Road bikes for numpties....

So then, to satisfy my insatiable thirst for all things cycling I want to try a road bike

I think i need a 61cm frame, least ways i'll try one out and see how i go.

What sort of money does one need to spend on a competant second hand road bike, anything to look out for?

Ta muchly

I tried this recently - not been on a road bike for about 15 years. Bought a 63cm Raleigh with *ahem* 753 tubing (stickered I think... :roll: ), £50 for the bike. Converted drops to straight as really didn't get on with them. Use it for commuting now - compared to mountain bikes it is so easy to ride - you are going much quicker than you would have thought. Only problem is the wheels just never seem to stay true - every bump puts a wobble in them :? Probably just an old set of wheels...

good luck anyway.

Are road bikes comparatively cheaper or more expensive than mountain bikes?

cheaper I think if you want an old one. Retro fever doesn't seem to have hit road bikes in quite the same way. At least retro '90s style. I get the impression their retro is 60's and 70's. I may be wrong though.

Roadie retro is anything pre-index.

While on the subject, what kind of size frame would a 5'10" dude with around 32" inside leg be looking at? :?

Is it something to train on or a retro steed your after? If its the former reckon for about 2-300 quid you should be able to pic up a reasonable second hand base model from a big manufacturer. Something like a Spesh allez, Giant OCR, or even a Trek 1400 if your that way inclined(I hate trek's), Cannondales are the same deal as the MTB's good'ish frame with crapper components at the price point. Some Scotts are resonable too. With these brands you can be sure of a reasonable return on your money should you decide to sell. Look for sora/tiagra drivetrain, carbon forks(examine carefully) and own brand components.

This ain't too bad for the bigger guy


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Giant-OCR-2-2...ryZ33503QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Or this, I have the exact same model and have trained, commuted, raced and converted to a tri bike and back.


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/specialized-a...ryZ33503QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

cherrybomb":3bmr733o said:

While on the subject, what kind of size frame would a 5'10" dude with around 32" inside leg be looking at? :?

Click to expand...

Same as me and I ride a 54cm, modern of course.

I started on a 1990's Giant Cadex. Just to ride through the winter

Complete bike £270 quid with various bits and bobs from a mate.

Anyway, now hooked after 3 years of being a casual roadie.

Giant is now like triggers broom, everything upgraded bar the frame.
End to End under my belt.
Salsa La Raza.
and I'm going to start TT ing next week.

Have I turned to the dark side ??

It's ace and different.

Sorry that last input was of no relivance to the thread

Oh well.

Try as many frames/bikes as you think and get one that suits.

Don't go too rash on your first one as you might hate it.
:roll: