To Carbon or not to Carbon
daveybj
Posts: 3
Hi.
I m looking for some help with the purchase of a new bike. I am luckily in the position to spend a grand. I am unfortunately in the position where I am realistcally unable to test any of the bikes.
I am buying on the "bike to work" scheme, and have shortlisted 4 bikes. I am not much of a road cyclist in it's purest terms, my road bike would be for Tri more than anything, but it also needs to be a bike that I can train AND race on as I can't afford both. I have therefore been quite keen on buying a tri specific bike. However, it also needs to last me three years of training and racing as that is the length of the scheme.
Part of my problem is that I am also completely unaware of the difference between an SRAM groupset and an Ultegra one, or Bontrager vs Shimano wheels, and which bits can be sacrificed for the sake of others.
Any advice anyone can provide will be VERY gratefully accepted.
The four bikes are:
Planet X Stealth Carbon. A full tri bike, and without a doubt the sexier looking of the bunch . Spec looks good, 105 groupsets, Reynolds wheelset FSA Gossamer crankset, Continental tyres (better than I have on the car!!), full carbon frame and forks (not sure how much it weighs though).
Orbea Dauphine Predominantly a road bike, but I have a set of Tri bars I can put on it. 50% Carbon frame, again 105 groupset. Shimano wheels. 9.4kg
Focus Izalco Tria Another full tri bike Alloy frame, carbon fork, SRAM groupset SRAM Carbon shifters (seriously people, how much weight does that really save??) Easton Vista wheel set. 10.05kg
Trek Equinox 5 I believe this is kind of a combination of the two - a road bike with factory fitted tri bars etc. Allu frame, Bontrager Carbon forks, Tiagra groupset, Bontrager wheels and tyres ??kg
Many thanks for your assistance in my shopping dilemas!!
Dave
I m looking for some help with the purchase of a new bike. I am luckily in the position to spend a grand. I am unfortunately in the position where I am realistcally unable to test any of the bikes.
I am buying on the "bike to work" scheme, and have shortlisted 4 bikes. I am not much of a road cyclist in it's purest terms, my road bike would be for Tri more than anything, but it also needs to be a bike that I can train AND race on as I can't afford both. I have therefore been quite keen on buying a tri specific bike. However, it also needs to last me three years of training and racing as that is the length of the scheme.
Part of my problem is that I am also completely unaware of the difference between an SRAM groupset and an Ultegra one, or Bontrager vs Shimano wheels, and which bits can be sacrificed for the sake of others.
Any advice anyone can provide will be VERY gratefully accepted.
The four bikes are:
Planet X Stealth Carbon. A full tri bike, and without a doubt the sexier looking of the bunch . Spec looks good, 105 groupsets, Reynolds wheelset FSA Gossamer crankset, Continental tyres (better than I have on the car!!), full carbon frame and forks (not sure how much it weighs though).
Orbea Dauphine Predominantly a road bike, but I have a set of Tri bars I can put on it. 50% Carbon frame, again 105 groupset. Shimano wheels. 9.4kg
Focus Izalco Tria Another full tri bike Alloy frame, carbon fork, SRAM groupset SRAM Carbon shifters (seriously people, how much weight does that really save??) Easton Vista wheel set. 10.05kg
Trek Equinox 5 I believe this is kind of a combination of the two - a road bike with factory fitted tri bars etc. Allu frame, Bontrager Carbon forks, Tiagra groupset, Bontrager wheels and tyres ??kg
Many thanks for your assistance in my shopping dilemas!!
Dave
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Comments
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Welcome aboard Dave! Not much advice I can give but I didn't want you to feel you were being ignored!!
The Planet X is very highly rated around these parts - have a scout through some old threads of the "Which Bike?" variety and the Planet X is usually mentioned somewhere. There also seems to be a 'Bianchi vs Orbea' debate in Beginners at the moment which may shed a bit more light on the quality of Orbea for you!
Whatever you choose, keep us posted!0 -
Focus do a full carbon Cayo for about a grand that compares well to the planet X.0
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I have the Cayo and can't fault it, it's a great bike. However I haven't seen the other bikes you habe mentioned so can't really compare them. I'm sure that they are all great bikes. Just to add that the Cayo looks much better than trhe photo's on Wiggle.0
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Morning Davey. I'm not a Tri man, but would suggest you try posting in the TriTalk forum where I'm sure you'll get a lot of advice - some real proponents of the Planet X on there. Personally I'd go for an out and out road bike, you can always add tri bars when you need them and a road bike will be better for all round use, especially if you get bitten by the cycling bug - which you invariably will. A friend of mine is a keen Triatlete and bought a Quintana Roo last year, however he's now got more and more into cycling and is now selling it and planning on buying a road bike which he'll need as we're both doing the etape this year.
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Thanks for your comments guys, much appreciated.
You can tell I'm a newbie to this forum lark as I have four options for the bikes, but obviously add the Focus one to the poll properly!! Oh well, live and learn! ;-)
Jash, I've now posted on tri talk too, so I'll see what they have to say as well.0 -
I've just gone fully carbon, rode it for the first time last sunday morning. Unfortunately I had no idea of the feel due to a large hangover following the previous nights rugby! Will try again this weekend.
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