Wanted: My First Road bike

Yo!

Am looking at getting a roadbike next and before I bought new I wanted to check that no one either had one to sell or would be in a position to sell one in the next couple of months (i.e. getting new for christmas etc)

Helpfully, other than I road bike that's around 52cm-ish sized I'm not really sure what I want so open to suggestions. I do have a budget of around £500 and am a small-ish girl so something more on the compact side I reckon but obvs would be wanting to try before I buy innit...9 speeds should suffice.

So...? Over to you!

hi,
are you looking for a vintage or modern ride???
cheers
chris

I don't really mind/know!

Either I think!

thanks for PM replies people!

This forum rocks sometimes!

I've got a Principia RS6 Pro compact frame with Chris King headset & full carbon Sintema forks. Mainly Dura Ace 9 speed aside from Ultegra brakes & Ultegra/Open pro rims. Campagnolo titanium seatpost, Fizik saddle & FRM stem complete it..

EDIT: The only reason it's at that price is because the chainset is very worn and the rear freehub is a little loose. Other than that the frame is in excellent nick with a few marks near the BB shell. The DA STI have some cosmetic wear but are not crash damaged & shift perfectly. Rims have some use obviously but are fine for a few miles yet

Super lightweight, the frame/forks/headset is only 1800g and sub 8kg total (Sans pedals). Size is 52cm c-t.
Currently bike is dismantled so if anyone interested PM for photos/further details.
looking for £450ovno

I have a KHS flite 500 2011, carbon forks, carbon chainstays, great condition, upgraded with hope hoops (the lovely clicky kind), 52cm, 105 10spd. PM if your interested and il sort pics or you can take a look

Here's my tuppence worth Poots.

Its no secret that its all about the modern bikes with me. I also openly admit to having little taste.

I started out with a low spec Specialized Allez that cost me less than £500 new and it was a great bike to learn how to ride on. I think it was part Tiagra and part Sora groupset. It was a double chainring but only 8spd on the back. Even so, I learned a lot about using gears and riding in general with it.

The only problem is, there is a lot to choose from in that price bracket and not much in it and the situation is even harder to get to grips with if you include second hand options.

Which brings me neatly to my next point. I'd avoid buying new. You can probably find yourself a nice 10sp double compact bike second hand for 500 squids if you are lucky. I'll be selling my Pinarello FP2 for not much more than that soon. Shame you're not 6'3"!

yeah, go modern if it is your only road bike.

i echo the mr hedge's sentiments about buying second hand. you can get an awful lot of bike for 500 quid that way. go for a long (hour plus) test ride if you can.

the principia above sounds awesome - you should seriously consider it - looks well specced. they have a good reputation although maybe a little stiff (from what i have read)

if i had 500 quid to spent i would get something early 90's.
a decent steel frame (columbus tubing) with 8 speed campagnolo ergo shifting.
it's a great ride and super reliable.

good luck.

if i could buy my bike again id drop the 600 i spent on something like a 2nd hand planet x roadie rather than ponying up at RRP

depreciation is your best friend.

if i had 500 quid to spent i would get something early 90's.
a decent steel frame (columbus tubing) with 8 speed campagnolo ergo shifting.
it's a great ride and super reliable.

good luck.
which sash just happens to be selling ;)

I'd keep an eye out on dum dum dum.. the other bike forums. Bikeradar, retrobike often have modern roadbikes for sale and at pretty good prices. A lot of people on here are members on there, and it may be worth looking through that.

Modern, alu/carbon, 1 1/8, sti shifters etc..

Also try out the different brands of groupset - Shimano, SRAM and Campag and see what you get on with best.

I've got a Principia RS6 Pro compact frame with Chris King headset & full carbon Sintema forks. Mainly Dura Ace 9 speed aside from Ultegra brakes & Ultegra/Open pro rims. Campagnolo titanium seatpost, Fizik saddle & FRM stem complete it..
Super lightweight, the frame/forks/headset is only 1800g and sub 8kg total (Sans pedals). Size is 52cm c-t.
Unless you're sorted give us a shout if it might be of interest.
looking for £450ovno

Poots, this is a belter of a road bike at that price depending on the condition. It is one I would definitely recommend you consider*.

Many people bemoan Alu road bikes for their harsh ride but IMO your better off on a nice Alu frame than a cheap carbon one and Principia make some of the finest.
This comes with 9 speed Dura Ace which is a great groupset that also outlasts 10 speed offerings and with and easy to maintain/lightweight wheelset.

*Just to let you know I do not know Mr Bump.
** I would also be jealous of you owning one, I've always wanted a Principia.

Poots, this is a belter of a road bike at that price depending on the condition. It is one I would definitely recommend you consider*.

Many people bemoan Alu road bikes for their harsh ride but IMO your better off on a nice Alu frame than a cheap carbon one and Principia make some of the finest.
This comes with 9 speed Dura Ace which is a great groupset that also outlasts 10 speed offerings and with and easy to maintain/lightweight wheelset.

*Just to let you know I do not know Mr Bump.
** I would also be jealous of you owning one, I've always wanted a Principia.

I have a steel road bike, a carbon bike and an alu cannondale.
Which is the most comfortable to ride? still trying to decide after a few years.
I would re-iterate that a good aluminium frame is a good proposal for a first road bike

+1 on Alu. I know some people see that as blasphemy and I have little experience of riding steel but the little experience I have says go for modern alu. Cheap carbon isnt nice to ride IMO. The same goes for cheap steel.

Knowing you and the fact you do a lot of riding and plan to do more, I stand by my reccomendation of going second hand modern. You can get a bike with a great groupset for 500 quid.

That principia does look tasty for the cash.

Poots, this is a belter of a road bike at that price depending on the condition. It is one I would definitely recommend you consider*.

Many people bemoan Alu road bikes for their harsh ride but IMO your better off on a nice Alu frame than a cheap carbon one and Principia make some of the finest.
This comes with 9 speed Dura Ace which is a great groupset that also outlasts 10 speed offerings and with and easy to maintain/lightweight wheelset.

*Just to let you know I do not know Mr Bump.
** I would also be jealous of you owning one, I've always wanted a Principia.

It is a cracker and also way too small for me :( , I have a Rex Ellipse also & the RS6 was going to be a donor bike. I've got atriple butted steel, Columbus & titanium framed bikes & have ridden reynolds 753 & standard ally tubed racers but the principias really do allow you to put the power down. I'm 100kg ex rugby playing type and the Rex allows me to do so without worrying about frame flex.

As an update, (It was very late when I posted I meant to update earlier) the only reason it's at that price is because the chainset is very worn and the rear freehub is a little loose. Other than that the frame is in excellent nick with a few marks near the BB shell. The DA STI have some cosmetic wear but are not crash damaged & shift perfectly.
If anyone is interested PM me for photos as the bike is currently dismantled.

might want to go to evans and test ride a few to find out which brand hoods are comfiest for you, then look for something second hand with them on

^ Took the words right out of my mouth

sram hoods are also mad comfy.

^ I thought this from a quick test ride as well but now I'm not so sure about the S500 levers I'm using. :/

I've never used campag so I shouldn't really be advising. SRAM has felt ok for me but I've never had the chance to spend 12 hours holding on to some SRAM hoods...

There are many other reason to choose the groupset than just the branding, and that is the hood shifter - the most important factor depending on your preference.

I had campagnolo, not because of it's histories and all the malarkey, but because the shifting is just the way I liked it, I liked the fact I can downshift on the drop using just my thumb with little effort, and upshifting doesn't required that much twisting of the wrist.

I didn't liked Shimano despite having a comfortable hood shape (105+), because I found I twist my wrist a lots in order to shift up, it does have the advantage of having different reach option (shim) so it's great for those with smaller hand.

SRAM shifting doesn't required that much wrist movement to shift, which I liked straight away, and the double tap is a fantastic innovation once you get used to it, but I still went for Campag cause of how the hood shape feel to me*, AFAIK, SRAM have the longest reach.

*I'm talking about the newer design;

My eyes!

Get back on your turbo trainer fatty.

second hand for 500 squids if you are lucky. I'll be selling my Pinarello FP2 for not much more than that soon. Shame you're not 6'3"!

What's the spec on the pinar? Is it the 59cm model?