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The top 11 mistakes People Make When Buying A Racing Bike... and How To Avoid Them

1.Not choosing a budget and sticking to it.

Some people make the basic mistake of spending too much for their bike then not having enough to buy the basic accessories associated with most bikes. 

Think about the extra items you will need to buy, puncture repair kits, basic tools, clothing, shoes and gloves also a good quality pump. Allow these into your budget. Expect to pay from £250.00 to £8,000.00 for a road racing bike.

 2.choosing a bike because you like the colour and your friend has one so you want the same. Just because the colour of the frame may match the colour of your favourite cycling team doesn't mean you'll be able to ride like a pro. The bike may well have been poorly manufactured parts or could be assembled using just a set of pliers.

 The sales and marketing for all bike manufacturers is to make the bike appealing to the eye and to fulfill a dream of being able to ride as fast as their heroes in the Tour de France.

Avoid this mistake by choosing a racing bike that has a good mix of quality components and a smart paint job that is pleasing to your eye.

Here are a few pointers in choice of frame:

Just be very aware of the material of the frame which normally has a sticker on the frame between the pedals. This sticker will state the steel type, carbon, aluminium or titanium.

With some manufacturers they offer a lifetime warranty on the paintwork, so, if you have a few stone chips then take it in to the dealer where you bought the bike and get it resprayed or they will exchange the frame.

 

Its possible to choose an “off the peg” frame which is already painted to the manufacturers colours, or, you have a custom paint job. Take a look at posh bikes .com they have a fantastic range of limited edition paint applications for both racing and mountain bike frames. This company also airbrush an image of a ghostly face on the frame that is not reproduced on any other frame.

Carefully think about what you are using your bike for. Just because your mate has a great looking bike and you want one the same doesn't mean that it will be suitable for you.

3.wrong choice of size of frame

 Probably the most important aspect of choosing a racing bike is the correct frame size. This can have physiological effects both in the short and long term if you have a bike that does not fit you. Please keep in mind that when buying a bike for a child that have a few more years growth and development. This means they will outgrow their bike within a matter of 6 to 12 months.

It may well be worth considering buying a racing bike that is a few sizes too big for them, or, just buy a secondhand racing bike from Ebay or Cycling Weekly magazine. A good quality secondhand race bike will cost around £250.00.

To get the correct size either visit your local bike dealer or look at the websites below for extensive advice.

Bike sizing can be a complex procedure with many different variables taken into consideration. For this reason please view the following websites to obtain the best information on the correct size frame for you. I would not give any advise to what frame would fit your particular height, body size, ability.

There are now women specific frames meaning that the geometry of the frame best suited for women cyclists.

Above all your cycling experience must be enjoyable and comfortable so the choice of frame size should be a cautious one.

4.not knowing the use of your racing bike, are you going to be a  club rider, racing or time trialling.

You have chosen to ride a racing bike. At what level do you want to ride? If its to join a local cycling club and to ride the odd Sunday as a group which can be very sociable as well as improving your fitness dramatically. for this purpose an ideal racing bike would cost between £350.00 to £500.00 which is at he lower end of of the race bikes. The frame will be made from steel and the weight of the bike will be about 22 pounds. Riding in a club will also provide you with alot of knowledge and advise from other club mates.

You may want to progress to road racing? The need for a lighter and more responsive frame is advisable. Also the moving parts on the bike need to be lighter, work more efficiently and unfortunately are more expensive. The weight of a good quality racing bike will be 15 to 18 pounds. In road racing you get to ride at speeds up to 30 miles per hour on the flat, 25 on the uphills and 50 miles per hour on descents.

If you want to start time trialling. These are raced alone against the clock over 10,25,50,100 mile distances ten for there are 12 hour and 24 hour events where you ride as far as you can over those periods of time. You can ride these on a racing bike or more specialized time trial bikes are available.

Take some advice from the British Cycling website or just ask your local cycling club if they hold any time trial events

Whatever your dreams are of cycling you should just enjoy and be safe.

5.Incorrect choice of handlebar width.

Mostly overlooked by first time purchasers of racing bikes, the width of the handlebars determine the way you breath and also climb on your bike.

If your bars are too narrow for you then you will restrict your breathing due to your hands and arms are closer together. If they are too wide then your control over the bike will be poor. Please look at the websites in section 2 to achieve your perfect riding position.

To ride a racing bike uphill you will need to be out of the saddle, your weight on the pedals and hands pulling hard on the bars. It is therefore critical that your handlebars are the correct width or this will cause unstable control, inability to pull hard on the bars and so causing poor position and lack of confidence on the bike.

This can be easily resolved by ensuring your bar width are roughly the same width from shoulder to shoulder, If this is not clear just take a look at the websites above on the correct position on the bike.

6.not asking for discounts on accessories such as pumps, puncture repair kits, clothes, helmets, gloves.

Most bicycle suppliers want to keep you as a customer for as long as possible. They realise that you will need accessories, clothing and shoes, so, always be a little cheeky and ask for discounts or even free items.

7.Not setting up a regular maintenance regime for your bike.

 

Either do this with your dealer or on a regular basis yourself.

Depending on how often you ride your bike, maintenance is a crucial part of keeping your bike from breaking down whilst out on a ride. You don't want to be stuck out in the middle of know where with your bike because you didn't spot your chain was worn out and was due to snap. Or traveling at 40 miles per hour and realising your brake blocks needed to be changed.

Even if you start racing you may not be able to start the race if your bike is seen to be unclean, not maintained and could cause an accident to yourself and other fellow competitors.

Getting into good habit of cleaning your bike after each ride not only reflects on you as a responsible and safe cyclist but also you can spot potential worn parts such as brake bocks, tyres and lose cables etc.

Don't leave your bike to rust after a ride, if you have ridden in the wet then spray all the moving parts like the chain, brakes, gears and exposed cables with a good lubricant like GT88 or WD40. Leave for a few hours then wash off with warm soapy water. Its easier to do this than trying to wash off rust or mud and road dirt from your bike. Apply a litle car polish to the frame and buff to a shine, this will protect the frame and make washing off the mud and road dirt.

Also think about your future use of the bike, you may want to sell it, part exchange for a new model or keep it as a second training bike.

If you are unsure of how to clean and maintain your bike then just ask your local bike shop or the dealer that sold your bike to you. You can even set up an annual maintenance package.

An excellent source of bike maintenance is the internet. Who knows there maybe a “How To Clean & Maintain Your Racing Bike” DVD?

8.One overlooked mistake most people make is to not insure their bike for damage and theft.

It doesn't matter if you just use your bike on the odd sunny day or you train everyday and race on the weekend. To insure your bike is not expensive, you could have it as part of your contents insurance at home or take out a separate insurance. If you store your bike in the garden shed or your garage make sure you secure it well. For advice on this issue contact your local crime prevention department.

9.Not getting a price comparisons between different bikes.

Browse the internet and print off price comparisons and ask for a price match with your local bike dealer. They will more than likely want to keep you as a local client, realising the need for every cyclist to constantly buy “bits for their bike or even buy a second racing bike.

10.Not taking a specialised approach with your new sport.

Why not build your own bike? Buy the exact frame you want and the other parts. Don't make the major mistake of attempting for the first time to assemble the bike yourself. Ask your local bike shop to do this for you, it will cost between £50 and £100, but, its well worth the money to get it right first time.

11.Not getting the right choice of wheels and tires to be able to road race at a reasonable standard it will be a good idea to invest in a good set of wheels. Ideally carbon rims and with tubular tires, these are tires and inner tubes all in one tube. They are glued to the wheel rim with a special adhesive. These tires can be inflated to 200 ponds per square inch.

This combination of wheel and tubular set up is expensive. A more cost effective solution is to use the wheels that have been supplied with your new racing bike and invest in the best set of racing tires you can afford.

The difference between the tires can be significant, from the side walls of the tire being too soft for your weight or not providing a better rolling resistance. Think about a puncture resistant tape fitted between the inner tube and tire. Tire pressure will have to be checked each time before you go out on your bike. This will give you the benefit of not only a comfortable ride but also to get the full life from your tire. Its easy to check the recommended tire pressure, just look on the side walls, it will state the tire size and then the maximum pressure to be inflated.

Practice changing your inner tube so that you know what to expect when repairing a puncture on the road. Always take care to check for sharp stones, glass or thorns on the tire before refitting your inner tube.

www.teamspiritcyclingcamps.co.uk

About the Author

My name is Mark Taylor I am a qualified coach to level 2 of the British Cycling recognised coaching award. Is also a recognised coach with the Association of British Cycling Coaches. I’ve been fortunate enough to represent Wales as a junior competitive cyclist, I am a well known and respected coach with a “hands on” coaching and training approach that gets results from riders that put the effort in. I am experienced at time trials, road racing and track racing.

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