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Reccomend a road bike for a novice?

  • 11-08-2009 9:39pm
    #1
    Remmy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,921 ✭✭✭


    Hi,
    I need a bike for commuting to college.I have been cycling for years on an old mountainbike but I'm looking into getting a road bike.What would be a reasonable price for one be?Also is the advantage of a fixed speed version just be that its lightweight?

    Basically Whats a good brand to be starting into?


Comments

  • #2
    Ant
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 453 ✭✭Ant


    There has been umpteen threads asking "what basic road bike should I buy?", "how much should I pay?" and similar. Some of these questions have been dealt with in this Boards Wiki article. However it's now a bit out of date with regard to the prices so it would be worth your while using the the Search This Forum feature for more up to date responses.

    I ride a fixie myself, primarily because it's more fun and I really only need one gear for commuting in Dublin. Decreased weight is an advantage alright but of less importance when you're carrying stuff in panniers. Another advantage of a fixed gear or single-speed is that a lot less maintenance is required than for a geared bike.


  • #3
    nak
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,538 ✭✭✭nak


    My track bike is 2 kilos heavier than my road bike (steel vs carbon), so that's not the reason for me. As said before, you only really need one gear if you're commuting in Dublin. A track bike/singlespeed is easier and cheaper to maintain. Mine takes full mudguards, the road bike doesn't, and I can convert it into a race bike for the track easy enough too.

    For what it's worth, I got a Trek as my first road bike, and was more than happy with it. The frame is still in good nick after 4 years commuting/racing.


  • #4
    Lumen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 31,222 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    A fixed gear/single speed bike will be easier to maintain, and may be acceptably light and fast, but it probably won't be as light or as fast as a proper geared road bike.

    The major upside is that there is less to go wrong, the major downside is that hills will be much harder, to the extent that commuting aside you will be denied the enjoyment of hilly cycles (unless you're a freak of nature capable of cycling over mountains on a fixie).

    Decent drop-bar road bikes start at around €600 new, unless you find a bargain, and bargains are hard to come by because it's summer and stocks have been depleted by the cycle to work scheme.


  • #5
    blorg
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,995 ✭✭✭✭blorg


    A fixie is a great choice for flat commuting but will seriously limit you if you ever wanted to go on longer rides up the mountains etc.

    As others have said it is decidedly easier to maintain and a good choice for winter commuting.

    Weight is not generally a major factor although at any given pricepoint a fixie will probably be lighter than an equivalent road bike. The lighter of my two fixies is at least 2.5kg heavier than my road bike. Cost 15 times less too though.

    On the weight point anyway it is really not very relevant as any situation where the lack of weight would come into play (e.g. climbing up a hill) you would be better off with gears!


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