Chewydan

Hi all, hoping to tap in to your collective knowledge for some advice please...


I've been away from road cycling for 2 years following illness and a load of weight gain. I'm on the mend now and having bought an mtb at the start of lockdown, I've managed to shift some weight. Currently at the 100kg mark and aiming to get down to 82-ish in the next few months.


I have a budget of around 3k, my preference would be for a relaxed geometry, disc brakes, 105 / ultegra groupset and comfort - I enjoy long solo rides. I'm itching to get back on the road to continue working on my fitness, but not sure what's best. Opinions on the following would be gratefully received:


a) get trying the usual suspects at my LBS (Domane, Roubaix, Defy, Synapse), hand over the money straight away and get riding this summer. My concern is I'm still too heavy for the type of bike I'm after.


b) spend a bit on a service and replacing consumables on my old bike, an alloy 2012 Cube Peloton Pro. It's never been a great fit as the geometry is a tad aggressive, but it would get me through to next year when I can look to buy something more endurance focussed. I'm guessing service and consumables would eat around 3-400 pounds of the budget.


c) forget about the road bike, keep up my fitness outdoors on the mtb. Hook up the old Cube to a turbo trainer and get zwifting in the garage until I lose the rest of the weight and make the purchase worthwhile.


Open to other ideas not captured above and thanks in advance!


Dan

Jimmy Wisdom

Go check out the bikes that interest you and see if one really captures your fancy. 100kg isn't too heavy.

MSchott

You're definitely not too heavy for those bikes. I was 225 when I resurrected my cycling hobby. I changed my diet and rode a lot. I am now about 200 pounds and ride a Roubaix with zero issues. If you are worried about the ride, these type of bikes allow for wider tires, possibly up to 32mm.

taco2ewsday

Fit is key; can you actually go into the shops in your area to sit on bikes do test rides etc.... no way I'd spend 3k w/o a test ride and the shops where I am are doing curbside only. What does the used bike market look like near you?

Chewydan

Good to know, thanks!

Chewydan

Thanks for that - I guess it was more the wheels I was worried about, but I have a good local wheel builder who could always put a stronger set together until the pounds drop off!

Chewydan

Yes, my LBS have a number of demo bikes although a full bike fit will have to wait until after the current situation. If I can get something in the right ballpark, I'm happy to tweak the fit later. But definitely valid, thanks.

Used would normally be fine, but as I'm after something in carbon fibre, I'd be more confident buying new. Maybe that's a bit of an unfounded concern, but I wouldn't really know what to check / look for with a used bike.

Germanrazor

Go ride each you described and buy “what fits” rather than what looks cool.

Germanrazor

Well it is really a visual for the most part. Look for stress cracks into the clear coat going into the actual carbon, gouges and nicks into the carbon that penetrates through the clear coat, Feel the entire frame with the naked hand for imperfections and pay close attention to meet points and damage to the BB area.

If it is a local sell, tell the seller/owner you wish to have a LBS check it out.