Choosing the right road bike for you

Buying a bike is akin to buying a computer; the choice is enormous and can be bewildering. Road bikes are fast and generally have thin tyres, rigid frames and drop down handlebars. They have not changed as much as their mountain bike counterparts over the last fifteen years, but there is still a lot to think about when purchasing.

Bicycle cost
When it comes to bike price, more is definitely less! The more you pay, the lighter the bike, and in theory, the lighter the cycle, the better it is. Cyclists are obsessed with weight, often going to the extreme of drilling holes into certain components to make them lighter! You should buy the lightest version you can afford. At the end of the day you get what you pay for. Quality is expensive, but cheap and cheerful bikes may well put you off cycling altogether.

Bikes under £100
There are plenty of bikes in this price range available, and they represent very good value for money as long as you only use them to travel short distances and don’t give them much abuse. However, if you actually want to use them for any form of training, they are best avoided.

Bikes between £200 and £500
You should expect these models to have better specifications and to be lighter than the cheap bikes, but don’t expect it to have the best components or be extremely lightweight. For most people, though, this is plenty to spend on a bike and if you look around you can get a very good model for this price.

Bikes of £500 upwards
Some bikes are on sale for many, many thousands of pounds, but this is the range you will need to think about if you are going to train seriously or race. Bikes in this price range will be lightweight, strong, and will have well specified components.

Making the cycle purchase
After you have decided on the type and cost of your bike it is very important to be measured up correctly so the bike fits your body style. Too many people buy a bike and just get on and ride, in whatever the default position seems to be.

If you buy the bike from a professional bike shop, then they should set it up for you when you buy it; if not, ask them to. Once the bike has been correctly set up, make sure you know how to set it up yourself in case you ever take it apart. Write down the settings and leg lengths, or better still mark on the bike itself to indicate your settings.

Accessories
Buying the bike was the easy part, now you have to decide on the rest of the gadgets. The only essentials are a puncture repair kit, a pump and a trip computer, everything else is a luxury.

Turbos
There is a wide variety of gadgets available, costing from a few pounds to a few hundred, but if you are serious about cycle training then eventually you may want to get a turbo trainer. This is the equivalent of a running machine for your bike and allows you to train safely at home whilst in front of the TV. You can also use them when the weather is really bad for cycling, such as when it is wet or icy. Turbos are great if used correctly, but can make for quite boring exercise time.

However, you can at least watch TV or listen to the radio to pass the time while you cycle. Turbos are only really for the keen cyclist; they start at approximately £70, but expect to pay around £100 for an adequate one.

Panniers, horns and radios
Don’t bother with panniers, horns or radios for the bike. If you are sightseeing rather than training, you may want these, but otherwise think of the weight you are saving by not having them!

Lights

Obviously, if you are riding at night, then by law you will need some lights at the front and the rear. The lights must not be flashing ones and must legally be attached to the actual bike. If you ride a lot at night, then there are some very powerful light sets around now. Some are even as bright as car headlights. To make sure you can be seen, especially from behind, buy the brightest you can afford. Look for NiCad rechargeable batteries, as powerful lights notoriously eat batteries very quickly.