Hi all,
I'm after an entry level road bike, purely for fitness, no racing/competitions. I will be a complete nOOb.
Naturally, I don't want to spend much since I'm only starting out, and the cheapest bike I've found that seems half decent for $449 (or $399 for a demo model):
https://www.bicyclesonline.com.au/boa-road-bike-shimano-clar…
Can anyone point out any issues with this bike, or any alternatives?
I don't mind spending a little bit more if it means I get a better bike.
Thanks.
Yes, second hand can be much better value, but you need to have an idea what you are looking at and be confident of buying the right size.
As for the bike linked, on face value it looks pretty reasonable. Not dissimilar to the very well regarded Aldi road bike from a little while back. Basic, but solid and decent. Sure, it's entry level but so is the price - good value for money. The only thing I'd take with a grain of apsalt in the description is 'designed in Australia'. It'll most likely be a standard factory spec frame out of Taiwan and the only 'designing' the Aussies have done is the branding sticker, and possibly selecting some of the parts out of a standard spec sheet the supplier gave them.
I have ridden many different bikes, and own several and build and rebuild them all the time. If I was in the market for an entry level road bike that would be a consideration. Around $400 seems to be the point where you start getting some quality.
I was also after the cheapest and i bought a Reid Condor. I commute 20 km every day and can't be happier.
Definitely an option if it's your first bike and want to save money
use code "PLENTY" to get 10% off = ~$243
Thanks guys, had a look at second hand already but in my location there isn't much available.
Also like the look of the Reid. Much cheaper too!
Would I be doing myself a disservice going for the cheaper Reid over the BOA?
Wouldn't recommend the Reid, but I haven't ridden one. Stem mounted shifters are the worst type to use on a road bike, as opposed to integrated into the brake levers like on th other bike
Regular cyclists that have ridden the condor would recommend not getting it and stepping up a model or two from Reid. Look for some reviews on cyclist forums/websites.
I agree about the shifters, but if we think that until the 90's even professionals were using downtube shifters, I think this is not too bad as first bike.
Yes, but downtube shifters on a road bike make more sense than stem shifters. Your hand swings down from the bars in a far more natural motion than having to lift yourself up and reach to the middle of the bars. There is a reason stem shifters are only only the cheapest range of bikes.
Thanks for the reply. Didn't even notice that (my noobness coming out).
Looks like I will jump up to something like the BOA I originally linked.
If you are OK checking out 2nd hand bikes have a look on the FB swap groups, there are some awesome bargains there. There are probably 4 main ones I look at:
It is a cr@pshoot as sellers could be anywhere and everywhere but maybe put up a post asking - I live in xxx and I'm looking for an entry level road bike size xx for around $400.
I've seen posts like this before and there regularly people offering up a spare bike they havent gotten around to selling yet. I have a flat bar road bike up for sale for around your pricerange at the moment.
What kind of riding are you doing (distance, hills or flat, group or solo)? Do you know what size bike you need? Do you know your saddle height or have you been been fitted? Are you also going to buy shoes and get clip in pedals?
2nd hand can be great but unless you know your saddle height and reach you wont really know which size of bike to buy. There was an awesomely cheap Cannondale Super6 frame on the FB swap groups for ages but you would need to have been 6 ft 6+ to ride the thing! I'm 5 ft 10 and I wouldnt have been able to reach the handle bars on it!
You arent going to win the TDF on the bike you've listed but depending on the riding you'll be doing it might be OK for what you need.
I will literally be solo for all sessions. I'm going to be looking into training programs, literally just for fitness, then maybe move on from there.
I may also look into Zwift too, as the monsoonal season will be here in a few months.
I have a rough idea, as I was fitted to a bike quite a while ago.
Bikies.
MT-07 is a good choice
Without getting into specific models and features, if you're genuinely looking for an entry level bike something around the $500 mark will do the job nicely. It will be heavier than even mid-tier models, lower level componentry and so things like gear shifting will have a clunk or two , etc. etc. … but, if you genuinely just want something to get you going it will be fine.
The fitness benefits will come from having an elevated heart rate during your exercise, not from the quality of the machine you're riding.
A well known brand version of the bike above would probably cost in the order of $550-$600. Also the vast majority of bike frames come out of only a few manufacturers - even for the big name brands, so you are quite possibly getting the same quality frame and the running gear parts are standard too.
But yes, fitness benefits don't depend on the machine, but if it is a nice machine, you are more likely to enjoy using it and therefore use it more. Having ridden very cheap bikes on occasion after more expensive bikes, there is a difference and up to a point, it is well worth it.
I have a few bikes, some cheapies and a very expensive bike (trek madone 9). I have an aluminium frame Giant Defy that I bought as a 2nd hand frame for about $100 and built up with spare bits. The Giant does mostly the same things as the trek but I love riding the madone, feels awesome so smooth and fast. It doesnt make me any fitter and functionally it doesn't do anything a much cheaper bike wouldn't do (is very quick on the downhills and flats and I love the swooshing sound it makes cutting through the air) but it does feel and look awesome and although I've had it for about a year now, i still get a big smile every time i jump on the thing!
How do you know the right bike size ?
Best get your google on. There are plenty of websites which will help you decide.
There are a number of guides:
You can comfortably stand over the top tube with a few cm clearance. This varies a lot with a bike with a sloping top tube.
The saddle should not be at its extremities while you sit on the bike with your heel on the pedal at its lowest position and your leg pretty much straight.
You should be able to reach the bars comfortably from the seated position.
Unfortunately you cannot just work out a size and apply it across all bikes as well. I currently ride a medium trek MTB, a large yeti MTB, an XL road bike and have had a large road bike for thousands of comfortable kms. The XL MTB I am selling is to big (can ride it fine, but the standover is too high for off road use), a 54cm road bike (medium) is too smal and the 'one size fits all' big w fat bike is also too small.
Thanks a lot.
I guess I should go to a brick & mortar shop and get an idea with actual bikes before buying anything online.
Yes, until you can determine what size suits you, 'trying it on' is the only way.
For really serious road riders and racers, many pay specialists for customised bike fits. There are insane amounts of info about things like optimal crank length and different theories on saddle height. If you arent used to riding a road bike it is probably best to get a basic fit for your 1st bike. Most bikeshops should do this for free with a first bike and if they wont then go to a different bike shop. There are little things like 'reach' where depending upon your anatomy you may have long or short arms. Potentially a bikeshop might have to swap out the 'stem' that comes with the bike for a different size that fits your personal reach measurement. A good bikeshop will have a box of spare stems and they will do the switch as part of the sale. They will also setup your saddle height properly. My 1st roadbike they had a bike setup on a trainer and they took photos of me sitting on the bike with the pedal at bottom centre. Apparently the angle at the back of your knee is meant to be 15 degrees or something (cant remember) but they adjusted the saddle height until it lined up properly. To me at the time it felt too low but I've gotten used to it now. If i had it too high (what would have felt comfortable at the time) I would have had a lot of my hips rolling around i guess and now having done a few 8 or 9 hour rides I can imagine it would have gotten pretty uncomfortable as well as wasting a lot of energy.
2nd hand and online is good for people that know what they are buying and can read the specs on a bikeframe 'geometry chart' and have a box of spare seatposts and stems they can swap in themselves to set a bike up right. For people that dont know what i just typed, go to a bikeshop and let them set you up for the first bike at least.
I paid $140 for a 2nd hand Giro bike on ebay.
shimano 105 running gear.
bought some of these clipless pedals from ebay for $30.
bought some near new clipless shimano shoes off ebay for $35.
grabbed a set of inexpensive cycling guernsey and pants for $30 on ebay from china.
if you're patient then ebay can be excellent for second hand bikes.