Advice on buying a road bicycle sought.

[manco]

32 minutes ago, manco said:

if youre buying a bicycle have you considered all the additional costs?

youll need some obscenely tight lycra shorts for waving your arse at motorists or "evil planet-killing infidels" as i believe theyre known in cycling circles

plus youll need to find some other enthusiasts of tight shorts for them to ride alongside you at 10mph in rush hour on major roads

dont forget youll need to find a massive chip to go on your shoulder

luckily youll save on parking, fuel, MOT, service and maintenance, road tax, fuel tax, congestion charge, ulez, and the need for a proper religious service when you inevitably depart this world since you will become a soulless inhuman creature once you venture forth into the cycling world.

but not to worry, you get to turn up late and sweaty to every social and business meeting, smugly proud of doing your bit to save the planet.

i forgot to mention the cost of monthy subscription to the enthusiasts magazine

[difflock]

I rida alone! (sounds like a bad Western dont it)

I wear hi-leg Lowa combat boots, in the really bad cold snowy weather,

Birkenstocks on bare feet in the good weather ,

and £23.00 trainers the rest of the time.

A few pairs of cut down trousers do me for shorts, or some sort of thermal ungarment leggings in the cold.

Or both.

Full hi-Vis up top.

NO LYCRA!

So

I dont imagine any self respecting cyclist would be seen near me.

My tentitve searches seem to show a lot of cheap consumer tat at the bottom end, say £500.00 ish then a significent gap up to the £1500.00 and up market.

And yes the choices and permutations are bewildering.

Cheers all.

 

 

[scbk]

You can be a man on a bike without being a cyclist!

 

What terrain are you looking at riding on? For general pottering about, I think a hybrid is a good compromise

[Stere]

 

I did a 250 mile ride in a day in demin shorts &   t shirt & normal trainers  was an audax ride

 

Home| Audax UK - The Long Distance Cyclists' Association

WWW.AUDAX.UK

---

Audax UK long distance cycling home page

 

All the gear might  give very marginal speeds gains though but isn't needed.

 

I don't mind the idea of a hybrid but they all are designed  using very poor quality parts unless you go for the very expensive ones

 

Cheap heavy frames & poor quality groupsets etc make a bike that  feels  unpleasant to ride.

 

Road bikes tend to be better vfm.

 

Also id look a gravel bikes like the one Big J has.

 

Gravel bikes are like the modern trendy  version of the  old cycle  touring bikes like that dawes galaxy.

 

 

Edited February 5 by Stere

[carlos]

dont know much about road bikes really, but have you looked second hand ? could get better bike for your money if it has been maintained but components can add up if you have to replace them.

try some out in a local bike shop, or not sure where you are based but when i was looking at an mtb bike some of the direct selling brands in germany were very hard to beat on value for money,and seemed to be able to ship to ireland no problem. radon bikes, canyon bikes are a couple of brands, i recon they do road bikes but not 100%.

carl

[Stere]

Yeah thoose brands are good.

 

Also Ribble cycles is good.

 

Trek and Specialized etc are overpriced.

 

 

 

 

[organic guy]

wife and I have gravel bikes, brilliant for touring, can add a little luggage and set out for a week. or use as a road bike.

Only lycra I have is a Friesian cow coloured top!

[difflock]

Thank you OG.

The massive plethora of nomenclature and jargon is truly perplexing and bamboozling  me.

Started to get my head round some of it.   . 

I have zero notion of being a speed merchant, but nor do I want a bike that is any heavier than it needs to be. 

On mostly flat terrain, up and down the Bann valley and round the Nth Antrim essentially.

And would like mudguards and a minimalistic carrier for limited clag.

Edited February 6 by difflock

[doobin]

1 hour ago, difflock said:

Thank you OG.

The massive plethora of nomenclature and jargon is truly perplexing and bamboozling  me.

Started to get my head round some of it.   . 

I have zero notion of being a speed merchant, but nor do I want a bike that is any heavier than it needs to be. 

On mostly flat terrain, up and down the Bann valley and round the Nth Antrim essentially.

And would like mudguards and a minimalistic carrier for limited clag.

There are greatly diminishing returns as regards weight once you start spending a lot of money.

 

The most important weight to save is rotating weight- starting at the outside edges. Lightweight kevlar bead tyres (which are then a compromise as regards puncture resistance) and decent carbon wheels will make it feel a lot quicker off the mark. But then you're into durability concerns, and I don't think such a setup would be right for you.

 

Have you considered an electric bike?

[Vedhoggar]

Giant at the moment have £500 and £400 off Tough Road SLR 1 & 2 bikes, which are gravel bikes with straight bars, they are a bit like old school mountain bikes, the geometry makes for a comfortable ride, the components used are good, these bikes were selling at £1500 and £1300, the bikes come with a 700 x 50c tyre but going to ride on tarmac a lot  700 x 40/42 or 700 x 45 would be faster tyre, there are more comfortable seats to be had be it’s personal choice. These bike come in S, M, L & XL and as a guide for your leg length it would be M but sit on and if possible try out bikes at a dealer, if you sit on a bike with leg fully extended and foot flat on pedal when in down position it will be about right size but also handle bar reach needs to be considered.