What Road Bike?

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Comments

  • PhilNotts
    PhilNotts Posts: 1
    Good morning people,

    Hope you are well. I've had a look around but thought I'd get some direct advice.

    My company uses the cycle to work scheme which I will be eligible for which starts next couple weeks. We will be given a £1000 voucher for a bike which is meant to be used with Halfords but I've read that other companies accept them as well.

    Its about 9 miles to work which has a mixture of all sorts of terrain, straights, a bit of downhill and also uphill so looking for a nice comfortable road bike to get me there and back in all conditions.

    Having looked around I've narrowed it down to a few different bikes(looking to spend about £700 on the bike and the rest on accesories), but willing to be corrected and listen to peoples views.

    If I HAVE to buy a bike from Halfords then although I like the Boardman Sport and the £500 price is quite nice, this is my first choice:

    http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165710

    If not the two bikes I like are the following:

    http://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/p/1439 ... -bike-2014

    http://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/p/1327 ... -bike-2014


    Can people advice me on their opinion about the above bikes and point me towards suggestions which would be better suited?

    Thank you,
  • Pulstar
    Pulstar Posts: 2
    Hi,

    Yet another 'which bike should I buy'....blah blah :lol:

    I've had a MTB for a few years and thought I'd give the tarmac a try, and bought an alu B'Twin bike for around £450 last year. Really enjoying it, so that will be relegated to my winter bike and time for a new bike 8) , budget of £1600, and I have these on my shortlist:

    Giant TCR Comp 1
    http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bik ... 971/66532/

    Cube Agree GTC Race
    http://www.cube.eu/uk/bikes/road-race/a ... -gtc-race/

    I think both bikes are the same price at £1599, but I can get them through my works cycle to work scheme so will save approx £350 of the price of them 8) . Both bikes are largely Ultegra, but the Cube has some nice touches like internal routing and a 'wing race bar' more comfortable I believe, and maybe better wheels, but the Giant has a carbon seatpost, and all Ultegra crankset/cassette/chain, while the Cube has and FSA crankset and Tiagra cassette & chain.

    My average speed is not that great at around 12-14mph, and I'm a little weak climbing hills, so was thinking a light bike might help the climbing. I also want to improve my ave speed so that I can start to join in my local cycling groups club runs which start at 15+ mph.

    The Giant is the sexier looking of the two imo... :twisted:

    Any thoughts would be very welcome...
  • Lokinen
    Lokinen Posts: 1
    Hi. Just joined, been a MTB rider for many years but mostly now on road with slick tyres so have decided to make the move over to a road bike.My employer is affiliated to Halfords and we have to use their Cycle2work scheme.After two years of research and realising that my ideal bike would be one of Ribbles carbon framed jobs, specced specifically for the cycle to work sheme, it became clear that there isn't a Halfords bike that comes close, the Equivelent Boardman having a mishmash of componentry. Luckily You can get a bike elsewhere with the Halfords voucher, unluckily nobody does anything like the ribble , who unfortunately don't accept the voucher, nor do Merlin or Planet x.Luckily a friend who is a member here, told me about Dolan, whom Id never heard of. Yesterday I took delivery of my Dolan L'tape, when I took it out of the box, I was absolutely speechless, what a beautiful bike. Full campag veloce group set, which was the only issue cos I'd set my heart on a full 105 group set, but I'm advised by my friend who has bikes with both on that the veloce is very good.it was £999 and very easy to order up.they only do, at the larger end of the sizing chart, 52 or 56. I was nervous about ordering a 52 at nearly 6ft tall, but as the very helpful guy at Dolan explained, it's a compact frame with a sloping top tube and he was right. It really does look far more expensive than a grands worth...almost looks too nice to ride...just waiting for pedals and shoes ;)
  • mrkev83
    mrkev83 Posts: 184
    Finally got a cycle2work voucher coming. I've gone for the full grand and we have to use Evans.

    I'm looking at their Pinnacle Dolomite Five 2014. Has anyone got one or heard of them? I got recommended to go for 105 groupset if I can which limits my choice in this range. The Scott Speedster 20 Compact stood out too but I need a little money for a jacket and a few bits. Have people still managed to negotiate deals even using the voucher schemes?
    http://www.strava.com/athletes/mrkev83

    Built for comfort... Not for speed
  • redrabbit
    redrabbit Posts: 95
    Complete new Cyclist, and I have a budget of around £700 for a bike. I've narrowed it down to these 3:

    Cannondale Synapse 8 Sora Triple 2014 Road Bike

    Costs £750
    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/can ... 8#features

    Bianchi Via Nirone 7 Claris Compact 2014 Road Bike

    Costs £750
    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/bia ... 9#features

    Trek 1.5 C H2 2013 Road Bike

    Costs £635 (reduced from £800)
    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/tre ... 3#features


    Few questions:

    The bianchi has CLARIS Derailleur, The Canondale has Sora and the Trek has Tiagra.
    I know the Tiagra is up above the Sora, but is the Claris best?

    Why does one have 16 gears, one has 20 and one has 27 - seems like huge differences, is it important?

    All have a carbon fork.

    Any thoughts? I'm going to try them on Sunday but wanted to have an idea before walking into the shop.
  • ai_1
    ai_1 Posts: 3,060
    redrabbit wrote:
    Complete new Cyclist, and I have a budget of around £700 for a bike. I've narrowed it down to these 3:

    Cannondale Synapse 8 Sora Triple 2014 Road Bike

    Costs £750
    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/can ... 8#features

    Bianchi Via Nirone 7 Claris Compact 2014 Road Bike

    Costs £750
    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/bia ... 9#features

    Trek 1.5 C H2 2013 Road Bike

    Costs £635 (reduced from £800)
    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/tre ... 3#features


    Few questions:

    The bianchi has CLARIS Derailleur, The Canondale has Sora and the Trek has Tiagra.
    I know the Tiagra is up above the Sora, but is the Claris best?

    Why does one have 16 gears, one has 20 and one has 27 - seems like huge differences, is it important?

    All have a carbon fork.

    Any thoughts? I'm going to try them on Sunday but wanted to have an idea before walking into the shop.
    Of the 3 Tiagra is the best and is a 10 speed system. Sora is second best and is a 9 speed system. Claris is lowest on the food chain and is an 8 speed system. The "speeds" correspond to the number of cogs on the back wheel.
    Personally I would aim for Sora or higher.
  • redrabbit
    redrabbit Posts: 95
    Ai_1 wrote:
    redrabbit wrote:
    Complete new Cyclist, and I have a budget of around £700 for a bike. I've narrowed it down to these 3:

    Cannondale Synapse 8 Sora Triple 2014 Road Bike

    Costs £750
    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/can ... 8#features

    Bianchi Via Nirone 7 Claris Compact 2014 Road Bike

    Costs £750
    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/bia ... 9#features

    Trek 1.5 C H2 2013 Road Bike

    Costs £635 (reduced from £800)
    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/tre ... 3#features


    Few questions:

    The bianchi has CLARIS Derailleur, The Canondale has Sora and the Trek has Tiagra.
    I know the Tiagra is up above the Sora, but is the Claris best?

    Why does one have 16 gears, one has 20 and one has 27 - seems like huge differences, is it important?

    All have a carbon fork.

    Any thoughts? I'm going to try them on Sunday but wanted to have an idea before walking into the shop.
    Of the 3 Tiagra is the best and is a 10 speed system. Sora is second best and is a 9 speed system. Claris is lowest on the food chain and is an 8 speed system. The "speeds" correspond to the number of cogs on the back wheel.
    Personally I would aim for Sora or higher.

    Mmmmmmmm, it seems like the Trek may be the best option then.

    I will try them out in the shop to see which I find most suited to me
  • mrkev83
    mrkev83 Posts: 184
    I've narrowed mine down to these. Can anyone Help with narrowing it down please ?http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/allez-elite-c2-2014-road-bike-ec053024
    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/pin ... 1#features
    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... 7#features
    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/gt/ ... e-ec054166
    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/sco ... e-ec054450
    http://www.strava.com/athletes/mrkev83

    Built for comfort... Not for speed
  • dean7879
    dean7879 Posts: 127
    you can get the cannondale caad 8 tiagra off pauls cycles for 699 . bargain
  • mrkev83
    mrkev83 Posts: 184
    dean7879 wrote:
    you can get the cannondale caad 8 tiagra off pauls cycles for 699 . bargain
    Cheers but ordered a Fuji sportif 1.1 compact for a test ride. Have to use Evans
    http://www.strava.com/athletes/mrkev83

    Built for comfort... Not for speed
  • sprocket17
    sprocket17 Posts: 1
    If you have deep pockets and a kind heart you should buy this bike.

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chris-Froome- ... 1106098379

    One of Chris Froome's 2012 TdF bikes (he used two)
  • TerryCTR
    TerryCTR Posts: 143
    Are these bikes up to much?

    http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/151336619591

    This appears to get good reviews although is perhaps getting on a bit

    Specialized S-Works E5 aerotech columbus road bike
    http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/speci ... 1071657623

    Anyone care to help?
    Giant Propel Advanced Pro 2
  • ai_1
    ai_1 Posts: 3,060
    TerryCTR wrote:
    Are these bikes up to much?

    http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/151336619591

    This appears to get good reviews although is perhaps getting on a bit

    Specialized S-Works E5 aerotech columbus road bike
    http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/speci ... 1071657623

    Anyone care to help?
    The first one's not a road bike. So if you want a road bike......

    There's not much info on the second one such as what wheels and groupset it's got but it looks like it's several years old. I would think £500 is way over the odds and I wouldn't consider buying it at any price without a lot more info.
  • TerryCTR
    TerryCTR Posts: 143
    Ai_1 wrote:
    TerryCTR wrote:
    Are these bikes up to much?

    http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/151336619591

    This appears to get good reviews although is perhaps getting on a bit

    Specialized S-Works E5 aerotech columbus road bike
    http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/speci ... 1071657623

    Anyone care to help?
    The first one's not a road bike. So if you want a road bike......

    There's not much info on the second one such as what wheels and groupset it's got but it looks like it's several years old. I would think £500 is way over the odds and I wouldn't consider buying it at any price without a lot more info.

    Thanks for taking the time to reply. It is a road bike I'm after and I'll replace the first one with this....

    Road bike
    www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/road-bike/1072087919
    Giant Propel Advanced Pro 2
  • ai_1
    ai_1 Posts: 3,060
    I can't offer much advice re the Dolan frame but 400 for a Tiagra build that's almost certainly a couple of years old at least, an uncertain size and very little details of wheels etc is again over the odds in my opinion
  • funomoly
    funomoly Posts: 2
    Hi can anyone help with the following question: Am looking into a Planet X RT-58 Alloy Shimano Tiagra Road Bike or a MEKK 2G Poggio 1.5 or a Sensa Trentino SL. They're all around the same price point give or take £50 but the PX and Sensa benefit from a Tiagra groupset while the Mekk is Sora, but the Mekk has a full carbon frame - Need a bit of advice in deciding; which one would you choose? thanks in advance!
  • noitiettob
    noitiettob Posts: 1
    CanterburyTailwind wrote:
    One of the most common questions on the Forum - and in Road Beginners in particular - is 'what bike should I get for £x?'

    I've been looking through the Forum and have prepared a starting point list below. It's not totally comprehensive, but you get some idea of where to start for those new to the sport. Feel free to chip in! (dons hard hat)

    General Advice
    When looking around at bikes here's a list of some things to consider. I've given this elsewhere on the forum, but I think it bears repeating: I wish I'd had a similar list when I was looking!

    - Frame: quality (of material and paint job) and riding position: do you want to be more relaxed (upright) or more 'sporty' (nose to the handlebars). For the material, aluminium is probably the most common now: it's light and relatively robust. Carbon is lighter, but pricey. Some people still swear by steel, and say there's not much difference in weight with aluminium, but gives a more 'forgiving' ride.
    - Quality of the components, esp groupsets (have a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupset for a 'hierarchy of quality' for Shimano and Campag). Also gearing: is the range suitable for the rides you have in mind? For your chainset (the chain rings at the front of the bike), do you want a double (with no small (low) gear), triple (with a granny gear for those tough hills)or compact (a compromise of both of these)?)
    - Weight of the bike: easy to get hung up on, but worth bear it in mind.
    - if commuting or winter training, does it have the braze ons (fittings) for mudguards and rack?
    - Try them out! A bike can have the best spec in the world but still 'feel wrong' to you. Go and try as many as you can at local bike shops.

    Recommendations
    For people wanting advice about bikes to buy, there seem to be three main price points: around £300, around £500 and around £1000. There’s thousands of bikes out there, and hundreds of makers, and you can usually find someone on the Forum who would swear by their bike. If your favourite isn’t on the list below, make a case for it in the thread that follows! But I think these are the ones that get recommended most regularly.

    £300
    with a three hundred pound budget , you’re looking at the lowest end of the market, and it might be worth looking at a second hand bike which will give you more for your money. However, you could consider these, which get generally positive reviews on the Forum:

    o Decathlon B Twin Sports (£230): Some Forum users have started on these - 'it's done all I'm wanting - 5 mile commute, 100 km club run & even did my first TT on it last night.’; others have upgraded the components, though I’m not sure it’s worth doing so on this frame.
    o Giant SCR4 (£350): see the comments below

    £500
    At around £500 you start to get well specced bikes with good frames that they often share with their more expensive siblings. At this price point it tends to be either a Giant SCR or Specialized Allez that most people go for. Both are good, decent entry-level bikes that can be upgraded as you get into the sport.

    o Giant SCR 3 (£450) or 2 (£545) – a good jumping off point for anyone getting into road biking. Relaxed geometry – so good for those who are nervous of drop handlebars, or want something that they can use on day long sportives. Can also take mudguard and racks. Giant are the biggest cycle manufacturer in the world, so they can get economies of scale, and a decently specced bike for the price.
    Edit: the SCR range has been superceded this year by the Defy range. It's too early to know how they compare with both the old SCRs, and with competitors such as the Allez. If anyone has one of the new Defys (Defies?), post a review on the thread...
    o Specialized Allez (£549 upwards): similar to the Giant, though perhaps slightly less well specced for the money, and perhaps a slightly more aggressive geometry.
    o Boardman Road Comp (£600) – the new kid on the block, but has gained respectable reviews (C+’s budget bike of the year 2007). Often let down by the fact that it is only being sold through Halfords, and people have reported bad experiences with the set up and support of the shops.
    o Ribble 7005 Winter Trainer/Audax (£499): used by many as a good, solid winter hack, as it’s (relatively) cheap, and can take mudguards. Also, with Ribble you can specify what spec you want, and have campag etc if that’s what you’re after.
    o Trek 1 series (£470 upwards): Trek was Lance Armstrong’s bike manufacturer, and this has affected the way many see the brand: it’s a love/hate thing. For a while refused to go with the ‘compact frame’ development, but now making moves towards it with a ‘semi-compact’ geometry. Quite a few Forum users rate them, and BikeRadar gave the 1.5 4.5/5 stars, and thought it ‘fantastic value for money’

    £1000
    At this price, you should be looking at a carbon frame (light and strong), probably with a 10sp cassette on the back. The bikes most often recommended on the Forum are the Focus or Planet X.

    o Focus Cayo (£999): has garnered very good reviews (C+ bike of the year 2007; best bike under £1k in Cycling Weekly: ‘It's very hard not to recommend the Cayo. It's a good ride, has a near perfect choice of components and thanks to the quality of the frame it's worthy of upgrade at a later date. Despite the specification, this is not actually an £1800 bike. Frankly we have never seen such a well appointed bike at such a low price.’). German-made (‘nuff said??), and sold solely through Wiggle – so the downside is that you can’t try it out in the shop first. But then, that’s true of both Planet X and Ribble as well… Road Cycling gave it 10/10 and said: ‘Remove the price tag and you'd be convinced you're looking at a bike with a price far nearer that of £2000. After a fair amount of riding the Cayo, we've struggled to find anything really wrong with. Don't let the price tag convince you this is a bike aimed at beginners, while it's perfect for those new to road riding, those with a few more miles under their bums should take a serious look at the Cayo.’
    o Planet X SL Pro Carbon (£942): a lot of bike for the money, and highly rated by many on the forum.
    I Cant decide between getting the B'twin Rockrider 8.0 (Mountain bike) or the Carrera Virtuoso
    (Road bike).
    I have had a mountain bike and enjoyed every moment of it but i was thinking of cycling to school and a road bike would be more to my advantage. However, i have been told that it is harder to get up hills on road bike help please.

    ___________________________________
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  • TerryCTR
    TerryCTR Posts: 143
    The mtb will be heavier and unless you can lock the front suspension out you can't transfer the power to the road well from what I read. Whoever is saying that is talking nonsense, no hill is going to be easy and it will depend on gearing but of course the road bike will manage it better
    Giant Propel Advanced Pro 2
  • ai_1
    ai_1 Posts: 3,060
    A road bike will be lighter and easier to climb on unless you have unsuitable gearing. Front suspension will also make climbing, or any high power cycling, harder.
    Mountain bikes usually have a very broad gear range. Some road bikes are sold with narrow gear ranges and may make it unnecessarily hard work on steep hills. Make sure it has a compact groupset (50 and 34 teeth on the two front cogs) and ideally you'll want a wide range cassette with a 27 tooth or bigger sprocket on the back. If you won't be doing steep hills I'd still recommend a compact but the cassette range is less important.
  • anjasola
    anjasola Posts: 145
    What to buy?

    I have cycled for more years than I care to remember, nowadays I ride at club level and socially perhaps 250-350 miles a week weather permiting, height 5' 8" weight 75kg.
    It's a few years since I last purchased a bike and it's always been a decent level Colnago but I fancy a change.
    Budget around £4000 but I do like a bargain :D

    Any help would be appreciated.

    I apologise if I have hijacked the thread, it was not intentional.
  • 2degrees
    2degrees Posts: 1
    Hi,

    Looking to get a new road bike. Been offered the Scott CR1 10 for £1350. Good deal? The spec is identical to the one listed here: http://www.evanscycles.com/products/sco ... 3#features
    (Tiagra FD, Ultegra RD and shifters, non-series brakes etc.)

    Can't seem to find much information at all about the Scott CR1 10 - mainly stuff about the CR1 Pro/Comp/Elite ... how does it stack up against them?

    Any advice as to where I can find a similarly specced (or better) bike for the same price (or less!) would be appreciated.
    Not really looking to get a Planet X... but I'm open to persuasion.

    Thanks.
  • Englishmanabroad
    Englishmanabroad Posts: 14
    Anyone got one of these?
    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobi ... prod107031

    And can give there opinion? Seems like quite a good buy.
  • WimpyMiniMaster
    WimpyMiniMaster Posts: 10
    Hi I'm looking to buy my first road bike and my max budget is £600 (I have put aside more for pedals and shoes) I've done a fair amount of research but after a good few weeks I have have landed back on square one. Any one have any ideas? Cheers.
  • douglas63
    douglas63 Posts: 1
    Hello to you all. Although i'm coming here asking advice about what bike/frame material to buy im not a complete newbie. Let me explain briefly. I cycled for years up to 2000 on Bob Jackson bikes on the road but was very badly injured in an RTA in sept of that year. Since then i've stuck to MTB riding (safer ?) but now want back in to the world of road cycling after following Le Tour in Yorkshire. My dilemma is this. Carbon or Aluminium? I've been reading up on both materials and to be honest i'm at a loss. Aluminium might only last 3-5 years! Really? My trusty Marin is 9 and still going strong. Carbon can shatter on impact with the road? Are we reading this right?
    I have ridden a Caad10 recently and was impressed with it. The Trek modone felt great too, but one is Aluminium and the other Carbon!
    So my question to you all is whats the best material for comfort, longevity and handling. I'm not going to go back into racing but might do a sportive now and then and general riding with a couple of mates.
    So for all you 'experts' out there share your thoughts on either material and help an older 'newbie' back onto the byeways of Yorkshire.
    Thanks in advance
    John
  • Deethz
    Deethz Posts: 6
    Hey i would like to buy my first road bike, and i need some help :)

    Which one is the best bike out of this three ?

    http://www.rutlandcycling.com/159195/pr ... -bike.aspx
    http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-500-s ... 06187.html
    http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Giant-Defy-5-20 ... _66376.htm

    I saw that triban 5 is really popular, not sure if 500 se is the same or not.
    Also saw that lots of people recommend defy 5.
    Didnt see a single review on Viking Elite, but i guess its must be good if its £640 originally.

    Sorry about my english, just came to uk a month ago, and thanks a lot for the help. :)

    edit: i have made a fast vote if u are not registered but u want to help me

    http://strawpoll.me/2301380

    Thanks !
  • 11betterlegsplse
    11betterlegsplse Posts: 2
    I looked at the options to buy for my level, sort of used to commuting but not racing, wanting to join my mates, the middle aged guys in Lycra! I went for a Planet X carbon with ultegra 6800 at 1k (they have since put the price up but have various offers, same frame)
    It was just right with price as a cycle to work tax discount. (Be aware they add a fee for the scheme, but still a good deal)
    I rode some other bikes to get the geometry I wanted to fit me locally.
    Positives
    All I can say is it is great to ride. Nicer than my mates giant defy or cannon caad8. Mega light, stiff under power, and flys along my country lanes. Set up out the box was good. Thus far no punctures with the upgraded tyres fully pumped.
    Looks good in matt black. Anything in White....ugh.......
    Negatives
    Delivery was SLOW. 6 weeks. Don't be in a hurry. They did keep speaking to me , but with no good news. They could not source any shimano kit even tho they ordered it all months before. I did not want SRAM as I heard some big stores were having problem quality returns on that.
    No manuals. Meant I nearly stuffed the alternate threads on the crank made of light alloy whilst putting on pedals. Beware.

    I am very happy with the bike. Get into the shops they have and try one, I think it is worth the drive. :lol:
  • 11betterlegsplse
    11betterlegsplse Posts: 2
    2degrees wrote:
    Hi,

    Looking to get a new road bike. Been offered the Scott CR1 10 for £1350. Good deal? The spec is identical to the one listed here: http://www.evanscycles.com/products/sco ... 3#features
    (Tiagra FD, Ultegra RD and shifters, non-series brakes etc.)

    Can't seem to find much information at all about the Scott CR1 10 - mainly stuff about the CR1 Pro/Comp/Elite ... how does it stack up against them?

    Any advice as to where I can find a similarly specced (or better) bike for the same price (or less!) would be appreciated.
    Not really looking to get a Planet X... but I'm open to persuasion.

    Thanks.

    I would want branded brakes for that money. Think most places skimp on them, but they can save your life !!!!!

    X for me !
  • meagain
    meagain Posts: 2,331
    Eh? Linked spec says "Shimano BR-R561 Black Super SLR Dual pivot".
    d.j.
    "Cancel my subscription to the resurrection."
  • Englishmanabroad
    Englishmanabroad Posts: 14
    After a quick bit of advice, is £570 a good price for a 2014 Giant TCR with full Tiagara?
  • sh22
    sh22 Posts: 9
    2014 Cannondale Synapse 7 Sora- http://www.cannondale.com/2014/bikes/ro ... pse-7-sora

    2014 Scott Speedster 60- https://www.scott-sports.com/us/en/prod ... r-60-Bike/

    2015 Fuji Sportif 2.1- http://www.fujibikes.com/bike/details/sportif-21

    2014 Scott Speedster 50- https://www.scott-sports.com/us/en/prod ... r-50-Bike/

    2015 Fuji Sportif 2.3- http://www.fujibikes.com/bike/details/sportif-23

    What is the best?
    The Cannondale is on sale for $760 and the Scotts are $700 and $850 on sale. I also may be able to get the Fujis a little cheaper.
    P.S: I am a beginner

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