Entry road bike advice

[shereen]

Been thinking of getting a road bike for a while and I'll be honest - I still don't really know what I am looking at.

I have done a fair bit of research and the bike I really like is: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2010-Specialized-Allez-Elite-Alu-Road-Racing-Sportive-Bike-54cm-Carbon-Fork-/231134292101?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item35d0ad6885#viTabs_0

They are still about £400 - £500 on Ebay used which is a little ot of my price range at the moment due to a £4000 tax bill

So I have found this: https://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_888023_langId_-1_categoryId_165710

Reviews look good apart from an issue with the pedals which can be replaced for cheap. The only thing I noticed was the lack of disc brakes. Now as a total novice cycler would I: A. notice the difference in braking and B. notice the weight difference etc compared to more expensive bikes like the specialized one? Also I'm a bit reluctant to buy bikes from Halfords as their reputation is not exactly great, maybe I could buy it and get it set up somewhere else?

I guess what I really want to know is if I should wait till I have some more pennies and get the specialized bike or go for the Carrera? I will only be doing about 100 miles a week to start with.

Or does anyone else have any suggestions?

EDIT: I do have a freshly paid off credit card which I could use to put the Specialized on.... or any other recommended bike....

Thanks,
Shereen
____________________
"The Internet is the first thing that humanity has built that humanity doesn't understand, the largest experiment in anarchy that we have ever had"

[JonB]

This is an absolute bargain at the moment.

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/felt-z95-sora-wiggle-exclusive/

Disc brakes on proper road bikes are not mainstream yet. Shimano have just brought out a groupset with it, but you are looking at bikes £3000+ with disc brakes.

There are bikes that look like road bikes with disc brakes and they are called Cyclocross bikes.

EDIT: That Specialized is a complete rip off by the way.
____________________
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[lihp]

Stiff road bikes, with dropped bars aren't going to be too good for your bad back tbh
____________________
covent.gardens: lihp is my most favourite member ever

[shereen]

[bamt]

Specialized are OK as bikes - the lower end ones can be likened to the Mondeo; do everything you'd expect without any nasty surprises, but can be a bit bland. The one you linked to on ebay seems a bit expensive for a second hand machine, but I'd ride it. The one at McConvey looks good to me as a starter bike.

My best bike is a Specialized, though one of their top end ones (a full custom build up of an S-Works Roubaix). I cover hundreds of miles a day on that bike, it's lovely. I bought it after good experiences with a Specialized Singlecross - which was one of their cheapest road bikes (no gears) and had a similar geometry. When it came to buying my wife a bike, we got her a Specialized Dolce - which is very similar to the Allez but female specific. That's worth looking at if you can find one in your budget.

Which brings us to your question about that. There are several differences between male and female bikes; female ones may be available in smaller sizes, the frames are designed for longer legs and shorter bodies/arms, they may also have smaller/narrower bars on them. Whether any of that matters to you depends upon how man-like your body proportions are, and to a degree much of that can be adjusted by using different length stems etc.

I know several serious female riders who ride "male" frames, but equally several who find "female" frames more comfortable. Best bit is to get on a bike and give it a go.

Mudguards of some type can normally be fitted to any road bike - but the ones for bikes that have little clearance and no fixing eyes can be flimsy, not work as well, and effectively be thought of as disposable.

[shereen]

[G]

What sort of riding are you looking to do with it?
General day to day stuff, competitive stuff, jaunts in to the country, something else?

Ignoring the rest, it will depend on the front sprockets, but a 7 speed rear cassete starting with a 14 tooth would put me off.
My highest gear on my 'compact' setup hybrid is 50-11 - the best you'd get on that is 54-14, which is still a chunk slower.

Disc brakes aren't a massive thing if the wheels are in good nick - you've got pretty skinny tyres anyway, so can have traction issues where there's a 'lack of adhesion'.

If/When I am able to get a proper road bike, ideally I'd get a tri-cross disc, which evolved from a cyclocross bike to be more of a do-it-all road bike - so should handle off-road, on road, touring or sportives. Won't be amazing at any, but then nor would I be regardless of the machine.

[shereen]

[bamt]

I'd go for the one that looks best to you. Personally I'd be biased towards the Specialized because I know that I can make them fit me nicely - but having a bike that fits me is probably not a priority for you!

The Felt has a slightly better groupset (that's the mechanical bits of the drivetrain; gears, shifters etc.), but it's only one step up the range (Sora compared to 2300), and nowadays they are both respectable.

I honestly think that as long as you get the right size bike, you'd have a blast on either of those, they are both good proper entry level bikes for real use (rather than riding once on a summer day and then abandoning in the back of the shed).

[bamt]

[G]

For me, I'd be looking secondhand, but even then the tri-cross disc would be out of budget still I think.

Depending on your commute, you may want to consider something with a little fatter tyres and as above, that has the clearance to take mud guards, as well as panniers maybe.

I use my hybrid (it's pretty much a road bike with flat bars and slightly wider tyres) a fair bit every day with big panniers - in the past have had, say, 4 supermarket carrier bags full in there as well as a 17kg bag of dog food on top and it handled it fine.

Used it for commuting with a laptop in a pannier and dog running beside, then shopping added for the ride back in the evening.

[shereen]

[lihp]

It may be worth actually going and sitting on bikes, standard male geometry may not fit you, and you are likely to need a womans model, they have different geometries in the reach and drop to the bars, and also have different saddles etc.
____________________
covent.gardens: lihp is my most favourite member ever

[TheManWithThe...]

I've just started looking into getting myself a road bike and have read quite a few good things about this https://www.decathlon.co.uk/btwin-triban-300-road-bike-id_8239800.html

Supposedly punches well above its weight for the price, and has led quite a few testers and reviewers to buying one for themselves.
____________________
MBK Nitro 50, Sold. Kawasaki ER-5, Honda ST1100
"Anyone can jump a motorcycle! The trouble begins when you try to land it..."

[Drew]

It's the red Triban that is the good one. The newer white one loses the carbon forks.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-3-red-road-bike-id_8274036.html

(though doesn't look as nice as the white one IMO)

[Derivative]

What frame size are you? I have a Trek that I need to shift.

Was brand new, totally abandoned it when I bought my CB5. It's been indoors since. Pretty much perfect condition. If you're interested I could drag it out and take a few pictures. Less than 100 miles on it, turns out buying fancy toys did not interest me in exercise.

I think it's 57cm but would have to check.

BCF rates since I just want rid of it really. £450 to buy one new, I could whack a fair amount off of that.

https://classiccycleus.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Trek-1.1.jpg

Also have some SPD pedals and similar bits to go with it.

[shereen]

[Seb]

Most local bike shops will happily let you have a test ride with a deposit, worth having a go on a few first before you fork out money. Don't rule out the posh commuters with flat bars and 700c wheels either. They are dramatically easier to live with when the weather's not perfect, my 8kg fuji is an absolute nightmare in gusty weather.
____________________
2010 Triumph 1050 Sprint ST

[spnorm]

[JonB]