Road Bike Beginner’s Guide
What does a racing bike cost?
A good road bike costs between 700 and 1000 euros, including an aluminium frame, Shimano Tigra gears and rim brakes. A road bike with disc brakes is available for about 200 euros extra. If you want to ride a lighter model with a carbon frame, you can expect to pay between 1700 and 2000 euros. Absolute high-end racing bikes can cost upwards of 10,000 euros. When buying a bike, it is important to know what kind of terrain you will be riding on. Do you need an aerodynamic road racer made of carbon or rather an all-rounder for riding off the beaten track?
Aero road bikes – the fast racers
A fast road bike needs perfectly tuned aerodynamics. A bike that is streamlined and stiff, ideal for high-speed routes. Air resistance is therefore a very important aspect of a road bike that must be reduced in any case. On an aero road bike, the head tube is kept short (approx. 140 mm) so that the rider sits as flat as possible on the bike and generates the least air resistance.A longer “reach” (distance between the axis of the bottom bracket to the head tube) stretches the rider and makes them more streamlined, but an extremely stretched riding position may mean that the rider cannot maintain it permanently and it can lead to injury. A well-trained physical condition is a prerequisite.
Air resistance explained briefly:
When calculating air resistance, the square of the speed is taken into account. A double speed therefore quadruples the air resistance. It is caused by air turbulence. The rider has to push this air in front of him. From a speed of 24 km/h, the air resistance is greater than the rolling resistance of the tyres.
We have written more about aerodynamics here:
Endurance Road Bikes – The Comfortable
For long distances and cycling marathons, the endurance bike should be comfortable. The posture is less stretched and the body can be relieved more easily if necessary. It is ideal for beginners. The suspension effect is also higher on this bike than on the aero bike. Equipped with disc brakes and wider tyres, it becomes an all-rounder and can also cope well off the paved roads.
All-road road bike (gravel bike, cyclocross)
If you like to ride on forest or dirt roads and make excursions into easy terrain, an all-road road bike is a good choice. Equipped with disc brakes and wider tyres, you are flexible all year round.
Carbon or aluminium?
Aluminium
One of the most common materials on the market. An all-rounder and quite well-balanced. Light, strong and stiff enough. Aluminium is freely malleable and recyclable. Nevertheless, you should handle an aluminium frame with care. Of all materials, aluminium has the highest risk of denting. The biggest advantage of an aluminium frame is the power transmission, which is guaranteed by its stiffness. Frame parts that are not subjected to such heavy loads are often built with a thinner wall thickness (this is called “butted” or “triple butted”), which makes the bike much lighter. A combination of aluminium and carbon is also often used and combines both worlds.
Carbon
Carbon is the lightest frame material and is indispensable for sporty bikes. Carbon fibre reinforced plastic is torsionally stiff, comfortable and aerodynamic. The only disadvantage is its robustness in the event of a crash or falling over.
So if you are looking for pure weight savings and aerodynamics, you will prefer carbon. Aluminium may be cheaper and an aluminium frame is in no way inferior to a carbon frame.
Rim brakes or disc brakes on a road bike?
The good old rim brake is indispensable on a road bike. They are light, cheap, easy to use and very reliable. On rainy roads, however, disc brakes have an advantage: shorter and harder manoeuvres can be handled better with a disc brake than with a rim brake. They are used especially on gravel bikes and cyclocross bikes.
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