyclocross racing etc - it has enduring appeal.

The problem with a flat bar bike is that once you've got a bike with drops you probably won't want to ride it anymore, so will have to sell it.

A flat bar bike is a fine choice for someone with limited interest in fast, fun cycling and no ambitions to change that (I'm not being sarcastic either, horses for courses and all).

DJsail

Lumen wrote: »

A flat bar bike is a fine choice for someone with limited interest in fast, fun cycling and no ambitions to change that (I'm not being sarcastic either, horses for courses and all).

I'm sure your right?

thereturn

Thanks for the advice. I was out in Halfords in Clare Hall but to be honest selection didn't seem great. They had no Boardman's and general selection of racers was poor. There is a far better selection in Liffey Valley I know having been there in the past. Will certainly check out shop in Swords also. Must admit though I find whole process a bit daunting having little or no experience of racers. Other than carbon fork are there any other essential features I should look for? Thanks for all the help

mloc123

DJsail wrote: »

I'm sure your right?

w00t, another Lance picture thread... but its not Friday yet

blorg

osnola ivax wrote: »

What do people think of these cyclo cross bikes, and this one in particular.

I have auxilliary on brake levers on my commuter, a Specialized Tricross. Before I got it I thought I would take them off but I came to like them a lot for use in traffic, it gives you that top of the bars position on drops but still with easy brake access. Best of both worlds for a commuter.

@DJsail- puts it in more context...



I reiterate my statement about flat bars being a good choice if your commute is on singletrack. Seriously though, I have both MTB and cyclocross bikes and the MTB is more maneuverable off-road... On road even in traffic drops are fine however.

Lumen

thereturn wrote: »

Thanks for the advice. I was out in Halfords in Clare Hall but to be honest selection didn't seem great. They had no Boardman's and general selection of racers was poor. There is a far better selection in Liffey Valley I know having been there in the past. Will certainly check out shop in Swords also. Must admit though I find whole process a bit daunting having little or no experience of racers. Other than carbon fork are there any other essential features I should look for? Thanks for all the help

Familiarise yourself with the names of the lower end road groupsets from Shimano (2200, Tiagra, 105), Campagnolo (Xenon, Mirage and Veloce) and SRAM (Rival).

You should ideally look for a bike with few "off-groupset" components, although a mixture from different groupsets (e.g. Shimano Sora and Tiagra) is fine.

For a racer, it is very important that the bike fits you, so read up on how road bikes are sized and consult a chart. The most important dimension is horizontal top-tube length, don't worry about standover height.

If you can find the time, go into a few decent bike shops (discussed often on this forum) and understand what's on offer, regardless of whether they're in your scheme.

IMO it's better to buy the right bike from the right shop off-scheme and lose the tax saving than buy the wrong bike on the scheme and waste 30% by having to sell it on (e.g. because it doesn't fit).

But since you have access to the internet, there's no excuse for not knowing what you're doing, right?

thereturn

Lumen wrote: »

Familiarise yourself with the names of the lower end road groupsets from Shimano (2200, Tiagra, 105), Campagnolo (Xenon, Mirage and Veloce) and SRAM (Rival).

You should ideally look for a bike with few "off-groupset" components, although a mixture from different groupsets (e.g. Shimano Sora and Tiagra) is fine.

For a racer, it is very important that the bike fits you, so read up on how road bikes are sized and consult a chart. The most important dimension is horizontal top-tube length, don't worry about standover height.

If you can find the time, go into a few decent bike shops (discussed often on this forum) and understand what's on offer, regardless of whether they're in your scheme.

IMO it's better to buy the right bike from the right shop off-scheme and lose the tax saving than buy the wrong bike on the scheme and waste 30% by having to sell it on (e.g. because it doesn't fit).

But since you have access to the internet, there's no excuse for not knowing what you're doing, right?

Thanks for the advice Lumen. Virtually all the shops are on my scheme so should have no problem finding the correct bike hopefully. Will try and figure out horizontal top-tube length now. Excuse my ignorance but what are groupsets? Is it like there is basic bike manufacturer (Trek, Specialized, Cervelo) and then separate companies who make different parts for these bikes like the frame, bars etc?

blorg

Groupset consists of most of the mechanical bits that move, so stuff like crankset, chain, cassette, derailleurs, brakes, shifters. Not stuff like handlebars and seatposts. There are quite a limited number of groupset manufacturers- basically Shimano, Campagnolo and SRAM. Shimano and recently SRAM do both road and MTB groups while Campagnolo just does road. They all have a range from entry level up to pro level. A bike manufacturer manufactures (or has manufactured for them) the frame sticks these bits on to make it a bike.

thereturn

blorg wrote: »

Groupset consists of most of the mechanical bits that move, so stuff like crankset, chain, cassette, derailleurs, brakes, shifters. Not stuff like handlebars and seatposts. There are quite a limited number of groupset manufacturers- basically Shimano, Campagnolo and SRAM. Shimano and recently SRAM do both road and MTB groups while Campagnolo just does road. They all have a range from entry level up to pro level. A bike manufacturer manufactures (or has manufactured for them) the frame sticks these bits on to make it a bike.

Thanks blorg. Better understanding now anyway!

thereturn

Went to a few shops in Dublin, Drogheda and Swords today and have narrowed it down to two bikes. Between the Claud Butler Vincenza http://www.falconcycles.co.uk/CORP/cb/vicenza.html(899 euro) and Trek 1.5 http://www.trekbikes.com/uk/en/bikes/road/1_series/15/ (925).
Like the look of both bikes but pretty unsure as to which too go for. If anyone has any experience with either bike or advice please share. Thanks.

DJsail

Should be getting commision from gumtree but have you seen the price of the following?

www.gumtree.ie/dublin/71/43248971.html

Act fast if interested as this will sell!

blorg

DJsail wrote: »

Should be getting commision from gumtree but have you seen the price of the following?

www.gumtree.ie/dublin/71/43248971.html

Act fast if interested as this will sell!

€450 is not a crazy good price for that bike, it is not outrageous either but it will probably go for a fair bit under that. I don't buy the "used 5 times for 50km" either, he has changed the rear tyre from stock and the stock Kendas on that Giant are tough enough (hard and nasty but bloody tough.)

thereturn

Yeah that bike looks good value though from reading up about it is it not bike designed for females (not sure this matters). Also due to cycle to work scheme I am going to only be paying just over the 500 euro mark net for either the trek 1.5 or the Claud butler vincenza so saving wouldn't be huge. Is the above bike vastly superior?

blorg

thereturn wrote: »

Yeah that bike looks good value though from reading up about it is it not bike designed for females (not sure this matters). Also due to cycle to work scheme I am going to only be paying just over the 500 euro mark net for either the trek 1.5 or the Claud butler vincenza so saving wouldn't be huge. Is the above bike vastly superior?

No, it is not vastly superior, it is same ballpark as those two.

jinka

Have you noticed hardly anybody puts the bloody size up when selling secondhand bikes. Like cmom,Its THE most important detail.

DJsail

blorg wrote: »

No, it is not vastly superior, it is same ballpark as those two.

No worries Blorg, the thread was initially posted as Eur350 for the lot which was a steal for a good bike with those extras in that condition.

However the ad has since been ammended to show an asking price of Eur450-500 although I think it still represents good value for the entire package available, it is closer to a new FCR/Defy 4 or something.

DJsail

jinka wrote: »

Have you noticed hardly anybody puts the bloody size up when selling secondhand bikes. Like cmom,Its THE most important detail.

Emailed the chap to find out and its a Giant large