Road bike, budget €700-800, any thoughts?

levi

I've recently gotten into cycling - I've be riding a Specialized Sirrus for spins up the Dublin mountains and I'm really enjoying it. Trouble is - it's not my bike! Looks like I'll have to invest in my own and I'm considering a road bike.

I've been to a couple of shops and had a thorough look around the internet. I'm not very fit and find the hills pretty tough so I reckon I'd need the triple ring on the front to get a low gear similar to that on the Sirrus.

From looking around I've seen the following in my price range:

http://www.mycycle.ie/road-bike-p/776578889.htm

http://www.mycycle.ie/racer-p/gi5555.htm

http://www.mycycle.ie/road-bike-p/gi7777.htm

I like the look of the Specialized and I do have a soft spot for them as I had a Sirrus myself for years and loved it but then sold it to my dad (who I'm now borrowing it from) and got a single speed (sigh) for popping in and out to town. I didn't think I'd really need the gears cos I wasn't really that into cycling other than for getting from A to B.

I will be getting the bike through the bike to work scheme but my company uses biketowork.ie so this means I have to buy it in a LBS rather than online.

I'm a girl who's 5'5" so I reckon I'd need to buy a small frame if I were to go for a men's bike. I've looked at the ladies bikes but I reckon I might find a men's bike easier to sell on if I needed to. Will I have trouble getting to try a small frame in most bike shops or should they have them in stock?

I know this is kinda silly but I probably will take into consideration which bikes are easier to get - specialized or giant or whichever as I don't want to have to wait all summer for my order to come in and then I don't get a chance to use the bike! Would anyone know if Giant are easier to order than Specialized or vice-versa? I know my mum ordered a Dawes in January and she only got it there last week - I don't want to have to wait until October for my bike!

So ideally I'd like to get a bike, clipless pedals and shoes for €850 - any advice gratefully received.

boogerballs

Why are you stopping at the €850 mark - The bike to work scheme allows up to €1000 and you get a tax break of around 50% so it's really only another 75 to you.

For 850 you are only going to get a bike with a Sora set, go for the full 1000 and you'll get a bike with at least Tiagra, if your looking at the sell on value this would be important.

levi

That's all I can afford... also I'm in the lower tax bracket so the discount is about 30%

marley1

I picked up the Trek 1.2 2011 model for 775 euro in Dundalk. Sora at the front Tiagra at the back. I find it a very good bike.

The RRP price is 899 euro

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/road/sport/2_and_1_series/1_2#

levi

I was just at the LBS and they really recommended that I buy a ladies bike rather than a men's bike. I think I'll go for the Giant Avail 4 - it's €699 it's the women's equivalent to the Defy 4.

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-GB/bikes/model/avail.4/7883/45544/

I think this is perfect for what I need at the moment which is an entry level road bike to get me started. Are there any alternatives in that price range that anyone can suggest?

lismuse

Hi, would you be interested in an unused Avail 4 in medium size, bought but not used yet and probably never will. Its 24 speed.

TheBlaaMan

levi wrote: »

I was just at the LBS and they really recommended that I buy a ladies bike rather than a men's bike. I think I'll go for the Giant Avail 4 - it's €699 it's the women's equivalent to the Defy 4.

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-GB/bikes/model/avail.4/7883/45544/

I think this is perfect for what I need at the moment which is an entry level road bike to get me started. Are there any alternatives in that price range that anyone can suggest?

Haggle a bit. Some of the good shops* should be offering 10% (or more) discount on their retail prices - even under the CtW scheme - meaning the Avail 4 should be closer to €635 before your 30% tax break.

Remember too that the CtW is only available to you once in 5 years (if it ever lasts that long) so the saving (perhaps as little as €200) once earned, is gone. In other words, if you are starting out and think that at some stage in the next 12 months or so you will want to upgrade (as we all do...) then perhaps you will have the funds to get a better bike and its at that point the CtW might be of more value to you. ie, if you could get a bike now (s/h) for say €450 you might be as well off............just something to consider.

* Try these guys www.cyclesuperstore.ie - the bike is currently in stock too

Best of luck

levi

Thanks for your help - put a deposit down on the bike today - I reckon it suits me just fine! It'll get me spinning up into the Dublin/Wicklow mountains and that's all I want for the moment. It fits well too and I bought it off a shop that will make sure I leave the shop with it well adjusted for me which I think is a really big plus. No point having a more expensive bike that doesn't fit you. I think the Avail offers good value and is the ladies equivalent of the Defy 4 which gets brilliant reviews and anyone I know who has it is really pleased with it.

Delighted with myself! Just have to get the paper work done now!

Regarding haggling - it's tough to haggle when you got through biketowork.ie cos they take 10-13% from the bike shop anyway. I feel I got a good enough deal - probably would have been better if I hadn't had to use biketowork.ie.