€1,000 All in for a Road Bike including Accessories

eddiem74

Okay, so at long last my company has offered the Cycle to Work scheme, and I am hoping to use this now to get a road bike and get back in the saddle.

I was going to go with a budget of €750 total, however given the reduction available and I assumed the feedback I would get here I will try and push myself to make use of the maximum €1,000.

So what I would like your advice on is what else are the critical items I need to get out of the €1,000 including the bike? I will have no extra funds to secure accessories, clothing, etc. outside of that amount.

Thanks for any suggestions on bikes to consider and accessories.

(Oh and I will be buying local, not online, North Co. Dublin area.)

Lumen

The scheme does not cover clothing unless it's safety equipment, i.e. hi-vis/reflective. So no shoes, socks, bib shorts, jerseys, arm warmers, knee warmers, gilets, gloves, buffs, base layers, shoe covers, overshoes, winter tights or ear muffs.

So unless you plan to cover yourself head to foot in hi-vis, you'll need to budget for some cycling-specific clothing.

Khannie

eddiem74 wrote: »

what else are the critical items I need to get out of the €1,000 including the bike?

I would say essentials are:

pump that you can carry with you
track pump
spare tube(s)
puncture repair kit
bottle cage
bottle
cycling shorts
helmet
U-Lock + accompanying cable lock
sunglasses maybe

There's a decent bike shop in Skerries that does the bike to work. They will order you in whatever you want AFAIK.

Cookie_Monster

Khannie wrote: »

I would say essentials are:

pump that you can carry with you
track pump
spare tube(s)
puncture repair kit
bottle cage
bottle
cycling shorts
helmet
U-Lock + accompanying cable lock
sunglasses maybe

he said critical...

if just commuting won't need a lot of that and the clothing not covered under scheme. The lock probably isn't needed either if you can bring the bike into the office.

EDIT: just to say most of the above are desirable but not essential at the start.

kenmc

Spend the full 1000 on the bike. You'll get bits in sales in wiggle, crc, pbk etc

tomasrojo

You'll need lights too.

kenmc

tomasrojo wrote: »

You'll need lights too.

Not if he only cycles in daylight

eddiem74

Khannie wrote: »

There's a decent bike shop in Skerries that does the bike to work. They will order you in whatever you want AFAIK.

Yeah, I might start with TMG Cycles in Skerries and see where I get.

Thanks all who replied, looks like I will need to start saving for some clothing, etc...

jimzy

I would spend as close to the full 1000 on the bike. Or as much as you possibly can.

As kenmc said you can pick up helmet, shorts, accessories etc. for very cheap on (crc, wiggle or even aldi / lidl you can pick up some good bits for starting out) and upgrade easily down the line. However, the bike you will more than likely have for years so spending the extra few hundred on the bike now is a much wiser investment in my opinion.

Only essentials I think:
Decent track pump
Helmet

Not essential but cycling shorts, cycling shoes & cleats really make it all more enjoyable, especially if you are planning on doing longer spins at weekends, etc.!

Good luck!

SachaJ

This weekend I ordered my bike through the BTW scheme.

I ordered the Cube Peleton @ €999 from Cyclesuperstore. They gave me a 10% reduction so I was able to get a helmet, padded shorts, pump and tube repair kit. Total came to €1016.

I feel I got the necessities. When the evenings close in, I'll get lights. I then ordered the Kryptonite U Lock with cable for £43 off wiggle.

RedRobert

Any bike shop will put any accessories down as included in the BTW scheme for you IMO - mine did.

I got a Trek 1.5 with all the bits for the €1k.

Essentiallys for me are helmet - dont go cheap (you only have one head)...think about it...
Plus track pump if you want some decent pressure

carry pump
puncture repair kit
spare tube (all these are essentiall when you get a puncture miles from anywhere)

Good luck!

tomasrojo

jimzy wrote: »

Only essentials I think:
Decent track pump
Helmet

It depends on what type of cycling you're doing, but I got by without either of those for many years. For a road bike I guess a track pump is very desirable, for sure.

tomasrojo

RedRobert wrote: »

Essentiallys for me are helmet - dont go cheap (you only have one head)...think about it...
Plus track pump if you want some decent pressure

Cheap helmets have to pass exactly the same standards as expensive helmets. When Which? magazine ran some tests in the 90s, expensive helmets didn't perform any better than cheaper ones.

jimzy

tomasrojo wrote: »

It depends on what type of cycling you're doing, but I got by without either of those for many years. For a road bike I guess a track pump is very desirable, for sure.

Yeah i guess so, you can do without, but for me a helmet is a must. Any kind of fall, even at a slow speed could cause serious damage, a bad move not to wear one imo.

After battling with 3 or 4 crappy mini pumps and cheapo pumps I think a decent pump is a must (does not need to be expensive, 20-30 quid will get a good one). The OP said it was a road bike, so having correctly inflated tyres makes a huge difference. It's central to the performance of the bike really isn't it, to me it seems crucial to get that sorted too. Trying to get 100+ psi from a poor pump can really wreck your head!

tomasrojo

I'm certainly glad that I bought a track pump, though I don't use a road bike (unless you count a tourer as a road bike).

I won't get into the helmet thing. The subject has been thoroughly examined from every angle on this forum many times.

Beasty

RedRobert wrote: »

Any bike shop will put any accessories down as included in the BTW scheme for you IMO - mine did.

They shouldn't (except for the specified accessories), it's illegal, and should not be encouraged here

Thanks

Beasty

eddiem74

So thanks for all the feedback so far. I am compiling my list and was hoping if you could provide me some further guidance as to what should be my maximum spend on some of these items given I would be just starting out....I don't want to be blinded by the glitz and glamour of the expensive stuff.

pump that you can carry with you
track pump
spare tube(s)
Helmet
puncture repair kit
Tyre levers
saddle bag
bottle cage
bottle
Multitool
cycling shorts
cycling shoes
cycling jersey/top
Computer (wired or wireless?)
Anything else?

Want to try and work the best deal I can.

Thanks again,

Eddie

TinyExplosions

eddiem74 wrote: »

So thanks for all the feedback so far. I am compiling my list and was hoping if you could provide me some further guidance as to what should be my maximum spend on some of these items given I would be just starting out....I don't want to be blinded by the glitz and glamour of the expensive stuff.

pump that you can carry with you
track pump
spare tube(s)
Helmet
puncture repair kit
Tyre levers
saddle bag
bottle cage
bottle
Multitool
cycling shorts
cycling shoes
cycling jersey/top
Computer (wired or wireless?)
Anything else?

Want to try and work the best deal I can.

Thanks again,

Eddie

Max spend could be any amount! I'd say though:

pump that you can carry with you: €20ish
track pump: €30-40
spare tube(s): €3-5 quid each, or a multi pack of 10 for about €30
Helmet: €40-50 will get you a good range to choose from
puncture repair kit: €5-7
Tyre levers: €5-7
saddle bag: €10-15
bottle cage: €3-4
bottle: €3-4
Multitool: €15-20
cycling shorts: very variable, but about €40 should get something nice
cycling shoes: again variable, €40-80 depending on what you like/is in stock/fits
cycling jersey/top: €20-30
Computer (wired or wireless?): €20mac -wired is fine, basically anything cheap is grand for you.

They're rough prices for things, and it depends on the shop you go to (most items are cheaper online), and you should try and get a few of them thrown in for free (am thinking at minimum you should get a bottle cage or two and a couple bottles for free, and if you're a good haggler, no reason to not get tyre levers, puncture repair kit and multi tool thrown in too -have managed that meself in the past)

Lemag

eddiem74 wrote: »

So thanks for all the feedback so far. I am compiling my list and was hoping if you could provide me some further guidance as to what should be my maximum spend on some of these items given I would be just starting out....I don't want to be blinded by the glitz and glamour of the expensive stuff.

pump that you can carry with you
track pump
spare tube(s)
Helmet
puncture repair kit
Tyre levers
saddle bag
bottle cage
bottle
Multitool
cycling shorts
cycling shoes
cycling jersey/top
Computer (wired or wireless?)
Anything else?

Want to try and work the best deal I can.

Thanks again,

Eddie

Go to wiggle and make up a shopping basket.

eddiem74

Lemag wrote: »

Go to wiggle and make up a shopping basket.

I am becoming aware of wiggle and the other online stores, however just wanted to get a rough € maximum given I am a starter and can then try and work the best deal I can when I am getting the bike, I will then move to online purchases afterwards. Thanks!

eddiem74

TinyExplosions wrote: »

Max spend could be any amount! I'd say though:

pump that you can carry with you: €20ish
track pump: €30-40
spare tube(s): €3-5 quid each, or a multi pack of 10 for about €30
Helmet: €40-50 will get you a good range to choose from
puncture repair kit: €5-7
Tyre levers: €5-7
saddle bag: €10-15
bottle cage: €3-4
bottle: €3-4
Multitool: €15-20
cycling shorts: very variable, but about €40 should get something nice
cycling shoes: again variable, €40-80 depending on what you like/is in stock/fits
cycling jersey/top: €20-30
Computer (wired or wireless?): €20mac -wired is fine, basically anything cheap is grand for you.

They're rough prices for things, and it depends on the shop you go to (most items are cheaper online), and you should try and get a few of them thrown in for free (am thinking at minimum you should get a bottle cage or two and a couple bottles for free, and if you're a good haggler, no reason to not get tyre levers, puncture repair kit and multi tool thrown in too -have managed that meself in the past)

Thanks for that it will prove a really helpful guide.

Oh and what I meant with regard to Max spend was, what was the most I should spend given I am a starter, as I know I could bet distracted into spending more than is necessary to get me going.

tomasrojo

If you want to keep it to a minimum, you can spend relatively little. If you're not planning on initially going very long distances, you could cycle in your normal clothes to begin with, and add accessories over time.

When I started out using the bike as my main mode of transport as an adult (which was a good while ago), I had this set-up:

bike (naturally)
lights
two good locks
puncture repair kit and pump
change of t-shirt
raingear

That did me for years. I've added a little to that, but mostly tools for repairs, as I wasn't happy with the speed or thoroughness of the repairs and maintenance I was getting from the bike shops.

I don't do very long distances, unlike many here, but I do get up to 50km a day with something not much more than that initial set-up.

If you're loving it (as you well might), you can add to a basic set-up incrementally, rather than go crazy at the start. You'll know which bits of your initial set-up you find the least satisfactory, so that'll tell you what to buy next.

TinyExplosions

To add what tomasrojo said, if you're commuting, you don't need a lot of kit.

Personally, for a commute of up to about 10k, I just wear 'normal' clothes (shorts and tshirt) -and sometimes a merino base layer to keep me warm/soak up sweat -though you could just change tshirt when you get into work.

I have a pump, levers, spare tube and multitool in my bag, and if you have a track pump at home, you really don't need anything else.

More gear can be purchased if you find yourself doing longer spins at any stage, but I don't think you need to get a load to begin with necessarily.

Lemag

eddiem74 wrote: »

I am becoming aware of wiggle and the other online stores, however just wanted to get a rough € maximum given I am a starter and can then try and work the best deal I can when I am getting the bike, I will then move to online purchases afterwards. Thanks!

I wasn't suggesting that you buy but it should give you an idea of the prices for the items which you're inquiring about. Of course you could always go ahead and pull the trigger at the checkout

eddiem74

OK I am back again after emailing a number of cycle shops who are part of my companies scheme...

Accessories/equipment I have a good handle on now and I feel I know what I will roughly need to pay. Most of the shops are offering deals like:

• 10% of the value of the bike in free accessories
• 10% off the price of accessories
• €100 worth of accessories thrown in
• All accessories/equipment I requested for €200
• 1st service included
• Free Delivery

On the bike to chose I am struggling. From the reading on here I have done it seems I should be trying to get carbon forks and Shimano Sora or preferrably Tiagra, or even 105's, however I am also trying to squeeze as much of the needed equipment and accessories into my €1,000 budget.

Some of the offers I have received so far are:

• Trek 1.1 €645
• Giant Defy 3 €720
• Cube Aerial €765 (I like the look/colour)
• Trek 1.2 €825
• Giant Defy 2 €895 (I like the look/colour)
• FELT F85 €949
• Lapierre Audaccio 400 €940
• Trek 1.5 €1025

I believe there is some further minor room in some of the prices given, however many of the competitive quotes are also stating "Price match guarantee if better price is found" which is sending me round in circles. Maybe I now just need to pick a couple of shops and go there?

Any further advice?

TinyExplosions

Go for the one you like the look of most!

Given the ones you listed, I think the Felt is the best value, and what I'd personally plump for, but any one of them will be a solid ride

kenmc

I was looking for a bike for my Brother in law, that felt f85 in wheelworx is a beauty, wouldn't mind it myself! Didn't like the microshift shifters though so see if they will swap them for you for a reasonable price. it's 105 in the derailleurs which is way better than most of the the other similarly spec'd bikes. I'd go for that.

Lemag

kenmc wrote: »

I was looking for a bike for my Brother in law, that felt f85 in wheelworx is a beauty, wouldn't mind it myself! Didn't like the microshift shifters though so see if they will swap them for you for a reasonable price. it's 105 in the derailleurs which is way better than most of the the other similarly spec'd bikes. I'd go for that.

Whether one likes the Microshift shifters or not is a personal thing. They work. I've had them and liked them. I would be much more inclinde toward the Mircoshift shifting mechanism than I would the Sora.

kenmc

Lemag wrote: »

Whether one likes the Microshift shifters or not is a personal thing. They work. I've had them and liked them. I would be much more inclinde toward the Mircoshift shifting mechanism than I would the Sora.

Whereas personally I'd go for sora over microshifts, since you can brake and upshift at the same time with them. Once you get used to it, it's hard to go back. If you've never experienced either it probably makes no odds which you start with.

I can't for the life of me get the hang of doubletap either though.

Some things are just very much each to their own.

eddiem74

kenmc wrote: »

Whereas personally I'd go for sora over microshifts, since you can brake and upshift at the same time with them. Once you get used to it, it's hard to go back. If you've never experienced either it probably makes no odds which you start with.

I can't for the life of me get the hang of doubletap either though.

Some things are just very much each to their own.

To be honest didn't even know what microshifts were until I searched youtube just now. Interesting, I get your point. Something to checkout for sure during a test run.

FISMA

eddiem74 wrote: »

Okay, so at long last my company has offered the Cycle to Work scheme, and I am hoping to use this now to get a road bike and get back in the saddle...

Eddie,
If I were you I would contact the company and ask them if they have a crash replacement scheme and if so how much. I know Cannondale has a nice buy back scheme.

What kind of riding or you going to do? Road riding will need a lot of essentials: clipless pedals/shoes, shorts, gloves, ...

However, if you are just going to commute, the bare essentials would be: a spare tube, levers, patch kit, pump, and saddle bag.

eddiem74

FISMA wrote: »

Eddie,
If I were you I would contact the company and ask them if they have a crash replacement scheme and if so how much. I know Cannondale has a nice buy back scheme.

What kind of riding or you going to do? Road riding will need a lot of essentials: clipless pedals/shoes, shorts, gloves, ...

However, if you are just going to commute, the bare essentials would be: a spare tube, levers, patch kit, pump, and saddle bag.

Road riding, did it for a few years as a teenager, only done one race, came third, then came distractions (girls, part time work, full time work, travel, etc...) and years later I am now looking to get back going after continuously talking about it for years.

pgd-pgd

I'd spend the €1000 on the bike.Clothes ,helmets lights locks pumps can be picked up on E bay , Done deal and Gumtree very very cheap.
You probably get a decent road bike with a full Shimano groupset for that price.( I wouldnt be looking at bikes with shimano Sora for that price anyway).

Also the Frame size you would get now would probably be a size smaller than you used to ride. i.e. if you rode a 56cm bike you would probably need a 54cm bike and have a longer seatpost . This is due to the changed geometry of bikes and it may give you better road handling.(I'd research this if I was you before you pick your frame size,
(See link)
http://www.ebicycles.com/bicycle-tools/frame-sizer/road-bike/size-sheet?utf8=%E2%9C%93&u=in&r=man&h=1790.7&i=800.1&b=Calculate

Also http://www.tenn-outdoors.co.uk/ is great for cycling clothes cheap and fast delivery.

Heres a decent bike in eurocycles also,
http://www.eurocycles.ie/Road_Bikes/Road_Bikes_Under_€1000/Focus_Variado_Triple/3366_p.aspx

Best of Luck,
Paul.

Neverlandland

I bought in eurocycles, and got the 1,000 voucher. eurocycles do an offer where you get 15% (of the bike price) worth of accessories for free. So if you were to pick up a z100 or f95, you would get around 350 quid of accessories which would cover you for everything you would need! If you dont spend it all, you could get a credit note. Go to the longmile road one though!

eddiem74

pgd-pgd wrote: »

I'd spend the €1000 on the bike.Clothes ,helmets lights locks pumps can be picked up on E bay , Done deal and Gumtree very very cheap.
You probably get a decent road bike with a full Shimano groupset for that price.( I wouldnt be looking at bikes with shimano Sora for that price anyway).

Also the Frame size you would get now would probably be a size smaller than you used to ride. i.e. if you rode a 56cm bike you would probably need a 54cm bike and have a longer seatpost . This is due to the changed geometry of bikes and it may give you better road handling.(I'd research this if I was you before you pick your frame size,
(See link)
http://www.ebicycles.com/bicycle-tools/frame-sizer/road-bike/size-sheet?utf8=%E2%9C%93&u=in&r=man&h=1790.7&i=800.1&b=Calculate

Also http://www.tenn-outdoors.co.uk/ is great for cycling clothes cheap and fast delivery.

Heres a decent bike in eurocycles also,
http://www.eurocycles.ie/Road_Bikes/Road_Bikes_Under_€1000/Focus_Variado_Triple/3366_p.aspx

Best of Luck,
Paul.

Thanks for the reply, I do unfortunately need to try and get some accessories/equipment in that budget, funding will be tight here on out. A Focus, Noooooooo, not another consideration, my list is already long enough...:eek:

Neverlandland wrote: »

I bought in eurocycles, and got the 1,000 voucher. eurocycles do an offer where you get 15% (of the bike price) worth of accessories for free. So if you were to pick up a z100 or f95, you would get around 350 quid of accessories which would cover you for everything you would need! If you dont spend it all, you could get a credit note. Go to the longmile road one though!

Thanks, good to know !

eddiem74

Ok, so a little update. Today I went and had a look at two Bikes:

1. Felt F85
2. 2010 Bianchi C2C via Nirone (Tiagra)

Felt F85

I was surpised the Felt was a White (primarily) and Orange colour and not red as I had seen online. I was told it was a new colour. Anyone know? Although I was only looking I felt a little let down in terms of Sales push, not sure the guy I got was that experienced? Although I know many here have suggested this as a good bike, I am left with mix feelings after the visit.

Bianchi

Its blue as in this picture, compact though not triple as shown.



I really liked the look of the bike (don't shoot me) although I know the spec might not be quite up to the Felt. I was also offered a good total deal including bike, and pretty much all accesories/equipment I wanted which I felt good about. They only thing that came up was they did not have a 55 size with Tiagra in stock, however they had a 55 with Sora (or maybe it was 2300? can't recall) which they were doing a swap out on for another customer who didn't want Tiagra, and said they could therefore build that back with the Tiagra for me as the frame, etc... was the same. I assume the bike would still be the same, right?

eddiem74

As if things were not confusing enough I was just browsing over the "allowed" partners in my company scheme and at the very end of the list which was sorted by county (I had assumed alphabetically) was online retailers with Planet X and Ribble listed.......:eek:

Decisions, decisions.....

petethedrummer

Planet-X, Ribble, and Canyon etc represent the best value deals. But you can't try for size or have LBS back up.

Anything you buy in a local shop will be roughly the same spec as something else at a similar price. Boardmans in Halfords will be better value than a regular LBS but some Halfords branches are useless. Eurocycles (I think) are cheaper than a LBS for Felts, but like Halfords some of their branches are rubbish.

You can spend ages agonising trying to save a few quid here and there. Sometimes its right to just go with the bike you like the look of. Even if there's a slightly better value but uglier bike.

eddiem74

I just wanted to make a final post to close of this thread. Thanks to all who have read or chipped in with their advice and opinions.

After much research and eventually time looking in shops I have decided to go with the Trek 1.5. I like the look/colour, felt really nice to ride even without any major tweaking from the display stand.

http://www.trekbikes.com/uk/en/bikes/road/sport/2_and_1_series/1_5



I recognise there is possibly better value out there online or possibly even in-store, however you need to start somewhere and I have now. Just need to wait on my company to approve my BTW application and then get the bike.

Thanks again !