Originally Posted by
smallers
Hello all, I started road riding at the start of this year so I am a newbie at 45 years old. I bought a B-Twin Sport 1 as my first bike and now (as I have found out is usually the case) I want something better/more appropriate.
I live in Portugal in a very hilly region and the road surface is unpredictable. I ride 4-5 times per week for around 2 hours or more for personal enjoyment and fitness, and I want to get fitter/faster but still keep the enjoyment part. My budget is £1000.
Secondary to this, I like to tour, so is there a bike out there that would fit the above criteria, but also take a rack for panniers?
Looking forward to reading what you folks have to say as advertisements can be misleading.
Andy
You might want to look into a cyclocross bike. They are similar to a road bike, but a bit tougher and can take larger tires. Something like the Surly Crosscheck or the Salsa Cassaroll. Both are available in Europe.
Here is a link to a German webshop that carries the frames so you can get some idea of pricing.
http://www.bike-components.de/produc...ell-2011-.html
http://www.bike-components.de/produc...l-Rahmen-.html