New to the Game.

rochie16

Hello,

I have recently finished college and am able to pursue a hobby (cycling) after a couple of years of mild interest. Previously, my cycling has been confined solely to commuting. I have been doing some hilly cycling over the summer (20-25 km) and my aim is to complete the Wicklow 200 next year.

I don't really even no the difference between bikes, save a mountain bike and the rest. I currently have some sort of crappy road bike I bought for €60 second hand, and have used it for a number of years. Obviously, to complete the Wicklow 200, I need a serious upgrade. I'm interested in spending around €700, maybe a little more. I was just looking for some information on what to get and how to go about acquiring it.

A road bike/racer?
New/Second hand?
Best places to go looking?

Thanks for any advice.

goldencleric

Firstly welcome to the sport, started myself this spring with pretty much the same background as yourself, started off with a singlespeed old racer and two weeks ago bought myself this:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Focus_Variado_Expert_Compact_2010/5360045297/

I'm sure others will have their own opinions but for 750 quid i'm absolutely delighted with it.

Only problem with cycling is the other expenses that come with it ... you'll want clipless pedals and shoes and a proper pair of bib shorts (trust me don't cheap out on these!)

Good luck with the search!

PS Look up "Orec: The official rules of the euro cyclist" (its a facebook group) ... don't take it seriously but its a good introduction to the sport!

rochie16

Thanks for the reply goldencleric!

That does look like a cracking bike, has firmly gripped my interest. Just reading through the reviews and they look largely positive. Some negative points I would appreciate your opinion on though. Some people said it was a bit heavy at 10kg. I understand this may cause difficulty when climbing. Would you do much climbing on your routes, and would you have much difficulty in doing so? Maybe that is quite a pedantic point for someone like myself, would it be really much heavier than other such bikes?

Also, necessities for cycling:

Pedals (Not included??)
Shoes
Shorts
Helmet (Obviously)

Anything else?

Thanks again!

Dr_Colossus

rochie16 wrote: »

Also, necessities for cycling:

Pedals (Not included??)
Shoes
Shorts
Helmet (Obviously)

Anything else?

Pedals don't generally come with road bikes so you'll have to source these depending on whether you want road pedals - compatible with SPD SL shoes or mountain bike type pedals compatible with SPD shoes.

Yea you'll need a host of other little items like the following for distances of up to 200km
Bottle cages and Bidons (You need to keep hydrated)
Mini pump
Spare tubes, 2 should suffice
Puncture repair kit (the preglued patches are very handy and compact)
Tyre Levers
Multi tool for any running repairs/adjustments
Saddle bag to hold the tubes and repair kit in (You can hold them in a jersey pocket also)
Gloves (Dampens the road buzz and helps prevent pins and needles/numbness in the fingers)
A track pump (Although you won't have this on the bike it's an essential piece of kit to ensure you have the correct pressure before your spin. Tyres and tubes deflate over time so you should really pump them before every spin)
There's probably a number of other things I'm forgetting but that should cover most things to get you started.

Beasty

Lights ...

(you don't want to be hauled to court for cycling in the dark without them:))

Liamo08

rochie16 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply goldencleric!

That does look like a cracking bike, has firmly gripped my interest. Just reading through the reviews and they look largely positive. Some negative points I would appreciate your opinion on though. Some people said it was a bit heavy at 10kg. I understand this may cause difficulty when climbing. Would you do much climbing on your routes, and would you have much difficulty in doing so? Maybe that is quite a pedantic point for someone like myself, would it be really much heavier than other such bikes?

Also, necessities for cycling:

Pedals (Not included??)
Shoes
Shorts
Helmet (Obviously)

Anything else?

Thanks again!

Don't worry about the weight, 10kg's is fine for your first proper road bike. If you consider 6.8kg is the minimum that bikes weigh in the Tour de France then for the vast majority of people taking up cycling it'll be a lot easier and cheaper to lose that 3kg's from their bodyweight than from the bike. Generally the cost of losing weight on a bike increases exponentially the lighter you go.

jimbo32123

hello and welcome!!

have a look at these i bought the 2010 Bianchi Via Nirone 7 Xenon at begining of the summer!!
http://www.epic-cycles.co.uk/Bianchi_Via_Nirone_7.html

the one i really wanted was this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.epic-cycles.co.uk/images/look-585or-10b-1000.jpg

i would also highly reccomend have a look at the BH models, i had one previous excellent value and a good frame..

J

goldencleric

rochie16 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply goldencleric!

That does look like a cracking bike, has firmly gripped my interest. Just reading through the reviews and they look largely positive. Some negative points I would appreciate your opinion on though. Some people said it was a bit heavy at 10kg. I understand this may cause difficulty when climbing. Would you do much climbing on your routes, and would you have much difficulty in doing so? Maybe that is quite a pedantic point for someone like myself, would it be really much heavier than other such bikes?

Also, necessities for cycling:

Pedals (Not included??)
Shoes
Shorts
Helmet (Obviously)

Anything else?

Thanks again!

Hey rochie,

The bike is comparatively heavy when compared with other road bikes perhaps but for 750 euro the price more than makes up for it in my opinion (look at any other road bike in this price range and you get far less in terms of groupset, usually sora or tiagra)... and besides my non-cycling friends can't believe how light it is. I really don't think its much of a problem, I did 130k on it on Sunday and managed to take in the climb to the Naul coming from the Duleek Road (I'm sure many boardsies know it ... its a beatch of a climb)

To be honest I was concerned about the weight when I was looking at it too but for the money and the level you are at I really don't think it would be an issue at all. I think a lot of the weight might come from the wheels which I will probably replace anyway when I get more serious about my spins.

Coming from an old steel bike myself it feels light as a feather anyway

Also I'd suggest getting a helmet yes, just feel a whole lot safer and confident on the descents and on busy roads (I don't want to bring up the old helmet debate but if there's a slight chance it will reduce any brain injuries then I'm going to wear it)

... gloves maybe, personally I haven't worn mine in a good while but different people prefer different things.

pick up a jersey if you like, they have pockets on the back for supplies which are really necessary for food etc when you start doing longer spins, I got a Santini one as a birthday gift, its an expensive thing but it is comfortable (recommend going one size up though my large is skin tight) or else have a look at some of the knock offs on ebay, I have a set and they are fine (although the fit is a bit off) but be warned the padding in the shorts is so thin compared to my Santini ones so I only use them together with the other shorts (two pairs=comfort) or on short little time trials.

Got a set of wiggle own brand armwarmers as well (dhb I think?) which are quite handy to have in the back pocket of the jersey.

Cycling cap for when it rains (goes under the helmet)

spare tubes, hand pump, tire levers and a mini tool (which came with the bike actually) and a saddle bag are a must if you're going out for a long spin on your own

Water bottle cage and water bottle (the frame is drilled for two so might actually get a second one)

You can pick up most of these things as you go on and start getting more serious (and I guarantee you will!)

You get crappy flat pedals thrown in by Wiggle but i would definitely recommend getting a pair of clipless pedals and shoes (of the road variety if you're using it purely for sport) ... mine set me back about 100 off chainreactioncycles.com (got look keo easy and a set of shimano shoes)

Wow that was long, just trying to impart some of the tips I've picked up and a lot of it is from this forum. Any other questions or clarification issues, don't hesitate to ask!

Oh one last thing, the bike is white so get some Muc-off spray from halfords (big pink bottle) ... makes cleaning a whole lot easier

Jawgap

What's your work situation?

If you can get a bike through the Cycle to Work Scheme then your 750 notes will go a lot further.

rochie16

Beasty wrote: »

Lights ...

(you don't want to be hauled to court for cycling in the dark without them:))

Hi-jacking bastard!

Does the bold username not mean your a moderator Beasty?

blorg

I would suggest one of these



May be useful while you are serving 20 to life

Doctor Bob

blorg wrote: »

May be useful while you are serving 20 to life

If you're looking to join a club, how about The Chain Gang?

CramCycle

Might sound silly but you should post up a picture of your old road bike as if its a decent frame, it might be worth upgrading the parts

rochie16

CramCycle wrote: »

Might sound silly but you should post up a picture of your old road bike as if its a decent frame, it might be worth upgrading the parts

Ah, I'm pretty sure its a piece of crap. I think it might be some sort of road/mountain bike hybrid.

Beasty

rochie16 wrote: »

Does the bold username not mean your a moderator Beasty?

... only for 2 days in the cycling forum. Looking to hand out my first ban in this forum. Personal abuse - that's a good one to start with:D