Recommended racing bikes......?

I am looking at buying a bike, I am after a 'racing' type bike with the drop down bars.

I am new to cycling and was wondering what bikes you'd recommend for less than 拢250.

I basically don't know what manufacturer is good and which is bad, I am not after competing, I am just using it for training / going to work and back.

Your recommendations and advice would be appreciated.

Thankyou in advance

You don't want a racing bike, you want a touring bike.

Touring bikes look like racing bikes (drop handlebars, etc) but are more relaxed and comfortable, weigh a little more, last a lot longer and generally do everything the normal user wants without the balls-to-the-wall, speed-at-any-cost ride of a true racing bike.

Sheldon Brown explains the difference.

Presumably going to and from work you'll want to carry clothes and other gear, so you'll want a touring bike with pannier racks, or at least that has the fixing holes for racks. If so, don't forget the cost of the panniers in your budget too.

Are you are swapping to cycling because petrol is now so expensive? If so, work out how much of this petrol money you are saving can be switched over to your bike budget? If you're doing significantly less miles per year in your car as a result of cycling to work then you should calculate it and also tell your insurance company and get a reduction on your premium (or cancel and get refund of unused part of premium, then get requote elsewhere on new, reduced annual mileage). This can also go towards bike budget.

Anyway, get as much as bike you can afford, and remember to set aside about 拢30 for a decent lock to secure it.

If you want to get a drop-bar bike and also use for training then I guess you don't intend to be going too slow. A cheaper bike will have less gears, or be less efficient, so you may find that the top speed you can achieve gets frustrating quite quickly, a higher spec bike with better gearing will be more rewarding, especially when you take it out on training rides too.

Anyway, then you need to head off to your local independent cycle shop (not Halfords etc), and explain your requirements, expected usage, budget, etc and they should be able to recommend something.

And I'm definitely serious about paying for a decent lock to prevent the bike getting nicked, the cheapo ones are a waste of money

Have a look at the raleigh website www.raleigh.co.uk . You can order on-line and have it delivered to a dealer near you who will assemble it for you and also act as your retail partner in the event of any problems.
If you are in the West Midlands, let me know if you go this route.

hmmm... for 250 pounds....
Generally racing bikes are not cheap.I think a Carrera would suit you nice.Search for this brand and you wont regret it.

For 拢250 I'd say a Carrera or Raleigh.

You'll quickly outgrow it - Double that price and get a Speciallized Allez, Trek 1.0 or the entry level Giant.