Bike to do the Etape and other sportives

Piggy

Hi - currently have a Condor Italia which I like. Am registered to get into the Etape next year (could do with all sorts of advice about this). With a budget of up to £2000, I'd be interested in views on bikes to go for - comfort is key!

JustRidecp

If you're not a brand snob the new Madone might do the trick. I want one.

thebongolian

your italia'll be fine - maybe some nicer wheels - and spend the change on training camps in the pyrennes or similar. reckon it'll make more differnce how well you do in the etape

but if you want to spend cash you could get a dedaccia nero corsa frame built up from ribble - it's the same geometry as your italia so you'll be able to get the fit right which is probably most important given the amount of hours you'll spend on the bike training and during the etape. assuming your current bike is comfortable that is

ricadus

Yes, upgrade the existing steed and save some of the cash for a late spring recce of the Etape course, or book extra days near the start ahead of the event so you are nice and rested before the big day instead of exhausted by travelling down there the day before.

Unless entering the Etape was a kind of excuse to get a new bike anyway...

oldwelshman

Part of the fun and excitement of doing something like this is the unknown quantity.
You can do it on any bike it is your legs that count!!
If you have plenty of money to waste then yes buy a new bike and go for it.
The most important thing is the gearing is suited to you. I would be surprised if you could not cope with a compact and a 27 rear.
You can certainly get fit enough riding and training in the uk.
I personally would not spend money going abroad training unless agian your rich
A better investment would be upgrade of wheels and tyres for same cost.
This is of course my personal view
I have seen some stunning bikes on sprtives this year, most of them as I go past

richa

Trek Madone 2008 5.1

Piggy

thebongolian wrote:

your italia'll be fine - maybe some nicer wheels - and spend the change on training camps in the pyrennes or similar. reckon it'll make more differnce how well you do in the etape

but if you want to spend cash you could get a dedaccia nero corsa frame built up from ribble - it's the same geometry as your italia so you'll be able to get the fit right which is probably most important given the amount of hours you'll spend on the bike training and during the etape. assuming your current bike is comfortable that is

Thanks a lot. Pretty comfortable - I'm about to do a bike fitting to see if there are any bits I can improve - sometimes feel it in my lower back and shift around a bit on the saddle. Any suggestions for wheels?

thebongolian

Others here know far more about wheels than me but guess for the etape light is more important than anything else. There ar elots of threads on the know-how forum on wheels and tyres so your question has already probably been answered.

Personally I want some of the new whizzy Mavic R-SYS wheels coming out in the Autumn but I'll wait for the lottery to come in for those.

Also oldwelshman is right that ia low gear is as important as anything else. A triple or compact double with a 27 at the back if you don't have that already

oldwelshman

Piggy wrote:

thebongolian wrote:

your italia'll be fine - maybe some nicer wheels - and spend the change on training camps in the pyrennes or similar. reckon it'll make more differnce how well you do in the etape

but if you want to spend cash you could get a dedaccia nero corsa frame built up from ribble - it's the same geometry as your italia so you'll be able to get the fit right which is probably most important given the amount of hours you'll spend on the bike training and during the etape. assuming your current bike is comfortable that is

Thanks a lot. Pretty comfortable - I'm about to do a bike fitting to see if there are any bits I can improve - sometimes feel it in my lower back and shift around a bit on the saddle. Any suggestions for wheels?

Your lower back problem may be to do with positioning so they should identify that when being fitted if they are good.
It could also be due to poor core fitness which can also casue this.
You can do simple core training to improve this, lots of sites have excercises for this.
With respect to wheels, if your doing mostly sportives and hills I would give deep section carbon a miss (though planet x are good value) and also depends on cost but the kysirium es are good value for under £500.

McBain_v1

Forget the plastic Trek - get some metal under your bum, much better 8)

gkerr4

I have set myself a budget of £1800 to complete my "summer 08 bike" project - whichis aimed at sportives and other day-long rides.

currently I am looking at:

Sunday Silk Road titanium frame
Mavic ksyrium ES or SL wheelset
campag centaur groupset - perhaps a few changes within the groupset
50 / 34 compact chainset
finishing kti to be decided.

McBain_v1

Sounds like a nice set up - did you consider the Enigma Esprit? I prefer the more shiny finish on that frame compared to the Sunday Bike "matt" effect - although I admit that a matt finished Ti frame is quite distinctive.

What about some Fulcrum R1 instead (although this might knacker your budget!)

Finishing kit by Tune and Easton for maximum bling (although again your budget would be shot!)

gkerr4

hmm - I lke the esprit - but isn't it a bit more expensive?

R1's wouldn't knacker the budget - neither would Shamal Ultra's which are also still in contention (Rzero's would be nice - but they WOULD knacker the budget!)

finishing kit - yeah I like easton kit - their E70 wing shaped bars are likely. But will probably stay with the specialized Toupe saddle that I have now and perhaps the pave seatpost too

RyanBrook

I'm hoping to enter the etape 08 too. hope places are still available. I'm considering buying The new Cayo and putting a 27 at the back.