Triban for a Newbie - or something else ??

For discussions about bikes and equipment.
Cribert
Posts: 1
Joined: 13 Aug 2014, 11:33pm

Triban for a Newbie - or something else ??

Post by Cribert »

Hi guys, brand new to the site and looking for a nice road bike. I've cycled bits and bobs before and have a hybrid but really fancy a road bike. I'm a 57 frame and not looking to spend thousands.

I found a few online but just looking for other opinions.

Think I'd go for this one

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-500-r ... 06944.html

Seems like it would fit my needs. Any other suggestions?

Also been told this is a beauty for the price. When will discounts be starting on 2014 bikes as I'm lead to believe the new season is starting. Will these be able to be bought on the cycle to work scheme? I'll be buying new through this. Cheers!
quarkrad
Posts: 8
Joined: 8 Aug 2014, 7:05pm

Re: Newbie!

Post by quarkrad »

I think this is a difficult question to answer - you might get as many opinions as the number of people you ask. For my part I would advise against bikes sold by retailers other than LBS (local bikes shops) and recognised internet cycling outlets such as Wiggle, Chainreactions, Ribble, etc. Supermarkets or other retailers tend to do attractive prices but the bikes are almost always 'not that good' in terms of the quality of components. There is a healthy market in cycling at the moment and prices across outlets do not vary that much, to be honest. I think you need to think in terms of prices ranges rather than specific prices. Within say £400 price ranges most of the bikes are very similar - you will not get a £500 bike that is as good as the top 20 £1000 bikes. Same goes higher up the range - generally you will not get a £1000 bike as good as the £2000 bikes. But then depending on how you intend to use the bike and your capability a £1000 bike might be all you need and a £2000 one a waste of money. It is probably true that there are more risks lower down the range (in terms of quality) than higher up. For longevity I would start looking at, at least, £500 - but then this is only my opinion and many will disagree.
User avatar
al_yrpal
Posts: 11537
Joined: 25 Jul 2007, 9:47pm
Location: Think Cheddar and Cider
Contact:

Re: Triban for a Newbie - or something else ??

Post by al_yrpal »

I would disagree strongly with the post advocating LBS bikes only. I have had a Decathlon bike and two Halfords Carerra bikes, they have all been excellent with plenty of seemingly 'no name' components. These components only lacked one thing - the name, in all other respects they were as good as or better than branded parts. The Decathlon bike you mention has been lauded by every respected site and magazine that has tested and reviewed it. If you buy it you will be getting a bike that would cost at least £200 more in a LBS. The designer and brand things are a curse on humanity. All you are paying for is advertising, you get no more than that. Decathlon is a huge company with immense buying power and a massive quality checking operation. As a newbie look no further than a Triban, its an ideal starter road bike.

Al
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
Brucey
Posts: 44522
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Triban for a Newbie - or something else ??

Post by Brucey »

where the LBS scores (for newbies esp) over big chains is the personal service and often the quality of the setup.

A decathlon bike is often very good value but if it isn't set up right then premature wear (of parts like hubs especially) is quite likely.

cheers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
User avatar
foxyrider
Posts: 6044
Joined: 29 Aug 2011, 10:25am
Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Re: Triban for a Newbie - or something else ??

Post by foxyrider »

al_yrpal wrote: The Decathlon bike you mention has been lauded by every respected site and magazine that has tested and reviewed it. If you buy it you will be getting a bike that would cost at least £200 more in a LBS.


The first part of that statement is okay as far as it goes, however we are seeing lots of Triban owners with a multitude
of issues after as little as 6 months (wheels/bearings - well pretty much anything) So a one off ride around the block and perfect workshop set up for a test bike might be fine but doesn't reflect real life use.

The second part is also untrue - if you look at like for like machines there are other contenders, its no good just looking at the groupset you need to look at wheel and frame quality as well.

We get to see all this first hand in the shop and i know its been discussed ad nauseum on here but you get what you pay for, not just in bike quality but assembly by the shop too. It looks less of a bargain when you factor in the rebuild/set up fees you end paying just to make the bike work. Its possible to have a 'good' bike from the big chains, just don't expect it!

Whilst its true that the big brands need to feed a big marketing budget, i doubt that it would add more than a few pence to a bikes price - remember they are selling millions of bikes each year! Advertising costs for smaller brands are likely to be more invasive on the unit price.
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
User avatar
al_yrpal
Posts: 11537
Joined: 25 Jul 2007, 9:47pm
Location: Think Cheddar and Cider
Contact:

Re: Triban for a Newbie - or something else ??

Post by al_yrpal »

LBS folk love to trash Halfords and Decathlon. Its in their interest. In Decathlon you get a lifetime warranty on the frame forks etc and a normal 12 month warranty elsewhere, and a 30 day returns policy. With the three bikes I have had from these stores I never experienced anything that warranted a return. They all performed faultlessly. I can tell several horror stories about well known LBS but I wont because they tell you nothing. And, marketing adds significantly to the cost of anything, not pennies, and, mass production reduces costs and ultimately prices. Thats why the prices in these stores are significantly lower.

Al
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
OnYourRight
Posts: 283
Joined: 30 Jun 2013, 8:53pm

Re: Triban for a Newbie - or something else ??

Post by OnYourRight »

I think there are good sides and bad sides to buying at both megastores (possible price advantage) and local bike shops (possible quality advantage, including service quality).

However, it’s unfortunate that the things that matter most to how a bike rides – suitability for purpose, perfect fit, and perfect adjustment of gears and brakes – are the things that only experienced cyclists tend to know the value of (or are even capable of assessing), whereas the things that tend to attract newcomers – for example, drivetrain components from one of Shimano’s many brands carefully tuned for up-selling – have far less effect on performance and enjoyment.

And so it comes as no surprise that Decathlon spends an awful lot of effort making sure the visible drivetrain components are all branded Shimano Sora or whatever. That sells. But it’s not necessarily what makes a bike nice to ride.
pete75
Posts: 16370
Joined: 24 Jul 2007, 2:37pm

Re: Triban for a Newbie - or something else ??

Post by pete75 »

foxyrider wrote:
al_yrpal wrote: The Decathlon bike you mention has been lauded by every respected site and magazine that has tested and reviewed it. If you buy it you will be getting a bike that would cost at least £200 more in a LBS.


The first part of that statement is okay as far as it goes, however we are seeing lots of Triban owners with a multitude
of issues after as little as 6 months (wheels/bearings - well pretty much anything) So a one off ride around the block and perfect workshop set up for a test bike might be fine but doesn't reflect real life use.

The second part is also untrue - if you look at like for like machines there are other contenders, its no good just looking at the groupset you need to look at wheel and frame quality as well.

We get to see all this first hand in the shop and i know its been discussed ad nauseum on here but you get what you pay for, not just in bike quality but assembly by the shop too. It looks less of a bargain when you factor in the rebuild/set up fees you end paying just to make the bike work. Its possible to have a 'good' bike from the big chains, just don't expect it!

Whilst its true that the big brands need to feed a big marketing budget, i doubt that it would add more than a few pence to a bikes price - remember they are selling millions of bikes each year! Advertising costs for smaller brands are likely to be more invasive on the unit price.


There speaks the self interested small trader.... :?
In my experience dealing with small traders is a lot more hit and miss than with the big chains and not just for bikes, just see the difference in service when you take a 9 months old faulty electrical product back to John Lewis or a small retailer.
Decathlon offer a comprehensive warranty with often a lifetime guarantee on the frame and a couple of years on the rest. If, as you claim, people are having problems with"pretty much anything" after just 6 months then it'll be fixed under warranty. IME Decathlon employ staff who are knowledgeable about the products they sell particularly the technical staff who service and repair stuff.
'Give me my bike, a bit of sunshine - and a stop-off for a lunchtime pint - and I'm a happy man.' - Reg Baker
A1anP
Posts: 122
Joined: 28 Jun 2013, 8:51am
Location: Midlothian

Re: Triban for a Newbie - or something else ??

Post by A1anP »

Hi Cribert,

As some of the others have said, you shouldn't have any worries about quality of any of the bikes from Decathlon, certainly the Triban range at any rate, just be sure that they are set up right. You can make use of the no quibble returns policy. My wife bought a road bike from them and after one ride decided that was the last time she ever used drop bars. They took the bike back and refunded the money without question.

In my case, the gears on my Triban 3 turned out to be badly set up. Decathlon got it tuned up for me in their workshop, although that required two round trips to drop off and pick up. The one thing to be particularly watchful of is over-tight wheel hubs. I took the time to learn how to adjust them using a youtube video, but even if you don't want to go down that road, just make sure that the wheels are spinning freely. If you have any worries, simply take it back and ask them to check it out. Alternatively, you could get your LBS to check it over for you, or even better, learn how to do the basic maintenance jobs yourself.

Going back to the Tribans specifically, the model you picked out has a triple chainset which in my view is a good thing for a newbie. My Triban 3 has a triple too (albeit not a Shimano one) and I've found it invaluable to help me get up the hills, in addition to fitting a bigger rear cassette. The latter is the only upgrade I've done on the basic model at the cost of about £15, plus a few quid on the cassette tool. From newbie to road bikes, I've put in about 1000 miles on it so far, and I'm delighted with it. Maybe I'm not very demanding, plodding along on the fast side of slow, but I'm sure the bike can be made to go plenty fast enough for most newbies.

Finally, I'm not sure about the cycle to work scheme - worth giving them a ring first. I see the Triban 500 price has just been dropped anyway, and if you can get a further reduction on that, well I know what I'd do :D
Going upwards at 45 degrees...
Vitara
Posts: 253
Joined: 12 Feb 2014, 11:18pm

Re: Triban for a Newbie - or something else ??

Post by Vitara »

I bought a BTwin triban 3 from Decathlon in January 2013 as an entry into road bikes. It's now covered over 4000 miles including LeJog. I've contemplated upgrading but I find it meets my needs so not sure what I'd replace it with. In my opinion and experience the bike you're looking at is perfectly suitable for a newbie and will continue to be suitable if your ambitions expand.
edocaster
Posts: 475
Joined: 10 Apr 2013, 10:43pm

Re: Triban for a Newbie - or something else ??

Post by edocaster »

My Triban 3 was bought in late 2011, and has now been through two and a half years of commuting, all weathers, rain or shine.

It's a champ. Yes, I don't have an expensive road bike to compare against, but it has paid for itself over and over.

I can understand why a bike shop may see more of these brought in for servicing - simply because more are sold. No bike will look after itself, so if you're selling to large portions of the public, yes, many will not look after the bike, and then take them to the LBS (perhaps they don't even understand Decathlon will help them with any issues). It's hardly a chore for an LBS to look after a bike like this - it's not laden with unserviceable or nasty to work on parts.

My amateurish upkeep involved greasing the hubs a little too late after a couple of thousand miles and winter salt. The result? There was a little pitting on the front hub cones. But, I thought, never mind, I'll repack it with fresh grease (and with the same bearings!). The result? Another 3000 miles, and it still spins fine (free spins for at least a minute, not that that's important) and is true.

Other than the rear wheel being pranged and replaced, the only other maintenance has been brake pad inserts, chain and (finally) a cassette change. Plus the obligatory pedals and tyres (I wanted 25mm).
sreten
Posts: 347
Joined: 29 Sep 2013, 10:59pm

Re: Triban for a Newbie - or something else ??

Post by sreten »

Hi,

Just buy a budget BTwin, they are all great bikes for the money.

rgds, sreten.
User avatar
al_yrpal
Posts: 11537
Joined: 25 Jul 2007, 9:47pm
Location: Think Cheddar and Cider
Contact:

Re: Triban for a Newbie - or something else ??

Post by al_yrpal »

Triban 5 is £100 off at present. http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-5-roa ... 39801.html This is a steal with carbon forks, very light and the excellent Decathlon warranty and customer service you cant go wrong.

Al
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
gregoryoftours
Posts: 2234
Joined: 22 May 2011, 7:14pm

Re: Triban for a Newbie - or something else ??

Post by gregoryoftours »

al_yrpal wrote:Triban 5 is £100 off at present. http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-5-roa ... 39801.html This is a steal with carbon forks, very light and the excellent Decathlon warranty and customer service you cant go wrong.

Al


Only in 48 size though.
I agree Tribans are great bikes for the money. I've had a Triban 3 for about a year. It rides really well and I really like it but it's not without problems. It was set up badly initially with very tight hub bearings, sti shifters positioned badly on bars (so I had to remove and rewind bar tape, not just a quick angle adjust of the bars) and gears needed tweaking. The weak point with the Red Triban 3 at least is the wheels, it seems- mine have been ok after bearing adjustment but a friend had the freehub die after only a few months on one wheel, and spoke breakage on the warranty replacement with many completely loose spokes. I can do all of my own bike maintenance luckily, but these are all problems that can be sorted out under warranty.
hbdope
Posts: 1
Joined: 30 Aug 2014, 2:21pm

Re: Triban for a Newbie - or something else ??

Post by hbdope »

I bought the triban 500 last week after shopping around various places from my lbs, halfords, recycle bicycles in elephant and castle and gumtree.

The staff at my lbs were very rude and treated me as if I was retarded and the decent road bikes all started at £500. I went to Halfords in Ealing broadway and they were all extremely helpful but I didn't like any of their Carerra models they had. Recycle had very friendly and knowledgeable staff but the bikes they had were rubbish. Finally, I went to Decathlon and was sold on the triban 500 and was given a free water bottle cage, a front light and a back light.

Unfortunately, the closest Decathlon store is 12 mi away from me so when I need something for my bike I get it online or at halfords (staff is wonderful). One staff member at Halfords went as far as to help me correctly put on a new front tyre on my triban 500 when I only asked him if I could use their pump after I changed the tyre.

If you do end up getting the triban 500 you need to immediately change the tyres. I rode my new btwin out of the store and 2 miles into riding, my front tyre went flat. Luckily, I had the staff at Decathlon take off the tyres off of my old bike so I had extra tyres and inner tubes with me. Then the other day, I found a cut on my rear tyre.
Post Reply