What Road Bike?

truecycle2013 · July 2013

Guys,i saw this road bike from youtube,and wanna get one similiar, any idea ? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GyxYtqN-L8&feature=youtu.be

trappy666 · July 2013

I am super skint at the moment so I can only afford sub £250 on a new bike at the moment which isn't fun but it's only going to be used to commute to work everyday (5 miles round trip) and the odd weekend 30-50 mile ride.

Can anyone help me out? I did have my eye on a Carrera TDF Road Bike but I won't have the money in time. I don't have an ebay account so I can't use that (I've had too many issues of 'missing items') so would prefer to buy a cheap new one that I could always upgrade and add to over time.

A friend at work told me about the Diamond Back Pursuit Road Bike but I'm not 100%

Any help would be much appreciated

LeicesterLad · July 2013

trappy666 wrote:

I am super skint at the moment so I can only afford sub £250 on a new bike at the moment which isn't fun but it's only going to be used to commute to work everyday (5 miles round trip) and the odd weekend 30-50 mile ride.

Can anyone help me out? I did have my eye on a Carrera TDF Road Bike but I won't have the money in time. I don't have an ebay account so I can't use that (I've had too many issues of 'missing items') so would prefer to buy a cheap new one that I could always upgrade and add to over time.

A friend at work told me about the Diamond Back Pursuit Road Bike but I'm not 100%

Any help would be much appreciated

I'd suggest going second hand at that price bracket. No upgrade will make a £250 new bike any good. It's just the sad truth.

trappy666 · July 2013

Anything around the £300 if I can get the money together? I see people have been talking about the btwin Triban 3. Is it really worth the price tag and if so, I might be able to stretch that far given a few cut backs.

LeicesterLad · July 2013

trappy666 wrote:

Anything around the £300 if I can get the money together? I see people have been talking about the btwin Triban 3. Is it really worth the price tag and if so, I might be able to stretch that far given a few cut backs.

At that price new your best bet would probably be the Triban or the Carrera TDF. Both decent enough bikes for getting around and having a blast out on at the weekend (as long as your not in the alps). I still wouldn't bother spending too much money upgrading these though. The Carrera wheelset comes in at a whopping 3kg+ so you could make change the wheels and lose 1.5kg for not much money and make things a bit more comfortable on the hilyl stuff. The b'twin has a carbon fork which may make it a more comfortable ride - blus it weighs in at 10kg. Think the Carrera TDF is about 11.3kg. So make a wheel change on the Triban and you might not be far off 9kg which for around 300-350 quid is quality.

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/tech/bikes/129441/2/bike-test-do-you-get-what-you-pay-for.html

trappy666 · July 2013

Thanks for the link, I like the sound of the triban and it's getting quite a few decent reviews so I can't ignore it. The main area of shedding weight would be me as I've about 90kg so every few kgs lost will be an upside.

cesco · July 2013

My 80s steel Frenchie has been fun for the last 3-4 years and got me into cycling. It's not that enjoyable anymore, especially the part of having to fix something else every two weeks. Tight budget, only around the £300 mark. I'm going to check out a Giant Defy 3 tonight that's listend for £335. It's a 2009er I think, but has been upgraded with mavix rims plus some minor upgrades, and the pictures don't reveal heavy use.

- If everything seems alright; 2009 is not THAT old right? Isn't age just a number? That's the model's year by the way, not sure when he bought it, and as 1st owner.
- Seeing these were £600-700 new and upgrades must have been like 150 quid (rims, tyres, saddle, pedals), my thought was that the asking price was decent. Not a bargain, but fair. Is there something I am missing here?
- I see more 2014 models coming in at the shops. Just wondering: could there be crazy sales on 2012 bikes soon?

priory · July 2013

if it is absolutely immaculate and looks as though it has done few miles the 300 might be ok, but it is a light alu frame now 4 years old. My scr2 frame broke a few weeks after the 5year point and they only give a 5 year warranty.

LJK94 · July 2013

Looking to getting into road cycling with price limit of £1000, i've been doing a lot of research and have found that the normally suggested bikes in this price tag are the giant defy 1, focus cayo etc.

What do people think about the 2012 GIANT TCR COMPOSITE 3 for a first bike? Offered at £950 new which would leave me £50 for a couple of accessories. Can anybody chime in on this bike or let me know if its a good buy (i think it is but being new to this game and all that)

Also been looking at some 2nd hand bikes, is it worth it though if you're going to be doing lots of miles on it though?

Thanks.

jampot1 · July 2013

I'm hoping to get a Triban 3 however they are almost all out of stock on Decathlon.co.uk. Are they still making these bikes? Is it just a case of waiting until some more come in stock?

Thanks

LittleMate1 · August 2013

Been searching for a week and I have done my head in!!

Half a century ago I was on 200 miles a week. Now age 49, 76kgs and a dodgy knee to boot, I have decided to get back and do some decent mileage. I'm prepared to spend £800-£1250 on a bike, but I'm going around in circles. Anyone got a recco for a new bike and also can anyone put forward a good cycle shop within 30-45 minutes of Sevenoaks?

Many thanks

rossib123 · August 2013

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/corr ... prod91544#
What is anyones thoughts on this?
Looks a great spec for the price, just not really heard of Corratec before?

NCFC · August 2013

LittleMate1 wrote:

Been searching for a week and I have done my head in!!

Half a century ago I was on 200 miles a week. Now age 49, 76kgs and a dodgy knee to boot, I have decided to get back and do some decent mileage. I'm prepared to spend £800-£1250 on a bike, but I'm going around in circles. Anyone got a recco for a new bike and also can anyone put forward a good cycle shop within 30-45 minutes of Sevenoaks?

Many thanks

The Domane 2.0 or 2.3 were both great bikes to ride. Very comfy. You could get better components on a bike for the same price from Ribble/Planet X/Rose/Canyon but they're pretty much online only (Planet X have 1 UK store) so test rides are hard to arrange unless you know someone close to you with one.

Also the Giant Defy 1 or Defy 0 both get great reviews in that price range. Aesthetically they don't do it for me, but nice to ride.

mattt1974 · August 2013

Hello everyone,

For 3 to 4 years now I've been doing a 22 mile round trip twice a week on my mountain bike and I've decided I'd be better off with a road bike.

Although I'm tempted to go close to £1,000 - with my sort of mileage I think it would be a waste and I should stick to a budget of about £600.

These are the bikes I've come across that I like the look of (I like plain colours

):

Giant Defy 4 Compact £600
Specialized Allez £500
Cannondale CAAD8 7 Sora £600
Fuji Sportif 1.3 Compact £600
Felt F95 Sora
Felt Z95 Sora £520
Felt F85 Tiagra £640
Battaglin S11 105 £645
Moser Bikes Speed Sora £490

Looks wise I've got some favourites with the Giant being at the top but spec and value for money wise I'm fairly clueless.
Could someone give me some input and perhaps order them according to value so can make a decision.
Perhaps there's a good deal I've missed?

People seem to be raving about the Moser at the moment.

Thank you in advance,

Matt

macroadie · August 2013

mattt1974 wrote:

Hello everyone,

For 3 to 4 years now I've been doing a 22 mile round trip twice a week on my mountain bike and I've decided I'd be better off with a road bike.

Although I'm tempted to go close to £1,000 - with my sort of mileage I think it would be a waste and I should stick to a budget of about £600.

These are the bikes I've come across that I like the look of (I like plain colours ):

Giant Defy 4 Compact £600
Specialized Allez £500
Cannondale CAAD8 7 Sora £600
Fuji Sportif 1.3 Compact £600
Felt F95 Sora
Felt Z95 Sora £520
Felt F85 Tiagra £640
Battaglin S11 105 £645
Moser Bikes Speed Sora £490

Looks wise I've got some favourites with the Giant being at the top but spec and value for money wise I'm fairly clueless.
Could someone give me some input and perhaps order them according to value so can make a decision.
Perhaps there's a good deal I've missed?

People seem to be raving about the Moser at the moment.

Thank you in advance,

Matt

=================================================================
I had a specialized with shimano 2300..they gave me fits with break downs, droping chain etc i gave up on the bike and sold it. Lesson learned. Don't buy too cheap components coz you will pay later!
If all things equal then get shimano 105 components.
If i was you i would go with CAAD 8. I test drove one and it's responsive, yet comfy for long rides, the handlebars not superlow but nimble.

macroadie · August 2013

NCFC wrote:

Hi,

My work recently announced they were going to offer the cycle to work scheme. I've cycled all my life, from BMX trail riding up to 20, then mountain biking up until 30, but I'm now upping the mileage and not doing any 'extreme sport' style cycling so wanted to get myself a road bike.

I've got up to £1000 to spend, which is for bike + accessories (if required). I've been researching for the last couple of weeks and I think I've narrowed it down to two bikes.

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/2013.giant.defy.1.white.black.red/11833/56802/

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cannondale/synapse-6-tiagra-compact-2013-road-bike-ec042920

I have found the 2012 Synapse for £849, whereas the best price I've found for the Defy 1 is £999. The 2014 Defy releases are immanent, so I'm holding out for a few weeks in the hope that the 2013 Defy 1 price comes down.

In the mean time I wanted to get some advice from more experienced riders. I'm leaning more towards the Giant because it's 105 parts vs Tiagra on the Synapse, but the SAVE tech on the Cannondale bikes sounds pretty good, especially considering the state of the some of the roads around this way.

I have some concerns over the bottom bracket on the Synapse though. I've heard that because it uses Shimano pieces but a BB30 BB then it may need some kind of converter, which is basically adding yet another component into the mix that could potentially fail.

This bike is going to be used all year round. 12 miles every day and then longer rides at weekends. I'm going to need mudguards, so I've considered shelling out a bike extra for ones that'll last me:-

https://www.ridepdw.com/goods/fenders/full-metal-fenders

Any thoughts on SAVE, the Synapse bottom bracket, and these mudguards would be appreciated. Any other comments or suggestions welcome too.

Thanks.

========================================================================================================
That's a alot of time you plan on spending on a bike and the Giant Defy for Frame set is set for comfort which i think you will need so not to feel beat up. Test rode a Giant defy and they are definately geared towards comfort and shimano 105 way better than Tiagra

macroadie · August 2013

MrStinkyFerret wrote:

Getting a Felt Z95 on Monday as my first road bike anyone got any reasons as to why I shouldn't purchase this bike. Looks exceptionally good to me. Thoughts?

============================================================================
I got a felt f5 2013 yesterday and test drove it and i'm super excited. Responsive and comfort. Was doing 23m/hr aroudn the block.

alcoholage · August 2013

Hi I'm 5 minutes into to the site so still trying to work out what's what... but have a question regarding a road bike.

Last year I borrowed a mate's Bianchi SL3 lite alloy (carbon forks, ultegra set-up) to do the coast to coast. It had only ever been used twice previously for shortish rides and then spent several years on the garage wall. In all it's probably only got 500 miles on the clock now. My mate has asked if I want to buy it off him. Neither of us have a clue what is a fair price for it. Original price at Evans was £1700 - I think it's a 2004 model. I think i found a recent ebay post for one that sold for £450 (no image available), and the description was a very similar story actually. Would £450 be a fair price as things have moved on since 2004 or is that on the shy side?

Thanks for any helpful advice...

mattt1974 · August 2013

macroadie wrote:

I had a specialized with shimano 2300..they gave me fits with break downs, droping chain etc i gave up on the bike and sold it. Lesson learned. Don't buy too cheap components coz you will pay later!
If all things equal then get shimano 105 components.
If i was you i would go with CAAD 8. I test drove one and it's responsive, yet comfy for long rides, the handlebars not superlow but nimble.

Thanks for the reply and info about the 2300, it's useful to know.

I'll take a closer look at the Cannondale as everyone seems to be rating them.
I've just seen this Scott Speedster 20 for £800.
It's so hard not to get tempted by higher priced deals.

macroadie · August 2013

mattt1974 wrote:

macroadie wrote:

I had a specialized with shimano 2300..they gave me fits with break downs, droping chain etc i gave up on the bike and sold it. Lesson learned. Don't buy too cheap components coz you will pay later!
If all things equal then get shimano 105 components.
If i was you i would go with CAAD 8. I test drove one and it's responsive, yet comfy for long rides, the handlebars not superlow but nimble.

Thanks for the reply and info about the 2300, it's useful to know.

I'll take a closer look at the Cannondale as everyone seems to be rating them.
I've just seen this Scott Speedster 20 for £800.
It's so hard not to get tempted by higher priced deals.

======================================
Just an input. My LBS got me a 2013 Felt F5 on sale from $2200 to 1,300. SRAM Apex, full carbon and i have to say the bike glides, fast, comfy, super light and i'm hooked. I had to flip the stem. I'm loving SRAM compared to Shimano.

thecyclingnerd · August 2013

wow, what a great deal! Is there any problem with the bike that may have brought it down to that price?

Rulebritania · August 2013

I'm looking at the TREK Damone 2.3 £999 -£1200. I understand the BEST comfort on a road bike owing to the Iso sport tech.
Unless anyone has any cheaper alternatives for comfort at value

rickeverett · August 2013

Rulebritania wrote:

I'm looking at the TREK Damone 2.3 £999 -£1200. I understand the BEST comfort on a road bike owing to the Iso sport tech.
Unless anyone has any cheaper alternatives for comfort at value

Planet X have a superb ultegra package under £1000 http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/CBP ... _road_bike

laplad · August 2013

New to the forum, I've been reading posts from several people coming back to riding after a long break (or injury like myself) or just wanting a comfortable long distance road bike along the sportive lines (racey with all day comfort).

I'm amazed, amongst all the recommendations for the usual suspects (Defty, Rubaix etc etc) that no-one has yet mentioned the Lapierre range, most especially the Sensium range of carbon framed bikes.

For a little over £1100, you can buy a Sensium 100 with Shimano Groupset (Tiagra) and wheels. It's a decent bike, beautifully finished and very upgradable. I recently tried a lot of the current crop (Giant Carbon framed bikes, Specialised Rubaix SP3, Giant Defty and others) to find a replacement for my MONOC TC2 compact.

I settled on a Sensium 300, and although fairly pricey at just over £1600, it was the best of the entire bunch for me.

Its hard to give anything other than a personal recommendation as different people will fit some bikes better than others. However, the Sensium 300 was a better ride imho than the SL3 or Giant bikes, the geometry was spot on for me and it was also better finished. It's Di2 compatible to boot, although mine came with a SRAM Apex compact chainset/gears.

In terms of ride, it is supremely comfortable, it rolls really well (25mph flat average speeds are no problem if you're reasonable bike fit) and it climbs like a billy goat...very very responsive yet stable.

I can heartily recommend the Lapierre Sensium range (the 100 to 300 models share an identical frame) as being one of the better choices out there at the minute for comfort, responsiveness and build. A no brainer for me after riding much of the competition. Sportive frame geometry is a cracking idea unless you especially want a TT bike or something for shorter distance racing.

stephenhutchings · August 2013

I am looking to upgrade my bike, currently have a GT 3 Series. Budget £1500 and would like the best 'sportive' style bike I can get for around £1500 - currently can't decisde between
Verenti Insight Ultegra
Mekk Potenza SL5.5 Ultegra
Merida Scultura Comp 904

I am typically using the bike 2-3 times a week and also enjoy sportive riding.

Would appreciate some thoughts

rickeverett · August 2013

stephenhutchings wrote:

I am looking to upgrade my bike, currently have a GT 3 Series. Budget £1500 and would like the best 'sportive' style bike I can get for around £1500 - currently can't decisde between
Verenti Insight Ultegra
Mekk Potenza SL5.5 Ultegra
Merida Scultura Comp 904

I am typically using the bike 2-3 times a week and also enjoy sportive riding.

Would appreciate some thoughts

Go for the MEKK - Fantastic Bikes for the money. I have a MEKK. There idea is frame first unlike some other brands that hang bling to "meh" frames. Customer support was second to non and the frames have a 3yr warranty as standard.

Only thing is they do wack standard wheels to them - the S30 Clinchers are good but you can pick up some lighter wheels. Some reviews on MEKKs point out the average brakes too - I think they have updated them now. Mine with some new pads are excellent. I was also skeptical over the "no name" / mekk chainsets but they are infact re-branded FSA Chainsets. Why they couldn't just put FSA on I don't know - probably cheaper.

You can also pick up the 2013 Potenza SL5.5 for £1439 here : (put the saving to some awsone featherweight wheels and your onto a winner) ! http://www.discountcyclesdirect.co.uk/c ... ck/Carbon'

OH I FORGOT:

The Potenza is a "Supersportif" by the looks of it - Its more relaxed / long distance.

If you want something more Classic Sportif look at the Poggio Ultegra : http://www.discountcyclesdirect.co.uk/c ... tte%20Red'

If you want a sport/race geometry look at this: http://www.discountcyclesdirect.co.uk/c ... ng%20Bike'

Cryki · August 2013

I can spend unto £1000 at this shop only.

Im into road racing and im looking to purchase this.

http://www.cyclesuk.com/47470/products/ ... -bike.aspx

if there are better bikes on this website that you feel would suit me, please let me know. I roughly ride about 30-40 miles average. Im looking for an all round light road bike.

michaelopolis · August 2013

Been doing a lot of scouring the forums for advice and reviews and the following 2 bikes look like they will really suit my needs,,

http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/store ... 12377#tab2

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bik ... 834/56812/

Im sure they both great bikes but can Anyone vouch for one over the other ?
I see the giant for sale 2nd hand going cheap , maybe that might be the most sensible buy ?
Any thoughts most welcome
TA

teisetrotter · August 2013

LittleMate1 wrote:

Been searching for a week and I have done my head in!!

Half a century ago I was on 200 miles a week. Now age 49, 76kgs and a dodgy knee to boot, I have decided to get back and do some decent mileage. I'm prepared to spend £800-£1250 on a bike, but I'm going around in circles. Anyone got a recco for a new bike and also can anyone put forward a good cycle shop within 30-45 minutes of Sevenoaks?

Many thanks

You have one in Sevenoaks. Other than that GB Cycles in Croydon is a road bike specialist of long standing reputation and further afield is the specialist de Vere. However Le Bicycle in West Wickham sell Giants as does Cadence in Crystal Palace.

Dazza @>@' · August 2013

I have on order a TREK Domane 2.3. I will pick it up on the 9th Sept and I can't wait.

What Road Bike?

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