Road Bikes For Beginners

duffman3833

I'm looking to get a road bike through the bike to work scheme and i want a decent bike not only to go back and forth to work (only 3-4miles) but also to use on weekends to go on long trips, possibly join a cycling club or group
I was looking online and i went into Halfords just to try out and i seem to like it but would like peoples opinion on it

Carrera-Vanquish

Any feedback would be helpful
Thanks

Cee-Jay-Cee

Yours is a common question and in all other cases the general consensus is to spend the full amount (€1000) on the bike especially if your on the top rate of tax as it'll only cost you €480 over the space of 12months.

The bike you mention is a decent bike to start on but I wouldn't waste a BTW scheme on it because if you take to cycling and keep it up you'll soon tire of that bike and want something higher spec and lighter and your BTW scheme is gone for 5 years.

Visit a few different shops, tell them what you want and your budget and play one off against the other telling them your getting xxx bike with xxx spec in another shop so can they better that offer.

As for the bike, test ride a few (halfords won't allow you to do this) and see what you like the feel and look of.

JBokeh

I'm going to admit straight up, that I know very little about road bikes,but i'm currently shopping around for one. My personal opinion would be to go to a bike shop that is local to you, and get talking to them in there. On the B2W you get up to 1k to spend, and I'd recommend spending every penny of it, that way when you get the itch to go upgrading stuff, you don't end up changing the whole bike, and just buy wheels and other good stuff.

A decent road bike these days will have a 2x9 or 2x10 drivetrain, with at least a sora group set, though your 1k would probably get you a shimano 105 at the very least. I'd be looking at the offerings from brands such as cube and their peloton, or specialized and the Allez, as well as the Giant defy range.

duffman3833

what are the rates of taxes as i certainly wont be on the top rate

Also can items such as clothing, GPS devices be got with this

Fian

duffman3833 wrote: »

what are the rates of taxes as i certainly wont be on the top rate

Also can items such as clothing, GPS devices be got with this

Those items, clothing etc., can be gotten with the cycle to work scheme. The top rate of tax kicks in at around 40k I think.

If you are not on top rate you should consider buying second hand imo. There are alot of decent bikes available these days, I suspect many of them were bought on BTW scheme and people decided cycling wasn't for them so they are selling them on.

Carawaystick

The tax rates are standard rate income tax and usc and prsi. Its 20% , 7% and 4% roughly

If you spend say 100 on a bike, your gross pay is reduced by a hundred euros, but your what you would have paid in tax pays for the bike so you only spend 69 euros of take home pay.

If you pay the high rate of tax, then its only 48 euros of your take home pay pays for the bike.

If you are on a very low rate of pay, but will get more in the next few years, It might be better to hold off using the bike to work scheme until then.


If you do take it up, your boss gets a sweetner in not having to pay employers prsi on the scheme, so you boss will save just over 10% of the price of the bike.

duffman3833

Was thinking of this bike here

Boardman CX Comp Bike

Overview:
Approximate Weight (KG): 11.5kg
Brake Type: Mechanical Disc Brakes
Forks: 7005 Alloy Blades with Chromoly Steerer
Frame Material: Alloy
Gender: Mens
Number of Gears: 18
Suspension: Rigid
Wheel Size: 700c

moonshadow

Pop in to quay cycles in Drogheda (if your that end of Louth) lovely guys sound advice and will look after you long after a six week check.
No affiliation except a few spares purchased and free advice from them.

Lumen

duffman3833 wrote: »

Was thinking of this bike here

Boardman CX Comp Bike

Overview:
Approximate Weight (KG): 11.5kg
Brake Type: Mechanical Disc Brakes
Forks: 7005 Alloy Blades with Chromoly Steerer
Frame Material: Alloy
Gender: Mens
Number of Gears: 18
Suspension: Rigid
Wheel Size: 700c

That's a cyclocross bike not a road bike.

duffman3833

I think ive come to a decision on a road bike
SCOTT SPEEDSTER 50 ROAD BIKE 54CM ALU FRAME SHIMANO CLARIS GROUPSET
any one any comments about it?