New to Road cycling...

A 1k bike ,get looking at last years stock tons of great deals never know.were in the Borders are you ?? Hawick has a lbs that has Merida if close enough Carlisle has Scotby Cycles which has tons of brands specialized,Canondale,Trek and the customer service is usually really good.
Of course the Borders are gods country And good luck looking have fun and pick what your eyes tell you to.

I wouldn't want disc braked on my bike

I wouldn't want disc braked on my bike

Disc brakes are the future, end of story. However the technology is nascent in road biking and I'd wait a couple of years before they get the technology sorted and bedded in.

And wazam! As of by magic, this is posted:

http://road.cc/content/news/114718-just-trek-domane-20

Giants website lists the Defy as one of their endurance bikes, so a touch more relaxed. If your local shop sells Giant, I don't think you'll go wrong with a defy.

Worth having a look at;

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXRT58ALUTIA/planet-x-rt-58-alloy-shiman...

http://www.dolan-bikes.com/road/road-bikes/dolan-preffisio-aluminium-roa...

and

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sed/road-track-bike/ribble-7005-audax-wint...

£1000 budget will do you proud.
Including the giant bikes, I'd take a look at the cannondale synapse, trek Madone, felt z series and the Roubaix.
I think you are right to stick with tiagra and if you can push it to 105 you will future proof your bike.
As for pedals, spd's all the way for first time road biking - wiggle have been doing them for about 20 quid. Just turn the tension right down at first in the pedal to allow for easy release and you will be fine. I am more of a fan of touring shoes than racing (as I don't really race and walking around with spd-sl pizzas on the bottom of my shoes is a pain and no good for commuting).
As for "offs", it largely comes down to how you ride - my carbon bike was written off in a smidsy on a roundabout when the driver was looking at his phone....
All I would caution on is never ever try and turn your front wheel if over ironworks in the rain as you will be chewing tarmac before you know it.
Good luck, I am sure your poor mountain bike will gather dust from now onwards !

I'm fairly new to road riding, coming from a MTB background of over 15yrs. I bought a MEKK Potenza SL.5.0 from Edinburgh Bike Co-op for £1100 in August, loved riding it but unfortunately snapped the chainstay in a freak accident. Contrary to what others have said, Carbon CAN be fixed but its not always a pretty finish.
I took the opportunity to upgrade & bought a Dolan L'Etape frame in carbon for £399.99.
You can go onto the Dolan website & 'build' a bike to your pricepoint/specification so worth considering. If you are in the English North West they have a showroom/shop in Ormskirk so you could try out different types of frames.
Ive had my Dolan since Thursday last & already put 87 miles on it, lovely bike to ride & I'm really happy with it - just to throw another manufacturer into the mix!

Hi Hamish, welcome and as someone said above, prepare to have your wallet raided!

I wouldn't worry about brands and groupsets at this stage, to be honest. If you focus on finding a decent shop that doesn't seem to just want to sell you whatever they can, then most of this stuff will pick itself through a logical process - if your shop stocks Giant, then make no mistake, they are good bikes. In fact, there a very few poor bikes around, provided you go to a proper bike shop. Once your budget and type of riding is known, the staff should be able to recommend a model to suit.

Other stuff:
1. Broadly speaking, there tends to be a few different types of road bike - 'race' bikes, 'sportive' bikes, then infinite shades of grey around Tourers, commuters, cyclocross bikes that all claim to be a 'do it all' bike. These 'types' refer to things like the geometry (i.e. more racey = flatter and more stretched out body position when riding), allowances for rack and mudguards, tyre width, whether the tyres are slick or knobbly, the sizes and number of gears provided etc. This can go on and on into disc brakes, tubing materials, blah blah...

Road bikes are most commonly built from aluminium or carbon fibre, so you'll find that each range has, for example, a racey model and a sportive model in alu, then again with different names, in carbon. So Specialized has the racey range with the alu Allez and the carbon Tarmac, then it has the sportive range, with the alu Secteur and the carbon Roubaix. Each bike is offered in different levels of spec depending on your budget - can you tell us what that is? (Don't feel funny about owning up to what you think may be too little or too much to spend!)

Some things I learned:

More important than any kit or materials used, is the fit. Make sure the shop will fit you to your new bike.

Fit isn't a one-time thing, it's a process. Don't worry if 6 months down the line, you're thinking the fit isn't quite right - your body adapts to the riding and changes as a result.

If I could go back and start again, I'd buy aluminium first time round - this is because once bitten by the bug, you'll want a second bike, and your first will get relegated to poor weather or commuting. You may not think this now, but the thing is, position and kit preferences are so subjective, that 12 months down the line you'll be getting a feel for the kit you really want based on your experience, and it won't be the same as you've already bought. It's also partly because good alu tends to be better than cheap carbon for around the same price.

Feel free to use trainers and flat pedals while you get used to the bike. Clipless are brilliant, but they only really come into their own when you want to learn efficient pedalling technique.

With regard to kit, I'd try and keep it to a sensible set:
Base layer, fingerless and full finger gloves
Winter jersey/bibtights
windproof packable rain jacket
summer jersey/bibshorts/armwarmers
helmet should you choose to wear one
Pedals and shoes - these come in various systems with associated pros and cons - influencing factors would include any history of knee pain, type of riding, whether you want to be able to walk properly in the shoes, ease of use, cost etc

If you can tell us your area, you may find someone can recommend a local shop. Something like a Specialized Secteur (alu, relaxed geometry) would probably be ideal from what you have said (some nice paint jobs now too!). If I recall correctly, the Merida 'Ride' series are aimed at the same type of riding.

Always fun, buying a new bike!

My advice for a newcomer would be unless you have a lot of disposable income to look for a second-hand bike to see how you like it first.

If sufficient disposable income for a new bike I'd advise an alloy/aluminium frame to start and Shimano Tiagra is more than adequate for a beginner - the next level up (105) is into racing territory (I think Shimano goes 2300, Sora, Tiagra, 105, Ultegra, Dura Ace) The likes of Ribble do such a bike for £6/700 - or check out the similar recommendations on here.

Go for a compact chainset (50/34 chainrings) and a decent sized cog at the back (28 up) if intending any hill riding when new. And as previous poster comments, often you can get a decent frame and spec, but the wheels are compromised, so worth keeping back some spare cash to upgrade them after a while.

Clipless pedals are a huge benefit over flats so you will want to try them. If you haven't used them before you *will* fall off. So worth trying them on out your mountain bike first on some soft surfaces! (The *fall* is usually when you stop and try to unclip - so fine if toppling onto grass - or mud!)

Frame size is mainly based around your leg length - one formula is - inside leg measurement (cm) x 0.69 - to give you an idea of optimum (horizontal) frame size - sloping top tubes are a bit trickier - but the manufacturer will usually supply the equivalent horizontal size. (There is a trend to go for smaller and smaller bikes with sloping top tubes, but personally I think it looks ugly)

This guide to buying your first road bike is worth a read Hamish http://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/63013-roadcc-buying-basics-buying-yo...

You want to decide how much you want to spend, then look at bikes that fit that budget. A good place to start is a decent bike shop, where you can narrow your choice down to a couple of bikes that fit your budget.

Don't worry about clipless pedals if you're just starting out, trainers and regular flat pedals will be just fine while you get used to riding the road bike. Then, as you get more into road cycling, you can look to invest in clipless pedals and shoes that suit your style of riding

I'll leave others to debate brands/materials/groupsets but the one thing I will say is don't be afraid of clipless. After a couple of rides you'll be fine and be wondering how people ride without them.

I think for a first bike, you should consider a second hand aluminium bike. Speaking from experience you get a lot of bang for your buck. The downside is that you won't have the support of the staff at an lbs, but depending on your lbs that might not be a bad thing. Failing that and if you would feel more comfortable buying at an lbs, try and go for a deal from last year. Ior the year before, great deals to bed had. I would recommend aluminium for the durability, I've crashed mine, given quite mildly, and it's fine, as mentioned earlier carbon is done after a single fall.

Set yourself a budget, cycle to work is great, get stuck in!

It's definitely worth a look in your local Decathlon if you have one, ride a few round the shop to get a feel.

I used to ride MTB and got fed up with having to travel to find decent trails, so i moved to road cycling. After all i have a road right out side my house!

I used the cycle to work scheme to buy my first road bike. It's not the best option for everyone but might be worth you researching it if your employer is involved in the scheme.

If you have cash ready to spend then i would personally take a chunk out of it for some accessories. Lets use a ball park figure of £1000 to spend, keep £200-£250 for bike bits and £750 for the bike.

If you are no bothered about new then it's always worth going to your Local Bike Shop and seeing if they have anything second hand. You will be surprised at what people part exchange when buying new, and obviously your chance of getting a better spec bike for the money are slightly higher.

You will need to decide what pedal system you want to buy in to. Honestly, you should not be fearful of clipless pedals. After a few rides it will be second nature so get some from the start. You do not need to spend the earth either on pedals or shoes. Look Keo compatible pedals from Exustar are about £20 on amazon, i use them on my winter bike. DHB (wiggle.co.uk) entry level shoes are good value.

DHB also do some good value bib shorts and jerseys that are more than good enough to get you started.

You may already have a helmet from being on the MTB, this will serve you well. But make sure you get a pair of sunglasses, protecting the eyes from road spray and bugs is important now you could be travelling a bit faster.

Don't get hung up on what material your bike is made from. Alu frames are fantastic and can be had at a good price. Carbon may be for a future purchase should you get the bug.

The most important advice i can tell you is to fully research, shop around and listen to quite a few opinions. Buy once, buy right and there should be no excuse to not love you new bike and equipment.

Hi Hamish

I would strongly recommend visiting a few bike shops if they are available to you.
A good LBS can give you valuable assistance and some even throw in bike fits when you spend a certain amount of dough on a new bike.
If you can get the hang of clipless pedals you will never go back...when you can pull up on the pedal when going uphill it makes life so much easier and makes you get up the hill faster.
As far as clothing goes try some on while you are there..for instance I take a large in Endura and Morvelo bib shorts but an XL in Castelli (those skinny Italians).
If you are going to buy the shorts you may as well look at the jerseys too as they have handy pockets at the back for sticking stuff in.
Personally It doesn't really matter if you go for a carbon frame or an aluminum one...yes the carbon does reduce some of the shocks from the road, but a good alu frame with carbon forks and a carbon seat post (which you can add later) do just as good a job.
The main thing is to get the right frame and size for the type of riding you want to do.
Get that sorted and you will be lapping up the miles and doing club rides and sportives before you know it.
Which brings me to cycling clubs...Find out which ones are near you and go along and chat to them as their advice will be invaluable.
Welcome to the world of road riding may you ride long and prosper ..

When I got back onto road bikes about 2 1/2 years ago I got a Specialized Allez 16 for around £500 in a sale. Last year's version is still about in some places for that price, and the 2014 model is around £600. It has served me well and I have no intention of replacing it - I might upgrade from the Shimano 2300 group set in the next few months to 105 or something, but even that is not really a necessity-for my kind of riding I have never really needed more than the 16 gears. I have put decent miles into it as well as quite a few sportives around 80 miles at at time , hilly and flat terrain and it has been comfortable and I've had no major mechanical issues (although I am quite religious about cleaning and lubing it after every few dry or every single wet and mucky ride). I went to a local bike shop to buy it and that meant I had the proper size (I'm 5ft 9, about 100kg, and the 54cm frame was the best fit-if I had just done it on-line I would have picked a 56cm based on my measurements, which when I tried it out in the store proved to be a bit too big).
The aluminium frame means I have no probs using it all year round-the only changes I made were to the original tyres, a new chain a few weeks ago and SPD-SL pedals. I had the bike about 2 months before going for the clipless pedals so it wasn't an outlay that was needed at the start.
You should think about what sort of riding you are going to be doing obviously but I think there is no big rush to go carbon, particularly as a first bike. I am in no hurry to upgrade my Allez and am currently doing 80 miles a week at least. At the last club run a couple arrived with their carbon wonders that were at least 3 times more expensive than mine but they found it tough going- so despite all the stuff you will hear about weight, stiffness etc the frame material and groupset are only as good as the person pushing the pedals!

Hello and welcome.

At 5ft8 you'd be look at anything from 51cm right up to 55cm, depending on the brand. The best thing to do is go and try bikes at a shop, get the fit right.

Are you using clipless shoes and pedals for mountain biking or just flat pedals?

If you are using flat, that is ok on the road for a while, but you might want to look at going clipless, it is much more efficient.

The three brands you name, Giant, Specialized and Merida all make good bikes. Giant do make particularly good starter bikes because the have decent specification at a good price.

Helmet, you can still wear your MTB helmet, unless its a full face job. Padded shorts or bibs are always a good idea, need some sort of padding down there.

Welcome and prepare to lighten the load in your wallet.
For what it's worth, giant make fine road bikes but I don't know much about merida.
The key factors are fit and geometry - I would not advise buying a first road bike over the internet and I would get yourself down to your local bike shop (LBS) and ask their advice. If it is a Halfords look a little harder - nothing wrong with Boardman bikes (also fine bikes) but you are very unlikely to find enough experience on the shop floor....
So before you go there, have a think about what kind of riding you will want to do e.g. punchy sprinting or long rides touring the back and beyond. This is where geometry matters as out and out racers will have you flatter on the bike, whereas long distance routers will be a little more upright and comfortable. E.g.
your mate who bought the tarmac has got a punchy racing frame whereas I ride a Roubaix which is more relaxed etc.
You don't give a budget which is key in determining what is realistic.
In my opinion, if you want a carbon frame, you probably need to spend £1,500 to get a decent groupset on it - no point putting a skoda engine on a Ferrari chassis. I am a fan of carbon frames as I think they are lighter and absorb a lot of the vibration from our oh so wonderful roads. However, have a prang on one and you probably have to write off the frame , whereas the same is not necessarily true of aluminium.
I also ride aluminium, a felt f series as my winter/commuter bike and can recommend them too.
So in terms of groupset, I wouldn't buy a bike with a lesser groupset then tiagra on it and you will them pay more for 105 (highly recommended as value for money), ultegra then Dura ace (if you have money to burn). I'm afraid I can't offer much up on FSA & campagnola groupsets.
So what to do ? if you have a local giant dealer, have a look there and see if you can test ride bikes. I think Evans do this for some models and I know specialized stores do this as well.
What others to look at. Well if you are considering aluminium then cannondale make some very light quality frames so give them a butchers.
Also I'd consider trek, canyon (but I think they're mostly online sales) specialized, felt, focus as well as other brands mentioned before.
One factor to think about is after sales. You will undoubtedly need some skilled work done on your bike as miles rack up and parts need replacing. I'd make sure that you can get this done locally as a priority or else it can be a right pain.
I learnt this the hard way last year, even after buying my Roubaix from a large retailer, after I had a prang, I took it back to them and they failed to get a new frame in 6 weeks. I then went to a specialized store and I was back on the road two days later as they had stock to replace the frame.
As for kit, I am a believer in wear what you like. However, if you're a fan of baggy mtb style clothing you will find yourself slowed down by it....
You will also find that wearing team kit (especially sky) divides opinions somewhat....
If you need kit, have a look here www.cycle-clothes.co.uk
I would recommend the tenn bib shorts as you will make friends in a new cycling club more readily if everyone doesn't have to stare at a brickie's crack when you are taking your turn at the front
I would also recommend a pair of fingerless gloves (help absorb vibration/protect hands if you come off) and a gilet and packable rain coat.
Anyway, that's enough for starters from me, good luck and I am sure others will be along to share their thoughts.