newbie to cycling

budget is a good filter, you already decided on a road bike so thats the second parameter, there are good options like Trek 1 series (1.1. - 1.2 - 1.3) accessory number 1 (expensive) = helmet and maybe eyewear accessories number 2 (affordable) = extra inner tube and flat repair kit (patches, glue, small pump) accessories number 3 & 4 (affordable) = a cycling speed and distance computer device, rear and front removable lights and you are ready to go ! p.s. don't forget a sturdy chain lock, like U-Lock, if you need to park outside your office or working place

Brilliant thanks for the advice !! been looking at bikes for a few weeks now and am aiming at either a Merida or a Specilized

Wayne82 said:

Brilliant thanks for the advice !! been looking at bikes for a few weeks now and am aiming at either a Merida or a Specilized

Don't limit yourself to just Merida and Specialized. Look at others, and more importantly, test ride as many bikes as you can. Test rides are the best way to find a bike that works for you. Buy the bike that fits best, rides best, handles best, appeals to you aesthetically, and fits in your budget. Any local bike shop worth your money will let you test ride bikes. Keep an eye out of new old stock bikes, i.e. 2012's, 2011's, and etc. These are often marked down in price to sell more quickly to make room for newer stock. Such NOS bikes can be great deals, and you can quite often get components that are a step or two up on what you find for similar money on a current bike (i.e. 2013).

Thank you for the reply, i have looked at quite a few different bikes and read online reviews i just cant wait untill i am in a position to try the bikes in the shops.

I have noticed that merida seem to give you a lot for your money, on a different note what are your forts on shifters?

Read alot about possibly staying away from shimano 2300 shifters and aiming more for sora, tiagra or 105?

The Shimano hierarchy with respect to the groups mentioned goes like this 105 > Tiagra > Sora > 2300. 105 is 10spd, while Tiagra and Sora are 9 spd and 2300 8 spd. I thought that Tiagra had moved up to 10 spd, but according to Shimano North America, that hasn't happened. None of them are bad groups, but I would say if it's within your budget aim for at least Tiagra, if not 105. Sora, though 9 spd like Tiagra is Shimano's odd man out in that it shifts a bit differently having a thumb lever for upshifts instead of a lever behind and in line with the brake lever, like the rest of their road groups. If you haven't kept apace of road bike shifting, the top groups now have 11 spd cassettes, with some of the lower groups having 10 spds. Note there's naught wrong at all with 10 speeds, especially since that's what the majority of road cyclists are using. I mention that only because Shimano 2300 is way behind that curve if that sort of thing concerns you. Some riders aren't concerned with such things and get buy just fine with 8 spds. In my earlier post I mentioned NOS bikes. Buying an NOS bike is a great way to score, say, a bike equipped with 105 at the same or better price than a new bike with Tiagra. Likewise, you can score an NOS bike with an older version of Ultegra at the same or better price than that of a new bike with the latest 105. Such deals are especially sweet.

thank you for the insight i shall try and have a look round for a bargain or two !

I went with a Merida road lite 91 pick up weds can't wait all i need to sort now is some accessories