Road Bike Sub $800

[Dragonflyhigh]

Hi,

I am looking at buying a new road bike. I have been riding an old hybrid along a 10km daily commute.
I would like to spend less than $800 if possible.

• $799 http://www.cyclingexpress.com/cycle/cle ... -race.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

• $749 http://www.this link is broken/Cell-2013-S ... gory=12632" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

• $840 http://www.this link is broken/moser-bikes-speed-sora-2013/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Are these models ok? Are there other models I should consider?
I would like to buy a new bike soon, but it's not super urgent, if there are likely to be some good sales soon then I would be happy to wait.

[antipodean]

I would start with your local Gumtree.

[dominicj]

Hi DragonFlyHigh,

I did the exact same thing about 18 months ago. Was commuting 10km on a hybrid and decided to go for a roadie. Have never looked back, was the best trade up I ever did and now have a second roadie for weekend rides.

I picked up an Azzurri Milano from Cycling Express which was a cheap alloy frame and full 105 groupset ($800 delivered). I would recommend the 105 groupset as mine has not skipped a beat in about 7-8000 commuting km's, much of which has been in the wet. If you keep your eyes peeled you can find 105 spec'd bikes at that price.

Reid have a full 105 for under $800: http://www.reidcycles.com.au/bicycles/r ... -bike.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also keep in mind that you may need to upgrade wheels at some point, depending on what the roads you ride are like and your weight. I was over 100kg and the roads around here are not too great so I only got 6 months out of the Shimano R500's I got with mine, and the wheels on the Reid look of a similar spec. I can personally recommend the Pro-Lite Como's for commuting. Not particularly light (although not bricks either) but they have been rock solid since I got them.

A few other things to consider:

Will the bike allow a pannier rack to be fitted?
Most bikes won't come with pedals so these are an extra cost. My advice is use SPD's as they are far more convenient for commuting.
Good tyres are critical if there is debris on the roads and especially if you will be riding in the wet.

While I agree with Antipodean, there is something pretty special about buying your first brand new road bike. Just my 2 cents.

[lobstermash]

At the risk of sounding like a Reid shill, I bought the Falco Elite last week and like it pretty well so far... Except the pedals, which are the only no-name crappy component on the thing. New ones on order from Wiggle... I also bought mine in a box instead of from the store and consequently had to spend time tuning the front derailleur. I also went for the wheel upgrade and they didn't change the cassette over for me... But I did get the Alex wheels as spares I guess.

If your max budget is hard on $800, I'd go for something with the best component set you can find for ~$600 or so and use the extra ~$200 to upgrade the crappy bits (there's always something).

[caldina98]

Do you want a race road or more of a relaxed position? I am in the same boat as you... if you look on bike exchange you can find a entry level road bikes with either popular brand named frames such as giant defy, trek, specialized, merida etc with shimano 2300, sora and if you look hard you could find a tiagra 2012 group sets. It just depends on what fits you.
I personally will not settle for anything less than 2013 sora components. Reason for this is I hate the thumb shifters since I have small hands.

[brett.hooker]

I picked up a new Merida 2011 Ride 91 from a shop that sells nearly 100 bikes six months ago.
It has been an amazing road bike for me.
Price was $720.
Sora group set.
I am slowly upgrading pieces on it as I get fitter and stronger, but it allowed me to get off a 15kg commuter and onto a sub 10kg roadie...
5000km ridden on it already.

[ldrcycles]

Definitely check out Gumtree or ebay, while it may take a little bit of patience to find the brand/model/size you want in your area, there are some bargains to be had. I got a Scott Speedster with Tiagra and clip on aerobars that had only done 200km for $450 and a workmate just picked up an as new Merida the other day for about the same. Both were something like $1200 new.

If you're set on a new bike though I reckon the Reid would have to be a pretty good bet. 105 is GREAT stuff. As new Shimano R500 or Mavic Aksium wheels are absolutely everywhere too, you can often get them for $100-150 and I think they are both great wheels.

+1 to caldina98's comment about sora, my first road bike had sora shifters with the thumb levers and I absolutely hated them.

[LM324]

If you can wait something like the Giant defy 3 would be good. Old stock $1000 bikes (so if you wait until 2014 models come out then 2013 models) are usually discounted to $799. 2013 sora has the second lever to shift like the other shimano groupsets.

The models you linked are all online so you have to factor in shipping. Cell bikes has free shipping (I think) but you have to add $50 for the one on cycling express and shipping for the bike from wiggle is 90 pounds (approx AU$150).

[caldina98]

Giant dealers in qld are having a 20% off 2013 model bikes. I was offered $850 for a defy 2014 model. Dont forget to haggle.

[TMjpn]

TBH, with those 3 - i'd say none. That model tiagra as illustrated is 9 speed - as is the sora on the other 2.

Hit up gumtree and find yourself a well looked after bargain. Hell I was trying to sell a much better bike than all 3 of those for the same money last week!!

[LM324]

TBH, with those 3 - i'd say none. That model tiagra as illustrated is 9 speed - as is the sora on the other 2.

Hit up gumtree and find yourself a well looked after bargain. Hell I was trying to sell a much better bike than all 3 of those for the same money last week!!

The cell bike op linked has Tiagra 4600 (10 speed)

[rjk]

go 10 speed, and 105 you wont be disappointed in the shifting or the ability to find parts for upgradeitis when it hits

[ldrcycles]

Nothing wrong with 9 speed, or even 8 for that matter and parts for either are just as easy to get as 10 speed and usually cheaper. But I still use 7 and even 5 speed .

[elantra]

Nothing wrong with 9 speed, or even 8 for that matter and parts for either are just as easy to get as 10 speed and usually cheaper. But I still use 7 and even 5 speed .

Another vote for 9-Speed here !
That Azzuri looks like a lot of bike for the money.
Cell might be too, but i can't get the website link to work.
But as always the most important consideration is correct fit.
Always leave yourself a bit of spare cash. You might need to buy pedals, lights, lock, saddlebag etc.

[ldrcycles]

But as always the most important consideration is correct fit.

QFT. You could have a McLaren Venge but if it doesn't fit you it's not worth a damn.

[Dragonflyhigh]

Thank you everyone for your comments!! It's very interesting. I plan to buy new because I really don't feel confident in buying used - I don't know what to look for. And also, as another user said, the magic of owning my first new bike.

The Reid Falco Elite that a few people have discussed looks great ($764) http://www.reidcycles.com.au/bicycles/r ... eEj9eGmocA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

However, I just noticed that the Azzuri has been discounted further, to $659 (so $709 including shipping) http://www.cyclingexpress.com/cycle/cle ... -race.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Presumably the Falco Elite is worth the extra $50 for its 105 groupset? Also the Falco Elite seems to come with pedals, whereas the Azzuri does not.

I intend to purchase tomorrow and I'm leaning towards the Falco Elite, unless anyone would like to talk me into another option?

[lobstermash]

Don't let the supply of pedals steer you. They're just crappy toe clips with a plastic cage.

[Dragonflyhigh]

I found a discount code, "GCSS5" that brings the Reid Falco Elite price down to $725.94 (including the current Tour De France 15% off). At that price, it seems like incredible value.

My final concern is that I am unsure whether it can take a pannier, like this one http://www.reidcycles.com.au/parts-acce ... ekHeOGmocA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
There's no reason why it wouldn't be able to have a pannier fitted, is there?

[lobstermash]

No fair, that code (I've been a fan of that blog for a while) didn't work when I bought mine But they did have Mavics in stock

[LM324]

I found a discount code, "GCSS5" that brings the Reid Falco Elite price down to $725.94 (including the current Tour De France 15% off). At that price, it seems like incredible value.

My final concern is that I am unsure whether it can take a pannier, like this one http://www.reidcycles.com.au/parts-acce ... ekHeOGmocA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
There's no reason why it wouldn't be able to have a pannier fitted, is there?

Use the code VIP and get 10% off to make it $687.73 .

You will need to buy p-clamps and nuts and bolts to secure the pannier to the top of the seat stays. It does not have the mounting points like the reid osprey.

[dominicj]

You will need to buy p-clamps and nuts and bolts to secure the pannier to the top of the seat stays. It does not have the mounting points like the reid osprey.

This is less daunting than it sounds. You can even use hose clips that you can buy from any car shop, just as long as you get the right diameter for the tube. I've had a rack mounted in this way on my commuter for years. My tip would be to put something under the clamp to stop it from rubbing away the clear coat of the paint to keep the frame looking as good as possible.

[lobstermash]

A little fibreglass tape is good for putting under clamps.

[LM324]

I use old tubes under the clamps.

[BlueM&M]

O.K. So I needed to get a new bike. I'm committed to my 1st short triathlon in December. Fellow kindy-dad is head coach and founder of the most awarded Tri club in Perth, he was a real competitor through the 90 s so I have trusted his advice.
So imagine my surprise when instead of the latest carbon rocket he points at his iPad and announces
" Get this mate....can't go wrong."
" Reid Falco Elite "
" Shimano 105 group set, no mixed stuff, bulletproof."
" But it's only $760 bucks....."
" Yep and you're gunna get on it and smash it for the next year."

So with a truckload of misgivings we went to the Perth store where "Mitch" fitted us up and we were encouraged to go for a long ride.

My mate is right. I can afford any bike on this forum......but I don't deserve those bikes yet. What I need is a proving bike that I can cut my teeth on.

Weight: topping 10 kg fully laden ....I plan to shed the entire bike weight off my 98 kg torso....irrelevant at this stage

Frame: aluminium is fine....strong as. Forks carbon.

Group set: entire group set.....no mixing.

Brand: this is a biggy....like you I watch the tour I love the look of the latest greatest...it took a long while for me to get over that my ride for the next 2 years or so won't be a Bmc or Malvern carbon glamour. But this also worked in reverse...the Reid bashing I've observed here gave me pause to think if I wasn't Brand brainwashed.

Warranty: frankly what can go wrong with a steel bike on 105 with heavy many spoked wheels. If I do run into problems I have faith that the Local guys will sort it and failing that I can phone the actual owner! Family owned Aussie company.

PRICE: this was the decider. I wavered at the last minute thinking ill stretch to the Malvern C 6. But it is over twice...twice the price. To get a smart looking roadie with full 105 Shimano for under $800 .........done.

Ist ride over and its a winner for my requirements. Did 25kph into a headwind and then hung on to a Specialised Black Missile and held 35 kph for the ride back. The bike feels tight & composed.

In a few years no doubt ill be looking for the next step but for now I'm in love.

[lobstermash]

If you think that's good, you should try their cheapest bike, the Griffon SS. It's my weekend ride and wet weather commuter. I'm almost sad when I look out the window and see sun...