Help, recommendations and suggestions on road bike to purchase



Brian Chant

New Member
Aug 12, 2018
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Hi,

Can anyone help, recommend or suggest the best road bike for me.

I am an average cyclist and getting old (59), so want a road bike that I can do 30-50 mile rides comfortably. I will not ever race but may well do the odd event, like London to Paris (next year).

My maximum budget is £3k, but equally I don't want to pay that amount if its not worth the extra and a £1k or £2k bike is adequate.

Please suggest the best brand and model, and please also add if you would make any changes to the standard bike (for example, like changing the wheels to a different type/brand).

Thanks
 
It would be irresponsible to suggest a specific bike, your best bet is to go to your local bike shop and try out a few bikes. What works for me, may not necessarily work for you. In saying that, i'd test bikes in the endurance category based on what parameters you've given. These bikes can still go plenty fast and are a little more relaxed and comfortable than most other road bikes. Just about every major brand makes bikes in this category. 3k or over 3400 us dollars is more than enough for entry into riding.

http://www.cyclist.co.uk/buying-guides/1574/cyclist-guide-to-the-best-endurance-road-bikes

Articles such as this are a good starting place when gauging pricing, but are no substitute for going to a bike shop. I'd suggest getting an older years model to save some money, changes are very minimal from year to year. One of my bikes was 35% off due to a new release of it coming out. It turns out the new one had the same exact specs, but was all red instead of black with a red stripe.... Thats 700 U.S. dollars for a color change...No thanks

I'd say, look to spend no more than £1.5k and use the rest of the money for:
helmet, gloves, shorts, jerseys, saddle bag, lights, multi tool, spare inner tubes, tyre lever, sunglasses, etc.... IN terms of upgrades, I wouldn't send too much on that until you get more use to riding. If something is very uncomfortable like the saddle, that would be a thing to change. Make sure to get a good bike fit as well. good luck.
 
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My suggestion is the same as what @Uawadall said. Go to a bike store and try one that catches your fancy. It doesn't have to be a specific brand. As long as the bike fits your size and you are comfortable with the pedal and with the ride then test it for a longer ride of 100 meters or longer. My main concern in getting a bike is the comfort and convenience that it can give me. There are good and expensive bikes that I couldn't control the handle bar. On the contrary, a cheap bike that is nice to ride is what I would prefer.
 
Being that you are an older person I would assume you would want a bike that is more on the comfort side rather than a racing bike? if I'm not correct please let us know.

So as Uawadall I think an endurance bike would be more suitable as well, question is which one? there a lots to choose from so I will mention only a few that I think offer the best bang for the buck, though they're may others I don't know about that could be better deals.

So one of the best deals is the Pinnacle (known for their excellent aluminum frames that tested better than other AL brands in fatigue testing) Dolomite 3 Endurance bike that cost around 1,200 and comes with the very reliable workhorse of the Shimano groups the 105, I've seen Tiagra equipped models go for 1,900 so this Pinnacle is a very good deal.

Another one, which is good one for gravel, is the Orro Terra C 5488, it's a carbon frame with 105 components as well. That one runs at about 2,100.

If by chance you want a bike that will last a lifetime without ever the slightest worry about rust or corrosion and don't mind spending a bit more money to get those things then consider the Reilly Gradient (adventure bike for comfort) TITANIUM bike with 105! Yes it's titanium, lightweight, very comfortable as TI is known for, durable as heck, get a scratch just rub it out with a dark green 3m pad, no paint to touch up. How much you scream? starting at just 2,800 depending on options. It has clearances for up to 44mm tires or optional 50mm; comes with carrier mounts in case you decide you want to touring on it; and it comes with mudguard fixings in case you like that brown streak up your back or a dirty bike after a ride in less than ideal conditions; plus because it is intended for long trips it comes with 3 sets of water bosses instead of just two others have.

So there are my 3 choices, personally if you want a frame to last a lifetime without worrying about weather making the bike look horrible after a few years, a frame that can take a pounding without blinking an eye, a frame that doesn't fatigue, a frame that will last you the rest of your life as well as the life of whoever you will it to! LOL!!! I would get the Reilly. If you want to spend as little as you can and frame longevity is not an issue for you I would look at the Pinnacle. the Orro CF bike...well I'm not impressed with CF bikes durability, of course some will argue against that and that's fine, but a friend of mine who is a bike mechanic at a large bike shop has seen way too many CF frames come in damaged vs any other material, it's so bad he told me he would never buy a CF bike using his discount.

I have a Lynskey TI bike, and after riding on steel, aluminum, scandium, and carbon fiber I will never go back to either of those! While steel does give TI a good run for its money in the comfort department steel loses out in frame maintenance, you have to make sure you use waterproof grease so water doesn't get into the tubes, you have to keep it waxed, you have to touch up scratches as soon as they appear, etc, in other words you have to baby steel, not so with TI. All I do to keep my TI shiny is to wash it then spray some car spray wax on it and and polish, most people don't bother waxing TI but it will get a blotchy look to it if you don't, some like that appearance I don't, but thats me. TI also holds its value far better than other materials.

https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-dolomite-3-2018-road-bike-EV306253

https://www.orrobikes.com/bikes/road/terra-c-adventure

https://www.reillycycleworks.com/co...roducts/gradient-complete?variant=49516925383