After having a go of my brother's road bike, I've decided to get one myself next year using the Bikes to work scheme. I've always had XC MTB's but I only use it on the road and they always end up on semi slicks anyway My budget will be £500, £550 absolute maximum. this article is all I've got to go off. Bearing in mind it's my first road bike, I'd like something a bit more forgiving, and the option to add mudguards would be a big bonus. Which one would you go for, or any suggestions not on the list? Any bike specific to Halfords is out unfortunately.

I'd go for the specialized allez.

I've fairly recently bought a Revolution Country Traveller. Not cool, but a great balance of kit and price and you could ride it all day, and you can hang panniers off it. Particularly if you wait for one of Edinburghs reasonably frequent 15% off offers. Very pleased with mine overall.

Second hand Focus Cayos can be had for £500.

When you think that a lot of the bikes to work financiers insist that you pay RRP you will lose a load of discount you could have expected, so it isn't quite as good as it seems.

Would you not buy 2nd hand on eBay?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cannondale-CAD...=item2c66fc1942

There will be loads available soon after those that rushed out to buy bikes after watching the Tour de France and the Olympics get bored of them!

You can't buy 2nd hand bikes on the ride 2 work scheme.

Yeah, but a decent 2nd hand bike could still work out cheaper (and a better spec), unless he needs to use the scheme to spread the payments.

I didn't go second hand because there were too many dubious bikes. I could easily see a situation where I ended up buying a bike without seeing it for, say, £300, and then needing to spend similar to get it into decent condition.

I don't want to get a 2nd hand bike as if something's up with it the bills can quickly mount up. It's going to have to be through the scheme. this is really tempting though. I'll see what the crack is in Jan next year once the scheme starts up; may get a 2012 model a bit cheaper.

I think that the obvious choice is Giant Defy range, even the Defy 5 2012. I bought one myself earlier this year and I am very happy with it. It doesn't have show piece group set but decent enough for smooth gear changes and most importantly it has got very good and light frame. To be honest if you'll look hard you might even find Defy 3 2012 for just over £500... You can't go wrong with a Giant

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/giant-2012-road-launch-30729/

It really depends what you want to do! It doesn't really matter which bike you get at the £500 level as they are OK for going down the pub and riding to the shops but you will never feel that you are flying on a bike that weighs more than 10kgs. Buy whatever you like and give it a go, if you like it then you will need minimum £2000 to a decent bike fit for competing on. If you ride on your own, it doesn't matter what you ride on but if you are going to ride with other people then you may struggle to keep up on the hills. Enjoy the ride!!!

Trouble with Bike Schemes is that shops rarely discount as they already have to give a cut to the scheme. Personally, apart from being a cheap loan, I'm a bit ambivolent about the scheme now the taxman has chopped out much of the benefit

I've bought the Airlite 100 outright. I didn't want to spend too much in case road bikes aren't for me. I'm not saddled with payment for a year that way and I got a good saving on the RRP too. Can't wait til I pick it up

Good on you, enjoy riding it!!!

Let us know what it's like! I have a Carrera road bike framed hybrid, with flat handlebars. There are no rack mounting points on it though, so I might sell it and get a road-bike that does have mounts, so I can use it to commute to work.

I've been using a Specialized mountain bike with semi-slicks but it's not a very fast bike as you can imagine.

The Decathlon Btwin Triban 3 is pretty much reckoned to the best bike under £500 and it's £300...glowing review in this month's Cycling Active - 92%

That's a good one Vicks, Carbon forks Oh well, no going back now.

Enjoy the Raleigh

Thanks Vicks. Part of the appeal of the bike is that it was a Raleigh, last time I had one was when I was 11 and I always had them as a child.

Bike Boffins: there are road bike Carbon forks on the bay ranging from £70 - 150. If I decide to upgrade the standard alloy one in a month or two, is it difficult to fit? Are they normally compatible?

I think the sizes vary - bokcers will advise for sure. Also, perhaps the bike spec opn the website can give you a clue!

I had a Raleigh Boxer when I was ickle back in the days of Penny Farthings!

Thanks for the tip, I'm now considering this one. I'm expecting Lakeside Decathlon to have sold out in my size though (I'm 6'3" and will probably go for the 60cm frame based on online calculators), but I do want to test ride one before ordering. I might go with the Cycle to Work Scheme if it's cheaper.

Being red it matches my Hardrock!

Naughty Vickster! The Raleigh went back today. Went and bought the August Cycling monthly, then the B'twin carbon forks, 24 gears and the line "this is the best value for money bike we've ever tested" meant I had to have it. It's even built in Italy!

What's it like to ride then pinin?

Getting one these Btwins for Mrs Bockers. For the spec you just can't get close. Cheaper than most of the hack on ebay too.

I'll tell you when it gets here! I can guess though my answer will be 'uncomfortable', as I don't know that many obese people trying to ride drop-bars!

Top Value indeed Bockers. Especially when it's £1 delivery for the next week from Decathlon

I read that you should check all the nuts and bolts are done up tight before riding for the first time!

I always check my nuts.

My wife would love to check Bolts too, but I bet she could not catch him

Re: bolts, yes good idea to check! We got a Diamondback bike for our oldest son, has front disc brake and all the disc bolts were loose Also, with cheaper bikes (and some more expensive ones ) some of the nuts and bolts rust rather too readily with all this rain...

Good stuff, Pinin

Ref the Triban - all sold out in Reading and a long waiting list. There were some in Surrey Quays the other day. Don't know about Lakeside

I am moving to drops for my daily bike - Giant Avail 2 girlie model

There was a Triban 3 "locked" to a lampost near my office with a lock about the thickness of a piece of string...been there, got the T-shirt, claimed on the insurance

Loads of discussion of it on Cyclechat.net. Sounds like they come up small, 5'10 recent purchaser exchanged their 57cm model for a 60cm

Nice one, I went for the 60CM. Plenty in stock at Stockport. (no pun intended) I don't see why they wouldn't post further afield?

How tall are you Matt? I'm 6'3" with a 35" inseam and was going for a 60cm but perhaps I might need a 63cm?

Just rang Decathlon and spoke to a lad who seemed clued up from the bikes dept. He advised a 60cm frame for somebody 6 foot, and 63" for anybody 6ft 2" or taller. The bike uses a 'compact frame design' apparently (I have no idea either!)

Cheers Matt!

Looks like I'll do this through the cycle to work scheme, and save around £90 on the purchase price. Bargain!

Can I suggest a go on this frame size tool?
Inside leg seems as important as height.

Frame Size Calculator

I'm 6'1" and really comfortable on a 58 cm frame on account of my stumpy legs

I tried this fit calculator a few days ago, but as I was measuring myself I probably wasn't as accurate as I could've been.

I'll get a 2nd pair of hands and try again, but it seems it wouldn't tell me exactly which Triban 3 to get as they are undersized.

Just picked this up and am amazed at the quality. Far better than £500 bikes I was looking at. Just awaiting a ladies saddle and some better tyres. Other than that it is fit to go.

Came with lights too, but they are rubbish

I'm waiting for my Cycle Scheme voucher before I can pick one up. Had a little ride up and down the aisles at Decathon, I think the gear change will take some getting used to.

I was also surprised to find you don't have brake levers along the top handlebars nowadays, like I had on the 'racer' I had when I was 10!

My new Giant does - it's a women's bike though. I have to say they are really good for commuting in traffic!

Mine arrived today, after missing the courier twice. What can I say? It's a fantastic bike. Well built, looks good and rides even better.

























As Bockers says, you get lights with the bike, which are pants, but they'll do for now. You even get pedals! First impressions of a road bike after only owning MTB's before: Amazing how much road buzz you feel, especially on North Wales' pot holed third world roads. Oh and how much faster you are on a road bike Took minutes off my journey to the folks house.
I'll be replacing the wheels for something lighter and the tyres for Conti Gatorskins in time. Other than that she'll stay as she is!

Must restrain credit card... I am so tempted, and my old bike is so worn out...

Go on Neil, you know you want to

Just found the full Cycling Active review as a PDF Here.

About the sizing: B'twin's frame sizes are tiny. The 60cm is more like a traditional 57cm.

Pinin is that a searchlight on the handlebar?!

Looks like a lovely bike, Matt.

Remember to say B'twin in a French accent and you'll understand why they started off as road/MTB hybrids...

I don't understand why there aren't hundreds of Decathlon stores in the UK, like there are in France. I could spend a fortune in them! (Although last Saturday I managed only to spend £55 on a 4-man pop-up tent...)
I've always thoguht their bikes looked better value (not able to say about overall quality) than, say, Halfords.

Stunning review, Pinin - remind me to hate you some time!

At six-two and 34" leg, the calculator reckons the 60cm - you think that would be small?

With all these new road bikes on the forum I reckon we should have a Fiat Coupe bicycle jaunt at some point. There are these London Bikeathons coming up and an interesting Oxford to Cambridge run too in early/mid September.

I went with 63cm in the end.

I'll be transferring the Shimano SPD pedals from my Carrera over, possibly the wheels too as my mate reckons the Carrera ones are lighter. I'll have to weigh 'em!

I might transfer the pannier rack over too from my MTB, and get some mudguards but none seem to stand out as being brilliant.

Hang on... where's the little clippies for the pump? There *must* be little clippies for the pump!

You'll be wanting trouser clips next!

I did a 54 mile route that followed the Olympic road race route quite closely (only once up Boxhill, avoided A25, skipped section north of Richmond Park) but I would be keen to go up there again before all the speed bumps are put back, and also I'd like to go up Leith Hill, anyone up for an fccuk-organised ride on a weekend, rather than an externally organised one?

For reference - a GT Outpost of about the same age as mine.

DaveG/skinflint - separate new thread now started

Well, so much for that idea. There isn't a 60 or a 63 to be had in the country, and the btwin site is a pile of self-looping poo. I've mailed the Surrey Key store to see when they'll be in...

Not surprised. When i picked Sam's up yesterday there were 19 awaiting collection that afternoon.

And you didn't get one for me? For shame!

Group buy from Calais...?

Wowzers. They'll be renaming this place the Triban 3 forum at this rate

I knew they were selling well as when I phoned up the Stockport Decathlon to see if they'd shipped the bike, the online sales girl said that they have been flying out the door faster than they can get them in. I mentioned the favourable review and she was more than aware!

So you went for one Dan? You won't be dissappointed. I think Taffy is looking at one as well. I didn't get a chance to ride tonight, it's been raining cats and dogs here (not literally) and I don't want to get my shiny new bike wet

I'm sure they'll get some in stock soon Neil. I'd go for a 63" frame if I was you. The 60 just about fits for me.

Why doesn't Jim buy about 20 on his card, you can meet him at Calais and cycle back in a Fccuk Peleton?

So much for summer then...

I'll sell mine for £500 in the spirit of forum goodwill

B*ll*cks, doesn't look good for me getting one then. I've not got my cycle scheme voucher through yet.

Ah well, it's more pleasant cycling in cooler weather.

In the spirit of forum good will, I'll hie myself up to North Wales and steal it from you.

You'd never get past my guard dog. Well I say dog, but I mean the g/f. You think Mrs Stan is badass?

Got a question about the bike setup but I think if another bike thread is started people are going to start getting miffed! The handlebars were turned upwards so it could fit into the box for transit. I've put them back in the down position, but I'm not sure if they're quite right. Is there a set way to determine the right angle, or is it just what feels best? The brakes seem to be a bit too far up for my hands to reach.

Best to have the bars so the brake hoods are level or just slightly pointing up. That should theb mean the drops are at a perfect angle and not horizontal.


This does depend on the brake levers being right. Basically you may nee to experiment, but having the hoods level is a good starting point.

Key point is that your saddle is level or has the nose pointing up slightly. You want to avoid the saddle pointing down as this throws your weight forward onto the bars. It will take a while for your body to adjust to any changes too.

Thanks Bockers tell me about it. My arms ache today. I did however get on the top ten on a Strava segment on my first go!




I think I'll be able to make it to number one with a couple of attempts. I can see this getting addictive!

I should have bought one when I looked the other week. I was going to go for the Triban 5 version purely because I don't want a red bike but they are out of stock as well

So, do I wait, or do I buy something else ? Maybe the Carrera tdf ?

The TDF got slated in the review of the Triban 3. A guy on one of the bike forums bought one, wasn't impressed at all and got a Triban 3 which he much preferred.

Has anyone used Aero Bars? Always fancied the look of them but no idea if they are useful outside of track cycling?

Aero bars? What like this you mean? I'm sure they're usefuil whatever sport you are doing

Haha I thought that was coming before I clicked the link!

I mean tings like these.

The carrera Virtuoso limited edition looks great I think and has a good review on Bike Radar. £350 at Halfords.



I will take 1st spot and be king of the prom!

Just for info: I checked and they have none of the Triban in Calais...!

Damnit, there must be some somewhere!

Shhh! Whisper it, but the Lakeside Decathlon store have a few in stock. Not all on the website, and one fewer than they had this morning...

(oddly, for a south London store, everyone has a French accent!)

These seem to be back in stock (in Stockport anyway) if anyone is interested. I have just ordered ond and it shall be delivered this week

I cannot begin to describe what an absolute bargain it is. I love this little red bike! Started getting all the little bits and bobs needed, I'll point out some bargains I've found too in case they come in handy:

Bottle cage (went for an elite custom race )
Bottle (Again an Elite Hygene)
Topeak race rocket pump (an absolute steal at that price and it's tiny)
Took the cateye LED lights from my MTB
Cateye Micro Wireless computer
Muddy Fox SPD shoes (I much prefer SPD to the Road bike equivalent shoes)
Topeak Aero wedge saddle bag


Still need to buy SPD pedals, some decent gloves, a multi-tool, Conti Gatorskins.

Good call with the Cateye Speedo.
I've tried three cheap supermarket ones and they've been awful. (1 Sainsbury's and 2 Lidl)
2 don't cope with moisture, and the third has some kind of reed switch sensor (it clicks) that can't cope with speeds over 25 mph.
It is frustrating to lose your odometer reading every couple of months.
By comparison I was given a Cateye Vectra by a friend that already had 29,000km on it. It has been out in all weathers etc. and there's been no problem with it at all.

You just can't beat cateye!

I guess I need some cycle shorts. I'll be wearing normal shorts over those though. I still think tight-fitting Lycra is best left to the wrestlers or fetishists

Sports Direct have some Muddy Fox Lycra shorts for a tenner with the incontinence pad sewn in and they seem to do the trick. You need something like Lycra so they move with your skin, otherwise they rub which doesn't work out if you're going any distance. Like you say proper shorts over the top would be needed if you're going to a wedding / formal dinner etc.

Woohoo! My bike arrived.

Then it went away again, to Welwyn Garden City, due to my impertinence in not being present when it arrived. Boo!

Incidentally, bought a pair of muddy fox shorts as described above. Anita wants me to cycle in those alone; I say I'll do that if she does the miniskirt and stockings...

What this thread needs is pictures

But seriously, cycling shorts must be worn without trollies or you will get some serious chaffing!

Edited for accuracy and sanity!

Your wish is my command. One of these two is Anita, and one is granddaughter. You get to work out which is which!

Woohoo. That's a *big* box it comes in!

Isn't it just! I managed to get it all in the bin though. The trick is to leave it outside in the rain to make the cardboard easier to fold. my first proper ride out today with my bro, 'just' 24 miles but I think I broke my balls. I hope I get used to the saddle! My bro couldn't believe my bike was £300, it's faster when coasting than his specialized secteur elite. My bike seems to be lighter too. Amazing!

Off to sit on some ice now. My poor gooch!

Just managed three miles to see if everything worked before I chopped the box up so Anita can abandon it on her last day at work (new job on Monday!)... it does feel a lot quicker than the GT Outpost, though.

The gear controls confused me for a while; never come across that concept before. And I think my feet are too big for the pedals.

But I like the little bell <ting!>

I need some toys: bike oil, pump, and water bottle at least. And a new speedo; I don't want to swap one between two bikes!

If you're on a toy frenzy one of these will ensure the ba***rds don't mow you down.
They're a fair bit cheaper now than I paid last Christmas, and bright enough to be very noticeable in daylight.

If you're going for a cheap cycle computer, don't go for wireless Neil. They tend to be analogue and susceptible to interference and spurious readings (one guy said the bike claimed to be travelling at 70mph )

I have had the Cateye velo wireless on 3 bikes, never an issue myself - never seen 70mph, but that could be me not the speedo

Cateye are a good make. I went for a strada (wired) because the wire has never bothered me

I have a quick clamp thingy for my Garmin 305, meaning I can swap it easily between bikes or a watch strap. As it's GPS there is no need for a sensor on the spoke.

Curiously, I'm just designing a GPS tracking/logging device. It's for a high altitude balloon, but I bet it'd work on a bike!

Hmm. 15 miles in 50 minutes this morning, at just after dark o'clock - I have no idea if that's good or not...

A couple of things need sorting - the saddle height is too low, and I think the handlebars could come up a little, too. I'm not getting on with the clippy pedals; can't get my trainers into them on the move. When I do use (one of) them, I find they're a little short for my size twelves so the weight is going onto my toe joint rather than the ball of my foot; this doesn't feel right. They're also a little narrow, though curiously this feels less so when the toe is in the clip.

Any advice?

Yes, get some proper cycling shoes and clipless pedals. The have float in the shoe pedal interface which helps the knees. They are also safer, believe it or not.

As for saddle height,
Start with a height from This site. Make sure you get your inside leg measurement right. Then follow the advice on here to get it perfect.

The handlebar height will be an issue till you adapt to the road position. Don't worry about it for a while.

Saddle tilt is critical too, I used to get a numbness till an ex pro at Condor cycles saw my bike and asked if I got a numb crotch He told me to tilt the saddle back a few degrees and try that then a few degrees more if I still had the problem. I have it tilted quite a bit and never get numbness any more. He explained that with the saddle tilted forward you are transferring your weight forward and then the pressure is on the front as you hips are also tilted forward. Tilting it back makes you hips sit differently and the weight moves back and releaves the pressure on the blood vessels that supply you testicles. It also stops you getting numb hands.
You will never see a pros road bike saddle tilted forward.

Thanks John, I'll have a peruse.



<thinks> now, is 'E' to the top or the bottom of the gentleman's particulars? Could be a significant difference...

Stand against a wall, get Anita to place a book up against your crotch, with moderate pressure (careful not to trap the old chap) with the book side flat against the wall and measure from the floor to the top of the book. repeat three times to get an average

Eeee! If she's not careful that could give three increasing measurements!

The clippy pedals were a nightmare for me, spent half the time trying to look down and get the pedal the right way up and as I'm a size 13 I had the same problem - I was pedalling through my toes mainly and not the ball of the foot. Painful!

A couple of bargains I've just bought and thought I'd share in case if you want to go the SPD route:

Shimano M520's on offer at Wiggle They should come with the cleats too. Or £17 on ebay without.

Muddy fox SPD shoes for £20

Think I've got everything now.

Those Muddyfox shoes are for mountain biking it seems. Did you go for those because of the price rather than get road shoes?

I still haven't got my Triban yet! The paperwork for the scheme is taking a while (not helped that the usual HR person that deals with it is on holiday).

No doubt they will be sold out locally when I finally get my voucher, ho hum. Looking forward to seeing how much quicker my Strava times are though once I finally get it.

was looking to spend around £150 for my 1st road bike but this thread has convinced me to increase my budget... damn you!!

On the mountain bike shoes the cleats don't scrape on the ground when you walk.

Road shoes are lighter and more streamlined.

I chose the mountain bike shoes - I think most other people have done the same.

#20 is a brilliant deal. You'd be lucky to get second hand ones for that.

Also, be a bit careful about sizes. I'm an 11 but I went for a 12 on the bike shoes (shimano) and they're just right. I don't know about Muddy fox.

Dan I went for those because they were SPD. You can fit them to a road bike and use them no problem. They also do SPD-SL shoes for £20 if that's what you want. I don't like them myself.

Getting the hang of the clips, now... this is a much quicker bike than Anita's MTB - downhill, I freewheel accelerate faster than she pedals.

Quick test today had a top speed of 56kph freewheeling down a not-very-long hill and 44kph pedalling on the short level. I could use a wider spread of gears on the front set... couple of teeth more on the big one and a couple fewer on the little.

I feel that I need more gears when going downhill, you have to pedal quite fast when doing 40mph! Ditching the plastic pedals for SPD's has made a massive difference to the riding experience.

Do you know how fast you're pedalling (RPM)? What front and rear gearing is on the bike? 11 tooth top gear on the rear cassette is pretty much as high as you'll get. You do need to be pedalling fast to get up speed above 40mph - 120rpm + is typical. As you head towards 50mph, jut getting into a tuck and freewheeling is the technique.

Your front chainset is probably 50-34, so highest ratio is 50/11 = 4.55

11 at rear is smallest you can go IIRC but you can go typical serious rider 53-39 on front as opposed to beginner 50-34, so a 6% increase.

Welcome to the slippery slope of bike modifications!

As MRS says, you should not be spinning put on an 11 50 unless you are doing over 45mph. The ideal cadence for a road bike is 90rpm, pros can go way over that and be smooth at 120rpm still.

It is kinder to your nees to keep you cadence high, but it takes some getting used to, typically most first time road bikers run at 60-70 rpm and think 90 is spinning out.

Up until 10 years ago the highest gear on road bikes was a 52 13 and the pros were happy with that.

Best bet is to work on pedalling at 90rpm rather than search for bigger gears.

Do you guys have cadence sensors on your pedals/shoes (however they work) or just time your strokes over say 10 seconds and multiply by 6?

I see a sensor for my Garmin is £30+.

I have a cadence sensor for my Polar HR Monitor. You place a magnet on the crank arem and the sensor on the down tube or the chainstay.

Yup - cadence sensor. I rarely ride by it now because I know what 90 feels like. I tend to average in the low 80's (83-85) on a ride allowing for freewheeling downhill, up to junctions etc It's good to get used to what 90rpm feels like.

For those bike computers that do cadence, most have separate sensors for wheel speed and cadence, the Velomann unit I have now combines them into a single sensor at the rear wheel (handy if I want to use it as an indoor trainer). But the cadence magnets are tricky to strap onto the crank arm without looking messy or falling off, there are some powerful circular magnets you just attach to the end of the pedal screw thread which look neater, has anyone used these?

How do those work, Dave? Which thread? My pedals always seem to finish flush with the crank arm

Like this http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=97721 quite a few on FleaBay

Ooh - I like that - magnets bought! Thank you

I just glue a magnet on with arldite A lot cheaper than the pedal magnets.

One word of warning, make sure the cadence magnet is on the non drive side. Otherwise it can get attracted to the chain and then skip onto the chain and jam the rear mech, make an awful mess too!

Sounds like you speak from experience? But supposing you want to remove the pedals? You've now covered up the allen key slot!?

I don't glue the magnet to the pedal spindle but to the crank arm just below.

A friend who had a small cube shaped magnet that was purloined from an office magnet board, this fitted neatly in the pedal spindle and was very strong.

I was behind him when jumped onto the chain as we were going full tilt it got caught and wrecked a very expensive Campagnolo Record rear mech.