1st time road bike

[Andy W]

Hi

I'm looking to spend as little as possible on a road bike for steady away mileage. It's quite hilly
where I live so I'd like to get 3 rings up front. I've seen a Scott AFD Expert at £429 and the Giant
OCR4T at £399 - but LBS bloke has a couple of frames he says he could make up to my spec for around
£300 - so the question is - do i save a few quid (and presumably get worse components) or do I go
for a ready made jobby - and if so, which of those 2 (or any others - Trek 1000 - but really £450 is
my absolute limit - I was hoping for nearer £300). I've looked at flat bar bikes, but I quite fancy
having a bash at a triathlon once I get a bit fitter, so a 'racer' is what I'm after.

Finally - when do people start flogging off 2003 models cheaper - the Scott's the only one I've seen
with much discount so far.

Thanks

 

[Kev Quinn @ Blu]

I got my road bike from Allen cycles who do a mail order service, they have got a full page advert
in this months Cycling plus with some nice looking bikes at around the £400 mark, I'm tempted by the
"Raleigh R300 Alu" (tiagra group set) but I'm not ready to get a new one this year.

 

[Mseries]

If this your first 'serious' road bike you may decide after a while that you don't like it or road
riding so you are understandably cautious about spending a great deal. Your LBS should be able to
give you a price for completing a bike to your specification so if you particularly want say Sora
group set instead of Tiagra then they should price it for you. Take a look at Cycling Weekly at
places like Deeside Cycles and Ribble Cycles they have a menu system where you choose a frame and a
groupset then add a finishing kit to get the final price. Of course some visits to shops for test
rides will be necessary to get the correct size of frame and stem etc. All shops should give you a
test ride, you do not have to buy the bike from them.

"andy w" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Hi
>
> I'm looking to spend as little as possible on a road bike for steady away mileage. It's quite
> hilly where I live so I'd like to get 3 rings up front. I've seen a Scott AFD Expert at £429 and
> the Giant OCR4T at £399 - but LBS bloke has a couple of frames he says he could make up to my
> spec for around £300 - so the question is - do i save a few quid (and presumably get worse
> components) or do I go for a ready made jobby - and if so, which of those 2 (or any others - Trek
> 1000 - but really £450 is my absolute limit - I was hoping for nearer £300). I've looked at flat
> bar bikes, but I quite fancy having a bash at a triathlon once I get a bit fitter, so a 'racer'
> is what I'm after.
>
> Finally - when do people start flogging off 2003 models cheaper - the Scott's the only one I've
> seen with much discount so far.
>
> Thanks

 

[zebra]

SJS do a road bike at £300 with triple ring and Sora shifters. Similar to Dawes Giro 300 which now
has double ring, but you may be able to find older model which had triple. In fact this combo is
available from quite a few people at around £300. From memory it may just take mudguards.

 

[andywgg]

Cheers - I've now found a Dawes Giro 300 from 2002 (triple ring) for £299 - so it now looks like this, a scott AFD expert at £429 or the Giant OCR 4T at £399.

The Dawes loks good value to me - bit I wondered whether the Scott would be worth the extra £130?

 

[Cupra]

"andy w" <[email protected]> wrote in message =
news:[email protected]...
| Hi
|=20
| I'm looking to spend as little as possible on a road bike for steady =
away
| mileage. It's quite hilly where I live so I'd like to get 3 rings up =
front.
| I've seen a Scott AFD Expert at =A3429 and the Giant OCR4T at =A3399 - =
but LBS
| bloke has a couple of frames he says he could make up to my spec for =
around
| =A3300 - so the question is - do i save a few quid (and presumably get =
worse
| components) or do I go for a ready made jobby - and if so, which of =
those 2
| (or any others - Trek 1000 - but really =A3450 is my absolute limit - =
I was
| hoping for nearer =A3300). I've looked at flat bar bikes, but I quite =
fancy
| having a bash at a triathlon once I get a bit fitter, so a 'racer' is =
what
| I'm after.
|=20
| Finally - when do people start flogging off 2003 models cheaper - the Scott's the only one I've
| seen with much discount so far.
|=20
| Thanks
|=20 20

I've just got a cheap =A3249 Apollo from Halfords (TdF special offer) to = augment my MTB (I'm
carless at the mo and Full Sus is a bit heavy for = the road!) - only 2 ring though, but it does
have Sora shifters which is = not bad for the price....

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[zebra]

Unless I lived on the flat or was very strong, I think I'd want a triple.

 

[Michael Kent]

Cupra wrote:
> "andy w" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Hi
>>
>> I'm looking to spend as little as possible on a road bike for steady away mileage. It's quite
>> hilly where I live so I'd like to get 3 rings up front. I've seen a Scott AFD Expert at £429 and
>> the Giant OCR4T at £399 - but LBS bloke has a couple of frames he says he could make up to my
>> spec for around £300 - so the question is - do i save a few quid (and presumably get worse
>> components) or do I go for a ready made jobby - and if so, which of those 2 (or any others - Trek
>> 1000 - but really £450 is my absolute limit - I was hoping for nearer £300). I've looked at flat
>> bar bikes, but I quite fancy having a bash at a triathlon once I get a bit fitter, so a 'racer'
>> is what I'm after.
>>
>> Finally - when do people start flogging off 2003 models cheaper - the Scott's the only one I've
>> seen with much discount so far.
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>>
>
> I've just got a cheap £249 Apollo from Halfords (TdF special offer) to augment my MTB (I'm carless
> at the mo and Full Sus is a bit heavy for the road!) - only 2 ring though, but it does have Sora
> shifters which is not bad for the price....
>
>

The bike is equiped well for the price Alu frame, Shining wheels Sora Shifters, Tiagra rear mech,
i've not seen anything to rival it yet

Cheers Michael

 

[Cupra]

Michael Kent wrote:
>> Cupra wrote:
>>> "andy w" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>> news:[email protected]...
>>>> Hi
>>>>=20
>>>> I'm looking to spend as little as possible on a road bike for steady away mileage. It's quite
>>>> hilly where I live so I'd like to get 3 rings up front. I've seen a Scott AFD Expert at =A3429
>>>> and the Giant OCR4T at =
=A3399 -
>>>> but LBS bloke has a couple of frames he says he could make up to my spec for around =A3300 - so
>>>> the question is - do i save a few quid (and presumably get worse components) or do I go for a
>>>> ready made jobby - and if so, which of those 2 (or any others - Trek 1000 - but really =A3450
>>>> is my =
absolute
>>>> limit - I was hoping for nearer =A3300). I've looked at flat bar bikes, but I quite fancy
>>>> having a bash at a triathlon once I get a bit fitter, so a 'racer' is what I'm after.
>>>>=20
>>>> Finally - when do people start flogging off 2003 models cheaper - the Scott's the only one I've
>>>> seen with much discount so far.
>>>>=20
>>>> Thanks
>>>>=20 20
>>>=20
>>> I've just got a cheap =A3249 Apollo from Halfords (TdF special =
offer)
>>> to augment my MTB (I'm carless at the mo and Full Sus is a bit heavy for the road!) - only 2
>>> ring though, but it does have Sora shifters which is not bad for the price....
>>>=20 20
>>=20
>> The bike is equiped well for the price Alu frame, Shining wheels Sora Shifters, Tiagra rear mech,
>> i've not seen anything to rival it yet
>>=20
>> Cheers Michael

After my first ride, I'm dead impressed..... so that's a recommendation = from me! (but be fast if
you want one - limted stocks!)

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[Andy W]

Yes - I saw that one at the weekend - looked a great deal for the price - it's just that it's a
bit...well..."yellow", isn't it! And to be honest, being weedy and living in the Yorkshire Dales I
reckon 3 rings up front is pretty crucial for me. Thanks for the tip, though!

">>> I've just got a cheap £249 Apollo from Halfords (TdF special offer)
>>> to augment my MTB (I'm carless at the mo and Full Sus is a bit heavy for the road!) - only 2
>>> ring though, but it does have Sora shifters which is not bad for the price....

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[Arthur Clune]

andy w <[email protected]> wrote:
: Yes - I saw that one at the weekend - looked a great deal for the price - it's just that it's a
: bit...well..."yellow", isn't it! And to be honest, being weedy and living in the Yorkshire Dales I
: reckon 3 rings up front is pretty crucial for me. Thanks for the tip, though!

If you live in the Dales, then a triple is a really good idea. I think I'd have one if I
lived there.

I've done a 200k hilly audax (the Dales Grimpeur for those that know) round there on 39x26 and my
legs hurt

Riding up Fleet Moss from Hawes with a saddlebag full of stuff for a weekend away on 39x26 was no
fun either.

Arthur

 

[John Hearns]

On Wed, 23 Jul 2003 13:03:45 +0100, Cupra wrote:

> |
>
> I've just got a cheap £249 Apollo from Halfords (TdF special offer) to augment my MTB (I'm carless
> at the mo and Full Sus is a bit heavy for the road!) - only 2 ring though, but it does have Sora
> shifters which is not bad for the price....
>
I looked it two branches of Halford this evening (both Bike Huts) and saw no glaring yellow bikes
for 250 quid

Can anyone give some more details about the bike - which model is it based on?

 

[zebra]

Also on sale ... http://www.edinburgh-bicycle.co.uk/catalogue/detail.cfm?ID=12255

 

[Cupra]

John Hearns wrote:
>> On Wed, 23 Jul 2003 13:03:45 +0100, Cupra wrote:
>>=20
>>>>=20
>>>=20
>>> I've just got a cheap =A3249 Apollo from Halfords (TdF special =
offer)
>>> to augment my MTB (I'm carless at the mo and Full Sus is a bit heavy for the road!) - only 2
>>> ring though, but it does have Sora shifters which is not bad for the price.... =20
>>>=20
>> I looked it two branches of Halford this evening (both Bike Huts) and saw no glaring yellow bikes
>> for 250 quid
>>=20
>> Can anyone give some more details about the bike - which model is it based=20 on?

The actual model name is the tdf-100. I've had a look at the Apollo = website and it doesn't
appear there so I can only assume it is a = 'special' for Halfords (nothing of a similar spec on
website either).

I don't know where you are, but they had some left in Milton Keynes and = Northampton earlier
this week!

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[teddy]

Originally posted by Cupra
John Hearns wrote:
>> On Wed, 23 Jul 2003 13:03:45 +0100, Cupra wrote:
>>=20
>>>>=20
>>>=20
>>> I've just got a cheap =A3249 Apollo from Halfords (TdF special =
offer)
>>> to augment my MTB (I'm carless at the mo and Full Sus is a bit heavy for the road!) - only 2
>>> ring though, but it does have Sora shifters which is not bad for the price.... =20
>>>=20
>> I looked it two branches of Halford this evening (both Bike Huts) and saw no glaring yellow bikes
>> for 250 quid
>>=20
>> Can anyone give some more details about the bike - which model is it based=20 on?

The actual model name is the tdf-100. I've had a look at the Apollo = website and it doesn't
appear there so I can only assume it is a = 'special' for Halfords (nothing of a similar spec on
website either).

I don't know where you are, but they had some left in Milton Keynes and = Northampton earlier
this week!

---
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Just about to buy one of these in Cambridge. Looks like a lot of bike for the bucks. Also, Halfords are giving away £50 worth of free extras until August 19th, think I'll just have it all in innner tubes.
Why not use the free £50 to get some of the way to a 3 ring chainset?

TEd

 

[Superdave]

Hi, just bought one of these at Halfords and for my first bike its a pretty impressive piece of kit. Certainly runs well and the £50 of extras makes it well worth the dough.

 

[adencool]

just got one in the sale for £149.99 (end of line)

v.good for the price

 

[John Hearns]

On Wed, 23 Jul 2003 13:03:45 +0100, Cupra wrote:

> |
>
> I've just got a cheap £249 Apollo from Halfords (TdF special offer) to augment my MTB (I'm carless
> at the mo and Full Sus is a bit heavy for the road!) - only 2 ring though, but it does have Sora
> shifters which is not bad for the price....
>
I looked it two branches of Halford this evening (both Bike Huts) and saw no glaring yellow bikes
for 250 quid

Can anyone give some more details about the bike - which model is it based on?

 

[Tim Downie]

"John Hearns" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...

> I looked it two branches of Halford this evening (both Bike Huts) and saw no glaring yellow bikes
> for 250 quid

Come to Ayr. They've got one left. They're £199 now (although don't expect any freebies at
that price)

Tim

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[daxyboy]

I've got a peugeot competition 7000 with campag veloce going for £380 if you're interested...

56cm, excellent condition.

cheers