Hi,
I'm buying a new road bike but know pretty much nothing about them. There's a good, specialist bike shop near where I live and they seem to have very good value.
Basically, it boils down to a choice between two bikes.
One is a steel-framed Olmo, with Shimano 600 brakes and a Sora groupset. It costs €440 (reduced from €700), which seems like great value.
The other is an aluminium Dawes with only the basic Shimano groupset and brakes. This costs €460.
I think the guy in the shop wasn't too keen on selling the me the Olmo because it would mean transferring all the gear to a smaller frame, whereas the Dawes is ready to go. He told me that I didn't really want a steel frame because no one uses them anymore.
There were also some Giant bikes, with aluminium frames and good quality brakes and groupsets. These cost about €600. Is it worth it to pay the extra bit to get the best of worlds?
I've read the sticky thread on advice on buying a new bike for beginners, but was hoping someone could give me some advice on this particular choice that I have.
Also, how do I measure myself for frame size, the guy in the shop was a little vague about it all. Also, sorry if some of my terminology is a bit flakey!
Thanks!
Niall.
I'm buying a new road bike but know pretty much nothing about them. There's a good, specialist bike shop near where I live and they seem to have very good value.
Basically, it boils down to a choice between two bikes.
One is a steel-framed Olmo, with Shimano 600 brakes and a Sora groupset. It costs €440 (reduced from €700), which seems like great value.
The other is an aluminium Dawes with only the basic Shimano groupset and brakes. This costs €460.
I think the guy in the shop wasn't too keen on selling the me the Olmo because it would mean transferring all the gear to a smaller frame, whereas the Dawes is ready to go. He told me that I didn't really want a steel frame because no one uses them anymore.
There were also some Giant bikes, with aluminium frames and good quality brakes and groupsets. These cost about €600. Is it worth it to pay the extra bit to get the best of worlds?
I've read the sticky thread on advice on buying a new bike for beginners, but was hoping someone could give me some advice on this particular choice that I have.
Also, how do I measure myself for frame size, the guy in the shop was a little vague about it all. Also, sorry if some of my terminology is a bit flakey!
Thanks!
Niall.