Help needed on what road bike to buy for London 2 Paris ride!

I picked up a mint condition 2nd hand 2011 Specialized Allez for 250 quid. A mate got a similarly showroom condition 2012 Cannondale synapse for 280 quid. Both would be amazingly decent for london 2 paris. My point is... for 250 quid - definitely go for a used bike.

Regarding tyres, at 15 stone you should go for the pumped up variety! , but seriously - a 28mm rear tyre at 100 psi and you'll be shifting along nicely! Good luck : )

Why not hire a bike for a week.
http://www.onyourbike.com/product/9953-London-Trek-Standard-Road-Bike-Re...

I did london to Amsterdam last week and one of the guys in the quick group was on a 10 year old steel hybrid and had no problem keeping up with all of us mamils on carbon so don't be too worried about the bike. Keep an eye on the mosers on wiggle as they quite often come down to your budget.

Have a look at the Retrobike forum, the 'Road for sale - complete bikes' section often has road and touring bikes that are well within your budget.

Would agree with the btwin recs. I did London - Paris with a mate who was new to cycling last June and he got on well with it. Don't be put off by some of the incredulity re your budget, its just that some of us on these forums may think twice about spending money on a car but will quite happily blow a months salary on electronic gears. Aside from that we're a proper sensible bunch and our Mum's love us!

I wasn't trying to be awkward, I was trying to find out if the £250 was for a bike or if it was for the 4 days cycling to Paris and it suggests in the reading of it.

I'll try and be more helpful, which shouldn't be difficult really

For £250 the best bike you can probably get is the Triban 3 from Decathlon, it's currently reduced from £300.

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-3-red-road-bike-id_8274036.html

Some of the Carrera models in Halfords are probably the next best bet. You'll probably get a better bike if you look at a used model but if you're new then it could be a bit of a minefield. As a guide I'd say you should be looking at paying half the retail value for a decent used bike, so maybe look at some reviews of £500 bikes if you plan on going second hand, but bear in mind the bike could have problems that you won't be able to spot

As for material, I'd recommend aluminium as steel at this price is likely to be very very heavy. As for tyres, extra width will add a bit of comfort especially over a long distance, so maybe look for 28mm tyres rather than 23mm.

Good luck

B'Twin triban, seeing as its French, it's a few quid more though.

In reality any new geared machine under 300 quid is junk as a rule of thumb, so if you're budget is set you're looking at used, just be aware that new tyres, brake blocks, chain and cables can quickly ramp the spend up unless you buy very prudently and fit yourself.

All the best on the challenge, and don't get too hung up on frame material.

You budget for the bike is £250...for a road bike?