Beginner Bicycle

[kane35467]

Im looking to get into cycling to get myself in shape. Im on a tight budget under $500. I have searched everywhere and can't seem to find any reliable sources so i decided to come here.

Here are some Bike that I'm interested in
2015 HASA R5 Shimano 21 Speed Road Bike 58cm
Cell Otway 1.0
Reid Aquila STI

Are these brands even good? are there any other Road bikes under $500?

Thanks
Kane

[AUbicycles]

I don't know much about HASA, but Reid and Cell are Australian brands (made overseas like 99% of bikes) and they have local stores - which means service access if needed.

Take a look through the forums (search top right) as there have been a number of questions about these and you will get a lot of guidance to help you decide.

[Mububban]

Im looking to get into cycling to get myself in shape. Im on a tight budget under $500. I have searched everywhere and can't seem to find any reliable sources so i decided to come here.

Here are some Bike that I'm interested in
2015 HASA R5 Shimano 21 Speed Road Bike 58cm
Cell Otway 1.0
Reid Aquila STI

Are these brands even good? are there any other Road bikes under $500?

Thanks
Kane

Hi Kane, welcome aboard!

Ignore any "bike snobbery" you may get saying "you can't get a good bike for less than $$$ amount." A <$500 bike will be perfectly fine to get you out and about.
Lots of owners like their Reid bikes, they are an Aussie company and the bikes are very good value for money. Whatever you look at in store, let the sales assistant know how much riding you intend to do as Reid will admit some of their bikes are intended for lighter use than other models.

Do you plan on riding it to work, on your own or in group rides eventually? Few days a week or every day? 5km or 50km? Do you need to carry any gear with you? What you want from the bike will affect what model people will recommend.

My main advice if you're planning on doing lots of riding is buy some padded cycling shorts (I wear mine under a normal pair of shorts). Nothing will put you off cycling faster than a sore backside Anaconda have regular sales on cycling gear, their clothing and accessories are usually well priced. Even Big W and K-Mart have a good range of basic but decent bike accessories.

[tron07]

Since you are on a tight budget and if you are not in a hurry to buy, I would suggest you wait a while for a month or two, and when they start bringing in new 2017 bikes and clearing the 2016 bikes and you probably can get a good discount on the bikes.

Reid Aquila STI comes with a mixture of Shimano Claris and other parts groupset. Osprey got full Shimano Claris groupset and I would suggest you go with Osprey Elite that comes with Sora groupset. I am not sure if they have straightbar or just dropbar on the Osprey Elite, but usually they can workout something for you.

Also go to Cellbikes and test ride their bikes as well. Cell Otaway comes with Shimano Tourney which is below Claris. The Otaway 2.0 comes with full Claris which is a better option. Personally I find Reid a better value for money.
But go get some test ride on the bike to see which one you like.

A lot of members will suggest that you buy 2nd hand bikes, but the problem with 2nd hand is sizing and also you will need to know what to look for, damage or worn out parts, service and cost to change/replace parts. There are always bargains in 2nd hand bikes but you will need to know how to spot them.

[Mediocratus]

My main advice if you're planning on doing lots of riding is buy some padded cycling shorts (I wear mine under a normal pair of shorts). Nothing will put you off cycling faster than a sore backside Anaconda have regular sales on cycling gear, their clothing and accessories are usually well priced. Even Big W and K-Mart have a good range of basic but decent bike accessories.

Very good advice. I initially resisted the idea as they remind me of continence pads which is not a look I fancy. Eventually I gave in and got a cheap pair. It has made a world of difference to my comfort. You say you are on a tight budget so try looking for them on Ebay. I got a pair for $13 delivered and they have been fine.

[Newcastle Dave]

I am a fan of the Cell bikes myself, although I haven't seen one of the Otway range. My son had a Lapa which runs Shimano Sora, a step up from the Claris (but it is an extra $150.) My son loved his bike until he got collected by a car (all good, but used the insurance payout to get himself a Bianchi - bloody snob)
I guy I worked with has had a guy who also has a Lapa - he treats it horribly, never does any maintenance, cleans it or anything. Its still running strong years down the track

I have had a Cell Omeo for a few years, love it and its never really missed a beat (I started on a Giant when I got back into riding, and bought the Cell a couple of years later). I still get a few sneers and looks from the brand snobs,but since I have a full carbon running Ultegra DI2 for the same money they spent on an brand name running 105 or less, I don't really care (and I actually think it looks great)

That doesn't mean the Reid aren't better value, I just don't know them at all