First bike on a budget

Apologies if there is a thread with this already, I've had a quick search and not come up with anything!

So I have been thinking about buying a bike for years now. I am an avid cycling fan but never got around to owning a bike (unless you include the one I had as a kid).

The problem has been that it is such an expensive start up cost. However, now that I am running more than ever, I think it might be a good investment for commuting/cross training/longevity, etc and for years now I have wanted to try cyclo-cross racing. Considering that I probably have zero bike handling skills this is likely to be very funny/messy.

So, let's say I have saved my pennies and have around £500-£600 to spend, what's the best way to start?

For a start, I don't know how reliable second hand bikes are. For example, would a second hand cyclocross bike be worn out/prone to mechanical problems and how likely is it that I am getting a bike that has been knicked? Are there any reliable online second hand retailers?

Secondly, how important is related kit? Obviously I need a helmet, pump, lock, spares etc. but are cycling specific shoes and pedals a must? Can I get away with running shorts rather than cycling specific shorts, do i NEED a cycling jersey/ water proofs if I already have ones for fell running?

Finally, a lot of things I have read go on and on about bike fit and most recommend going to a proper cycling shop for the first bike but most shops I look at seem to assume my budget is much (!) higher than it actually is. So how reliable are the basic height to frame size coversions?

Thanks for any help!

Matthew

PS. On the cycle to work scheme: as a PhD student I get some funding to tide me over but I am not eligable for the cycle to work scheme because I am technically not employed by the university.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/felt-f95-2015/

This Felt is very good value if you want a road bike. Great frame, Shimano Sora on a bike in this price bracket is fantastic.

I'd tend not to buy off Wiggle, I don't know where you are, but I'd go to Green Jersey in Clitheroe, my local Felt dealer and see if he could match or get close, as they would then sit you on a bikee and set it up for you.

I was like you (still am :) ) a runner who decided to get a rode bike a year ago. I still don't hve the shoes, I have straps and wear trail shoes.
If you are out up to 90 minutes, probs OK in running shorts or ron hills / lycras - but if over 90 minutes you'll need some padding.
Watch the padding - there's padded felt in some and proper gel in others. The gel lasts longer and is comfortable for longer rides.

Cold - it's a bigger factor than I ever imagined. Even on warm running days where I'd be T shirt, I set off and think why did I not put on a long sleeve - but I do get by with my running tops and waterproof.

I haven't much clue with off-road bikes, but I only tend to go out on a road bike, it's mainly spring/summer and it's just for cross training - I can sometimes bike on days I can't run :)

If you can support your local bike shop, they can usually give good advice and fix the bike if you have a problem. Most bike shops will offer a free service after so many miles clocked up which is essential. Cycling can be expensive compared to running but there's no need to pay the earth for a bike or kit, you can get a good bike with good gear for your money these days. Check out Planet X either online or at one of their shops in Sheffield or Rotherham. Their kit is ridiculously inexpensive and as good or better in some cases than some of the more expensive brands like Gore. Their bikes are also great value for money and I've given my Pro Carbon Planet X bike a proper thrashing with no problems.
As Richard says cycling can be a cold and chilly affair and even the slightest wind is amplified on the bike. You can get cold on the downhills and it takes forever to warm up again. I find a windproof Gilet ideal for cycling in but always carry a half decent windproof, the cycling ones tend to be different than a running windproof being longer in the tail.
When I first started cycling I used to carry a bum bag or small rucksack but find these days I can fit everything into my cycling Jersey back pockets so look for a jersey or jacket which has good pockets in the back for your essentials.
A small seat back can take your other kit, a couple of spare tubes, multi tool and instant repair patches, I also take a chain tool and chain quick repair links. Lots of pumps available on the market these days in all shapes and sizes. I personally like the ones which have the flexible hose to connect the pump to the tube.
Clip in pedals though are a must although probably not initially but they do make a big difference and you should practice and give them a try.
For me as a fell runner for more years than I can remember and with knackered knees which say no more racing my lad, cycling has been a godsend. Mountain biking, road cycling and cyclo cross,all very different but enjoyable in their own way. Good luck.

You can buy a Triban from Decathlon for around £550. They come with Tiagra and the spec is excellent for the money.
You can upgrade the wheels (I got Mavic Aksium from the same place for ~ £120, which is a steal) as required.
Not as romantic or satisfying as buying from a more authentic specialist shop - but right in your budget and a great entry imo.

Regards the kit - you buy it as you can. Pick up bits from eBay. You will want a pair of shoes.

I bought my first ever road bike this year, (age 48!)
I got a full carbon Cube Agree with full tiagra groupset. £800 from Chain Reaction. I'm no expert but I'm pretty impressed

Yeah second the Triban. Had one fir my first road bike, excellent bikes. Highly recommended!

agree with the planet x bikes and gear . bought a pro carbon a few months ago and was worried about spending that amount of dosh on the click of a button and not seeing it , needn't have worried its been excellent . as for the gear no better value than aldi when they have their cycling specials .

Thanks all for your feedback! So it seems that the consensus is for a new bike rather than second hand. I quite like the look of the Boardman CX team bike at Halfords. Having disk brakes would be an easier sell to the girlfriend who's dad was a very good club cyclist who's life was changed by a very nasty crash. Plus I do harbour ambitions to try cyclocross racing.

Thanks for the comments about the cold! I'm one who doesn't get many problems with the cold so I would have probably set out way underprepared, assumed I would get warm over the course of a ride, and learnt that lesson the hard way.

Thanks with the advice regards the kit, I think I will look at the cost of pedals and shoes. Although that looks like an whole other can of worms!

The Planet X stuff looks good! Although their bikes look just out of my price range but I will keep them in mind.

I'm planning on getting around some local shops this weekend armed with this advice, so I have a better expectation of what I can get!

Does anyone have any experience of the Edinburgh Bicycle Coop? There's a shop in Leeds I notice.

Also look at Ribble Cycles

They've got about 12 different frames on offer at the moment

http://http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk...ALL&type=RIBMO

I bought one of their (blue) 7005 aluminium 'winter'/'audax' frames as built-up (to my spec) bike from them, & quite fancy replacing my Ridley, with one of their HF83 frames

You can specify most component sizes, ie; crank length, chain-ring teeth, cassette, stem-length, har width
(however, that feature may not be ideal/too confusing for a novice??)

It has been said before, to buy the best you can afford, or you may find yourself returning to the shop to buy another bike in short order
(N + 1)

Disc brakes on road bikes are becoming increasingly popular and I have 2 bikes with them fitted. A Boardman CXR9.2 which is marketed as a cyclo cross bike but I use it for everyday. It's got cable pull discs Avid BB and they are just fantastic. Great stopping power, easier on the arms and hands and no rim wear. I also have hydraulic discs on my Cannondale Synapse and they are equally brilliant. I wouldn't consider a road bike without discs anymore, whenever I go back to rim brakes it's a disappointment. ( oh and forgot about my Specialised Cross Bike with cable pull discs brilliant ) if you go for a bike with discs you won't be disappointed.

Personally I wouldn't knock the second hand market if you look at reputable sellers. On a lot of club websites you can often get second hand bikes for a lot less than you would pay retail. What I would say is make sure you have an idea of what you want (infact with buying any bike this is key, and also what you want to do with it) and you know a bit about what the seller is selling, plus give it a good once over. If you could get someone who knows a fair bit about the mechanics of bikes and what's value for money it doesn't hurt. Buy complete, don't buy parts because often building up can end up costing more than buying complete.

It may even be that your LBS might have in something second hand that someone has part exchanged, which is even better because they will have given it the once over. As said before if going new look at your LBS.

Knowledge is the key to know what you are buying and get value for money. Scout around, and sometimes if you see something you like at your LBS and can see it cheaper online speak to them and they may be able to do a deal on it to get your custom. Personally I would never object to paying a little more to get something from an LBS as they will often give you help and support which you would rarely get from an online retailer.

If only one bike is an option and you have a feeling you might like to do a mixture of a bit of road and offroad trails look at Cyclocross as an option with a couple of sets of wheels depending on what you are riding (though you can get crossover tyres which give you a bit of both worlds. Often the cheaper good value buy will do great as a winter bike if you feel you want to get more involved and spend more.... TBH I went mad on bikes a fair few years back, but then being away means I have barely ridden any of them as I've lost my fitness and don't have space. So at the moment my cross/winter bike built up with cascaded parts from other road bikes and a few extras added in sees far more action as I often use it for the commute.

With regards to the disk option, I've got mini V's on my cross/winter bike and they do fine (everything else is a road campag groupset), but I do regret that I haven't got the option for disks because they would actually make it a lot easier to swap the wheels around - there are issues with clearance with the mini vs which mean when using cross tyres the mudguards have to come off as they foul the cable on the V's (with a disk system that problem is eliminated and you could probable even get away with setting the mudguards a bit higher to give clearance for the cross wheel tyres). That said I think you can get cable pull devices which would allow you to use the full size v brakes with a road shifter which might also go some way towards resolving the problem, but I still think if I was choosing now I would go for the disk option rather than the miniv's.

...Boardman CX team bike at Halfords

Ilkley is surrounded by LBS selling £10,000 bikes but my bikes are Boardmans and are on a Halfords Planned Maintenance Plan for £60/bike for 3 years (ie £20 a year!). It used to be £10/year!!

Spending £1000 on a bike in Halfords gives you a head start as a customer of worth, some of the bike staff at Halfords are bike enthusiasts and really know their stuff and if you identify them and treat them with respect you will be amazed at what they will do for you for £0.00.

Halfords isn't cool and a Boardman isn't a Bianchi; but then neither am I riding in the Giro next year.

With regards to bike shops, not all are equal in terms of service. Ask for recommendations from any local cyclists you know. That applies for Halfords too, some a great, some I'm told are awful.

On the Planet X front, I've had repeated irritating experiences with them. Mainly around items showing as in stock but with a vital 'bit' actually out of stock rendering it all a bit useless. In my case the frame was in stock, but the gear hanger was not. After 4-5 weeks of repeatedly being promised a it will be delivered I cancelled my order and ordered a Kinesis instead. I've had other negative experiences with them with other 'attempted' orders. Similar stories really, items not actually in stock and actually on a boat near Singapore. That said, if it's in stock, it's great value and I know a lot of happy punters who have their kit. But my experiences are shared by friends.

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If only one bike is an option and you have a feeling you might like to do a mixture of a bit of road and offroad trails look at Cyclocross as an option with a couple of sets of wheels

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I'll second that!

Broke my Planet X carbon frame on its first outing when a pothole caused a coming together and both of us off and in the ditch. Although the damage was entirely my fault Planet X gave me a new frame at half price and rebuilt the bike for free. Can't ask for more than that. Whilst Shaun seems to have had problems with them I can't fault them in all my dealings with them and some of their stuff is ridiculously cheap ( and good quality )

just to bring this up again I have 1000 to spend can anyone suggest a decent bike I was looking at bianchi from wiggle it does need to be a road bike with good gear on it preferably carbon as hopefully use it for the fred witton and other like sportif type events 100 mile plus

Look at Planet-X. Plenty of good (carbon) bikes at £1000 or just under. If you were prepared to spend a couple of hundred more, you could consider the RT-80D (the RT-80 with disc brakes - they are the future).

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Originally Posted by vespa

just to bring this up again I have 1000 to spend can anyone suggest a decent bike I was looking at bianchi from wiggle it does need to be a road bike with good gear on it preferably carbon as hopefully use it for the fred witton and other like sportif type events 100 mile plus

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Originally Posted by vespa

just to bring this up again I have 1000 to spend can anyone suggest a decent bike I was looking at bianchi from wiggle it does need to be a road bike with good gear on it preferably carbon as hopefully use it for the fred witton and other like sportif type events 100 mile plus

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Planet-X is a great choice for around 1000UKP. I like Bianchis but would struggle to pay the extra. For things like the Fred get a compact chainset (34/50) at the front and something like a 28 at the back. Or whatever it comes with and stick a lower cassette on nearer the time - doesn't have to be too pricey.

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Originally Posted by idler

Planet-X is a great choice for around 1000UKP. I like Bianchis but would struggle to pay the extra. For things like the Fred get a compact chainset (34/50) at the front and something like a 28 at the back. Or whatever it comes with and stick a lower cassette on nearer the time - doesn't have to be too pricey.

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I've just ordered a B'Twin one from Decathlon for £750. It's not carbon, but weighs 8.9kg. And it comes with 50/34 and 11-28, so is made for hills.

Anyone interested, ive got a Scott cr1 pro 56cm frame would suit 5ft 10 and taller. Bike comes with full Shimano 10 speed Dura ace group set and Shimano Ksyrium ES limited edition wheels, Ritchey parts, SLR seat, sorry no tyres. Bike is very light, only dry miles and never raced, very good condition. Let me know if interested, only selling as running has taken over the bike. Looking around the 1,500 mark cost 3,600 new.