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*NEWBIE ALERT* - Advice needed please!

by Barneyballbags
Sun, Jul 24, 2011 11:07
4

Hi guys,

I'm new to this forum, and to road biking in general, so please be gentle with me if I've posted in the wrong place to begin with 7

I've been mountain biking for 20 years, and have now decided to give road riding a proper go. I know a small (ie. tiny) amount about road bikes with regards to groupsets etc but I need some friendly advice.

I'm after getting a road bike, and have a budget of £1200-£1300 max. I would look to get the bike up and running, and then upgrade certain components as and when.

I can get my hands on a 2010 Cervelo R3 frameset (frame, forks, bars, stem, seatpost, saddle, bottom bracket), and can get it built up with a mix of all new Ultegra 6600/6700 and 105 10spd kit (excluding wheels) for just under £1000. I realise that the 105 kit is possibly doing the frame a bit of an injustice but, like I said, I'd upgrade as and when I can afford to.

I would then need a decent(ish) set of wheels to get me going, and would really really appreciate some advice as to what's out there for around the £2-300 mark.

Obviously I'd also like some advice on my frame/component choice too! I realise that the Cervelo is punching a little above my weight at the moment, given I'm new to road riding. However I'd prefer to spend the money on a good frame and upgrade the components, rather than the other way around!

Thanks in advance for the advice. I hope to use the forum a lot from now on!

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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4 comments

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cool guy 999 | 12 years ago
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wheels are important; don't ssplash out on a fancy groupset if it means getting cheap wheels

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Barneyballbags replied to cool guy 999 | 12 years ago
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Thanks again 1

I've got my eye on an Ultegra 6700 wheelset to continue with the Ultegra theme on the build as they're towards the top end of my budget at the moment. What do you think? Will they be a good start?

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nick_rearden | 12 years ago
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Hi barney and welcome to road.cc. You're already well ahead of the game if you've been mountain biking all that time because all the basic rules are the same except roadies generally try not to throw themselves off so regularly. Well, that's the plan anyway. You're bang on with that budget and if you're lucky enough to find an R3 in the right size for that money, so much the better. Don't underestimate the quality of 105, you'll be amazed how well it works. There are Shimano wheels and also offerings from Fulcrum and Bontrager at that kind of money and they're all perfectly fine considering you need your 'all round' wheels to be nice and strong and durable. Funnily enough, you'll find yourself looking at the comparative graphics to see what matches your frame, once you're happy with the build quality. Don't rule out having a pair of wheels built, either, if your local shop is that way inclined. You won't save much money but a good builder will feel a much stronger sense of responsibility towards wheels they actually built. Just a thought.

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Barneyballbags replied to nick_rearden | 12 years ago
0 likes

Thanks for the reply Nick.

I've heard some good things about the 105 kit. I'm going to be getting 105 (5600 or 5700) shifters and brakes. The rest will be Ultegra 6600 which I've managed to get nice and cheap on eBay 1

I didn't realise how expensive the shifters were!

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