Eric C. said:Hi everyone
I'm looking to buy my first road bike but I don't know a lot about
bikes and I have no real idea why I should choose one bike over
another (all I really have to go is aesthetics and brand-recognition,
but I know the look or the name is no guarantee of a good machine).
I'd like a fast racing bike with a drop bar and I have roughly £800 to
spend. Any recommendations? I quite like the idea of riding a
singlespeed bike but at the same time I was planning to build up to
quite long rides, and don't know if getting a singlespeed would be a
bad choice in the long run.
As for specific bikes, I've been looking at:
Ridgeback Genesis Flyer 2007
http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/index.php?bikeID=11&show_bike=TRUE
Cannondale Capo CAAD5 Optimo 2007
http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/06/CUSA/model-7PR1.html
Specialized Allez Double 2007
http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=21889
but, as I said, my choices are not based on anything substantial.
Could anybody offer some pointers on choosing a bike?
Take the question to uk.rec.cycling and you'll get answers from UK based
riders.
I would ask the following question:
Do you want all out speed at the expense of some comfort and luggage
capacity. For the summer in SE England, bikes without mudguards are fine.
Much of the rest of the year, and places to north and west, mudguards become
fairly essential.
If prepared to reduce speed a tad (and it is a tad, not much), then a
regularly recommended machine is the Specialized Tricross. Enough space for
mudguards, fatter tyres (comfort) without serious loss of speed.
Next comes to gearing. Some people are fine on "race" gearing. They are
able to ride equipment setup for professional atheletes. Others (me
included) prefer some bale-out granny gears. So I ride bikes with triple
front mechanisms.
Finally riding style. I find that "race" bikes, as distinct from touring
bikes, need to be ridden hard. Attempt to ride in a leisurely manner and all
the vibration from the road comes through the frame and is very tiring.
Bikes which are more "touring" will absorb this vibration. Others may differ
in this view.
As the other poster (Landotter) said, consider "locally" produced options.
Here's a few:
- Ribble. There are very mixed comments on the net about their mail order,
though their bikes seem OK for the money.
- Tifosi. This is a frame brand invented/sold by Chicken&Son who distribute
bike parts to most of the smaller shops. Designed to allow them to build up
bikes for customers. A friend has one assembled by the local shop and its
very good for the money paid.
- Edinburgh Bicycle Coop. Not sure if they do an own brand road bike, but if
they do and you are near their shops, worth a look.
For single speeds/fixed gears, I think the main two (apart from build your
own from an old frame) are the Specialized Langster and the On-One. I know
two very happy owners of the On-One.
For the more wealthy single speed buyer (possibly same budget as the
Cannondale?), I think Condor cycles in London would be the starting point
shop.
- Nigel
--
Nigel Cliffe,
Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/
