Road bike
Buy a road bike in Amsterdam
Road bike. Drop bars, thin tyres, groupset. This is not a skinny and not a city bike with race bars.
Message about this road bikeDrop bars, thin tyres, no kerbs
A road bike has drop bars, thin tyres (often 23 to 28 mm) and a sit that leans forward. You buy it for tarmac and the dyke, not for the Haarlemmerdijk kerb. If you want ‘something racy’ for town, you usually want a skinny — that page sits apart.
Aluminium, carbon or steel
Aluminium for commute-training, carbon if you want weight down, steel if you want a frame that bends on bricks before it splits. We say so if a carbon fork is a bad idea for how you rack in Amsterdam.
Groupset and fit
Groupset (Shimano 105, Ultegra, SRAM) and fit beat the logo on the down tube. Too big is dangerous in rush hour; too small wrecks knees. Message inside-leg and what you ride now.
Locking a road bike in the city
Lock: a road bike rarely has a ring lock in the frame. Chain or mini U-lock through the rear wheel and a fixed object. Open against a café is asking for a bare frame.
Not the same as a skinny
A skinny is single-speed, often fixed, thinner bars. Road is gears, drop bars, derailleur. Do not mix them on WhatsApp, or we send the wrong picture.
Size and budget
WhatsApp: road bike, size, aluminium/carbon, budget. No catalogue shot — what is in, with chain wear included.
Brands we look for, among others
- Trek
- Specialized
- Canyon
- Bianchi