Want to join, but need a road bike first! Suggestions for bikes/shops in London

Hey Ollie,

I can't give recommendation for bike shops as I took my own bike with me from a different town, but I am sure others can do.

From the description of your current miles and experience you would benefit a lot from a road bike and I am sure you will love it.

Somethings to keep in mind when buying your first road bike

• Go to shops where a bike fit is included with the bike price (or negotiate a deal). Bike fits are absolutely essential for comfortable riding both in leisure rides as in more challenging sportives/races. I am not a fan from buying from the internet, especially not for your first bike. Bike fits and small personal adjustments can make a huge difference, and shops have experience with this. Also if something needs tweaking after a few rides they will easily help you. So I would approach a few shops and ask for the price including a full fit and checkup.
  
• Arrange for a 2nd check after 2 months as your position on the bike will change a bit when you just started riding seriously.
  
• Go for something that feels good, rather that looks fancy. I for example didn't fit on a female frame, but perfectly on a specific male frame. It is all about your body dimensions (hence the importance of the bike fit).
  
• For that price range you should be able to find something nice.
  
• Many people look at weights but I would start with the Gears Groupset first. So if you can get an upgrade from Shimano Tiagra to 105, but a slightly heavier bike, I would go for the group. This will make an large difference how easy you change gears and therefore how quickly you can react to a change in elevation, speed, wind etc. Note that I am not saying you should go for Shimano, Campagnola have some really nice sets as well.
  
  

Hope this helps. Good luck and hopefully we will see you soon on a ride.