Road Bike Blog - Buying Guides

The blog posts on this page form our Road Bike buying guides. This guide is designed to help both newbies and experienced cyclists in navigating the varied world of Road Bikes, E Road Bikes, and the gear & accessories that accompany them. We aim to offer insights on finding the perfect bike for you, the best clothing available, the safest and fastest helmets on the market, and more. This guide is focused on aiding your decision-making process, making sure you find a road bike that matches your riding style and increases your enjoyment and performance out on the road.

Finding The Perfect Sunglasses For Your Road Bike Rides

Cycling is a fantastic way to stay fit and get fresh air. Whether you’re riding for fun or training for a race, investing in a proper pair of sunglasses will not only protect your eyes but also enhance your overall cycling experience. The right sunglasses for road biking can protect your eyes from harmful UV rays, glare, and wind, making your ride more comfortable and enjoyable...

The Ultimate Guide To Aero Helmets

If you are an avid cyclist or triathlete, you have likely heard of or seen someone wearing an aero helmet. The aero helmet has become increasingly popular among athletes looking to shave off precious...

Winter Road Bike Tyres Buying Guide

If, like many riders in the UK - you plan on riding throughout the colder and wetter winter months in the UK - whether that’s to maintain fitness levels, or as part...

Road Bike Wheel Buying Guide

All components on a road bike are important, and all play their part in providing you with a safe and strong performance. Road Bike Wheels are amongst the most important, with a se...

Road Bike Seatpost Guide

Although it can be quite difficult to get excited about a new road bike seatpost, if you are looking to replace or upgrade the seatpost on your road bike - there...

Valentine's Day Gifts For Road Cyclists

If your partner or valentine this year is big into their road cycling - you have come to the right place to find the perfect gift for them. The road cycling industry is absolutely full of fantastic...

Best Bikes for City Cycling

We handpick a range of bikes that have been designed, and are perfectly matched for cycling across cities. These bikes are used for everything from seeing friends and getting about on a...

Beginner Road Bikes

We deal with customers of all cycling capabilities - from athlete level cyclists right across to complete novices, and we deal with each customer exactly the same. Providing them with access to...

Affordable Carbon Fibre Road Bikes

As many hobbies in life, there has to be a balance between money spent VS enjoyment, with hobbies such as cycling easily swallowing thousands, and if not - tens of thousands of pounds. At...

Road Bike Handlebar Guide

The handlebar is one of the most critical components on a road bike and one of the most changeable components - allowing you to find and select a...

Buying Your First Road Bike

At Westbrook Cycles, we are lucky enough to be based in the beautiful market town of Stokesley, surrounded by brilliant roads which criss cross beautiful countryside, including the North...

Intermediate Road Bikes

Road Bikes follow the same key design principles, they are lightweight, they feature dropped handlebars, have narrow wheels and tyres, usually have a carbon fibre fork and do not feature any...

Road Cycling Shorts Buying Guide

Cycling Clothing gets a bad press here in the UK, with many non cyclists choosing to laugh and take the mickey out of road cyclists, adorned in lycra and tight fitting materials...

Best Triathlon Helmets 2019

Aero Helmets, when worn for a triathlon or similar race undoubtedly receive a few glances - thanks to their distinctive, aerodynamic shape. Aero Helmets are a popular choice however, for a...

Best Road Bikes for under £1,000

Road Bikes are some of our best selling products here at Westbrook cycles, we have worked hard to make sure we have the perfect range of road bikes for all cycling preferences and requirements...

Best Reflective Cycling Clothing

At Westbrook Cycles, we are proud to stock and supply an excellent range of Reflective Clothing suitable for all kinds of cycling & mountain biking. This range of reflective clothing holds...

£2000-£2500 Road Bikes

The £2,000 price point is an excellent starting point for a high quality road bike, and at this budget - cyclists will have a great choice of bikes, which use the best components and parts to provide...

£1000 Road Bikes

World beating, race specification road bikes can cost up to the ten thousand pound mark, with professional and recreational cyclists choosing to invest large sums into a road bike in order to...

2020 Electric Road Bikes

Electric Bikes are one of the most exciting additions and innovations to hit the world of cycling, and they are becoming increasingly popular in road bike format. Electric Road Bikes provide...

In Stock Scott Road Bikes

Scott Bikes come in all shapes & sizes, and Scott design and manufacture a fantastic range of bikes which can do everything from accelerate you across...

Road Bike Buying Considerations

Most people would think that buying a road bike would be nice and easy, surely it’s about as easy as buying anything else - choose the bike that you want, order it...

Winter Road Cycling Clothing Guide

If you live and ride in the UK, it’s likely that you will have to encounter some pretty miserable weather conditions if you want to ride any other time than over the few weeks that we can...

Road Bike Tyre Guide

Road Bike tyres are massively important to every rider hitting the roads, as the only component of the bike that should ever be touching the ground - they are...

Road Bike Seatpost Buying Guide

A seatpost is one of the most cost effective upgrades you can make to your road bike - it’s an easy way to shave some grams off the weight of your bike - whilst...

Best Disc Brake Road Bikes Under £4,000

The use of Disc Brakes on Road Bikes has caused some strong arguments and debates within the cycling community in recent years, and we don’t think that the debate of Rim Brakes VS Disc...

Best Aero Road Bikes 2024

Aero Road Bikes are consistently among the bikes we look forward to seeing the most at Westbrook Cycles regarding new stock arriving. As well as being some of...

What Makes The Best Triathlon Bikes?

Triathlon bikes are often referred to as "Tri bikes", and are designed for speed and efficiency over long distances when competing in Triathlon events. These bikes can often be confused with Time Trial bikes due to some obvious similarities, however they do differ in terms of their design and the riding position they encourage. The most important design aspects for a good triathlon bike include aerodynamics, a geometry that allows the rider to hold an aerodynamic position over a long period of time, and integrated storage for hydration and nutrition which minimizes the need for movement and maintains the rider's aero position.

Best Triathlon Cycling Shoes

When it comes to triathlons, every second counts. The transitions between the swim, ride and run are absolutely critical, so footwear that not only performs well during the event, but also allows for easy removal and equipping in transitions is essential. A good pair of Triathlon shoes can really make a difference during your race.

Which Giant Road Bike To Choose In 2024?

Giant are at the forefront of the world’s road bike industry at the moment, they are providing what are, in our opinion - the best bikes they have ever created, at the right price point. This is seeing a number of converts from bike brands coming over to Giant for the first time, with the bikes such as the TCR and Propel attracting a lot of new custom.

Road Bike Stem Length Guide And Considerations

There are many different things to consider, when you look at what components to upgrade or spec into your road bike. The temptation is to always choose and become laser focused on the larger components on the bike - such as wheels, groupset and frame. One of the easiest components to overlook is the Road Bike Stem. The Stem is a small component, which at a basic level - connects your bike’s handlebars to the fork steerer tube - therefore controlling your road bike.

Road Bike Stems - A Closer Look

Stem Length is a vital part of the setup of any road bike - whether it’s a race bike or a road bike which is designed for bikepacking and touring. Road Bikes which are focused on speed will feature longer stems which allow the rider to have a more laid down, aerodynamic position which allows you to cut through the air, and achieve greater speeds - especially when descending! Shorter Stems are the right choice for road bikes which focus on endurance and comfort Vs all out speed - and these shorter stems allow for a more upright, and more comfortable riding position for all day riding. Cyclists which experience lower back pain, will almost always benefit from using a short road bike stem.

Best Commuter Bike Lights

As set of bike lights, including a rear and front bike light is a legal requirement for those cycling on the roads, these lights can be purchased either individually, or as part of a bike light set. As well as being a legal requirement to operate on a bike during the hours of darkness, bike lights are also pretty important - without them riders would struggle to see and cycle during darkness hours, and most importantly, they would struggle to be seen by other road users during poor weather conditions and hours of darkness.