Russ Roth

Check out something like these
https://bikesdirect.com/products/mot...avel-bikes.htm
https://bikesdirect.com/products/mot...e-roadbike.htm
https://www.bikesonline.com/2023-pol...sora-road-bike
https://www.poseidonbike.com/product...43625995469028

Looks like the bike you're picking out is around 600, depending on where you live many of these bikes ship free and the companies don't always have tax which can bridge some of the price difference.
When looking at a cheap bike the one thing I highly recommend is to avoid anything 7sp, if the rear cogs start with a 14t, then the hub is a freewheel and in my experience not a great system. Freewheels worked well for 5 and 6 speed but came to suck with 7sp when the hub spacing widened. It also means the bike isn't upgradeable unless you replace the wheels first and then you have to waste money on a 7sp cassette at the same time. Better to just start with an 8sp. From there some upgrades are possible but with any of the bikes I listed the bike quality will be decent, not great or amazing, but good and reliable. After a certain point, more expensive bikes are just better but its a systemic thing, the fork and frame is better, not just the parts, and upgrades will only get you so far, but if you can bump your cost a little you'll get a bike that is decent enough you can ride it a long time before worrying about just getting a better bike.

This has never been my experience, we live in the internet age, it takes a little time and searching to get something better than what you'd get at the store for less money.

smd4

With bikes, you really do tend to get what you pay for.

sean.hwy

This ^^^^ 100%

I loved my first bike hybrid bike. It was too expensive and not the common standard to upgrade. I had no shimano disc brakes with quick release and only 9 speed. getting tires for it was a pain. it had like 47mm road tires on a wide rim i thinnk it was 650b.

If you could afford it I would get a topstone gravel bike. thru axle; disc brake, threaded bottom bracket. round seat post and round stem. just a normal bike you can upgrade or least find parts for it 20 years from now.



topstone 1 $ 2,200 2x grx i would get this bike if you have enough saved up
https://mikesbikes.com/products/cann...40483601285189

if 2k is a little much you can get a topstone 4 same alloy frame so you can upgrade the whole bike later if you want.
topstone 4 $1,200
https://mikesbikes.com/products/cann...9f67d9e9&_ss=r

veganbikes

No a cheap bike is not worth upgrading. Get what you want from the get go. Spend the money because in the end upgrading is expensive and the only reason to upgrade if you have a really good frame worthy of upgrading. A bottom end bike is there to ride into the ground till you can get what you want. That 105 bike is going to be an entry level bike, it is going to be a good solid reliable bike vs just a low initial cost bike. The lower the price generally the more expensive it is in the long term. If you really cannot afford the bike wait a bit or see if your local shop can do any financing.

Herzlos

The Triban RC 100 is good in that it's cheap, but I'd strongly recommend looking at the RC120 instead.

The RC 100 has bar shifters, so you need to move your hands off the hoods/bakes to change gear which is a pain and unnerving if you're not confident. The RC120 has proper shifters built into the brake levers so you can leave your hands where you are.

The RC120 will do the job fine for a long time, so I wouldn't even bother trying to upgrade it. After you've had it a while then you can always look for a better bike based on what you like/dislike about the first one.

It's also worth noting that there are some good deals on the used market - you can get a lightly used RC500/520 for about the same price as a new RC120, assuming you don't qualify for the cycle to work scheme. If you're not sure what you're looking for then it's worth seeing if you can meet in a bike shop or bring someone more knowledgable with you, but you basically just need to look at condition and check that all of the gears and brakes work, that there's no rattles or grinding noises.


(I wasted a LOT of money initially by buying cheaper bikes and upgrading parts, then selling them and buying nicer bikes).

PeteHski

As most others have said, it doesn't make sense to upgrade a very low-end bike. But it's okay to start off with a bike like the Triban RC100 if it's all you can afford right now and then buy another better bike later on when you have more experience. Consider it a consumable bike rather than something to upgrade.

If you do have a larger budget available then I would seriously consider starting off with a better bike with a frame worth upgrading. But you would need to be confident in knowing what sort of bike you really want long term for that to work out. If you buy a decent bike that turns out to be unsuitable then you are back to square one and more out of pocket. A really cheap bike like the Triban might help you to get some riding experience without investing too much money up front.

Do you have any knowledgable biking friends who could help you to find a good quality used bike? This is the most cost-effective way to get started and could lead to a viable upgrade path later on. But it needs input from someone who knows what they are doing as there is a lot of junk out there!

alcjphil

I agree with this. Although the RC 100 is inexpensive, the RC 120 is far superior in that it would provide years of riding without any pressing need to upgrade. The 8 speed cassette is a better choice than the 7 speed freewheel on the Rc 100. As well, the RC 100 has no front derailleur, greatly limiting gear choices. I would choose a bike from Decathlon before any bike from Canadian Tire. Any Decathlon store I have been in has a well equipped shop area with all the proper tools needed to assemble and adjust a new bike. I have never seen anything like this in any Canadian Tire store

PeteHski

I would definitely second Decathlon as a good store for budget bikes. They do offer excellent value for money and their higher end bikes are actually pretty decent. If you can afford to step up their range I would certainly do so.

Maelochs

Hwere is one final bit of "wisdom" from me ... (everyone is laughing at that .... )

Really, why upgrade a bike?

The only real "upgrades" one need consider are saddle 9because everyone's body is different and you need the right saddle shape for you) and wheels (because e=a lot of manufacturers don't put much money into wheels.)

Whether buying a lower-cost bike or a really good one, upgrading is usually not financially feasible.

A groupset---the running gear--shifters, chain rings, derailleurs, cassette----will run several hundred to a couple thousand dollars, retail. Buy a bike that already has the stuff you want, because (as was noted above) manufacturers buy in bulk and get all that much cheaper. get a basic bike and just ride it while saving up for a bike which already has the stuff you want.

Wheels can cost the same or more (for the really high-end stuff.) But if you are a serious rider----lots and lots of miles, competition, whatever---you might want to use really good wheels. Generally they last longer and/or perform better---but this is in a price range well beyond basic or entry-level.

My point is, "upgrading" a bike is rarely financially feasible--and far worse if you cannot do your own mechanical work. And particularly for more casual riders, you are not likely to notice a big difference in the actual riding experience. Going from Claris to Sora---both are so good nowadays---gains you one more cog and maybe saves a couple grams. You won't much notice. Anythi9ng below Shimano 105 isn't going to gain you much in terms of the actual riding experience.

Most important thing is fit, followed by reliability. Get a bike which is comfortable to ride, which is ready whenever you want to ride it, and just enjoy riding. Seriously, modern Claris is probably better than the stuff the pros were using 25 years ago. Plenty of people ride 8-speed groups and don't miss anything. I have bikes with 9 and 10 cogs, and I enjoy riding them just as much as the 11-speeds .... and I cannot see where 12-speed would add a Whole lot to the experience.

Get a comfortable, reliable bike and ride it as much as you like. Future purchase plans will become clear as you rack up the miles.

Outrider1

Very well said!

smd4

I never upgraded any of my bikes thinking it might be "financially feasible."

KerryIrons

When you are riding, are you ridding yourself of this mistaken understanding of how things work? Everyone's suggestions to either save up and get a good used bike or buy a cheap bike and ride it into the ground are the right answer. Putting more expensive parts on a cheap bike is a simple waste of money and offers little performance improvement.

blacknbluebikes 

There's a "higher order" question floating on the outskirts.. "Is cycling something you're going to add to your lifestyle? Will this be a habit or an occasion?" Grab any bike - even borrow a bike - and ride it five times a week for six weeks. That is enough time to learn a lot and also start to feel the benefits. If you love it - or even just tolerate it for six weeks, you will want a good bike, and by then you will have ideas of what you want. But if the six-week experiment fails, then even a $300 big-box-retailer-crappy-bike was not for you.

squirtdad

of course OP with post count of 1 has not replied yet

thateling

to put it here or create a new "i'm looking for a ..." thread?

smd4

But do you, yet?

Welshboy

I've ridden in to work today on a Triban 100 with drop bars but would recommend the OP goes for a higher spec' bike. For me, that would be a minimum of an alloy frame, carbon fork and a Claris groupset. That's what I bought for my dry weather commuter in the shape of a Giant Contend and I was fortunate in spotting a mint used one for just over $300.

Maelochs

Seeing as people are already reading this thread, try putting it here .... the folks who are still responding have shown an interest in your situation.

If eventually you are unsatisfied with the responses, you could start a new thread but it would be more on topic and hopefully more helpful ... but likely the same few posters would respond, so .....

beng1

Current bicycles, even the high-end ones, are pure garbage consumer-grade trash that only fools consider. The only intelligent move for a serious bicyclist today is to buy a road bike from the 1990s or earlier that was of good quality when it was new. They can be had for a song and a dance and are many times the bicycle that is being foisted upon the public today by unscrupulous profiteers and their marketing executives.

shelbyfv

Of course this is the usual uninformed hogwash. A mid-grade bike of today is better in so many ways. You would know this if you had any experience with them. I will agree that a budget constrained cyclist will be better served by a nicer 90s bike than a current BSO. I predict that if you begin riding any significant amount the notion of saving up for a better bike will cross your mind.

DangerousDanR

This is complete rubbish. Do you also drink E85 when you can't get dumpster Vodka?

The Chemist

I'm going to go against the flow and say "Why not?" I have a 12 year old relatively low end Giant hybrid that I've put a lot of money into over the years changing and upgrading it. Why? Because I like the bike. It fits me well and it looks good. I enjoy tinkering with bikes, so buying new parts to put on it is something I enjoy doing. It's now more like a gravel bike than a hybrid, and has nothing original on it except the frame and seat post. But despite having a much flashier custom Ti bike now in my stable (also built up completely by myself) I still enjoy riding the old Giant.

PeteHski

Next level bs alert.

smd4

I think there's a bit of misunderstanding when it comes to "cheap" bikes. Your Giant, while maybe "low end," was able to be upgraded because it is actually a better-quality bike. I think most folks are trying to steer the OP away from more "big-box" bikes, which may be more difficult and expensive (and maybe in some cases impossible) to attempt to "upgrade."

pdlamb

I don't disagree with the majority's intent, but the original post wasn't clear. $200 big box bike? Oh heck no. But as The Chemist alludes to, there's now a spread in the medium to high end bikes that's driven by the component package (well, and marketing). It's entirely reasonable to pick a model and buy the low end, and then upgrade parts as budget allows and as the user wants. You won't change from aluminum frame to carbon, but you can still save 5/6 the cost of the top end bike during the original purchase and get a bike that, frankly, a beginner won't be able to distinguish from the money pit at the top of the range.