im new and need advice getting started

tuffbum

hi all
as ya can guess from the title im looking to start cycling as a way to get fit, but im the kind of person who likes to progress to the next level, so il be joining my local cycling club and hopefully participating in some events at a later stage.

im looking to spend from 300e to 400e on a road bike
im 6,2" and my inner leg to my heel is 84cm, what size frame should i be looking at?
here are a few bikes that i found online that im interested in
they are all from the same store and all in my price range,

what would be the key differences between them if any and would you recommend any one in particular?

http://www.discovercycling.com/bikes/bikes-road/claud-butler-criterium-2010-.html
http://www.discovercycling.com/bikes/bikes-road/claud-butler-san-remo-2010-.html
http://www.discovercycling.com/bikes/bikes-road/dawes-giro-300-gents-road-bike.html
http://www.discovercycling.com/bikes/bikes-road/claud-butler-echelon-2010-.html
and
http://www.discovercycling.com/bikes/bikes-road/raleigh-airlite-100-2010-.html

IM0

in that price range its put them in and empty room, spin around till near dizzy with eyes closed and point at one...thats the one to get

anoble66

I will be honest with you. From what you have said, you want to join a cycle club etc and keep progressing. If that is the case you want to up your budget. If you could up your budget to 600-700e then your going to get a much much better bike for the money - Specialized Allez or Giant Defy 4 comes to mind but others could perhaps suggest some others as well. I am certainly no expert!

If that is not an option, then out of all the bikes you have linked too, you should go for a model with carbon forks - going to give you a nicer ride and save on some weight. But at that price, its going to be a fairly heavy bike.

I would try and up your budget though...could you use the cycle to work scheme to help increase your budget?

tuffbum wrote: »

hi all
as ya can guess from the title im looking to start cycling as a way to get fit, but im the kind of person who likes to progress to the next level, so il be joining my local cycling club and hopefully participating in some events at a later stage.

im looking to spend from 300e to 400e on a road bike
im 6,2" and my inner leg to my heel is 84cm, what size frame should i be looking at?
here are a few bikes that i found online that im interested in
they are all from the same store and all in my price range,

what would be the key differences between them if any and would you recommend any one in particular?

http://www.discovercycling.com/bikes/bikes-road/claud-butler-criterium-2010-.html
http://www.discovercycling.com/bikes/bikes-road/claud-butler-san-remo-2010-.html
http://www.discovercycling.com/bikes/bikes-road/dawes-giro-300-gents-road-bike.html
http://www.discovercycling.com/bikes/bikes-road/claud-butler-echelon-2010-.html
and
http://www.discovercycling.com/bikes/bikes-road/raleigh-airlite-100-2010-.html

Joxer_S

you would pick up a decent quality second hand bike in that price range

ipodrocker

also figure out how often u will cycle a higher budget bigger investment will last you longer and will put off you needing to upgrade sooner.

tuffbum

thanks for your reply's guys
i wont be able to up my budget sadly, are second hand bikes worth it?
im totally new so i would be afraid of getting dooshed by some jerkoff.

i found this frame size chart http://bicycling.about.com/od/howtoride/a/bike_sizing.htm
so going by this i would need a 60-62cm sized frame.
is it the bigger the frame the more expensive it is?
none of the bikes i had in my original post are that big.
is it very important to get the right frame size?
what would it be like to ride a frame 2 cm smaller then recommended by the above chart?
i would be happy with lower tech as my main goal is to get fit
entering events would be at the back of my mind and probably a couple years down the road, cycling was my favorite pastime when i was a kid and i cant wait to get back out there.

Joxer_S

Keep an eye on the cycling adverts here on boards, I picked up a very good Giant SCR there a few weeks ago for €400

tuffbum

i put up an add saying im looking for a frame size from 59 - 62cm
but after reading more topics and charts im slightly confused
im 6,2" and my leg is 33"/84cm
would a 58" frame be ok?

km991148

tuffbum wrote: »

would a 58" frame be ok?

58" frame! :eek:

seriously.. its very hard to say, some sites out there take a whole heap of body measurements and give advice, but its hard to say for sure until you try sitting on some bikes (try some shops, or better still friends then you can go for a longer run). Also by tring some out you will have a better idea when comparing 2nd hand bikes.

papac

put up an add saying im looking for a frame size from 59 - 62cm
but after reading more topics and charts im slightly confused
im 6,2" and my leg is 33"/84cm
would a 58" frame be ok?

Quoted frame sizes are seat tube length-this actually has only limited effect on how a bike fits. You can raise or lower the seat after all.A bit confusing I know.
This (and most of what Sheldon wrote) is worth a read
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-sizing.html

Effective or horizontal top tube length is what you should be looking at.You would be looking somewhere in the region of 570-590 mm top tube. Handlebar stem can be changed to tweak reach after if needed.

.Sit on a few in shops and if one feels right reach-wise measure or look up tt length.