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With me being a lazy arse since passing my driving test I have not been on a bike for over 10 years and one of my mates recently started cycling. I said to him at the time you are mad you won't get me on a bike well I have had to eat them words
I went out and bought a bike spent £400 on the bike and that came with nobblys so changed them to slicks and then it was time to get into the saddle first outing managed an 8 mile ride. The following morning my butt felt like it had been beaten with a cricket bat so went out and got myself some proper cycling shorts with padding. The following night went for another run and managed 14 miles and I then had a night of and had been averaging 14 mile runs most nights.
Today me and my mate decided to go a bit further and we managed 31.2 miles I'm chuffed to say the least considering I though I was far from healthy eating crap food and smoking around 100g of tobacco a week. I have now changed my diet and I'm hoping to strip the extra weight and then look at going to the gym to tone up. I have cut down on my smoking and will hopefully eventually stop.
At present I'm using an alloy highbred bike but am now looking at possibly getting a carbon road racer its something I though I would never enjoy but I am and will hopefully get me in shape.
Been watching the Tour De France and felt inspired?
Will be very popular this year with Britain doing well in that, and I expect the Olympics too.
I bought a mountain bike a couple of years ago, rode it a few times, left it then 9 months later picked it up and really enjoyed it.
Moved over to Australia, mountain bikings not as big here, so bought a road bike and have been enjoying that too. Road riding is enjoyable, but in a different way. It's also easier to tie in with work too, I can come home, get changed, ride 20km, back home and showered inside an hour almost.
Even a "cheap" road bike will be excellent, and probably a big step up from riding a Hybrid style bike, lot thinner tyres and a frame that responds to every movement you make. I wouldn't worry about spending thousands.
I'm riding a Giant Defy Alliance 1 from 2010 that I bought second hand, the UK models are a little different, but its a aluminum frame carbon fork bike with a Tiagra groupset, pretty much bottom end gear, I would expect to pick one up for about 500 quid new in the UK! I did a sportif (non competitive event) in April after riding for 6 or so weeks, over 70km I finished in the top 300 out of almost 700 riders. I've done 850km on it since buying it, looking at perhaps buying a replacement bike now, or just sticking with it a while longer then dropping it to my work commute bike!
The more you pay the ever so slightly lighter components you will get! If I was looking for a new starter bike in the UK I would look for either Shimano Tiagra or 105, for under a grand in a size that fits you. Dare I say it, the Boardman bikes from Halfords are actually very good. Besides if you buy it, decide you don't enjoy it, crash, think its slightly the wrong size, it gives you something to move up to and know what you want a little more before you spend 2 grand plus.
Don't forget SPD shoes, Helmet, Gloves etc will run you to a few hundred quid.
My previous cars:
1995 Rover 220 Turbo GSI - Car Spec
1993 Rover 220 GSI - Car Spec
2002 Citroen Xsara VTS Supercharged
1999 Peugeot 306 Rallye
As above, I wouldn't go out and buy a carbon racer bike.
I bought a new bike this year, got a Specalized Secteur Triple 2010. They're £650 new but as it was old stock I got it for £400 in the sale.
In all honestly now having riden it a fair bit I would possibly go a little higher in quality, but not by much, certainly not to the racers well over a grand.
One of my mates bought a Genesis road bike and it's a little more racer style than mine.. I found it's far far more uncomfortable though (more nose down) and it's not really any faster than mine.
Personally if I were to buy again I'd look at the next model up from mine, a secteur with a better gear change (levers rather than buttons for all gear changes), some better brakes and 23mm tyres.. around the £800 new mark. The 'sport' or whatever model of mine basically, on the same ally frame.
The expensive ones are lighter, but you may silly money for a few grams, when you're better off just losing more weight. Inevitably you end up strapping bottles, computers, carrying backpacks etc anyway, so it's all pointless unless you're competing.
Plus it WILL get scratched/chipped & it stands out more so will probably get nicked.
Of course, the best time to buy bikes is boxing day to new year. New models come out in Jan, the difference between the last model being the colour only usually and the old models get sold off between boxing day and new year. I found most were gone when I looked in January. I was lucky to find mine online, last one in the country.
1999 Honda Accord Type R - 2157cc of VTEC 4dr fun
2011 Mazda 6 Sport 2.2 Diesel - For the days I want torque and economy
Sheaf wrote:As above, I wouldn't go out and buy a carbon racer bike.
I bought a new bike this year, got a Specalized Secteur Triple 2010. They're £650 new but as it was old stock I got it for £400 in the sale.
In all honestly now having riden it a fair bit I would possibly go a little higher in quality, but not by much, certainly not to the racers well over a grand.
One of my mates bought a Genesis road bike and it's a little more racer style than mine.. I found it's far far more uncomfortable though (more nose down) and it's not really any faster than mine.
Personally if I were to buy again I'd look at the next model up from mine, a secteur with a better gear change (levers rather than buttons for all gear changes), some better brakes and 23mm tyres.. around the £800 new mark. The 'sport' or whatever model of mine basically, on the same ally frame.
The expensive ones are lighter, but you may silly money for a few grams, when you're better off just losing more weight. Inevitably you end up strapping bottles, computers, carrying backpacks etc anyway, so it's all pointless unless you're competing.
Plus it WILL get scratched/chipped & it stands out more so will probably get nicked.
Of course, the best time to buy bikes is boxing day to new year. New models come out in Jan, the difference between the last model being the colour only usually and the old models get sold off between boxing day and new year. I found most were gone when I looked in January. I was lucky to find mine online, last one in the country.
Try and see if you can get a test ride before buying as well, find what feels right out on some local stuff that your used to riding if possible, as the boys said spds helmet etc, read reviews etc, spds will def make a difference on the road and a good helmet is a must. personally i have a kali amara helmet as for the money it offered the best ventilation for my budget
Happy cycling
Rovers dont leak, they just mark they`re territory
Bunch of girls, padded shorts?! What are you, an incontinent geriatric?!
£270 alloy frame mountain bike (7 years old now, still on original tyres I think lol), old cargo shorts and t-shirt, knackered old dunlop trainers and a pair of sunglasses is all I need. I've been doing a 15 mile round trip most evenings for the past week while the weather has lasted, you just get used to the arse ramming after a few trips. I've suddenly taken to doing this particular trip mostly no-handed, especially the uphill bits, maybe I'll move to a unicycle next? lol
