- News
- Reviews
- Bikes
- Accessories
- Accessories - misc
- Computer mounts
- Bags
- Bar ends
- Bike bags & cases
- Bottle cages
- Bottles
- Cameras
- Car racks
- Child seats
- Computers
- Glasses
- GPS units
- Helmets
- Lights - front
- Lights - rear
- Lights - sets
- Locks
- Mirrors
- Mudguards
- Racks
- Pumps & CO2 inflators
- Puncture kits
- Reflectives
- Smart watches
- Stands and racks
- Trailers
- Clothing
- Components
- Bar tape & grips
- Bottom brackets
- Brake & gear cables
- Brake & STI levers
- Brake pads & spares
- Brakes
- Cassettes & freewheels
- Chains
- Chainsets & chainrings
- Derailleurs - front
- Derailleurs - rear
- Forks
- Gear levers & shifters
- Groupsets
- Handlebars & extensions
- Headsets
- Hubs
- Inner tubes
- Pedals
- Quick releases & skewers
- Saddles
- Seatposts
- Stems
- Wheels
- Tyres
- Health, fitness and nutrition
- Tools and workshop
- Miscellaneous
- Cross country mountain bikes
- Tubeless valves
- Buyers Guides
- Features
- Forum
- Recommends
- Podcast
forum
First road bike
I've only ever had a basic Boardman hybrid but am now starting to get into more serious cycling. Starting to see its limitations. So I'm going to buy a first road bike. Plan is to buy a decent entry level one now given its start of winter, and buy a more bells and whistles machine in spring.
I'm considering the following bikes and would be interested to here if anyone has any views on them from experience:
- Specialized Allez E5
- B'twin Triban 520 or 540
- Boardman Road Sport or Road Comp
I will mostly be doing weekend rides through countryside, probably doing 30-49 milers.
Any views much appreciated.
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
Latest Forum Topics
Latest Comments
- Sredlums 42 min 25 sec ago
Haha, that my pet peeve....
- stonojnr 1 hour 22 min ago
I'm not sure the UCI worlds are on the protected sports list, as surely CX & MTB would be shown too, the Beeb probably just acquire it as part...
- bikeman01 2 hours 2 min ago
Re-deployed on Twitter duty?
- bikeman01 2 hours 9 min ago
And had he not shouted 'go back to Africa', the Police would have dismissed this.
- brooksby 3 hours 6 min ago
Maybe... I was taking a slightly wider interpretation, just *bringing* Nazis and Hitler into an argument
- chrisonabike 5 hours 28 min ago
There's a lot about, and once you're "woke" or sensitised to it it's hard not to see it. However I think it's essentially a category difference if...
- chrisonabike 5 hours 54 min ago
Good point. Although are they organised? Also fruitcakes have something to be said for them, even if they're a bit nutty.
Add new comment
23 comments
Thanks for all of the helpful comments above. I went out and bought a Triban 520 yesterday. Seems to strike the right balance between price and kit. I'm spending enough to get decent gears (Sora) etc, but not so much that I would be afraid to put it through a Scottish winter.
In spring time I might go for one of their Ultra 700s or a Mach 720.
I just spotted that CRC are doing the Vitus Razor 2016 for only £300. That looks like it should be a decent match for the Triban 500 given it has a Claris groupset instead of the Microshift?
Views?
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/vitus-bikes-razor-road-bike-20...
Ribble cycles are doing a great deal with an Evo Sora carbon framed bike for £499!
More cheapness
www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/best-black-friday-deals-for-cyc...
Try Planet X Pro Carbon for unbeatable price and value !
One thing I'd be careful about, esp when buying a bike that looks like a great spec for a cheap price, is where they cut corners. Giving you Shimano 105 for a cheap price means they have to tighten the profit margins elsewhere.
If it's bog standard setaposts, saddles, bars etc then it's nothing to worry about. But I've had my fingers burnt a couple of times with 'great deals' where the corner cutting extended to own brand wheels with crummy hubs. In both cases I had to service and then eventually replace the wheels within a year; sealed bearings replaced several times in both instances before giving up and buying new off the peg wheels.
good point, but a set of Shimano WH-RS10 wheels are under £100. If you need to sling the originals and spend that amount a year later, it makes for a very affordable bike. Completely agree cheaper bikes cut corners, but making small upgrades is a good way to learn about the mechanics, if nothing else.
WRT HalfWheeler's post, Decathlon's is also a cost-efficient business model. They spec and source their own brand stuff and sell them in large numbers from a small number number of (physical) locations. Bit like Lidl/Aldi?
Am I missing something about this bike's tech spec, or is this an absolute steal for what I'm wanting?
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-500-road-bike-black-id_8331913.html
It's a good deal. Decathlon's cheaper bikes save again by using Microshift transmission parts which I've no direct experience of but are probably OK as they seem to have stuck with them for years.
The other cost-cut on the basic 500 model mentioned above is a steel fork, rather than the carbon on the next model up. Adds a bit of weight and I'd go for the carbon option had it been just £20 more - except that it's £50 more atm.
Strange 29.8mm seatpin size too but that's unlikely to be a problem.
Great starter bike, same finishing kit like frame protectors from cable rub as the dearer bikes...no carbon fork...as for MicroShift kit... works well and reliable...Merida are using it (branded as Sunrace) on many of their bikes... expect to see it more in the future as they go up to 11 speed dura ace compatible kit ...
The 500 is well finished, Hutchinson Equinox 2 dual compound tyres..cartridge type brakes so easy pad changes.. Lots for your cash and a decent bike... and NO...I don't work for Decathlon, but I get many customers asking for me about B'twin's for them as they see the great reports on the bikes.
If you do the research you will see that the main designer came from Look bikes and they run a tight ship .....search for B'twin Village and B'twin U19 racing team..
Popped into nearest Decathlon today to check out the 520 and 540. Both lovely bikes with a good spec, especially the 540. Currently very hard to look past them as both giving way more bang for your buck than the "brands".
Correct.... the Decathlon buy bulk and sell direct to the customer..... works well.... Customer of mine went to a LBS to look at options for extra lights on his way home...he took his bike into the shop for security reasons....they took the p155....as it's a 540 B'twin....he wiped the floor with them as their nearest offering was £700 dearer....he said..I can have 2 of these for one of those with ths same spec...and to be fair...it's a a brillian bike, great finishing kit inc frame protectors for the cables..
The De Rosa is £799. Rushed through to grab one, says £299 on the article..
Made me click
It now says £799 on the CW article, although I think I also saw £299 previously.
Black Friday is here already...
www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/chain-reaction-black-friday-dea...
Some great comments here, thanks folks. I'm going to explore a decent 2nd hand one as well. I also like the sense of a wet bike and dry bike.
Lots still to consider in this one!
I love having 2 bikes. Not winter and summer but wet and dry.
The wet bike's a Racelight Tk with 9 speed Tiagra, full Chromoplastic guards and 25mm GP4S tyres.
The dry one is a CR1-SL with 10 speed 105 and Pro4SC tyres.
If it's winter but dry I'll take the CR1, if it's summer but wet I'll ride the Tk, but most of the time it's the Tk in winter and the CR1 in summer.
(I've never seen the sense in a wet / winter bike without guards, however cheap it is to maintain. If I wanted a freezing, gritty salt water enema I'd expect my medical insurance to pay for it...)
If you're planning on getting rid of the old hybrid then maybe a really basic £300 road bike (e.g. Triban 500SE or Carrera Vanquish) with cheap-as-chips-to replace 8-speed kit, plus mudguards and tough tyres would be a better all-weather/winter bet? Or a secondhand buy.
Alternatively, your winter hack might be a CX bike (again possibly used as there aren't many budget options (although the Carrera Crixus looks a bargain atm; Boardman CX Comp also reduced)). That would give you a little bit more off-road capability - like a hybrid - while also making your good road bike feel better on the nice days.
Also depends what you're doing with your winter bike, and where. Long-ish, country rides on wet but OK roads once a week needn't be too hard on a bike (esp. w/mudguards) but but everyday, strenuous, start-stop commuting on crumbling urban streets are hard on your wheels, brakes and gears. If you're doing a lot of the latter then disc brakes may be worthwhile.
Dude, consider buying a secondhand bike for this winter - you'll get a better deal than a new cheapo (though those bikes are all decent, you could spend less 2nd hand).
Then by the time spring has sprung you'll have a good idea of what you actually want in your new bestie bike (and one's budget/requirements only EVER go one way: north! - so what you've saved by going 2nd hand can go towards the new one).
Thanks for all these comments.
Black Friday is a good shout so I will check.
In terms of having 2 road bikes, I was thinking a £500-600 bike like these might have some limitations that would make me want to upgrade before too long and in good weather. A winter bike could get thrashed about in rain and through grit in the way I might not with a £1500 bike. Still to decide on that though. If some of these are good enough to be a permanent bike I'd keep them. But if an extra £100 got me a great bike for all seasons now I'd consider that too.
If I bought an £800 bike now I would just have 1 bike. This is just about scoping out buying a "cheap" one.
The Boardman hybrid is too heavy (14kg) and I hate doing longer rides on it. Not sure if I'd enjoy it for a winter bike all that much.
With new models coming out you should find some bargains but I wouldn't necessarily look to get a machine now and in spring (n+1 aside). Why not keep the Boardman for your winter ride or blow the 2 budgets on one bike and as suggested above some upgraded summer wheels.
Unless you are thinking of becoming an absolute racer, there isn't too many marginal gains to be had. Having a summer bike at £1500 and a winter at £800 would seem a little pointless...
All good bikes from what I've read, and all fine for what you plan to use them for, although the Triban 540 gives you high-spec Shimano 105 11-speed transmission. Not that many more "bells and whistles" you need, although perhaps you could invest in some lighter wheels next year (keep the originals for winter?)
Perhaps more important than modest differences in on-paper specifications, though, it's probably worth trying out your preferred bikes - they may just 'feel' different (e.g difference in geometry, saddles, handlebars, stiffness-v-comfort).
There was a thread a few weeks ago which had quite a lot of discussion of similar topics - worth digging out.
Finally, Black Friday is coming up - you may snag a bargain there, although perhaps a different brand to those you've identified. Lots of good options in your price range though.