Starting Out

Shane732

I'm currently thinking about getting into cycling as a means of keeping fit etc...

I've been looking around trying to figure out exactly what I need to get myself to get out on the road. I had a mountain bike as a child and got plenty of use out of it but other than that I've never been into cycling.

I can't seem to find a thread outlining what would be considered a decent bike to start out on etc...

Perhaps you could give me some assistance...

Brad768

What would be your budget? You may be able to use the bike to work scheme which could end up saving you quite a bit. Other than a bike, the necessities I would say are a helmet, lights and shorts with a chamois pad in them

Shane732

Brad768 wrote: »

What would be your budget? You may be able to use the bike to work scheme which could end up saving you quite a bit. Other than a bike, the necessities I would say are a helmet, lights and shorts with a chamois pad in them

I probably will use the bike to work scheme. Budget would be anything within the bike to work scheme which I think is €1,000.

Darkglasses

That's a good budget, you'll definitely get a bike you'll really like for that. What kind of biking do you want to do? Do you want to ride off road trails, do big miles on the ride, or only ride around town?

944s2

Straight to road bike , you won't regret it !:D

Lumen

The best way to get fit is to ride every day, so buy a bike that will enable you to ride every day, all year round.

Shane732

Lumen wrote: »

The best way to get fit is to ride every day, so buy a bike that will enable you to ride every day, all year round.

Riding to work etc.. isn't an option for me. I live 20 miles from work and have to go to meetings throughout the day on a regular basis.

Shane732

Darkglasses wrote: »

That's a good budget, you'll definitely get a bike you'll really like for that. What kind of biking do you want to do? Do you want to ride off road trails, do big miles on the ride, or only ride around town?

I'm not planning on off road trails. Probably open road riding and the aim would be to do reasonably big miles on it in time.

Darkglasses

Road bike it is then! See what shops you can use on your btw, what brands are available there, maybe we can suggest something

shaka

Agreed road bike is what you want. IMO I'd invest in best bike you can afford , helmet gloves shorts can be haggled into deal or bought on monthly basis as you can afford them. Some people start out on hybrids but anyone I know who did they all changed over to a road bike (racer) after a year or so.

There are plenty of brands all of which will have something to suit you.Giant,trek,specialised,cube,canyon are a few that will prob do bikes in your budget range, a good LBS will let you try out a bike. If it doesn't bother you you might get a good deal on a 2012 model bike in LBS , shop around - if you can't afford a full carbon bike I'd make sure to at least get one with carbon forks:)

Tonyandthewhale

For 1000e you'll be looking at an alloy frame with carbon fork (maybe full carbon if you're really lucky or if you decide to push your budget up a bit), probably a 10 speed groupset and an entry level wheelset.

As shaka said, try and get the best bike you can afford and you can pick up the rest as you go along.
The rest includes (but is not limited to):

A spare tube and/or tyre patches

Tyre levers

A mini pump or CO2 cartridge for reinflating on the side of the road

A floor pump for maintaining proper tyre pressure (the mini-pump will only get you home, you need a proper pump to keep things at circa 100psi).

A decent set of lights

A pair of cycling shorts (bib shorts are comfier)

Maybe some jerseys, gloves, jacket etc but for the time being you can make-do.

A helmet will also be a requirement for joining most clubs as well as participating in sportives and races (although that is not to say a helmet is an absolute necessity for cycling - that's a matter of great debate which we won't get into here).

You'll also probably need a multi-tool at some point (as well as any other tools you can get your hands on unless you like paying bike shops) and some chain lube (remember to keep your drive-train clean and well-lubed).

A set of clipless pedals.

A pair of cycling shoes.

Probably a thousand other things which I've forgotten.

Shane732

Thanks for the posts I'm getting a bit of a feel for I need.

What bike shops would you recommend around Dublin/Meath/Kildare/Wicklow?

In terms of buying the bike, I assume the frame is the most important thing I should be looking at? Is everything else fairly interchangeable?