How To Choose Your First Road Bicycle

Getting the ideal road bicycle will go a long way in ensuring that your experiences of road cycling are positive from the very first pedal. If you are looking for advice on what to look for when making the important decision, here are our tips on what to look for before handing over your cash for your first road bicycle.Buying a new road bicycle:What type of road bicycle you look for depends on a few factors:

• How much money you have? 
• How much you would like to grow into the bicycle? 

As long as you can afford it, we would always recommend you buy a new road bicycle. Also if you are buying from a bicycle store, you will almost always get perks like a

• Free bicycle fit
• Free tune-up
• Free bottle cages/bottles

These are excellent things, especially when you are not sure how high to set your saddle, or whether your stem is too short.Buying a used road bicycle:If you do buy a used road bicycle, watch out! If a deal seems too good to be true on online forums, do a proper research about that bicycle and the seller. Plus, you do not know whether a used bicycle has been crashed, abused, or rarely cleaned.If you do go this route, check the frame and components carefully for cracks, scratches, or anything that seems irregular. Run through the gear shifting several times, and check for clicking (especially in the rear derailleur as that might indicate a crash and bent hanger) or slow gear shifting. Be sure to ride the bicycle and see how it feels and fits.Also, while we are not advocating profiling, take stock of the person selling you the road bicycle. If they seem like a trim cyclist, or maybe someone who bought the bicycle and just did not get into the sport, it is probably fine. But you never know. Always stay safe, meet in a public place, and do not give out personal information.Ask yourself a few questions: Does the road bicycle seem to fit the person selling it? Has the steerer tube been cut low or not? Also, if it comes with pedals and a saddle that seem like someone chose them, which might also be a good tip-off that it is stolen. Most cyclists tend keep their saddle and pedals when they sell their road bicycle. Aluminum or Carbon?So you have found yourself a list of road bicycles to choose from. But what are you mainly looking for? Well, that depends on a few variables. If you are brand new to cycling, it is probably best not to jump in with both feet over that carbon frame. With an aluminum bicycle, you will have more leeway to account for that learning curve. 

Specific decisions to make:

• Brands- The answer here is to ride all the brands. You could stick with a reputed and known bicycle manufacturer or go for a new and exciting brand in the market. Also do not be afraid to buy the previous year’s model (You might probably end up getting one on sale). There is absolutely nothing wrong with it, and it will be very much up to date.
• Components- Although you are perfectly welcome to start out with Shimano Sora or SRAM Apex (both the lowest end), you will find that they do not often work as reliably as Tiagra/105 or Rival. Going much higher than these groupsets, however, on an aluminum bicycle it is pointless because really what you get in the higher end Shimano Ultergra/Dura Ace or SRAM Force/Red is more about lighter weight, and aluminum as a material is heavy.
• As far as other things, whatever stock items/accessories are on the road bicycle should be fine if you are a relative beginner. You will probably end up swapping out the saddle for one you find more comfortable, and you will eventually want clipless pedals as you become more used to road cycling. If you are really new to road cycling, keep those strap pedals, and ride with your regular shoes cinched down tight. But you will notice a huge jump in power when you get into a stiff sole and clipless shoe system.

Talking to your local community cycling group might also help you get more clarity on what to look for in a road bicycle.Another reason to buy a new road bicycle–and probably on sale–is that when you have gotten too fast for your first road bicycle in a year or so (or maybe you just want to feel faster), you can probably sell your bicycle on the second hand market for as much as you bought it for. But this is also a good reason to keep your road bicycle clean, lubricated, and in good running condition.T

his might not be a comprehensive list answering all your question about buying your first road bicycle, but it is a place to start.