Looking for a beginner complete road bike in London

Completely new to cycling so please bear with me. A friend handed me down a single speed bike he had lying around which I now use to cycle to and from work, however the gear ratio is a 52/17 so it is pretty tough up hills.

I've really enjoyed cycling thus far and want to get a beginner proper road bike which will get me from point A to B, and be usable for longer commutes (20+ miles). I am looking for something with gears and STI-shifters. Nothing fancy and not picky on the brand or the weight, just something reliable. I've been looking on eBay and gumtree for a few months now and can't find anything so hoping I'll have more luck here!

I'm 5'8" so size about 53-54cm is perfect for me and I can pick up at any london underground station (I'm located in east London). Budget is preferably <£200.

Thanks!

pm'd you

Could you stick £50 on the credit card?

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-500-road-bike-black-id_8331913.html

Thanks, that was an option in fact but couldn't find a decathlon with my size and non are available online also - figured might get better value if I go secondhand aswell.

Assuming you're on 23mm tyres, 52x17 is over 80": no wonder you're struggling!

A 20t rear sprocket or a 44t chainring will make things much more pleasant.

That's not to say that you're wrong to think about gears for longer distances, especially if you're new to cycling.

But whether or not you buy a new bike, if you reduce the gearing of your current bike you'll find it much more usable.

might get better value if I go secondhand aswell.

You should, so log as you know what you're looking at...

You could easily spend £100 on a simple service on a used bike, add a new chain, cassette and chain rings, some brake blocks etc and you may as well have bought new.

How difficult would it be to add those things? I guess that could be an option as it would save me quite a bit of cash but haven't looked too much into it

I guess you're right, but when I look at the low end budget road bikes such as the Btwin or a carrera I read reviews stating the bike is great, but wheels will need to be replaced in x months, and a new seat etc etc. So I just figured I'd go second hand as either way I'd need to replace parts in the future.

A 44t chainring won't cost you much (probably £10-15 on here), and you'd need an allen key to fit it, plus a chainring bolt spanner, which costs about a fiver. You'd also need to shorten your chain, for which you'll need a chain tool. A good one will cost about £10-20, but it's a sound investment.

If you need help, you can ask on here what you need exactly. You'll probably have to post pictures.

How about mine. Extra 100 quid, BUT decent wheels that will last for years, decent chainset and you can shorten the stem a bit.

Here she is:
https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/299865/