Specialised Tarmac Comp vs. Planet-x SL Pro?

GixerJas

I've decided that I want a new bike as upgrading my Trek 1000 any further seems a bit pointless. My quandary is that after trying a Specialized Roubaix last year I'm really struck on getting a carbon frame but I've no idea why one frame is particularly better than another. So far I've narrowed my choice down to two bikes, the Specialised Tarmac Comp and the Planet-x SL Pro, I would of included this years Roubaix Comp but I don't think it looks pretty enough (sad I know!) and I can't afford the expert. What I can't understand is what makes the Tarmac worth £500 more than an Ultegra SL Pro?

I can also get the planet-x through a cycle to work scheme and save a further ~£400 but I'd still be willing to favour the Tarmac, because I'm a Spesh fan and love my Stumpjumper, if the bike was substantially better than the planet-x..

Any advice would be gratefully received as it's boiling my swede and I've only got a couple of weeks to decide before the cycle to work scheme window closes for another year.

redddraggon

I'd go for the PX. Outstanding value.

You can't get PX bikes from Halfords anymore through the C2W scheme, you weren't doing it through Halfords were you?

GixerJas

Bugger! yes the company I work for is tied in with the Halfords scheme.

Planet-x are still advertising that they'll supply through the cycle2work scheme on their website?

redddraggon

You won't get a PX through Halfords, a real shame, I think a lot people were getting PXs aswell.

http://www.tritalk.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?p=598570

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=12558753

Planet X wrote:

Yes it is the case . Its quite a long story , but in a nutshell Halfords accountants have finally realised that they were not actually making a penny out of planet x sales since we sold to them at retail price , good business for us , very bad business for them .

Around May last year we did make a visit to halfords and delivered a proposal that enabled them to make some margin which of course they should be doing as normally in business the idea I always found was to sell at above what you pay (3000 Hawaiian shirts excepted), despite chasing several times they did not respond .

Last Friday we were informed that they were requesting us to make a retrospective payment for margin they should have made, and that if we did not make this payment the account would be closed .

On the basis that we had made a proposal back in May but they failed to take it or even respond I ventured that we cannot possibly agree to a retrospective "goodwil"l payment .

Thats the facts in a nutshell - were still talking and I guess theres always a possibility we will strike a new agreement but officially its now not possible and its all stopped.


Of course we do have our own scheme which we actually never bothered pushing out but were going to need to now , plus were signed up to cyclescheme . Anyone not tied into to the halfords scheme by their employers should contact redbiker and just buy on the planet x unbranded version .

The cycle 2 work scheme is a government led initiative - it is not exclusive to halfords , Wiggle , or Evans who have all cleverly repackaged what is simply a government initiative .

GixerJas

Ok, that may actually simplify things by taking out the tax dodging part.

I may be able to get a good deal on the Tarmac through a friendly LBS so I guess my question has changed to is the Tarmac £350 better than the Planet-x?

giant_man

No I doubt it, the Planet X is much better value.

redddraggon

GixerJas wrote:

I guess my question has changed to is the Tarmac £350 better than the Planet-x?

Personally I don't think so. 105 on the Spesh compared to Ultegra on the PX? You're paying a lot for the name on the frame of the Spesh.

GixerJas

Just read all of the the Tri-talk thread. I really hope Halfords and Planet-x can work out a solution or I'm sure there will be lots more like me that are hacked off with the idea of missing out on an absolute bargain.

Is there any real difference between the frames or are they the roughly the same basic frame from a far east manufacturer with only the badge to distinguish them?