Clueless
Hi guys, hope you’re all good. Not sure if this is the correct place to post but I’m struggling a bit.
Reasonably good/experienced mountain biker here (20+ years, XC/enduro background) but looking for a road bike for fitness. I know nothing about road bikes at all, so no idea what I’m looking at online and it’s a tad overwhelming. Fairly mechanically minded (have built probably 15 mountain bikes frame up in my life) so used or frame only is no issue if that’s the way to go, but that’s not often the case in the mtb world from a cost perspective.
Don’t really want to go full dentist spec just in case I don’t enjoy it, so wanted the community’s views on:
Absolute non negotiables (eg on a trail/enduro bike a dropper post - is there a road bike equivalent?)
What you’d get if you were me (absolute noob, reasonably fit, riding Essex countryside)
What to avoid (brands, spec, geo etc.)
I’m pretty sure I’ve seen these posts on mtb forums and I know they’re so wide reaching they’re a bit annoying and folks respond in kind, so mods please delete if this isn’t appropriate.
Suspect everyone will want to know budget… it’s highly flexible depending on what you all say but ideally £1,500-£3,000 of that helps at all.
If this slips the net, thanks in advance all for any advice at all.
TLDR help, don’t know what I’m doing