Advice needed on buying new road bike.

wayne0308

Hi,

I only recently got into road cycling. I didn't foresee that I'd catch the bug and at the time I bought a giant FCR4. It's a grand bike and I got a good deal on it but I want to move onto a better bike.

So first of all I'm not sure if I'll buy it online or in a shop, I understand the pro's and cons such as proper sizing, price and after sales support. I'd like to hear you opinions on that and also where in Dublin would be the best to buy from if I went to buy from a shop...

So I seen a list of questions on another thread, it was suggested that a format should be kept for these type of threads so that I might help you help me so here goes:

What type of bike do you want? (MTB / Hybrid / Road Racer)
Road racer, I will probably fit aero bars in the future as I want to do triathlons too.

Where will you be using it?
In Dublin city mostly for now. I plan to take part in triathlons and join a cycling and or triathlon club at some point. I haven't a driving license yet but when I do I'll be bringing the bike on long cycles.

What's your budget?
<1600 (but I'm flexible to some extent, I will spend 1800 if the specific bike is much better than another I might get for 1600)

Do you want to ride before buy or happy with online purchase?
Please see above. I'm not sure if I'll be happy with an online purchase. I'm planning on having this bike for some time so it needs to fit well, but if I can get a good fit with some advice online then I'd be happy. I'm not sure if the fact I want to use aero bars will effect the bike fit.

Do you need attachment points for a rear rack?
Nah, it'll just be me and the bike and bottles, etc.

What gearing? Fast, easy or fixie?
Fast, I'd like the best groupset possible.

Any preferences on brand?
None at all really.

Any preferences on components?
Like above I'd like a good groupset, but I'd need your advice here as I don't know good from bad as I've mainly had mountain bikes over the years.

Any preferences on weight?
Not too pushed as regard to lightness. Wouldn't want it to be too heavy either. But coming from the FCR4 I'd say all bikes in this price range will feel light to me.

Will it be locked in public? If so where - do you have a good enough lock?
I live pretty close to work so I wont be locking it in public very often. It will be kept in a locked wooden shed in an enclosed back garden when I'm not using it.

Are full length mudguards required?
Nope.

Are you concerned with speed?
Coming from a flat barred racer/trainer with flat pedals (getting some clipless pedals for this bike) I think this bike will feel more efficient. Speed will become important if I plan on competing in triathlon and going on club cycles.

What distances will you be doing?
I think initially I'll be aiming for 20km spins and wanting to increase this steadily.

Do you have a bike/bike(s) already and how comfortable are you with them?
I'm fairly comfortable with the FCR4 but I got it for a bargain and only had the large frame size so it's a little big for me.
I'm more used to mountain bikes and mountain bike regularly. But getting more and more involved in the road cycling.

Mickey Moran

Thanks for that.....my bike would be solely for triathlons as I have anither road bike that will do for endurance races and rougher terrains....