How To Choose Your First Road Bike

Thinking of trying road cycling? There's plenty to think about. The world of bikes can be very confusing, particularly if you're new to the sport. Here's a short guide to help you understand the basics, and choose the right bike for you. Scroll to the bottom for our bike recommendations.

Some Things to Consider

Budget

Let's get this out of the way at the start. It's very helpful to establish a clear budget before you start looking. Cycling can be expensive, but it doen't have to cost the earth. Expect to spend at least £700 for an entry-level road bike. Mid-range bikes start around £1200. When planning your budget, consider the cost of accessories such as shoes, pedals, a helmet, clothing and ideally some lights. Some will say to spend as much as you can on the bike, as it's much cheaper to buy the right one in the first place than it is to upgrade later. This is true. Others will tell you to include the accessories in your initial budget, as there's no point having a nice bike if you're going to ride it in uncomfortable clothes and a pair of floppy trainers. This is also true. Whether you buy the accessories up-front, or add them later, just be aware that you are going to need to buy them at one point or another either way. Expect to spend around £300 on accessories if you want to make the most of your new bike.

The Quality Curve

Bikes require regular cleaning and maintenance. Most of the moving parts are on the outside, where they're subject to grit, salt, dirt and sweat, all of which will do their best to corrode, erode and generally mess with your expensive new purchase. Looking after your bike regularly is a small investment of time which will save you a large investment of money at the workshop. It helps to think about bikes a bit like cars:

The Lada (up to £700)

Basic bikes have basic parts made of cheap materials, with poor manufacturing tolerances. They break frequently, but are simple and inexpensive to fix. Buy a Lada or Daewoo, and you'll expect to spend a lot of the time at the side of the road with a big hammer - same with road bikes below around £700.

The Skoda (£800-1800)

Step up the range and the quality improves: if you buy yourself a Skoda or a Toyota, and you'll get a much better performing car that is also much more reliable. Treat it well, it'll last a very long time. Treat it poorly, and it'll still put up a brave fight, enduring minimal maintenance. This is equivalent to around the £800-1800 in road bikes. This is arguably the best value for money proposition if you're not too fussed about performance – expect to see a sturdy aluminium frame with sensible mid-range parts.

The Audi (£2000-4000)

Above that, you're getting to the slightly more premium vehicles – think Audi and BMW. Performance takes a step up, and you start getting some fancy performance features. They're still very reliable, but maintenance becomes more important. While your Skoda could handle a bit of abuse, delaying an oil change on your Audi could be a very costly mistake. This is a bit like the bikes in the £2-4,000 range, with components such as Shimano 105 or SRAM Rival.

The Ferrari (£5000-15000)

Then you get to the fancy stuff. Do you really need it? Of course not. Is it nice to have? Absolutely. Once you get up nearer the top-tier, durability often begins to drop away in favour of peak performance. Think of these as the supercars – Ferraris offer fantastic performance and user experience, but they're sensitive souls which require careful storage and maintenance, unless you're happy with frequent big bills. Bikes at the top-end often begin to become a little more fragile and highly-strung, with exotic materials and design choices which prioritise performance over practicality.

What's my point here? Don't assume that just because you spent a lot of money, that your bike is going to be trouble-free. Expensive bikes are made of expensive parts, which require extensive maintenance. Pay more: expect to also maintain it more if you want to get your money's worth. If you're limited to one bike, it can be better to spend a little less on the bike, and invest some time and money in maintenance. Many regular cyclists traditionally have a "best/summer bike" and a "winter bike". The winter bike might be a retired best bike, or it might be a nice reliable Skoda-equivalent – it gets the job done reliably, but it's still cheap to run.

If you're not sure how much you want to commit, it's best to err on the side of caution – a cheaper bike can still be really useful in your daily life if you decide you want to upgrade to something fancier further down the line.

What About Second Hand Bikes?

Buying a used bike can be a great way to get a high-spec bike for a low price. It can also be a great way to waste your hard-earned money on a well-polished turd. Bikes and components wear out, but it can be hard to spot if you're not sure what you're looking for. A bike that has been regularly cleaned and polished can be totally worn out, but still look fantastic, until the chain snaps 2 miles down the road.

Never buy a used bike without seeing it in person. Ideally, take someone with you who knows a little more about bikes, or buy from trusted acquaintances. As always, keep your wits about you online and don't be daft: if it sounds too good to be true, it's probably too good to be true. Check out our Outlet Store for some pre-loved and ex-demo deals!

What is it Actually For?

It's important to be honest with yourself here. Road bikes come in many different subcategories and niches, all of which will offer different benefits to different people, and sometimes what works for one won't work for another. Think about what you'll really be using the bike for most of the time, not just of the romantic image of a 20-year-old version of yourself racing into the sunset, looking good in lycra. Just because the pros do something a certain way doesn't mean that's right for you.

If you're planning to commute regularly and have a budget around £700, consider looking at Hybrid bikes rather than road bikes. For the same price, you'll get a far more practical and feature-packed bike, which can handle a bigger range of terrain. At that price point, a hybrid will likely have features such as hydraulic disc brakes, something you won't find on road bikes until above £1000. It won't be as fast, but it'll be a lot more practical, and cheaper to run.

If you're planning leisure rides alone or with family, consider a Gravel bike. These are very nearly as quick as a road bike, but so much more versatile. They're great for country lanes, dirt tracks and adventures into the unknown, but still hold a decent speed on the tarmac too. If you like the sound of this, check out our into to Gravel bikes here!

If you're only interested in road riding for enjoyment, then an Endurance road bike will be the way to go. Consider models like the Merida Scultura Endurance or Giant Defy. These are tarmac machines intended for normal people who want to enjoy the ride, not just push their limits. Endurance bikes generally have more relaxed, upright riding positions than Race bikes, as well as a softer, smoother ride quality, and occasionally some more practical features such as mudguard mounts for winter use. For most riders, particularly those over 40, Endurance bikes are the way to go if you're not planning to race.

If you really enjoy pushing yourself, and have a good level of finess and flexibility (or you're willing to work on it), Race bikes are the way to go. They're the fastest, most efficient bikes, with sharp handling and excellent responsiveness. If you want to get into Triathlon, Time Trial or Road Racing, consider a Race bike. Models like the Giant TCR and Trek Madone are great starting points. If you have the fitness and the flexibility to comfortably ride one, you'll have a fantastic time. If you don't, you might enjoy the first hour or so, then find yourself achy, sore and a long way from home.

Comfort, Saddles and Riding Position

As mentioned above, different bikes have different riding positions. This can make a huge difference to the comfort and enjoyment of your ride. While there's plenty of adjustments you can make, it's always easiest to find a bike which is the closest to what you need, ideally with a bit of wiggle room to adjust one way or another. For example, if you're thinking of getting into road racing, it could be worth buying a bike which you can ride comfortably, but has the scope to allow you to lower the handlebars for a more aggressive riding position as your body adapts. Conversely, if you're advancing in years, consider buying a bike which will accommodate a more relaxed riding position than you currently need, allowing you to continue to enjoy your purchase well into the future. Consider going for a bike fit to see which bikes might work best for you, before you start.

Comfort is also influenced by the ride quality of the bike, as well as the riding position. Larger tyres, tuned frame flex and vibration-dissipating materials can all help to improve the ride comfort of a bike. It's important to differentiate between the comfort of the riding position and the comfort of the ride quality when looking at bike reviews: the Giant TCR is very comfortable for a Race bike – the ride quality is quite smooth, but it still has quite an aggressive, forward riding position for performance riding. If you want to go fast, look at bikes with 28 to 32mm tyres. For more mixed riding, look at 32mm upwards.

Saddles can be counterintuitive - sometimes less is more. Saddles are a very personal thing, but consider that there's only a limited amount of space down there, so a big squishy sofa isn't necessarily the right choice. The best saddles support you under your sit bones, without causing pressure on other things. Remember that saddle width is dictated by your sit bone width and riding position, not by your external width. A little aching and bruising under your sit bones is normal at first, but pain, soreness and numbness is not. Expect to have to try a different saddle, as the one that comes with your bike may not be right for you.

Do I Need A Women's Bike?

Maybe! But there are many other things to consider. Most brands no longer offer women's specific models, but most bikes are now a lot more female-friendly than they used to be anyway. Of course, everyone is built differently, some more different than others, but as a general rule, average woman will have a proportionally shorter torso and arms than the average man for their height. They will also have a proportionally longer femur in relation to overall leg length. This can mean than some unisex race bikes feel far too long, making it difficult to reach the handlebars. This of course does not apply to everyone.

Handlebar shape has traditionally been an issue, as many women have smaller hands than men, and may not have as much upper body strength. However, many smaller bikes now come with narrower handlebars by default, and drop handlebars now tend to have a "compact" drop. Rather than curling forward and down away from you, then curl back in towards you, making them much easier to reach.

The main thing to consider is that if you have particularly small or weak hands, consider a bike with hydraulic disc brakes. These produce a lot more braking power for a lot less effort at the lever, and can be adjusted more extensively without losing braking performance. Cable-operated disc brakes can be quite difficult for people with small hands to use, requiring a lot of lever throw and a firm grip to get full power.

While an off-the-shelf women's bike may fit you better, it's often fairly easy to adapt a unisex bike to work, by changing the saddle and handlebars, so don't rule out a unisex bike iimmediately. Some women fit unisex bikes better, some men would be more comfortable on women's bike geometry. If you like the sound of a women's specific bike, have a look at Liv - they're Giant's women's specific brand, and there's a corresponding Liv model for almost every Giant model. They're serious bikes, raced at international level by some iconic athletes, and the entire frame design is different to the unisex models - there's no "shrink it and pink it" here. The paintwork tends to be very nice too. However, don't rule out a unisex bike without a little consideration.

Frame Material

You'll hear a lot of generalisations about all of the frame materials (#steelisreal). There are enough caveats to these to make them mostly useless. It's not so much about the material, as the way that the material has been used. Making a good bike requires a compromise between stiffness and flex – if the bike is too rigid, you'll feel ever pebble in the road surface, and the handling will feel very nervous and twitchy. Too flexy, and your power will be wasted as the frame flops side-to-side rather than propelling you forward. The best bikes have good lateral and torsional stiffness, while maintaining a level of vertical flex to reduce the amount of road buzz which gets passed up to the rider. This can be accomplished with any of the frame materials, with clever design.

To Generalise: Steel bikes will be a bit heavy, but strong and smooth. Steel is also the most environmentally friendly choice. Aluminium bikes will offer a compromise between weight and performance, at a good price. Carbon fibre bikes will offer better weight and performance, but at a higher price – if you're serious about performance, this is your best option. Cheap carbon fibre tends to be a false economy. Titanium offers a similar smooth ride and durability to steel, but with lighter weight for a higher price.

Components

Hang around with a group of cyclists for a while, and you might hear things like "You need Ultegra mate" or "I only ride SRAM, not Sh*tmano". It's easy to get caught up with the expectations of experienced riders who have very specific demands from their equipment. Entry level and mid-range components have improved significantly in recent years, so that guy who hasn't ridden an entry-level bike since the 90s should probably be taken with a pinch of salt – things are a lot better now than when they started off.

Gears and Brakes

There are three main brands of gears to look out for in road cycling: Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo. All three brands make excellent products, despite what people might say. You might also see brands such as Microshift up to around the £1000 mark – they're quickly becoming a more major player in the entry-level market. Most bikes are equipped with a full set of gears and brakes from one brand, referred to as a "Groupset" or "Gruppo". It used to be possible to mix-and-match parts from different brands, but these days inter-compatibility is very limited.

Almost all road bikes sold now have disc brakes. Entry level bikes have cable-actuated disc brakes, while everything else is Hydraulic. Hydraulic brakes are more powerful, self-adjusting (to an extent) and quite low-maintenance.

Most road bikes have two chainrings at the front (a double chainset), paired with 8 to 13 gears at the back. If you hear a bike referred to as 12-speed, it usually means it has 12 gears on the rear cassette, regardless of whether it has 1 or 2 chainrings at the front. Bikes with a single chainring at the front are usually referred to as 1x (pronounced 1-by, eg. one-by-twelve-speed). 12-speed is the "standard" for most performance road bikes at the moment. The more gears you have, the more gear range you can get, without having jarring gaps between gear ratios which interrupt your pedalling cadence.

Almost all mid-to-high-end bikes now have electronic shifting. Rather than the shifter pulling a cable which moves the derailleur to change gear, pushing a button on the shifter sends an electronic signal to the derailleur to change gear. Benefits include slightly more precise shifting, and no need to run two corrosion-prone cables through your frame. Drawbacks include more batteries to remember to charge, and the possibility of electrical gremlins causing mischief.

If you're going for leisure rides and don't have any performance ambitions, groupsets such as Shimano Claris, Sora and CUES 8/9 speed, or Microshift R-series will give you 8 to 10 gears. They work reliably, and they're cheap to maintain, but the braking and shifting performance isn't as sharp as something higher-spec (not that this matters if you're riding sedately and don't care for pushing yourself).

If you're riding a bit more regularly and want to push yourself, or want something that will handle everyday commuting, look at bikes with Shimano Tiagra, CUES 10/11-speed, Shimano 105 Mechanical and SRAM Apex. These perform a little better without becoming too expensive to run, and you'll generally get Hydraulic brakes (although make sure to check - there are cable operated versions of these too). These bikes make great winter training machines if you're also planning on getting something fancy for racing. Most regular cyclists should consider something in this category.

If you're planning on racing or pushing yourself hard, then you really should consider a bike with at least Shimano 105 or SRAM Rival, or Campagnolo Chorus. These bikes will give you a much more refined experience, with faster shifting, lower weight components and fancier features. As these components come in matching groupsets, it makes much more sense to get the bike with the right parts in the first place - piecemeal upgrades won't work (for example, if you wanted to upgrade from Shimano Sora to 105, you would need to change almost every single component except for the bottom bracket). Consider that these components will require more regular cleaning and maintenance to stay in good condition, and will be expensive to replace when they wear out or are damaged by neglect.

Above this level, you're getting into the performance/durability tradeoff. If you're buying a bike with components such as Shimano Ultegra or DURA-ACE, SRAM Force or Red, or Campagnolo Super Record, be prepared to pay more for spare parts, and understand that you won't get the benefit of these fancy parts if you don't keep them in good condition. Are these parts better? Absolutely. Do you need them to enjoy your ride and achieve your goals? Absolutely not. Particularly when you're starting off, far bigger performance gains can be made from improving your fitness and form than from buying expensive parts.

Wheels and Tyres

Wheels can be a bit of a minefield too. As a general rule, as with bikes, quality increases to a certain point, then durability starts to drop off as performance increases. The good thing is that wheels can be easily interchanged or upgraded. It's always good to ask about servicing requirements, as regular maintenance is much cheaper than expensive repair.

 Going back to the car analogy, Lada bikes generally come with basic, heavy and durable wheels. For the intended use of the bike, these are usually fine. These are usually not tubeless. Skoda bikes often have what you would refer to as a "training wheel" - something a step up from basic, which tends to have reasonably durable construction and well-sealed bearings, but might not be the most lightweight or aerodynamic.

Audi-level bikes often come with carbon fibre wheels, or higher-end aluminium wheels. These will be lighter and more aerodynamic, and make the bike feel more responsive. They should still be fairly durable, but be wary of using them extensively in bad weather without regular maintenance. Ferrari-level bikes often have wheels with lighter seals optimised for bearing performance, along with corrosion-prone aluminium parts, and features such as internal spoke nipples, which are expensive and difficult to repair. Save these for summer use if you can.

Most high end bikes now come with tubeless tyres. These work best in larger sizes, at lower pressures. Some bikes are supplied tubeless already, others are tubeless-ready (TLR). Tubeless tyres contain some sealant, which should fix most small punctures. The lack of inner tube reduces friction, making the tyre more flexible. Adding puncture resistance to a tyre increases weight and reduces flexibility, making it feel slower and less comfortable. The sealant allows the use of a slightly flimsier, faster tyre, relying on the sealant to address any punctures. It also permits the use of lower tyre pressures – you can't get a pinch puncture if there's no inner tube to pinch. Tubeless tyres can be run with inner tubes in if necessary, and you can revert back to tubed tyres if you like.

Some bikes have Hookless (TSS) tubeless wheels. These wheels require the use of a hookless-compatible tubeless ready tyre, regardless of whether you use an inner tube or not. They should not exceed 73psi. Using a standard clincher tyre on a hookless rim can be very dangerous. Be mindful of this.

If you've ridden road bikes in the past, you'll need to re-think your approach to tyre pressures, as things have changed a lot since the days of skinny 19mm slicks. Larger tyres offer a smoother, comfier ride, at the expense of a small amount of speed. 32mm tyres are a great sweet-spot for general road riding. Don't worry about slick tyres - knobs of tread only work when they have a soft surface to bite into, and bike tyres are far too narrow to aquaplane at achievable speeds. With road tyres, it's all about contact patch and rubber compound, just like with F1 tyres.

Handlebars, Stems and Integration

Lots of higher-end bikes now come with integrated parts for better aerodynamics. These look great, and offer a small performance benefit. The faster you go, the bigger an impact aerodynamics will make. However, this significantly reduces the amount you can adjust the bike to fit you. To begin with, it's worth looking at a bike which has a separate handlebar and stem, rather than an all-in-one "integrated cockpit".

Many bikes come with different handlebar setups at different price points, so it may be worth looking at one with separate bars and stem to begin with, as you can always upgrade to a fancy one-piece carbon fibre bar and stem once you're happy with your riding position. You won't notice a huge performance increase from this upgrade, however - it's more about the look, unless you're riding at pro speeds.

Integrated setups can be very fiddly to assemble and take apart. If you ride a lot in all weathers, this is an important consideration - servicing and replacing your headset bearings can become an onerous and expensive task. Dismantling your bike for travel can also become a more difficult prospect.

Do I Need The Silly Shoes?

You really should consider riding with proper cycling shoes. They secure your foot firmly in place, and allow for a more complete pedals stroke, engaging more of your muscle groups if set up correctly. If you're not racing, look at XC Mountain or Gravel shoes with SPD pedals. These have soles with tread, and the cleat is recessed into the tread, so you can still walk around easily. If you're worried about falling off, you can adjust the pedals to release very easily, or even get cleats which release upwards in an emergency situation.

If you want to really push yourself, road cleats and pedals are the way to go. They offer a lower stack height, and provide much less side-to-side movement, holding your foot very firmly in place with a big triangular plastic cleat. They will make you walk like a duck, and they can be harder to clip into, so if you're commuting or riding a lot in heavy traffic, maybe consider MTB style shoes instead - they can still be very stiff, efficient shoes.

Our Bike Recommendations

Best Entry Level Endurance Road Bike

Trek Domane AL 2

With a relaxed geometry, lightweight aluminium frame and generous tyre clearance, the Trek Domane AL2 makes a great entry level road bike. It's smooth and comfortable, with a consistent level of components across the range. If you really get into cycling, it'll make a great commuter, winter bike or light gravel bike. If it's more of an occasional thing, then it's more than adequate as it is.

Best Value Endurance Bike

Merida Scultura Endurance 300

If you want the Skoda of road bikes, look no further. The Merida Scultura Endurance 300 is a great compromise between performance and durability. The frame is reasonably light and sporty, but with a fairly relaxed riding position. The components strike a great balance between price and performance – good enough to withstand regular heavy use, without being to expensive to repair. A great year-round road bike with a lot of potential.

Best Amateur Racer

Merida Reacto 5000

Want to start racing? The Reacto 5000 is a fantastic race bike. The frameset is aerodynamic and responsive, with clearance for up to 32mm tyres. The wheels are aluminium, but semi aero; fast enough to race wth and great for training. The separate aluminium bar and stem make for easy adjustments, and you can always upgrade to a full carbon cockpit in future. Whack in a pair of carbon fibre wheels, and you have a race-day weapon. This bike delivers a lot for the price, it's easily adjustable, and can be easily upgraded if necessary.

Best Performance-for-the-Price Endurance Bike

Giant Defy Advanced Pro 1 / Liv Avail Advanced Pro 1

Giant's Defy endurance bike is a geat choice for anyone riding regularly. The frame gives a smooth and responsive ride, with an upright, relaxed riding position. It has SRAM electronic gears, carbon wheels and clearance for 32mm tyres. If you love cycling, but you're not racing, this bike is worth serious consideration. The matching Liv Avail Advanced Pro 1 is also well worth a look.