1st time road bike

[andy w]

Hi

I'm looking to spend as little as possible on a road bike for steady away
mileage. It's quite hilly where I live so I'd like to get 3 rings up front.
I've seen a Scott AFD Expert at £429 and the Giant OCR4T at £399 - but LBS
bloke has a couple of frames he says he could make up to my spec for around
£300 - so the question is - do i save a few quid (and presumably get worse
components) or do I go for a ready made jobby - and if so, which of those 2
(or any others - Trek 1000 - but really £450 is my absolute limit - I was
hoping for nearer £300). I've looked at flat bar bikes, but I quite fancy
having a bash at a triathlon once I get a bit fitter, so a 'racer' is what
I'm after.

Finally - when do people start flogging off 2003 models cheaper - the
Scott's the only one I've seen with much discount so far.

Thanks

[kev]

I got my road bike from Allen cycles who do a mail order service, they have
got a full page advert in this months Cycling plus with some nice looking
bikes at around the £400 mark, I'm tempted by the "Raleigh R300 Alu" (tiagra
group set) but I'm not ready to get a new one this year.

[MSeries]

If this your first 'serious' road bike you may decide after a while
that you don't like it or road riding so you are understandably
cautious about spending a great deal. Your LBS should be able to give
you a price for completing a bike to your specification so if you
particularly want say Sora group set instead of Tiagra then they
should price it for you. Take a look at Cycling Weekly at places like
Deeside Cycles and Ribble Cycles they have a menu system where you
choose a frame and a groupset then add a finishing kit to get the
final price. Of course some visits to shops for test rides will be
necessary to get the correct size of frame and stem etc. All shops
should give you a test ride, you do not have to buy the bike from
them.

"andy w" > wrote in message >...
> Hi
>
> I'm looking to spend as little as possible on a road bike for steady away
> mileage. It's quite hilly where I live so I'd like to get 3 rings up front.
> I've seen a Scott AFD Expert at £429 and the Giant OCR4T at £399 - but LBS
> bloke has a couple of frames he says he could make up to my spec for around
> £300 - so the question is - do i save a few quid (and presumably get worse
> components) or do I go for a ready made jobby - and if so, which of those 2
> (or any others - Trek 1000 - but really £450 is my absolute limit - I was
> hoping for nearer £300). I've looked at flat bar bikes, but I quite fancy
> having a bash at a triathlon once I get a bit fitter, so a 'racer' is what
> I'm after.
>
> Finally - when do people start flogging off 2003 models cheaper - the
> Scott's the only one I've seen with much discount so far.
>
> Thanks

[[email protected]]

SJS do a road bike at £300 with triple ring and Sora shifters.
Similar to Dawes Giro 300 which now has double ring, but you may be able
to find older model which had triple. In fact this combo is available from
quite a few people at around £300. From memory it may just take mudguards.

[andywgg]

Cheers - I've now found a Dawes Giro 300 from 2002 (triple ring) for
£299 - so it now looks like this, a scott AFD expert at £429 or the
Giant OCR 4T at £399.

The Dawes loks good value to me - bit I wondered whether the Scott would
be worth the extra £130?



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[Cupra]

"andy w" > wrote in message =
...
| Hi
|=20
| I'm looking to spend as little as possible on a road bike for steady =
away
| mileage. It's quite hilly where I live so I'd like to get 3 rings up =
front.
| I've seen a Scott AFD Expert at =A3429 and the Giant OCR4T at =A3399 - =
but LBS
| bloke has a couple of frames he says he could make up to my spec for =
around
| =A3300 - so the question is - do i save a few quid (and presumably get =
worse
| components) or do I go for a ready made jobby - and if so, which of =
those 2
| (or any others - Trek 1000 - but really =A3450 is my absolute limit - =
I was
| hoping for nearer =A3300). I've looked at flat bar bikes, but I quite =
fancy
| having a bash at a triathlon once I get a bit fitter, so a 'racer' is =
what
| I'm after.
|=20
| Finally - when do people start flogging off 2003 models cheaper - the
| Scott's the only one I've seen with much discount so far.
|=20
| Thanks
|=20
|=20

I've just got a cheap =A3249 Apollo from Halfords (TdF special offer) to =
augment my MTB (I'm carless at the mo and Full Sus is a bit heavy for =
the road!) - only 2 ring though, but it does have Sora shifters which is =
not bad for the price....


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[Michael Kent]

Cupra wrote:
> "andy w" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Hi
>>
>> I'm looking to spend as little as possible on a road bike for steady
>> away
>> mileage. It's quite hilly where I live so I'd like to get 3 rings
>> up front.
>> I've seen a Scott AFD Expert at £429 and the Giant OCR4T at £399 -
>> but LBS
>> bloke has a couple of frames he says he could make up to my spec for
>> around
>> £300 - so the question is - do i save a few quid (and presumably get
>> worse
>> components) or do I go for a ready made jobby - and if so, which of
>> those 2 (or any others - Trek 1000 - but really £450 is my absolute
>> limit - I was
>> hoping for nearer £300). I've looked at flat bar bikes, but I quite
>> fancy
>> having a bash at a triathlon once I get a bit fitter, so a 'racer'
>> is what
>> I'm after.
>>
>> Finally - when do people start flogging off 2003 models cheaper - the
>> Scott's the only one I've seen with much discount so far.
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>>
>
> I've just got a cheap £249 Apollo from Halfords (TdF special offer)
> to augment my MTB (I'm carless at the mo and Full Sus is a bit heavy
> for the road!) - only 2 ring though, but it does have Sora shifters
> which is not bad for the price....
>
>

The bike is equiped well for the price Alu frame, Shining wheels Sora
Shifters, Tiagra rear mech, i've not seen anything to rival it yet

Cheers
Michael

[Cupra]

Michael Kent wrote:
>> Cupra wrote:
>>> "andy w" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> Hi
>>>>=20
>>>> I'm looking to spend as little as possible on a road bike for
>>>> steady away
>>>> mileage. It's quite hilly where I live so I'd like to get 3 rings
>>>> up front.
>>>> I've seen a Scott AFD Expert at =A3429 and the Giant OCR4T at =
=A3399 -
>>>> but LBS
>>>> bloke has a couple of frames he says he could make up to my spec
>>>> for around
>>>> =A3300 - so the question is - do i save a few quid (and presumably
>>>> get worse
>>>> components) or do I go for a ready made jobby - and if so, which of
>>>> those 2 (or any others - Trek 1000 - but really =A3450 is my =
absolute
>>>> limit - I was
>>>> hoping for nearer =A3300). I've looked at flat bar bikes, but I
>>>> quite fancy
>>>> having a bash at a triathlon once I get a bit fitter, so a 'racer'
>>>> is what
>>>> I'm after.
>>>>=20
>>>> Finally - when do people start flogging off 2003 models cheaper -
>>>> the Scott's the only one I've seen with much discount so far.
>>>>=20
>>>> Thanks
>>>>=20
>>>>=20
>>>=20
>>> I've just got a cheap =A3249 Apollo from Halfords (TdF special =
offer)
>>> to augment my MTB (I'm carless at the mo and Full Sus is a bit heavy
>>> for the road!) - only 2 ring though, but it does have Sora shifters
>>> which is not bad for the price....
>>>=20
>>>=20
>>=20
>> The bike is equiped well for the price Alu frame, Shining wheels Sora
>> Shifters, Tiagra rear mech, i've not seen anything to rival it yet
>>=20
>> Cheers
>> Michael

After my first ride, I'm dead impressed..... so that's a recommendation =
from me! (but be fast if you want one - limted stocks!)


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[[email protected]]

Unless I lived on the flat or was very strong, I think I'd want a triple.

[andy w]

Yes - I saw that one at the weekend - looked a great deal for the price -
it's just that it's a bit...well..."yellow", isn't it! And to be honest,
being weedy and living in the Yorkshire Dales I reckon 3 rings up front is
pretty crucial for me. Thanks for the tip, though!


">>> I've just got a cheap £249 Apollo from Halfords (TdF special offer)
>>> to augment my MTB (I'm carless at the mo and Full Sus is a bit heavy
>>> for the road!) - only 2 ring though, but it does have Sora shifters
>>> which is not bad for the price....



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[Arthur Clune]

andy w > wrote:
: Yes - I saw that one at the weekend - looked a great deal for the price -
: it's just that it's a bit...well..."yellow", isn't it! And to be honest,
: being weedy and living in the Yorkshire Dales I reckon 3 rings up front is
: pretty crucial for me. Thanks for the tip, though!

If you live in the Dales, then a triple is a really good idea. I think
I'd have one if I lived there.

I've done a 200k hilly audax (the Dales Grimpeur for those that know)
round there on 39x26 and my legs hurt :)

Riding up Fleet Moss from Hawes with a saddlebag full of stuff for a
weekend away on 39x26 was no fun either.

Arthur

[John Hearns]

On Wed, 23 Jul 2003 13:03:45 +0100, Cupra wrote:

> |
>
> I've just got a cheap £249 Apollo from Halfords (TdF special offer) to augment my MTB (I'm carless at the mo and Full Sus is a bit heavy for the road!) - only 2 ring though, but it does have Sora shifters which is not bad for the price....
>
I looked it two branches of Halford this evening (both Bike Huts)
and saw no glaring yellow bikes for 250 quid :-)

Can anyone give some more details about the bike - which model is it based
on?

[Cupra]

John Hearns wrote:
>> On Wed, 23 Jul 2003 13:03:45 +0100, Cupra wrote:
>>=20
>>>>=20
>>>=20
>>> I've just got a cheap =A3249 Apollo from Halfords (TdF special =
offer)
>>> to augment my MTB (I'm carless at the mo and Full Sus is a bit
>>> heavy for the road!) - only 2 ring though, but it does have Sora
>>> shifters which is not bad for the price.... =20
>>>=20
>> I looked it two branches of Halford this evening (both Bike Huts)
>> and saw no glaring yellow bikes for 250 quid :-)
>>=20
>> Can anyone give some more details about the bike - which model is it
>> based=20
>> on?

The actual model name is the tdf-100. I've had a look at the Apollo =
website and it doesn't appear there so I can only assume it is a =
'special' for Halfords (nothing of a similar spec on website either).

I don't know where you are, but they had some left in Milton Keynes and =
Northampton earlier this week!


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[Superdave]

Hi, just bought one of these at Halfords and for my first bike its a
pretty impressive piece of kit. Certainly runs well and the £50 of
extras makes it well worth the dough.



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[John Hearns]

On Wed, 23 Jul 2003 13:03:45 +0100, Cupra wrote:

> |
>
> I've just got a cheap £249 Apollo from Halfords (TdF special offer) to augment my MTB (I'm carless at the mo and Full Sus is a bit heavy for the road!) - only 2 ring though, but it does have Sora shifters which is not bad for the price....
>
I looked it two branches of Halford this evening (both Bike Huts)
and saw no glaring yellow bikes for 250 quid :-)

Can anyone give some more details about the bike - which model is it based
on?

[John Hearns]

On Wed, 23 Jul 2003 13:03:45 +0100, Cupra wrote:

> |
>
> I've just got a cheap £249 Apollo from Halfords (TdF special offer) to augment my MTB (I'm carless at the mo and Full Sus is a bit heavy for the road!) - only 2 ring though, but it does have Sora shifters which is not bad for the price....
>
I looked it two branches of Halford this evening (both Bike Huts)
and saw no glaring yellow bikes for 250 quid :-)

Can anyone give some more details about the bike - which model is it based
on?

[Tim Downie]

"John Hearns" > wrote in message
. ..

> I looked it two branches of Halford this evening (both Bike Huts)
> and saw no glaring yellow bikes for 250 quid :-)

Come to Ayr. They've got one left. They're £199 now (although don't expect
any freebies at that price)

Tim

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[Tim Downie]

"John Hearns" > wrote in message
. ..

> I looked it two branches of Halford this evening (both Bike Huts)
> and saw no glaring yellow bikes for 250 quid :-)

Come to Ayr. They've got one left. They're £199 now (although don't expect
any freebies at that price)

Tim

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[daxyboy]

I've got a peugeot competition 7000 with campag veloce going for £380 if
you're interested...

56cm, excellent condition.

cheers



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[daxyboy]

I've got a peugeot competition 7000 with campag veloce going for £380 if
you're interested...

56cm, excellent condition.

cheers



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