Road Biker

cooper_man

Newbie here lads!

I have been doing a lot of personal training lately to loose weight and get back into some fitness. It has worked well and i have gotten used to a good diet and regular exercise. I am now however looking to getting involved in cycling to keep my fitness up and to meet some new people etc for events.....

First things first, i need to get a road bike. I am on somewhat of a budget however, 500-800 euro ideally would be my budget but i need to know what to look for!

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I also live out in clonee and am looking for nearby clubs??

Morgan

At the €800 end of your budget you can get yourself a pretty nice bike. A Specialized Allez or Giant SCR come to mind:
http://mcconveycycles.com/products.php?plid=m1b0s6p3257
http://mcconveycycles.com/products.php?plid=m1b0s6p3128

Here's a list of clubs - you should be able to find one near you:
http://www.cyclingireland.ie/html/site/cyclingireland/frameset.html

I'd recommend going on spins with a few of them to see which suits you best. That goes for bikes and cycling clubs...

TinyExplosions

I'd reccommend looking at Focus bikes -you get great value for your cash (I got one last week myself). In and around your budget, look at:
Summit 2008
or Ergoride ST
-both would be more than adequate for your needs

petethedrummer

I'm buying a road bike myself, slightly above your budget, and so far have sat on 3 different ones.

Specialized Allez Elite, Giant SCR 1.5 and a Trek 1.7(I think).

My experience so far:
The Giant had the most upright geometry. i.e. I had to bend over less. I'll probably go for it as my back is not in the best order. The Trek seemed to have the most aggressive position of the three and was the least comfortable for me.
I've been told by several people that Specialized are not the best(but by no means bad) at the budget end. It seemed fine to me and was gonna go for the Specialized until I tried the Giant.

cooper_man

I havent even been shopping or got measured up for a frame yet but with the sun starting to shine, i want to get sorted asap.... Any shops you recommend in the city centre / northwest dublin?

Morgan

Take a look in Cycleways on Parnell St. or Cycleogical on the Quays.

daymobrew

cooper_man wrote: »

Any shops you recommend in the city centre / northwest dublin?

If are willing to do a little bit of driving...
Wheelworx Bikes in Clondalkin have Giant and Trek, but not Specialized.
Cycle Superstore in Tallaght have LaPierre, Giant and more expensive brands. I got my LaPierre road bike from them.
CycleWays on Parnell Street have Cannondale, Specialized.
Stagg Cycles are on Main Street, Lucan. They have Specialized, Giant and Trek. I got my Specialized Sirrus commuter here.

petethedrummer

The three I went to were:
Specialized - (Cycleways - Parnell St)
Giant - (Wheelworx - Clondalkin)
Trek - (Cycologicol - Bachelors Walk)

All were very helpful, I went at off peak times so I could have a good chat about my intended purchase.

DurtyMurty

Tested an SCR1 last week - a bit above your budget(and mine!) - but I really liked it

Carbon seatpost seemed to take some of the knocks and those 105's just whisper as they change. I'm not in the market for a road bike - was only dreaming - but if I were buying, it would be near top of my list

Incidently Googled a bargain here - but unfortunately doesn't seem to do mail order - might be worth an email though

cooper_man

The Giant bikes seem to be getting the best ratings!

All i really want is carbon forks and a good set up. Any other recomendations? Oh and i want to be really dumb by saying it must look nice too ha ha (joke)

macinalli

If you're on a budget, then I think you should look towards the lower end of yuor price range. I'm not sure how you're fixed for cycling gear but lights, a good jacket, helmet etc are all essentials and will set you back more than a few quid!

Mines a Giant FCR3, add my 2 bits to the others recommending a Giant bike:)