Advice on new bike

lighterman

I've recently got in to cycling and am using a mountain bike with road tyres at the moment.I recently completed a 85km cycle and want to go longer.A friend has said i should get a road bike but i dont know what to look for.

Can someone give me an idea on decent bikes out there and what the price range would be.I was looking at cycleworld and the majority of bikes are over €1000 but this is way over my scale.I was hoping to leave it somewhere around 400/500 euro.Thanks

Buzwaldo

Just got into it about 2 years ago myself (and wish it had happened sooner). Congrats, 85 k on a mountain bike (even with slicks) is a fair spin. I found a drop bar road bike took a bit of getting used to, but am now happy that I was dissuaded from my first instinct to get a flat-bar road bike.
On that budget, its hard to get a good new roadbike (except many recommend a triban 5 from Decathalon, who have a shop in Belfast). Avoid the 229 - 350 euro new roadbikes - tend to be heavy and poorer components.
You should be able to get a decent second-hand alu framed bike with Carbon forks, of a good brand, but may take a bit of patience, and be sure to get on around about the correct size. Get used to the hierarchy of groupsets when comparing (with shimano it goes 2300, sora, tiagra, 105, ultegra, dura-ace). Don't know the campagnola or sram hierarchy, but shimano is the most common. Try to get at least sora.
An advantage of second-hand over new, (or internet order which can be v good value, eg ribble, planet x) is that you can take the bike for a good spin, which isn't always possible from a shop.

There is a KTM, a specialized, a ribble and a few treks in the last 24 hrs on done deal which all look ok on first glance. If you have a buddy who knows his bikes that's a help too.

I got a v good specialized for 650 2 years ago, but was fairly clueless at the time (some would say I still am) but bought it from a sound guy and haven't looked back.

The more knowledgable on this forum are probabaly all out for their sunday spins now, but no doubt you will get more/better advice this evening.

tamaskan

Buzwaldo wrote: »

Just got into it about 2 years ago myself (and wish it had happened sooner). Congrats, 85 k on a mountain bike (even with slicks) is a fair spin. I found a drop bar road bike took a bit of getting used to, but am now happy that I was dissuaded from my first instinct to get a flat-bar road bike.
On that budget, its hard to get a good new roadbike (except many recommend a triban 5 from Decathalon, who have a shop in Belfast). Avoid the 229 - 350 euro new roadbikes - tend to be heavy and poorer components.
You should be able to get a decent second-hand alu framed bike with Carbon forks, of a good brand, but may take a bit of patience, and be sure to get on around about the correct size. Get used to the hierarchy of groupsets when comparing (with shimano it goes 2300, sora, tiagra, 105, ultegra, dura-ace). Don't know the campagnola or sram hierarchy, but shimano is the most common. Try to get at least sora.
An advantage of second-hand over new, (or internet order which can be v good value, eg ribble, planet x) is that you can take the bike for a good spin, which isn't always possible from a shop.

There is a KTM, a specialized, a ribble and a few treks in the last 24 hrs on done deal which all look ok on first glance. If you have a buddy who knows his bikes that's a help too.

I got a v good specialized for 650 2 years ago, but was fairly clueless at the time (some would say I still am) but bought it from a sound guy and haven't looked back.

The more knowledgable on this forum are probabaly all out for their sunday spins now, but no doubt you will get more/better advice this evening.

If that KTM Strada on Done Deal is your size I would go for it. Wonderful bike for the money. I have one myself. Very comfy for long cycles and quick. They're worth €1050 new.