Shoes & Bikes
muffs
Posts: 17
in General Chat
Hi all,
I'm a complete newbie to triathlon and am just getting myself kitted out. I have £500 to spend on a bike and have been thinking of 2nd hand. Any recommendations would be greatfully recieved.
Also i'm confused with the whole shoes and cleats thing.I take it I buy them both separately and the cleats depend on the pedals? Which is best for someone on a budget? I really have no clue about them so the more info anyone is willing to give me the better.
Many thanks
Matt
I'm a complete newbie to triathlon and am just getting myself kitted out. I have £500 to spend on a bike and have been thinking of 2nd hand. Any recommendations would be greatfully recieved.
Also i'm confused with the whole shoes and cleats thing.I take it I buy them both separately and the cleats depend on the pedals? Which is best for someone on a budget? I really have no clue about them so the more info anyone is willing to give me the better.
Many thanks
Matt
0
Comments
i'll let someone else persuade you that the 500quid you have for a second hand bike is best spent on a £1000 carbon monster
if you are really interested in clipless (cleated) shoes then i think you have 2 routes open - mtb (spd) and road (spd-sl/look type). they each have their benefits and it depends on what sort of cycling you do and how you want to use them.
mtb type (spd's) are a really good pedal/cleat for the beginner. they are small-ish, metal studs with a 2-bolt fixing. there are tons of pedals and shoes available to match pretty much any budget. wiggle do a really good budget road shoe that takes spd's. you can easily get spd shoes with a recess in the sole to take the cleat so that you can walk (or perhaps even jog) easily in them. they make a great commuter set up - easy to walk in and also easy to get used to and get out of. i reckon you could do shoes and pedals for £60-70 new, perhaps.
road type (spd-sl / look ) are a bit more geared to the road rider. the cleats are much bigger with a 3-bolt fixing. you can't get the cleat recessed so walking is a real bugger, it's something like a mincing duck trying to fall over backwards. the connection to the pedal is a lot larger, stronger and more secure, the upside is that you feel a good power transfer and control. the downside is that to start with they are harder to get in and out of. most tri shoes are this type. you'll spend nearer £100 for this set up, i think.
if it sounds like i am promoting the spd's more then you be right for a beginner. i've got both sorts on various bikes and much prefer spd-sl's. once you've used them for a while spd's feel really loose and wobbly. cleats come with the pedals so just make sure the shoes can take that sort of cleat (2-bolt /3-bolt thing).
sorry, long and rambling, but hopefully helpful.
I would also feel a little out of place on a carbon bike (beginner looking like a pro but not delivering the performace and all that). I've already made on cock up like that by buying an Ironman Tri suit (such an idiot).
i think in terms of a road bike the thing to watch for (and it is mentioned in the2nd hand bike thread) is some frames are quite relaxed/leisure type. they will be fine for starting out on and getting used to but they are harder at getting speed out of them.
spesh (allez and even more the secteur) are pretty relaxed frames. trek are a bit more racy geometry that should last you a bit longer. i have an allez that i bought 18months ago and mid-way through last season i realised that i was going to struggle to wring much more speed out of it.
There are plenty of decent entry-level bikes in the £500 range. My Allez served me well. I upgraded the wheels but overall it's a pretty solid starter. I posted the second fastest bike split in a tri on it, so it's certainly not sluggish.
I'm sure others will mention the Boardman range at Halfords. They have had great reviews and a mate has the £1,500 pro carbon, which he loves. The starter, at £499, seems pretty well specced and is lighter than some more expensive bikes out there.
But try out as many as you can.
Thanks again
Matt