Really looking at giving this a whirl,just for when the trails are a clag fest. Not got a massive budget,maybe £400 max. And i know it sounds pathetic but do you have to shave your legs or can i just wear my pants and top i use on the mountain bike?

Second hand will be your best bet for that much. Wear whatever you like, and no you don’t have to shave your legs.

Secondhand, not ebay though as it’s overpriced. Try Bikeradar.

How tall are you
Inside leg
Normal proportions
And I’ll tell where to start.
Start off in what you have, you’ll probably want to get some specific kit without any prompting from here.

My road bike cost about that, new: Decathlon Sport 2 (think it’s changed its name since then…) Works fine, nice bike, but (obviously) would trade up in a shot if I had the money 🙂

Leg shaving is optional, as is lycra – although the latter is more sensible than the alternatives.

i’ve got a specialized allez for sale…

58cm frame. (suit someone around 6footish)

shimano tiagra bits and bobs.

good condition.

£300.

sheffield.

?

…i know it sounds pathetic but do you have to shave your legs or can i just wear my pants and top i use on the mountain bike?…

most people don’t do the leg shaving thing.

you can wear what you want, but you’ll soon realise how much energy you use just pushing flappy clothes through the air.

second hand at that price IMHO – you may not like it

Baggies are rubbish on a road bike IMHO [too flappy which is annoying] and lycra can be bought cheap

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/tra5-mens-cycling-shorts-p99178
never tried thee but I just use Aldi ones tbh
Tops anything tight will do

no need to shave legs
A camelbak is overkill as well but it wont really matter if you use one

5ft 11
Slim build (11 stone)
Inside leg is 82 cm i think!
I dont mind wearing tight tops and something covering all my legs like tights and maybe some padded shorts over the. top.

I darent shave my legs as its like Gisburn forest all over!

Saw a ok looking bike in Decathlon for £300 triban i think.

padded shorts under the tights…unless they are a different colour from your tights and you are in fact a super hero 😉

Ah probably sitting inbetween a 56 and 58. The TT is very important, but most bikes are sized by seat tube.

Second hand or look out for cycle shops selling last years or even the year before model heavily discounted.

Any specific models i should be looking for. Can you upgrade stuff like on a mountain bike? Like i bought a Carrera Vulcan V spec and changed the wheels,put discs on, better forks and full SLX groupset and its brill now.
I’d like a Road bike mainly for stamina building really.

Yeah you can, but it gets expensive.

Can you upgrade stuff like on a mountain bike?

Yes, though you are better off upgrading your body first.

5ft 11
Slim build (11 stone)
Inside leg is 82 cm i think!
I dont mind wearing tight tops and something covering all my legs like tights and maybe some padded shorts over the. top.

Sizing is exceptionally important. But just because someone on the Internet tells you something “should” fit doesn’t necessarily mean it will. I’m the same size as you, maybe a stone heavier, but same height and leg measurement. I can’t ride a 56cm bike even as it feels way Oooops big, so I ride a 54, which feels much more natural to me.

Here’s one with decent entry level parts: http://www.rutlandcycling.com/34631/Halcyon-Chimaera—Road-Bike.html

For the same price a Specialized Allez only gets you a 2300 groupset.

Well this is the problem. 54 might be good for your leg size, but that 5’11” body has to go somewhere. My race bikes are 54 and 55 top tubes with a 120mm stem on the 54cm road bike and a 110mm stem on the 55cm TT crosser and I’m 3″ shorter than you.

mboy where did you’re 56cm frame feel too big?

I can’t ride a 56cm bike even as it feels way Oooops big, so I ride a 54, which feels much more natural to me.

I am 5 ft 9 and ride a 56 so I think you amy be “wrong” re guidelines but it does show personal choice matters

Much harder for you to tell what you prefer if you have not ridden a road bike as they all feel bigger and more stretched – you dont need to be able to chuck it about under you like with a MTB. All other things being equal [ no offence your lack of knowledge]so i would go with the size /height guidelines form the manufacturer

Like with a MTB you can adjust some stuff so I have a 56 frame but my stem is 30 mm shorter than standard [90 v 120].

Going road riding, you will need to buy new underpants because your thighs will become all muscly.

Suppose id have to go try them out for size. Would rather have one from a shop. Do Halfords do any decent ones?

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-trek-15-roadbike

mboy where did you’re 56cm frame feel too big?

Felt HUGE in the top tube. 56cm frame I tried out had a 56cm TT length and a 100mm stem. The 54cm frame I ended up getting has a 54.5cm TT length and a 100mm stem and fits me sooooooo much better.

I tried out a number of bikes in a number of shops, and in each case before I sat on one, at my height (5ft 10 3/4 actually, but who’s counting 1/4 of an inch!) they all said I’d want a 56cm frame. And after I’d tried a 56, then sat on a 54, each time the shop assistants confirmed that actually the 54 definitely did fit me better. Besides, I wasn’t out for a stretched out race position anyway, more a comfy position to get some road miles in as and when I’m not out on the MTB.

Though edging on the smaller side with that fit.

54cm square is ‘roughly’ a good fit for a bloke my size i.e 5’8″
But it goes to show how different we are or how different we like our set ups.
My crosser for example is 52cm seat tube and 55cm top tube with a 110 stem.

Remember a 54cm sloping top tube compact frame has roughly the same top tube length as a 58cm traditional frame. I’m 6’1″ and ride a 58cm traditional and my second road bike is a 54cm sloping. Both fit me perfectly. Ensure you know what type of frame it is before you get too hung up on cm size. I’d always rather have a frame that was slightly too small that slightly too big, you can always buy longer stems and seat posts.

Sizing rules are guidelines at best, I’ve happily ridden bikes from 56 – 60.

Try edin bike coop

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/revolution-continental-sport-11?bct=categories%2fbicycles%2froad-bikes

I found it difficult to get feel for the size of a road bike, having never ridden on drops before.

I preferred smaller bikes “in the car park” due to them being shorter.

In the end I took the advice of people who ride them all the time and specced a larger frame with an inline post, thinking I could always swap the post or stem.

Getting used to the position now and and its gelling better. Still ride on the tops a lot though.