How To Choose Your First Road Bike: Beginner Series Ep. 1

Manennnn!!

Fb marketplace / CL, never new

Carbon sounds great,BUT there's that but,is it tempature sensitive,can it be stored in a shed with no heat all winter,Temps could go to - 10 ,will it last for 30yrs with no brakes and cracks,and I want the total frame made in the USA where there is GREAT quality control.

just recently bought my first gravel bike and probably the best idea i ever invest in a 2021 giant revolt 2

You're right; I remember when a Specialized Roubaix Comp actually followed me out of the store.

My first bike was CUBE LTD, magnificent bike

Just something to get me to the donut shop.

Trek Emonda ALR5 was an absolute godsend for me. It is slightly pricy for an entry bike, but it's also super fun, quick and well-kitted out for it's price! It looks so smooth, you'd never believe it's aluminium, not carbon! It's also pretty light for what it is. I am now making the switch from flat pedals to clip-ins and getting some aero bars in preparation for my first triathlon!

Great tips . I got a lot from here to start . ❤

Kinda Cute idk if its me but him blushing while not being able to look at her.

Omg i lover her 😊 she’s sooo cool

Feeling very tempted by a Trek Domane AL2 Gen 3 but I haven't ridden in like 27 years, I'm out of shape and I've never had anything that sophisticated. A bit intimidating but it really speaks to me somehow.

Really surprised to hear the promotion of carbon and subtle dismissing of aluminium and steel - both can be outstanding materials for bikes, and what about previous GCN advice to avoid cheap carbon frames? You should have been more encouraging about aluminium and steel, not least re the ability to be able to be recycled.

For all guys that are new if on the bike frame is a S Works name on it it is a good bike

Do you think a canyon aeroad cfsl 8.0 is a good intermediate bike? I don't have much money to blow on a bike considering that this is probably my last and final bike. I go for long rides and also try to complete better time. I'm also looking for 75% comfort. Nothing too comfortable but nothing that would be a discomfort bike. Do you think it's a good option?

Another consideration regarding buying a used bike: know your frame size. If an individual is selling a bike, inquiring about frame size should be the first item on your list. I recall a friend, just getting into cycling, buying a bike that wasn't his size and well, he had to turn around and sell it. Lessons learned the hard way!

I just bought a second hand TREK Madone 3.5 with an Ultegra group set on EBay. Pristine condition, well looked after, rode only in Spain, never in the rain. Same price as the cheapest road bike at Halfords. First road bike after riding a MTB for donkeys years and I'm loving it.

Why are all the cycling videos British? I’m from America, aren’t there any people cycling here?

Thaaaaaank yooooou!!! 😊

A good road bike is great, but a small budget will not keep you from road biking, I started on a 200$ Walmart bike, it was a piece of shi!t but it got me out riding and that’s a good thing no matter the bike!

Giant contend my first RB

Luckily I've managed to get on cycle to work scheme. Meaning a 2k bike plus all the necessity accessories, helmet, shoes,bags,tubes,lights etc. Is actually an awful lot less than it should be! 32-42% off of everything really adds up!
Ive chosen an orro gold stc 105, can't wait for it to arrive and get started on my cycling journey!

Just ordered my first road bike earlier this week and awaiting delivery to my LBS! I recently got myself a Trek FX3 which I predominantly use to commute, but I felt like I needed something more lively, and of course I was inspired by GCN to explore road cycling.

I've decided I'm not ready for carbon just yet, nor do I necessarily need a super comfy endurance bike, so I went with the new Émonda ALR 5 that just released. Looks glorious and has everything I'm looking for. Very excited to see where it takes me.

I picked up my first road bike in 2019. It was a hard decision! I didn't want to spend $700 USD then find out I really got into it and a year later I'm buying a new one. Nor did I want/need to drop $4000 on a bike to ride to grocery store once a week. I ended up splitting the difference with a Giant Any Road (~$1900, with carbon frame and 105s). The last couple years I have really picked it up and it more than meets my needs to ride a couple 30-45 mile rides per week. I think one of the major questions a new rider needs to answer really is "How much do I really plan to use this bike?". Having a bike that is 2-3 lbs lighter but costs $2,000 more probably isn't worth it for the average recreational rider.

Side note: I did my first race a couple weeks ago, Barry Roubaix 36 miles, and it was brutal haha. I've been toying with the idea of upgrading to a new bike but after riding Barry Roubaix it's very clear that the bike I have now more than meets my riding needs (pretty flat crushed limestone paths mixed with pavement). I used that $4500+ to remodel my bathroom instead.

My Brother kindly gave me his Specialized Sirrus, And im looking forward to getting started. I just have no idea of what roads to choose when plannig a route. I'll be honest the traffic worries me a lot. I'm used to riding motorbikes and driving when its no problem at all. Need to get over the fear i think.

cycling in Cornwall involves so many hills if you are going any great distance (and winds.)

I bought a carbon fibre frame bike (Tifosi Scalare) and it's flattened those hills out a bit :)

Recommends spending 500£.

Recommends a carbon frame.

Is that even possible?

Firs: Find the enough money.

I bought my first road bike at the end of 2021 which was an felt F90 which was about 16 years old for under £100 which i have done about 1200 miles on and its pretty decent and good enough to keep up with people i ride with. Thats now my winter/wet bike and i have spent another £200 on a newer Felt F5 carbon which is a decent step up and an absolute bargain i reckon. I took my mate with me to look at both to make sure i didn't buy a shiny glitter pig! Newer bike won't deliberately going out on wet muddy roads and can't imagine i am going to need to upgrade again other than maybe a flasher set of wheels on it.

I’ve just bought my first road bike, Trek Madone with shimano 105 group set for £450 through gumtree, absolutely love it and am always realy excited to get out on the bike. Did a 25k ride yesterday and constantly looking at how I can go that little bit further.

This mostly goes for buying used bikes: take some time to understand how some basic components work and how they can break or be fixed. Things like the drive train, hubs, and brakes are a good start and common places to have an issue. Knowing how they work, what they should feel or sound like, and even how to fix them may open up your range of bikes to buy.

Do your research beforehand and you might be able to score a sweet deal or save yourself a massive headache and loads of frustration.

Sorry GCN. This video fell far short of acceptable. Recommending carbon to a new rider? What happens at the first ding? Steel or alloy, OK, Carbon - game over. Then suggesting a rookie go to the Wild West internet instead of getting guidance from a responsible second-hand shop or coop. In my opinion this video is irresponsible and steers the new rider wrong.

are cheap vintage bikes worth it if I don't mind working on one?

Bought my first road bike from a nonprofit bicycle recycling shop; a 2008 mint condition trek madone 5.2 sl. I got lucky it was just my size and only cost $500. At the time I had a new specialized hybrid so I knew a little about bikes. I just recently upgraded my road bike to a new BMC with endurance geometry, better gearing and disc brakes. I’m really glad I waited to buy a new bike since the third time I actually understood what was important to me. The madone was a good bike but the 23 cm tires were just too skinny for the type of urban group rides I do especially at night. The newer bikes are safer with wider tires and disc brakes. Also I realized endurance geometry made more sense for me since I am not into racing.

Can you please do an episode on buying an e-bike and what to look out for and which components to not skimp on? Repairs and maintenance?

Also security - locks, wall anchors, alarms, tracker, insurance?

Have 'G's been banned on GCN? what is cyclin'?

I should recommend alu-bike for beginners. It is really time for you to answer what is your problem recommend aluminium for people with a tiny budget???

I spent 900 on a new bike it’s considered entry. Its really ridiculous that prices are so out of whack for the casual biker.

My first road bike was a Specialized Dolce Sport second hand for £300, which felt like a lot! It was perfect though and really helped me fall in love with cycling, still love it (and it’s entry level parts, aluminium and Shimano sora) but now it’s been adapted into my winter bike, with mud guards and specific tyres. So I’ve just upgraded to a brand new carbon/Tiagra set up. They mention cycle schemes which are definitely worth it, £2850 worth of bike for £1650…

Great tips, GCN! I just acquired my fourth « real » bike. From my experience, I would definitely recommend for a first road bike that you get a higher-end aluminum one. Fact is, unless you go for a high-end carbon bike, the weight difference might not be as much as you think. I used to have a Cannondale Topstone 1 (the best aluminum gravel bike with disc brakes from Cannondale) and it really wasn't that much heavier than my older carbon road bike (Specialized Roubaix SL4 2015 with rim brakes). The advantage of doing so would be to get better components (brakes, gears, cassette, tyres) with the money you save on the material for the frame. Frankly, no one really needs more than mechanical 105 and you can definitely get that (or Tiagra) on an aluminum frame. In addition to all this, if you work on your position and use cleats, you'll definitely go fast. Then if you take care of the bike (washing, lubing, etc.), it will do a great job for a long time.

Casual rider here, bought a specialized allez back in 2021 for commuting and exercise and just to see the sights. It’s a durable bike, and the bit of extra speed and climbing prowess over my hybrid is a nice bonus

This comes at the perfect time for me. Spending my days online searching for road bikes! I'm sure owning it wouldn't be as exciting as this part of the journey. Thanks GCN, Love from India🇮🇳

A huge one for me when buying online is being aware of counterfeit frames, I almost spend few thousands on a fake Cervélo once, always ask for the serial number and double check with the company by e-mail to see if it's genuine .

I needed this 🙌

When it comes to budget, if you're starting out, remember the bike is only half of the budget you need to consider. Kit, helmet, lights, spares, it all adds up and you'll find that the bike itself is a fraction of the price of your gear. My first bike was a 30 year old Peugeot I got for 90€ but I fully committed to cycling and got a lot of gear later. 1 year later I got a power meter, 3 years later I got my first brand new carbon bike. I'm glad I did it this way cause that meant I did ride all year round. My only regret is I should have done a bike fit early in the process

GCN, "You should start with a sub-$1000 bike. Now let me show you all these expensive bikes as examples" 😀

This video was posted just in time since I'm actually thinking of switching from a MTB bike to a Road bike :D