Completely new, I know NOTHING. Can you spec me a ballpark bike?

[Logic Zero]

Hi guys. I'm completely new to road cycling, I am very fluent on mountain bikes and ride every day but have not taken an interest in road riding till now. Anyways I am 6'2", fairly lean (63kg) and (more importantly I guess) I have £500/~$900 to spend. I would like something that is not too beginner and not too hardcore. Basically I need something that will last even when I get much more serious.

If a small list of bikes that are recommended is compiled I would be MOST grateful.

I already have drinks bottles + helmet etc

 

[alfeng]

Hi guys. I'm completely new to road cycling, I am very fluent on mountain bikes and ride every day but have not taken an interest in road riding till now. Anyways I am 6'2", fairly lean (63kg) and (more importantly I guess) I have £500/~$900 to spend. I would like something that is not too beginner and not too hardcore. Basically I need something that will last even when I get much more serious.

If a small list of bikes that are recommended is compiled I would be MOST grateful.

I already have drinks bottles + helmet etc

Perhaps, not the best frame color (I think that I actually like the bike's proletarian color), but here's bike you can live with for years/decades -- an in-stock, 2007 model should cost about 20-to-25% less (perhaps, about £450 before taxes), and a 2006 model would be about 40% less than retail -- why settle for less than Campagnolo shifters?:

http://bianchiusa.com/07_eros.html

Style = 30spd Road
Sizes = 49, 51, 53, 55, 57, 59, 61, 63cm
Colors = Gang Green
Frames = Reynolds 631, sloping top tube, rack mounts
Fork = Bianchi carbon, alloy steerer

Retail Price = $1299.99

Headset = VP AheadSet, 1-1/8" threadless
Handlebar = Deda Elementi Piega
Stem = Bianchi Componenti
Brakes/Levers = Campagnolo Mirage brakes / Mirage ErgoPower levers
Crankset = Sugino RD 5000T, 30/39/52T
Bottom Bracket = Cartridge
Chain = KMC
Cassette = Campagnolo, 13/26T 10spd
Pedals = Wellgo clipless, 2-sided
Wheels = Mavic Aksium wheelset
Tires = Vittoria Zaffiro, 700x23C
Derailleurs, r/f = Campagnolo Race 10spd / Race 28.6mm
Shifters = Campagnolo Mirage ErgoPower
Saddle = Bianchi Velo
Seatpost = Bianchi Componenti, 27.2mm

Size, cm == 61

Seat Tube, mm == 580

Top Tube-actual, mm == 574

Top Tube-virtual, mm == 586


Click here to view frame geometry graphic.

http://www.bianchiusa.com/?1830&bikepath=fileadmin/bianchi/07_bikes/images_zoom/07_eros

 

[KellyT]

Perhaps, not the best frame color (I think that I actually like the bike's proletarian color), but here's bike you can live with for years/decades -- an in-stock, 2007 model should cost about 20-to-25% less (perhaps, about £450 before taxes), and a 2006 model would be about 40% less than retail -- why settle for less than Campagnolo shifters?:

http://bianchiusa.com/07_eros.html

Very nice, bike. Would last a long, long time, and Campy. But, if the OP is a brit, I haven't personally seen that model here, or I would have bought one myself!

 

[Logic Zero]

Thanks for your responses. Wow, very nice bike indeed! But like KellyT above stated, I cannot seem to find it here in the UK at all!

Any other UK suggestions? Thanks in advance guys!

 

[threaded]

Loads of places do Bianchi in the UK. Have you tried Evans?

 

[janiejones]

Hi guys. I'm completely new to road cycling, I am very fluent on mountain bikes and ride every day but have not taken an interest in road riding till now. Anyways I am 6'2", fairly lean (63kg) and (more importantly I guess) I have £500/~$900 to spend. I would like something that is not too beginner and not too hardcore. Basically I need something that will last even when I get much more serious.

If a small list of bikes that are recommended is compiled I would be MOST grateful.

I already have drinks bottles + helmet etc

Giant OCR are nice, as already said Bianchi make some excellent bikes in that price range, Orbea - nice frames. I think you would be able to get Campagnolo Mirage/Xenon equipped Bianchi for that price - that would make an excellent bike to start on.

Are you in the UK, the magazine Cycling Weekly is often full of good deals/sales from shops.

Ribble Cycles in the UK, have some good quality built bikes - have a look at their site..

 

[Logic Zero]

Hi guys, thanks for your advice! I have narrowed down my choices to the following two bikes:

http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=87036

OR

http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=86026

I have heard mixed things about the bianchi's campagnolo shifters, apparently parts are kind of difficult to get hold of. I really like the style and flair of the bianchi, but the specialized seems very well equiped too. Is it worth the money over the bianchi? Thanks in advance!

 

[alfeng]

I have heard mixed things about the bianchi's campagnolo shifters, apparently parts are kind of difficult to get hold of. I really like the style and flair of the bianchi, but the specialized seems very well equiped too. Is it worth the money over the bianchi?

Shimano components ARE many times more numerous than Campagnolo components, but that really shouldn't be an issue AT ANY TIME in the near-or-distant future ...

My initial analysis is that that you can substitute ANY Shimano 10-speed ROAD rear derailleur for a current Campagnolo rear derailleur!

And, Shimano front derailleurs can be used with Campagnolo shifters, too.

Campagnolo cassettes cost more, but the cogs on Campagnolo cassettes are slightly thicker than the cogs on Shimano cassettes, so they should actually last a bit longer. MICHE & IRD make Campagnolo compatible cassettes -- the former are slightly less expensive & the latter are available with a different range.

Campagnolo shifters were-and-remain, IMO, superior to all others. While the 2007-and-subsequent shifters are essentially the Campagnolo Xenon shifters with different levers, based on my "bench test" (vs. on the road) of a pair of 2007 Veloce shifters, there is nothing wrong with the "Xenon" mechanism. That is, all of the pre-2007 Campagnolo shifters other than the Xenon shifters were functionally equivalent to the Campagnolo Record shifters; and now, only the Chorus is functionally equivalent to the Record shifters, and all others are equivalent to the pre-2007 Xenon!

Campagnolo shifters can be rebuilt, in theory -- I have found that it is less expensive to cannibalize the parts from another shifter rather than to buy the parts, separately ... most recently, I swapped the guts from a NOS 8-speed left hand shifter that I picked up for about $20US/(£10) for the worn innards of a current-style (1998 Chorus) left hand shifter.

The ONLY (?) obvious drawback is that some people feel a need to maintain all their components be from the same manufacturer (I am not one of those people) ...

ALL of my bikes currently have Campagnolo shifters + Shimano derailleurs & cassettes (on Shimano/-compatible hubbed wheels) and my Campagnolo derailleurs & wheels are currently gathering dust (i.e., "in-storage").

Unless you absolutely hate the Bianchi GREEN color (some do hate it, but I think any variation of it is great on a bike -- particularly, if it is a vintage STEEL Bianchi), I would definitely go for the Bianchi because not only does the Specialized cost £100, more, the particular Specialized bike has inferior shifters from within the Shimano line of components & I think many would not consider anything less than Shimano's 105 shifters to be equivalent (and, no offense to my-friends-in-Osaka, I don't think ANY Shimano shifter is equivalent to a Campagnolo shifter).

 

[Logic Zero]

Wow thanks alfeng for such a great reply. Cheers for your time! Looks like I am swaying towards the Bianchi then! (I actually love the green colour!)

 

[coneofsilence]

Celeste!!

 

[TheBoyBilly]

I like both your choices (I like Bianchi's minty green and have always liked Specialized kit...I have a Langster) but before you go and spend your hard-earned have you thought of the Specialized Tricross? Not specifically a road bike but it would give you the option of going over rougher terrain should you wish. And it would be a great bike to customise/personalise too.

 

[Logic Zero]

Thank you for your compliments, I was rather hoping I was not the only one who likes the rather strange shade of Bianchi green! Unfortunately I think I am looking at specifically a road bike so the tricross is probably outside of what I had in mind. Sorry to be a pain up the butt. As I said before I think I am swaying towards the Bianchi, hopefully I will get my grubby hands on one soon. Thanks to all for your inputs!

 

[DirtTurtle]

Another newish bloke getting in2 road bikes, good 2 c and good luck , its addictive.

 

[Logic Zero]

Thanks very much indeed! I will be sure to post pictures for all of ya'll

 

[KellyT]

no offense to my-friends-in-Osaka, I don't think ANY Shimano shifter is equivalent to a Campagnolo shifter).

Hmmm, controversial. But +1 from me.

I kick myself (metaphorically) that I bought Shimano equipped bikes before realising the differences. Paeticularly Shimano's stubborn refusal to design sufficient trim into the FD. Now that I do realise the differences, I wouldn't buy Shimano again.

I have a celeste bianchi as well (sadly it's one of my Shimano bikes). It's a good bike, but lets face it more importantly, they're stunning to look at. I also used to have a Specialized which I just hated completely. I could hardly list all of bits that were below par on it. It was ultimately just a **** heap. Hopefully, I just got one that had passed under their QA hurdle, on every component, it'd be hard to believe they are all so **** after all. I'd certainly go for Bianchi over Specialized.