Any road cyclists or triathletes out there?

dan_b

dan_b

A2OC Donor
Ref the title - I'm toying with the idea of getting back into cycling, and more specifically with a plan to get into triathlon.
I've started browsing a few sites and shops for an idea of a decent road bike that will give me a good start in life and was thinking of something like a Cube Agree or equivalent carbon-framed item that'll be strong but light - but was wondering what other recommendations members of the forum might be able to offer up, and things to look out for? 20 years ago I was heavily into cycling, built myself a Holdsworth road bike from a Reynolds 531 frame no less, but in recent years any cycling I've done has been on a spinning bike in the gym!

I'm 6ft 3 if that helps!
 
I would suggest as a starting point to join a local CTC riding group (they are focused on touring). Once your fitness has built up a bit then you can starting looking at the racing / tri side of things... (perhaps http://www.cyclingswlondon.org.uk/ or http://www.kingstonwheelers.co.uk/index.shtml would be a starting point).

In terms of the best bike/frame... that will change quickly over time as you get fitter. So you might be best off getting a cheap touring one to start off with, and then look at a better race or tri bike later (they differ).
 
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Ive just recently bought a new bike. After all the searching and deciding about frames etc i took a long shot and bought a 'spesh langster. Ive got it single speed (fixed), took off all the non essential stuff which left me with one front brake and chain. I replaced some bits with carbon alternatives and can honestly say i (probably) wont go back to geared bikes again - the whole thing is so pure, looks good and tests my fitness at every climb!
Another option would be to use you old frame and kit it out with new components, all the 'kool kids in London town are into this at the moment from what i can tell i.e take a peugeot frame from the 80's or 90's and then put a set of £1k wheels on it! Crazy.
 
Have a look at planet x bikes... amazing value and really popular with the tri nuts that I know.
 
Go old skool cool and get the old frame refurbed

Have a built to measure Raleigh 753 frame at home. Was measured for it the same day as Alexi Sayle and Daley Thompson. I rebuilt it about 10 years ago with shimano ultegra gear but it's say there unloved since I moved to the chiltern hills and bought a carbon framed Giant hard tail

If I get back on the road I would refit this frame. It's light but quite a firm ride.
Have you still got your old bike?

J
 
Try Ribble Cycles.co.uk, you can build the bike you want there but it must be carbon, no one can beat them on price.
You will also find two bikes will fit in tha A2 with the back seats out and the front wheels off, no need to even drop the saddle if you have the flat floor although if you are tall it may be a squease. It's all a matter of how much you want to spend and wether you want a road bike or a tri. bike.
I spend a lot of my time cycling in Fance, every other day, as I live here most of the year, but I always get my bike bits from Ribble.
Happy shopping
Frogy.
 
Thanks for the above from all.
I no longer have my Holdsworth - sold it to finance my first car purchase all those years ago!

My preference is for a carbon-framed bike that way if I get a bit more serious about it all then I'll have made a good purchase on the frame - reckon the other stuff can always be swapped/ upgraded/ replaced, but you need a decent frame to hang it all off from.

The idea is for me to enter a triathlon next year to give me a fitness objective - I've no idea if I would become a triathlon junkie!

I've heard of Planet-X but not Ribble so will check those out.

I've been trying to educate myself around the different qualities of Groupsets but I must admit it's a bit confusing and the variation in cost of them is quite extraordinary! What's the general hierarchy of the Shimano stuff?
 
I'm aiming to get into Triathlons next year.

Depending on what your budget and time frame is, bear in mind the "Yuppie Sale" that'll come around this Christmas when everyone who's gone out and bought a new bike post Tour/Olympics, used it once, stuck it in the shed, and now needs the money/peace and quite from the misses pre festive season and so sticks it on ebay. Woth it if not to get back into it, atleast for an upgrade a couple of months in.

As Mike says, join a club. I joined a cycling club in May with the aim of getting myself up to 100 miles a day. I managed that with in a month and a half, and am now above 18mph average over that kind of distance.

As for a bike, budget is the main point. I like Giant, 'cos unlike others which focus on the groupset, every single model has a killer frameset. Even more important now the nights are setting in. Before you know it the'll be mud and salt on the roads again!!!
Endure the winter, upgrade your groupset, and the start line beckons!


If your after an Ultegra groupset out the box, pretty sure Ribble is still the cheapest offering at just sub £1k
 
dan_b said:
I've been trying to educate myself around the different qualities of Groupsets but I must admit it's a bit confusing and the variation in cost of them is quite extraordinary! What's the general hierarchy of the Shimano stuff?
Click to expand...

Sora
Tiagra
105
Ultegra
Dura Ace


Don't rule out Sram though. In order, slot inbetween the each line of the above list.
Apex
Rival
Force
Red
 
Quality!
I never knew there were SO many rules!

Funnily enough, yesterday I saw a cyclist in Clapham with a retro-Holdsworth frame, in burnt orange no less, but dripping with modern bike tech like carbon aero wheels and the like. Crazy.
Hooley said:
Read rule 42

:)
J
Click to expand...
 
Well after months and months of faffing and failing to commit, I've entered the Richmond Park Duathlon this September as a stepping stone into entering the Blenheim Park triathlon next summer. As a result I've just bought a road bike! In the end I plumped for a BTwin FC3 - it's a full carbon frame and came with Tiagra drivetrain but seemed to me to be very competitively priced at £850. I figured if I stick with it, I can always upgrade the wheels/drivetrain in due course for better components/ lighter weight etc but for now the easiest way for me to shave weight off my set-up is to get rid of some of the 15.5 stone I'm currently carry about -I don't think I'll ever be one of these waif-like IronMan athletes, but in my prime as a winger playing rugby I was 14 stone so I've got lots to lose!

Been training for 2 weeks now, did 2 laps round Richmond Park last night which has a few hilly bits in it. Averaged just under 17MPH with a top speed of 38MPH :) Overtaking cars on a road bike is fun!
 
dan_b said:
I plumped for a BTwin FC3 - it's a full carbon frame and came with Tiagra drivetrain but seemed to me to be very competitively priced at £850.
Click to expand...

Very nice Dan, good luck with the duathlon :D

Sadly have been out of the cycling game after two of my bikes were vandalised/stolen in Newcastle city centre a couple of years ago, thankfully they were insured and not valuable but its enough to put you off. Currently in the garage have a 1978 Dawes Super Galaxy, and a second 531 frame that is all prepped for fixed gear use that are both begging to have something done with them! Fixie first perhaps, my last was ludicrously fast in town before it was pinched... Grr this thread has got me thinking!
 
dan_b said:
Well after months and months of faffing and failing to commit, I've entered the Richmond Park Duathlon this September as a stepping stone into entering the Blenheim Park triathlon next summer. As a result I've just bought a road bike! In the end I plumped for a BTwin FC3 - it's a full carbon frame and came with Tiagra drivetrain but seemed to me to be very competitively priced at £850. I figured if I stick with it, I can always upgrade the wheels/drivetrain in due course for better components/ lighter weight etc but for now the easiest way for me to shave weight off my set-up is to get rid of some of the 15.5 stone I'm currently carry about -I don't think I'll ever be one of these waif-like IronMan athletes, but in my prime as a winger playing rugby I was 14 stone so I've got lots to lose!

Been training for 2 weeks now, did 2 laps round Richmond Park last night which has a few hilly bits in it. Averaged just under 17MPH with a top speed of 38MPH :) Overtaking cars on a road bike is fun!
Click to expand...

Nice choice and nice speed.

I know of several Btwin carbon examples among my cycling acquaintances.

I'll plump for one of those or a Boardman towards the end of the year. Good bang for buck.

And I have the best part of 100kg of rider to work on before I worry about the parts made of unobtanium.....
 
Well I've had a little accident. Broken my humerus in 5 places after falling onto a pedestrian safety barrier which means the duathlon is out of the question! The bike is pretty much unscathed though so that's a bonus.
 
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