There will always been some disagreement over what people call ‘cheap’ but with the advent of the Cyclescheme and other similar purchase offers, most really serious road bikes kick off around £1000. We took a quick straw poll in the office and when most of us took the first proper steps towards becoming cyclists, we each spent around £500 on our first bikes.
Some researched their purchase for months, others went straight out to their local bike shop and asked the staff for their advice. But what came out, time and time again, was that number - £500. It's here that road bikes begin to look like serious racers: the gear shifters are combined with the brake levers so your hands can stay in one comfy position, the frames are made of lighter materials such as butted aluminium, and perhaps even carbon fibre.
You can pick up a bike for less but often they're heavy, ineffecient and will grumble if you really up the mileage. They'll be fine for fair-weather weekend riding, but start training for a sportive and their shortcomings will soon show. With that in mind, we decided that to us ‘cheap’ road bikes are anything under £1000, but above £500, so (in no particular order) here’s a run down of our favourite plus a buying guide at the end to help you with sizing, what questions to ask, what accessories to buy and how to go about planning your first big ride.
GT GTS Sport - £500
The cheapest bike in our cheap bike round up, the GT GTS offers a fun ride that is perfect for aspiring racers. The GTS Sport feels like a bike in £1000+ category thanks to its nice quality parts and low, aggressive position.
Aprire Inverno Sora - £650
British brand Aprire’s first foray in the sub-£1000 market is an exciting prospect that requires serious consideration. The aluminium frame is light and comfortable, while the full Shimano Sora groupset and Mavic Aksium wheels make the bike an absolute bargain.
Avanti Giro 2 - £720
Excluse to online brand Wiggle, the Giro 2 is a well specced bike that’s come all the way from New Zealand. The big let down is the peculiar handlebar shape, but if you can get over that it could be a winner.
Raleigh Criterium - £750
The Raleigh Criterium is a very sensibly specced bike featuring a complete Shimano Tiagra groupset. The whole bike is well made, with some nice touches aimed at the UK commuter but the whole bike is a little on the heavy side.
Pinnacle Dolomite 4 - £800
Two entries into our list for Pinnacle, but they’re both completely different. The disc equipped Dolomite 4 is a great fun aluminium all-rounder, only let down by the tyres
Pinnacle Dolomite Six - £950
Pinnacle has made a name for itself by delivering quality bikes at fantastic value and the Dolomite Six is no exception. The aluminium frame handles excellently and is incredibly versatile. Shipping with a Shimano 105 11-speed groupset (bar the long drop brakes) it’s a good quality bit of kit.
Cube Peloton SL - £950
Another great value aluminium frame, but due to a lack of mudguard mounts or rack mounts this model from German giants Cube is more race than tour. The geometry also needs a close eye to ensure you get the correct fit as the sizing gaps are large, but get it right and it’s a fantastic little race bike.
Boardman Team Carbon - £1000
The only carbon bike in our cheap bike round up, the Team Carbon is an upgrade worthy frame. There has to be concessions somewhere of course and the Team Carbon comes with a Shimano Tiagra groupset and own brand finishing kit. It’s almost worth it for the frame alone, even if it’s not terribly exciting to ride.
So you you've narrowed it down to a few choice models? Great - now take a look a our buying advice below to help you out when you look at purchasing a road bike from your local bike shop. Remember - just because you're going for a cheaper road bike doesn't mean you should be asking different questions or expecting a different level of service.
Getting the perfect fit
Getting the right size is one of the most important aspects of buying a new bike. With a wide range of sizes available, often with small jumps between them (2cm in most cases), it can be a daunting prospect. Fortunately, a good bike shop should take care of you. A word of warning: be careful when referring to bikes by their frame sizes. Some manufacturers measure things differently, but our handy geometry chart on each bike review should give you a starting point.
The main two things to worry about are saddle height and reach. There are lots of different methods to work out your correct saddle height, but as a general rule, when your foot is at its lowest point your knee should have a 30 degree bend, as that’s the angle that gets your big glute muscles firing. The reach is something that you need to get a feel for, but if you’ve never ridden a road bike with dropped bars before, this can feel quite stretched and will take some getting used to.
It’s almost always the case that when your saddle is the correct height, you won’t be able to remain sat on it and have your feet flat on the floor. The reality is that you never really have to do this. If you’re nervous about it, plan ahead for your stops so you can pull up at a kerb and rest your foot on that.
Choosing your pedals
A lot of new bikes don’t come with pedals, so your first big decision is whether to go for flat pedals or clipless. Flat pedals may be more versatile (because you can use them wearing regular shoes), but they’re inefficient. Trainers flex a lot at the sole, so you lose a lot of pedalling power wearing them – it’s like trying to knock in a nail with a rubber hammer.
Clipless pedals (so-called because they replace traditional toeclips and straps) work by binding to a cleat that’s screwed onto the sole of the shoe. The shoes that go with clipless pedals have far stiffer soles to make pedalling more efficient and a lot more comfortable.
There are two distinct patterns of clipless pedal – two-bolt (Shimano SPD), and three-bolt (including Shimano SPD-SL or Look). Two-bolt cleats are usually recessed into the sole of the shoe to make walking easier – these are favoured by mountain bike riders. Walking is possible in three-bolt cleats, but you may look like a penguin. Also check that your shoes are compatible with your pedals – the shop will be able help with this.
With a little perseverance, once you’ve got the hang of clipless pedals, you’ll be able to release your foot far quicker than you could pull your shoes out of old-fashioned toeclips.
Ask the right questions
Before you go and take a look at what your local bike shop has to offer, it pays to do your research and have a good think about what you want from your purchase. Mudguards and a rack? Rim or disc brakes? Is the bike going to be used mainly for commuting or leisure riding? There are so many different models to choose from, that if you don’t have a good idea of what you need from it, you’ll likely end up totally bewildered. It also helps the shop, as they know what they can safely recommend, rather than relying purely on guesswork.
Most shops will include a servicing package to help keep your bike in good shape and will probably offer a discount on accessories. If you’d like to swap some parts on the bike straight out the box, ask – but don’t count on the shop doing it free of charge. If it’s an own-brand stem, they might not have one in stock, but things like cassettes or tyres are normally done for the cost difference.
Sale bikes can be great, but don’t compromise on getting the correct size for a groupset upgrade. You’ll be much happier – and faster – on a bike that’s comfortable. Second-hand bikes can be a bargain but are a minefield: unless you know the pitfalls to avoid, we’d recommend steering clear.
Essential extras
When buying a new bike you’ll have to reserve a portion of your budget for essential kit. Luckily, most shops will cut you a deal if you buy these at the same time. Expect to spend about £50 for a decent helmet, and try several makes and models to find the best fit.
Whether you’re planning to ride on your own or with friends, you’ll need enough small tools to be self-sufficient. You will get a puncture at some point, so practise changing an inner tube at home until you’re confident you’ll be able to do it on the road when all your friends are watching (and heckling).
The minimum kit we’d recommend would include a set of tyre levers (Topeak Shuttle levers, £5.99, extrauk.co.uk), two spare inner tubes (around £5 each; ensure you get the correct type – road bikes use Presta valves), a pack of glueless patches (Park Tool Super Patch, £3.49, madison.co.uk), and last but not least, a mini pump (Lezyne Gauge Drive HP, £40, upgradebikes.co.uk). Some big brands such as Bontrager and Specialized do a kit that includes all these items, and a saddlebag to stow them in. Buy a multitool – look for something that includes 3, 4, and 5mm allen keys (Topeak Mini 20 Pro, £29, extrauk.co.uk). It’s worth getting a bottle cage and a sports bottle, too.
Plan your first ride
Once you’ve got the bike all your kit together, you’ll be keen to get riding, but it pays to spend some time planning your first outing to avoid potential problems that may arise. Twenty miles is a good distance to start with – you don’t want to risk running out of food, water and energy, or discovering a fault in your bike when you’re a long way from home.
If you don’t know the best roads for cycling in your area, the Strava website is useful – it has a great ride-planning tool that makes route suggestions based on their popularity with other cyclists. You can then use the Strava app on your smartphone to navigate, while recording your journey.
This is also a good time to think about how the bike feels. Is the saddle a little low? Get your multitool out and shift it up a little. Short test rides are good for working out any small adjustments like this you need to make.
Once you’re comfortable riding on your own, you can start looking at riding with others and maybe joining a club. Most clubs have rides aimed at newer cyclists and often offer training sessions to develop group riding skills. British Cycling will help you find local cycling clubs. We’d recommend trying a few out first before taking the final plunge.