Viewing 17 posts - 1 through 17 (of 17 total)
  • Road bike advice….
  • ste1284
    Free Member

    Hi all.

    I’m looking into getting myself a road bike to get to and from work (about 11 miles each way)

    Looking at trying to pick up a decent second hand bike for about £500-£600. I reckon that way I may be able to get a lot more bike for the money rather than buying brand new.

    As for size wise, I’m 5ft 11″ with a 32″ inside leg… Any ideas???

    Anybody have any recommendations / advice??

    Also what would be a good set of SPD shoes and pedals?

    Sorry for the dumbness of the questions, I’ve always had MTB’s until now

    Thanks in advance

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    56/58

    Mudguards are good and not all frames take them. £500 can get you a good bike, as long as it’s not worn out.

    michaelmcc
    Free Member

    For pedals I’d recommend Speedplay or Time, the right shoes are what ever ones fit well and are comfortable!!

    ste1284
    Free Member

    I’m guessing any shoes will be compatible with any pedals?

    qu1nt
    Free Member

    You could do far worse than one of these these, I use one to commute & it takes full size mudguards too !

    trailofdestruction
    Free Member

    http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-cannondale-caad-10-road-bike-56cm-3

    Any good to you ? Got loads of other roadie stuff for sale as well if you’re interested.

    Always welcome to give me an email for a chat or advice if you’d like.

    taxi25
    Free Member

    If its only going to be the 11 mile commute I’d probably buy something new and deff get mudguards. The better £500/600 second hand bike would come into its own, if you caught the roadi bug and rode it more than just the commute.

    ste1284
    Free Member

    You could do far worse than one of these these, I use one to commute & it takes full size mudguards too !

    I like the look of this 🙂

    montylikesbeer
    Full Member

    Decathlon Triban 3

    Stunning value for money, my mate has one and it rides amazingly well, it also has some cracking reviews.

    With change from your budget you could buy some of these

    Shoes

    Pedals

    ste1284
    Free Member

    I’ll have a good read of the reviews and stuff tomorrow.

    Not in to much of a rush as I’m off to Thailand for 2 weeks next Thursday so not looking at buying a bike until I get back.

    michaelmcc
    Free Member

    I’m guessing any shoes will be compatible with any pedals?

    Yes, as far as I’m aware, as long you stick road pedals and road shoes. Some road cleats wont fit on mtb shoes.

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    56cm max but manufacturers like to mess around with sizes – Cube’s 56cm is different from Specialized, Forme etc.

    I would seriously look at Forme Longcliffe 2.0. Should get some deals off us retailers that often see a victory in giving away stuff for no profit and the wheels have cartridge bearings and can take a kicking.

    crashtestmonkey
    Free Member

    Agree 56 max. I’m 5’10 with 32″ inseam. Having borrowed a bike I knew a top tube of 55cm fitted me. My first road bike is/was a 54cm Orbea Aqua 105, which has a 55cm TT. Just bought a medium 52cm Lapierre which also has a 55cm effective TT. I’d barely be able to reach the bars on a 57cm Lapierre…

    Will be advertising the Orbea to make room and funds for the Lap, n+1 all well and good but I need a bigger garage!

    ste1284
    Free Member

    Would you say I would be more suited to a 54 rather that a 56?

    crashtestmonkey
    Free Member

    Depends on what top tube you want, try some for size and check frame geometry charts, I did loads of checking and measuring before spending a fortune in the CRC private sale on the Lapierre. The bike I borrowed was a bianchi which was a different size again (but with 55cm TT).

    FuzzyWuzzy
    Full Member

    Yeah as has been said above take any model sizes with a pinch of salt, manufacturers base it on different things (some the seat tube, some the effective top tube, some the actual top tube and some seem to pull the number out of their asses). You’re the same height/inseam as me and I ride one bike with a 55cm TT and the other with a 56cm, I think I’d be fine on 54cm as well though. The 56cm with a 110mm stem is about as far as I’d want to reach when on the hoods.

    crashtestmonkey
    Free Member

    also, a smaller frame will end up being longer than a larger frame with the same quoted effective top tube. By the time youv’e set your saddle at right height it will have gone backwards as well as upwards due to seat tube angle.

    Some of my measurements (both bikes have 90mm stems):

    Orbea 54cm ST, 55cm effective top tube: cockpit length measured horizontally from centre of saddle (measured over centre of seat post) to centre of handlebar with saddle height set for me = 660mm.

    lapierre 52cm ST, 55cm effective top tube: cockpit length as above = 670mm.

    My Orbea came with a 100mm stem (as recommended by LBS guy) which I swapped pretty much straight away with a 90mm, and which felt perfect (my first road bike in 20 years). Having ridden it a year and adapted to the road bike position, I had considered putting the original stem (or a nicer one of the same length 🙂 ) back on it. The new Lapierre with a 90mm stem is the same length as the Orbea with a 100mm.

    Hope this makes sense, rather than adds to confusion. I was surprised at Cynic-Als 56/58 suggestion, happy to admit I am a relative roadie newbie so I’ve tried to explain my experiences and thought processes. As the Lap was an internet purchase and the most expensive single bike Ive bought (my full susser was built over time from frame up) I did a hell of a lot of measuring and pontificating!

    The 56cm with a 110mm stem is about as far as I’d want to reach when on the hoods.

    In another year I might be flexible enough for this!

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