Which first road bike for £500?

milese

Following on from this thread:

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12552514

I'm looking for a first road bike for less than £500, thanks to a very generous father (who is encouraging his overweight and underfit 24 year old son to be more like him!).

I dont know much about road bikes so all help is invaluable.

I want to commute and train on this bike, so want something light and durable.

My local (walkable!) shop is www.certini.co.uk, and I would like to buy from them unless much better deals can be had elsewhere. They're a Specialized concept store and also stock Giant and Scott.

I'm pretty sure I can get 10% off all RRP prices so include that in estimations, possibly more.

I might be able to stretch a bit higher if its really worth it, but for my needs it probably shouldn't be.

They have some sale bikes here: http://www.certini.co.uk/sub_category.p ... ertype=ASC

I'm 5'8" with an inside leg of 29".

I sat on a Giant and the guy thought I'd be suited to a small, which is a 46.5cm. I then went next door to the Specialized side and the guy reckoned a 52cm, which is what the general concencous seems to be.

I only really need a double chainring.

The contenders:

2008 Giant SCR 3 - Sora / Tiagra 24- £415

2008 Giant SCR 2 - Tiagra 27 - £500

2008 Specialized Allez - Tiagra / Sora 18 - £450

2007 SCOTT SPEEDSTER S40 - Tiagra - £550 (52&54cm)

2007 GIANT SCR 1 - 105 30sp - £600 (small only)

Make more suggestions please!

DavidTQ

Giants are a compact frame the cm measurement will not tally up with a standard frame type size a giant 46.5 is not the same size as a specialised 46.5, Id say you are on the borderline between small and medium as im the same height as you but with 32inch inside leg and probably could get away with either. Im normally recommended a 54cm but with a giant frame 50cm is plenty big enough. Heres the giant sizing charts :- http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-GB/tec ... troad_new/

The SCR1 is a wonderfull bike its what Ive got and Ive not felt any need to upgrade any of the parts in the 1800 miles ive done on it If you CAN get the scr 1 over the scr 3 its well worth going for, the carbon seat post lighter wheels and 105 bits make a really appreciable difference over tiagra Ive heard from other riders that theres little difference in shift quality once you get to 105 level the ultegra and dura ace are much the same shift but lighter weight etc.

I would have thought you would be able to feel for yourself whether it "felt" right or not, I know the first time I rode a giant SCR (3.0) it fitted like a glove, it just felt perfect, I ended up getting the 1.0 and it does feel better the smoother gear shift the strong brakes and the lighter wheels, it really flies off the line.

But bikes and comfort are a very personal thing you need to sit on as many of the bikes as possible and preferably get a rid on them if possible as that will be the real tell tale. once you get to around £500 or so you will be looking at mainly decent bikes Giant tend to be slightly higher spec for the money than specialised and trek etc, but they are more common on the road, and its down to riders, the specialised are I believe more "racey" where as the giants are comfort based, still fast and fun just more relaxed on the back etc and come with all the mounts for mudguards and panniers - which as a commuter are great.

passout

Trek 1000 - absolutely no weak points for the price.

gkerr4

at that price and from your list I'd go for the allez - lovely light frame, worthy of upgrades as you want to (and you will!) great looking and confortable too due to the higher than normal head tube height. (SCR has similar geometry)

milese

Thanks again for the advice, keep it coming.

My concern with 'how it feels' is that because I'm so used to a laid back mountain bike I'm always going to edge towards the smaller size, which won't necessarily be right.

I remember the first time I sat on a Stumpjumper FSR I thought it was awful because you sat so much more upright than my old Merlin.

DavidTQ

To be honest youve now had recommendations for all the big 3 in this price range Giant, Specialised and Trek. Really its down to you to see which YOU like the best preferably with a ride rather than just a sit on each.

Equipment for money wise that Giant SCR 1 for £600 is a first rate bargain, carbon forks seatpost 105 groupset and fairly light weight wheels for the money is increditble but YOU would have to ride it to test it against sora and tiagra yourself to make up your own mind, its also possible you would prefer the ride of the trek or the scpecialised, what people like from bikes varies from person to person. I would rather go for a bike with tiagra that was a perfect fit and comfort than a bike with dura ace that made my back and arms ache .

ITs really down to you to try to get a ride on these bikes and see what feels most natural to you.

Dunedin397

As your lbs is very local and you think they're going to give you a good deal and look after you after you buy the bike, I'd stick with what they supply. Over the long term you'll be better off.

You won't go wrong with Scott, Specializd or Giant, so it's going to be down to the models available at your price range. Any road bike will be very different from your mountain bike, so try models from the 3 brands and see what you like.

Dunedin

DavidTQ

Found this place for prices as well :-

http://www.ashcycles.com

SCR1.0 for £490

Rich Hcp

Allez, good frame, can be upgraded easily later

Or you do what I did and blow the bank and get an Allez Sport! 8)

allaction

The deals on the 1.0 Giant are very good DavidTQ found. I have a SCR 3 and is very comfy to ride. I've upgraded brakes, seatpost, bars, stem, seat, wheels with bits off ebay and have got a pretty decent bike through it but realistically the standard spec of the 1.0 is better and at a great price.

zoggz

specialized allez 2007 for bout 399.,if you dont mind last years bike as it were. igot mine from evans in 2005 about 100 cheaper as the 2006 models were hitting the shops.

Rich Hcp

I got £100 off my Allez Sport.

It's the 2007 model, I don't care that it is not the 'Latest'

ademort

hIIF YOU DO NOT MIND PURCHASING A BIKE FROM THE NETHERLANDS THEN TRY THIS
www.fietssportief.nl and have a look at the racefietsen. The Xtrail2 looks a great buy, shimano ultegra and richey components you cannot go wrong for that price. ademort

milese

That is a great price for the SCR 1.0 from Ashridge. Has anyone used them before?

I hate to be sceptical, but after a previous experience, I bet they have haven't actually got any in stock and that price is there to get you 'through the door'.

30 freaking gears :shock:

DavidTQ

Milese wrote:

That is a great price for the SCR 1.0 from Ashridge. Has anyone used them before?

I hate to be sceptical, but after a previous experience, I bet they have haven't actually got any in stock and that price is there to get you 'through the door'.

30 freaking gears :shock:

Phone them up and confirm stock status before ordering. The fact that they only list two framesizes rather than the full range suggests that it could well be in stock.

Ive got the same bike, my gears are really well used. 30 Gears might sound a lot but its not really gears 1 to 30 to change through, its just more variations through the ranges allowing you to pick a more ideal gear. I was on a 21 gear hybrid before the SCR 1 and a 18 gear MTB before that and I have no issues at all with the number of gears available, and the road bike levers I find easier to use at speed.

Lower gears are great for steep hills and for fast get aways at the lights I love dropping the bike to bottom gear on the approach to a set of lights and then pulling away flicking through the 10 speed cassette to build up speed, can really fly away without having to stomp on the pedals.

milese

Cheers David. Have you had any problems with yours?

This years bike for £525!

http://www.cyclesportsuk.co.uk/product_ ... ts_id=2703

I suppose I need to consider whether the service recieved locally makes it worth paying an extra £100 or so.

From what I've said, do you think there's much risk that a small will be wrong for me?

allaction

I'd look at a medium, I have one and I'm 5.10" with the seat up quite high. Really worth getting it sized properly if you are unsure. £100 saved is £500 wasted if wrong size!

DavidTQ

Milese wrote:

Cheers David. Have you had any problems with yours?

This years bike for £525!

http://www.cyclesportsuk.co.uk/product_ ... ts_id=2703

I suppose I need to consider whether the service recieved locally makes it worth paying an extra £100 or so.

From what I've said, do you think there's much risk that a small will be wrong for me?

Ive had to adjust the gears and brakes for cable stretch, which is expected with any new bike, I could get it done for £20 at the LBS or free if I had brought the bike from them , but I did it myself instead. No problems at all with the bike. The gear shift is so sweet, silent and smooth, no rattling or clanging, the brakes are far better than my old V brakes, Ive not had any problems with wheels going out of true or loose spokes or anything. Basically the bikes regular price is nearly £900 and is considered good value and competetively equipped at that price, You get a really nice bike when you spend that sort of money .

The 2007 bike is now counted as the old model range as the 2008 is now available (2008 range came out around august I believe) Theres not a lot of difference that I can see on the specs from 2006-2007 the 2008 gets a new paint scheme, which im not sure looks any better.

My LBS didnt react badly and still give me money off when buying products etc despite the fact that I brought my bike online. But to be honest if my LBS had offered the bike at the online price I would have brought from them.

As far as sizing goes thats really down to you and your style or riding etc. The small frame is supposed to go to 5'7", Im 5'8" Ive got the medium and have about 5" of seat post coming out of the frame. Ive also got the stem set to the upper height to get me more upright.

With an inch of height between your height and the small frames upper limit you might find it fits fine with the right setup, on the other hand you might not. A persons overall height wont be the very best way to guage frame size as your leg length arm length and upper body length all come into play.

My legs felt cramped on a small, with my knees getting a bit too close to the handlebars for standing up on a hill etc. It is important to get a bike that fits right, If a LBS isnt prepared to give you a test ride to make sure you're buying the right size then they arent offering enough service to deserve spending money with them instead of buying online.

milese

Thanks again David!

One final questions, do you think the latest model is better than last years? It looks like I might have a choice at a similar price.

Main differences are:

2006

http://www.ashcycles.com/power/index.ph ... cts_id=301

Xero XSR-3 Wheels

30 gears - FSA Gossamer 30/39/53

2007

http://www.cyclesportsuk.co.uk/product_ ... ts_id=2703{1331}8090

GIANT IOU 333 Wheels

20 gears - CRANKS TruVativ Elita GXP 34/50

Cheers

Miles.

DavidTQ

To confuse things further the specs on the cyclesport site seem to be a hybrid 08 / 07 spec not the regular 07 spec, but the price and picture would certain suggest an 07 spec paint job...

This is the 08 spec bike:-

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-GB/bik ... 399/29638/

I actually like the back cassette on the 08 spec bike 11-28 gives a REALLY nice range, but I wouldnt give up on my triple to get it. The cycle sport 07 has a 11-25 which loses even more lower end gearing on the double...

The normal 07 bike had 30 gears (triple instead of double up front) The normal 07 bike had 30-39-50 rings (the 06 is listed as 30-39-53), the xero wheels and a 12-27 shimano cassette.

I am wandering though if the 07 bike listed is perhaps a run out model using some bits from the 08 range and odds and ends? The wheels I had on my 07 bike were as per the picture you have there of the 06 bike, thats what was on Giants website all the time I was looking at it from march 07 onwards as the 07 spec bike.

Personally I would have went for the cheaper bike with the triple but thats because I like having really low gearing as an option, The wheels I dont really know how they compare to the older wheels, the older wheels had less spokes (as you can see in the pictures)but that doesnt have to add up to less weight or less strength! Maybe you can find a 08 bike review where they mention how the wheels compare to the 07 style xeros.

Just as a comparison top and bottom gears difference between the ashcycles 06 and the cyclesport 07

Top gear inches Bottom gear inches
Cyclesport 07 119.9 35.9
Ashcycles 06 116.5 31.7

the ashcycles has a 3% lower top gear and a 11% lower low gear, so you trade a small amount at the top end for a gain at the lower end and of course get 10 more gears fine tuning through out the range. I doubt that you would actually be spinning out on the 06 model too often to give you a clue with a cadence of 100 rpm you be doing 34.7 mph on the cyclesport 07 youd be doing 35.7 but having to push 3% harder to get the 1mph extra top end... A comfortable decent cadence is around 80 rpm

milese

I've ordered the one from Ashcycles for 490, should be here by the end of the week.

There seems to be a bit of confusion around the specs, as there were two models last year, I guess thats the spring edition.

I'm getting the one with lots of spokes and the double chainring. I guess its closest to the 2008 model.

I rode a medium and small this morning at my LBS, and didn't notice much difference, prefering the small with the stem upside down. Feel guilty really as my LBS are great, but money talks and I'm skint!

Thanks for all the advice.

DavidTQ

Milese wrote:

I've ordered the one from Ashcycles for 490, should be here by the end of the week.

There seems to be a bit of confusion around the specs, as there were two models last year, I guess thats the spring edition.

I'm getting the one with lots of spokes and the double chainring. I guess its closest to the 2008 model.

I rode a medium and small this morning at my LBS, and didn't notice much difference, prefering the small with the stem upside down. Feel guilty really as my LBS are great, but money talks and I'm skint!

Thanks for all the advice.

Im sure you will make it up over time coming back for bits and bobs etc. The LBS I frequent most have never been funny that I didnt buy a bike from them (they were big on Trek, and I didnt get along with the trek 1000), they still give me discounts on bits and pieces etc Im on first name terms with the guys there, if they had been at all funny about where I brought the bike I wouldnt have been back for all the other stuff.

Being funny with a customer because they brough an item elsewhere will only cost them more custom... its not in their interests to be like that, in business - some you win, some you lose, and some get rained off.

The company I work for quote regularly for work sometimes we dont get it, we still quote for the next job for the same potential customer. We've even had regular jobs moved elsewhere on the grounds of price then when things go wrong at the new place the customer comes back to us, no big deal, we will still take the business. The might have missed out on the bike sale thats water under the bridge theres still years of servicing, theres bike lubes, track pumps, mud guards, clthing, puncture kits etc etc hundreds of pounds over time...

mea00csf

that is correct, the origianl 07 models had the triple cranks and the the springs release bikes had the compact doubles

milese

I believe this is the spec:

Giant SCR 1.0 Mens Bike (Spring 2007)



Whether this is your first time, or a daily habit, the SCR Series is Perfect for fuelling your craving for Speed, Comfort & Sport-Level Performance. This Top-of-the-Range 1.0 has been completely upgraded for this Spring 2007 version, and it now features TruVativ Elita GXP Cranks with the Giga Pipe X Bottom Bracket; the Excellent Giant IOU 333 Wheelset with Michelin Dynamic Tyres; and a Selle Royal Viper Saddle.

Frame: Fluid Formed AluxX Aluminium w/Compact Road Geometry
Fork: T700 Carbon Composite w/Aluminium Steerer
Cranks: TruVativ Elita GXP, 34/50T
Bottom TruVativ Giga Pipe X
Pedals: None
Front Derailleur: Shimano 105
Rear Derailleur: Shimano 105
Shifters: Shimano 105, 30-Speed STI
Cassette: Shimano 105, 11-25T
Chain: Shimano 105
Hubs: Giant IOU 333
Rims: Giant IOU 333
Tyres: Michelin Dynamic, 700x25mm
Brakes: Shimano BR600
Brake Levers: Shimano 105 STI
Handlebar: Giant Comp Aluminium
Stem: Giant Comp Aluminium
Saddle: Selle Royal Viper
Seat Post: Giant Carbon Composite
Sizes: 42cm, 46.5cm, 50cm, 55.5cm or 58.5cm
Colour: Black/Yellow/Silver

http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/index ... 7&brandID=

DavidTQ

Milese wrote:

I believe this is the spec:

Giant SCR 1.0 Mens Bike (Spring 2007)



Whether this is your first time, or a daily habit, the SCR Series is Perfect for fuelling your craving for Speed, Comfort & Sport-Level Performance. This Top-of-the-Range 1.0 has been completely upgraded for this Spring 2007 version, and it now features TruVativ Elita GXP Cranks with the Giga Pipe X Bottom Bracket; the Excellent Giant IOU 333 Wheelset with Michelin Dynamic Tyres; and a Selle Royal Viper Saddle.

Frame: Fluid Formed AluxX Aluminium w/Compact Road Geometry
Fork: T700 Carbon Composite w/Aluminium Steerer
Cranks: TruVativ Elita GXP, 34/50T
Bottom TruVativ Giga Pipe X
Pedals: None
Front Derailleur: Shimano 105
Rear Derailleur: Shimano 105
Shifters: Shimano 105, 30-Speed STI
Cassette: Shimano 105, 11-25T
Chain: Shimano 105
Hubs: Giant IOU 333
Rims: Giant IOU 333
Tyres: Michelin Dynamic, 700x25mm
Brakes: Shimano BR600
Brake Levers: Shimano 105 STI
Handlebar: Giant Comp Aluminium
Stem: Giant Comp Aluminium
Saddle: Selle Royal Viper
Seat Post: Giant Carbon Composite
Sizes: 42cm, 46.5cm, 50cm, 55.5cm or 58.5cm
Colour: Black/Yellow/Silver

http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/index ... 7&brandID=

You will enjoy it I doubt the wheels will be any worse than the regular edition 1.0 wheels quite possibly better, The kit is all 105 level, you get the carbon seat post and forks, lovelly bike to get riding on, enjoy it, and let us all know how you get on with it

Russell Smith

Milese,

I went for Orbea Fleche

http://www.epic-cycles.co.uk/images/Orb ... %20Big.jpg

£429 Dabs from my LBS and they upgraded the pedals to clipless, though the SCR 1.0 isundoubtedly excellent for the wedge...

milese

Its arrived! Super quick delivery from ashcycles, very impressed with them.

Only ordered it on Monday, they didn't have it in stock and had to order it from Giant, they had dispatched it yesterday and it arrived today.

Super price as well with 42% off.

I really like it, not riden it yet but its looks nice in the front room.

Should I grease the carbon fibre seat pin before putting it in?

DavidTQ

dont think you want grease on there, the normal problem with carbon stuff is that it doesnt grip in place well enough rather than becoming stuck to other stuff. You can buy a special carbon paste that helps increase friction hence helping the saddle stay in place better, but I didnt find this necesary.