What Road Bike?
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Gents,
I to am having the same problem, I have narrowed the search down to the Giant Defy 1, Planet X Pro Carbon Rival Road Bike 2012, or, Colnago Air 105 2012. All the bikes seem to have decent kit on them. I have also considered the Boardman range and numerous others. http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=84316 seems a bargain
I have not cycled a decent road bike for nearly 8 years and have been scratching around on an old Raleigh mountain bike which I have just put some Schwalbe city jet tyres on to do the 30 mile return commute to work.
I have torn the meniscus and ligament in my knee and now have to give up running and impactive sport for a while. So back on the bike I think from now on. I want a decent bike that I can use to and from work and then for long rides. I just did the National Three Peaks for H4H (walking), in May, and want to cycle Tower to Tower next year again for charity. So the bike I buy will be used for this. I am going to take advantage of the cycle to work scheme and would welcome advice on every thing. Including kit, pedals, shoes etc.
Any words of wisdom more than welcome0 -
howdy peeps right im just gonna get straight in there this is my first post i have bin road racing and touring for 3 months but iv averaged 200 miles a week and hopeing to extended atm i have a unkown brand k-lite pro which i baught for £279 considering i jsut basically went on looks but now i have riden a while and learnt how to repair my bike and small services i would like to buy a better one i was thinking about £1200 and have been looking around im definetly wanting carbon the (2012-giant-defy-composite-2) http://www.giant-cambridge.co.uk/bikes.php?main=0&cat=0&sub=0&series=1&range=2&id=1 and it is lookng pretty good but i have also been looking at the boardman team carbon http://www.boardmanbikes.com/road/road_team_carbon.html
i know that its personal choice and how the bike feels but i would like to know which has better spec and whether any of these bike would last me long enough so when i want to upgrade again i could buy parts instead of a whole new bike if you have any more suggestions on bikes or any helpfull info please let me know
thanks for your time0 -
If you're looking for a bike you can slowly upgrade over time I suggest trying to buy the best frame you can with average components attached.saam1989 wrote:howdy peeps right im just gonna get straight in there this is my first post i have bin road racing and touring for 3 months but iv averaged 200 miles a week and hopeing to extended atm i have a unkown brand k-lite pro which i baught for £279 considering i jsut basically went on looks but now i have riden a while and learnt how to repair my bike and small services i would like to buy a better one i was thinking about £1200 and have been looking around im definetly wanting carbon the (2012-giant-defy-composite-2) http://www.giant-cambridge.co.uk/bikes.php?main=0&cat=0&sub=0&series=1&range=2&id=1 and it is lookng pretty good but i have also been looking at the boardman team carbon http://www.boardmanbikes.com/road/road_team_carbon.html
i know that its personal choice and how the bike feels but i would like to know which has better spec and whether any of these bike would last me long enough so when i want to upgrade again i could buy parts instead of a whole new bike if you have any more suggestions on bikes or any helpfull info please let me know
thanks for your time
Wiggle has a sale on FELT bikes at the moment. On most of their ranges the best bike in the group shares frame with the worst and the only difference is wheels and groupsets.
e.g FELT AR5 has the same frame as the AR2 but the AR5 is only £1.5k at the moment.0 -
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Hi,
both new to this site and road cycling.
Wanna buy a decent first road bike.
Money not a real issue..don't really want to buy a £500 bike i regret so thinking of £1000 for the bike then around £200 for shoes and pedals.
Have not stopped reading reviews and to be quite honest it's getting on my moobs!
So I have seen this Giant beauty online for £999. http://www.shopgiant-bicycles.co.uk/636 ... ite-3.aspx
It's for sale with cyclesurgery for £1099 but they do price match.
I basically want to comute to work and back (10 mile round trip), and then when not working go cycling here there and everywhere in Somerset.
Am I way out my league here or is this a great bike to choose?
Also is Giant sizing diff to others?
I'm 5'7 with 29in inside leg.
nearly all websites say 54/Med is correct but Giant site says small! :?
FIRE AWAY! 0 -
http://www.cube.eu/en/road/performance/peloton-race/
Just need pedals and shoes and my voucher to come CTW!!
Get £100 voucher from Cube as well to spend on kit!!0 -
Went a bit overbudget but hey ho!!!.
got this for £1100.
http://www.bike-uk.co.uk/product.php?ca ... tText=road bikes&catMainText=bikes
Absolutely buzzing!..cannot wait to get out on the bad boy. 8)0 -
Glyniesta wrote:Went a bit overbudget but hey ho!!!.
got this for £1100.
http://www.bike-uk.co.uk/product.php?ca ... tText=road bikes&catMainText=bikes
Absolutely buzzing!..cannot wait to get out on the bad boy. 8)
Nice bike. Saw some chap riding that brand today0 -
Ok i have £1000 to spend on the Cycle to Work scheme. Now i can't decide what bike to get? I work 2 mins from Ribble Cycles and i am 10 mins from Merlin Cycles also there is a Halfords 10 mins away. What would be the best bike from them 3? The bike must have Shimano 105 minimum and decent tyres.0
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Have a look at what I have ordered, Cube Peloton race compact, Ultegra and 105 all the way through and decent spec kit throughout. 105 spd pedal half price as well. The triple in a 53" frame is on offer for £850 at the moment as well.0
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Hey all, I was pondering for a first road bike between buying a Spec Allez (basic) (£550) and then upgrading to carbon forks via ebay (£30-40)or just spending the £400 extra on the Giant TCR 3 composite. Anyone able to help me decided either way?
Is it worth the extra, or should I just upgrade the Allez as I go, or is the TCR that much better bang for buck?
The other spanner in the works could be the Planet X entry bike, however I have been hearing mixed views on the quality of the frame.
Cheers
IMA0 -
I have had a Planet-X £1k bike (SL-Pro Carbon) for 4 years, superb bike for the money.
Buying a bike with immediate upgrades in mind always seems a bad idea. Best value component purchases you will ever make are likely to be those that coime on a complete bike!
I don't think the Allez is a very good buy at £550 (8 speed, which would cost A LOT to upgrade to 9 or 10 speed, alluminium forks), I would be looking at a Carrera Vanquish if that was my budget, though at this time of year you may get a 2012 model from higher up the Specialized range reduced in price. Don't know anything about the Giant TCR's other than they get great reviews.
Generally speaking, if you are likely to get upgrade-itis if you feel the bike is compromised, spend as much as you can in the first place, it will be cheaper.0 -
If it's your FIRST road bike and you want great value, I really think the Felt F95 is a steal. Wiggle have it for only £519.99 at the moment with 20% off. Click to go to product page -->http://tidd.ly/9ea1179b
If you're lucky enough to ride a 52cm and have a desire for an Italian Stallion, the Colnago Air 105 has 40% off at the moment at less than £1k...stunning bike --> http://tidd.ly/e0408231
But my choice road bike at the moment for value and performance is the Moser 111 Ultegra. Partially because it's well specified, with good finishing kit, largely down to the mix of matt black and gloss black graphics that look wonderful in the flesh and partly also down to the 35% reduction, £1300 for a full carbon, Ultegra equipped bike like this has got my attention. A model i'd part with my own money for --> http://tidd.ly/325452000 -
The Carrera Virago Limited Edition Carbon is giving me the eye at the moment,. Carbon frame and a mix of 105 derailers & shifters and a Tiagra 10spd cassette seems pretty good for £900, though it's hard to see past the Carrera brand for that kind of money if I'm honest.....and the Planet X SL is only another £100..... :?0
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Hello. I guess I'm doing the same as many of you people here, I'm asking for advice on a road bike purchase. It doesn't have to be new, I'm happy for it to be second hand if you can recommend what to look out for. I'd ideally like to spend no more than about £400 or £450, for a bike that will go through the winter, do lots of miles and take me to the end of an Iron distance triathlon next summer.
I've noticed the Triban 3 but a friend pointed out the thumb shifters, which I'd rather avoid if I can and then there are myriad second hand Boardmans and Giants at this kind of price range. Maybe I should buy an actual giant to carry me around on their shoulders, that'd be brill.
I'm not really bothered if it's a cyclocross, or tricross, or ironcross or whatever because I'm just looking for a bike to ride and train on and right now it doesn't matter what shape or size it is. Also, I'm new enough not to have the bike pride that I'm sure non of you have.
Oh, yes, I'd quite like stuff that's got 105 gearing or better, or rather: things without those thumb shifters. Is that possible at this price point?
Thanks.0 -
Here's a good one
Since I have read up more on how a bike should fit, I have realised that my hybrid is in fact too small! So I will be selling it.
What I am thinking of is to replace it with another road bike to be used for commuting and light touring. The new bike needs to have mudguard and rack mounts, compact or triple chainset ideally and come in at no more than £500
So far the Raleigh Airlight 100 fits, but does anyone have any other suggestions?0 -
I have a Planet-X SL Pro and I love it but I think the Carerra bike is of better quality, though the Px will be lighter and be a fine bike.Sesquepidilian wrote:The Carrera Virago Limited Edition Carbon is giving me the eye at the moment,. Carbon frame and a mix of 105 derailers & shifters and a Tiagra 10spd cassette seems pretty good for £900, though it's hard to see past the Carrera brand for that kind of money if I'm honest.....and the Planet X SL is only another £100..... :?0 -
can not fault the Cube at all, the bike not only looks good but is better than I thought it would be. The spec is far better than the others and the quality shows throughout. :roll:0
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Mikey41 wrote:Here's a good one
Since I have read up more on how a bike should fit, I have realised that my hybrid is in fact too small! So I will be selling it.
What I am thinking of is to replace it with another road bike to be used for commuting and light touring. The new bike needs to have mudguard and rack mounts, compact or triple chainset ideally and come in at no more than £500
So far the Raleigh Airlight 100 fits, but does anyone have any other suggestions?
The Airlight is a pretty standard road bike and whilst it will do what you want (I assume it has rack mounts and mudguard clearance) it may not be best suited. What about a Cyclocross bike like a Revolution Cross, Cross Sport, Genesis Day One or a Jamis Nova for example. They are well suited to commuting and touring and have some modest off-road ability if (like mine) your commute takes in any unmade paths. They take racks and mudguards and have clearance for larger volume tyres for comfort.
Alternatively, what about an Audax bike (light tourer), like a Revolution Audax, a Ridgeback Radium, or a Raleigh Clubman (this one looks great value with Tiagra shifters at that price, 30% off! nice looking bike too). Audax bikes usually come with mudguards (so about £30 of the value) and are suited to fast comfortable long rides with moderate loads (they take racks).
Both the above types of bike would be ideal for year round commuting.
Alternatively, the Ribble Winter / Audax bikes are amazing value.
Out of that lot my choice would be the Raleigh Clubman0 -
:?
Hi All,
I'm looking to buy a Carbon Road bike from Ribble but am confused about the different benefits between the Gran Fondo, New Sportive Racing and R872 models. There are no Head to Head reviews so I don't know which is the 'better bike' for my money. I will be using £1000 halfords bike2work voucher and I believe I can top up with cash. Ribble seems my best option as Planet X don't accept the vouchers otherwise the RT57 would have been an option i think.
I have cycled relatively extensively but my bike knowledge is rubbish. I have completed 2 sprint tri's, 3 standard tri's (one with included 4 circuits of the Great Orme), a half ironman and cycled Lands End to John O'Groats in the last 3 years.....all on a Boardman Hybrid Team 09. On the latter I ended up using a Planet X carbon SL as the Hybrid died.
I have just entered IM Wales and will be buying a carbon bike. I'm looking at a SRAM apex 11-28 or 11-32 set up (don't know much about the benefits but reviews are pointing that way). Should I stick with the 39-52 or 34-50.....am clueless. My hill climbing isn't the best. Will need speed on the flat and assistance in the climbs.
Can anyone offer any advice please??
Pardon my ignorance and thanks for reading!0 -
Ribble have been a bit funny over the c2w scheme. They will not let you go over the £1000 limit, even if you offer to pay the difference. They used to let you do it but stopped this month. My mate and I tried to get one from them and got no joy at all. In the end we went to our local bike shop and they did us a deal on Cube, I bought the Peloton Cube Compact Race, it has Ultegra and 105 spec, decent colours and wheels, tyres for the money. He bought the Agree GTC, full carbon bike and 105, £1000. Nice bike again. Freeride cycles, Disley.0
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Nightmare! Ta for the reply. More digging to do!!0
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I'm looking for a road bike, perhaps in the region of less than £300.
Pretty new to this game so has anyone any suggestions?
Cheers0 -
Ebay, Decathlon or the Carrera TDF. Otherwise you could end up with a BSO (bike shaped object).
Lot's of luck.Someone's just passed me again0 -
Sajjyp, I'm in a similar situation.
Have picked up my £1000 halfords voucher, willing to spend another £300 on top to make it up to a decent carbon machine.
I understand Ribble don't accept the halfords voucher.
I am torn between the Boardman Team Carbon (pretty boring but V. good for the money) and a Pinarello Uno.
Does anyone else have any more info on the BEST bike for £1300-ish?
Ta0 -
My voucher comes this week. I still can't decide which bike to get. I have narrowed it down to 4. Do i get the Specialized Allez Elite 2013 with Tiagra, the Boardman Team with 105, a Sensa bike from Merlin with 105 (2-3 week build time) or get a Ribble with 105, Conti tyres, Deda parts etc ( god knows the build time and bad customer service apparently). What's people thoughts on the bikes? I could even travel a bit further and get a CAAD 8 with 105.0
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My bike i have at the moment is the Merlin s2200 and cost £297 its a great bike have a look on there website http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/bikes/road-bikes/merlin-road-bikes/merlin-s2200-road-bike.htmlcompo wrote:I'm looking for a road bike, perhaps in the region of less than £300.
Pretty new to this game so has anyone any suggestions?
Cheers0 -
Well what a shite forum this is nobody is even bothered answering peoples questions.0
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I'll chat to ya
As ya local,have you been into Bikeshack in Ormskirk(was Middletons)......
Im assuming ya looking at around £1000 to spend,they have started selling Focus range which are stunning bikes which iwill be putting an order in soon , also they have 1 of these http://www.mekkbicycles.com/Pinorolo-AL-2.0-105.aspx , really nice looking bike for £999,was told 2 lads that had something to do with Boardman bikes have set-up themselves and this is their range....... 0 -
willow71uk wrote:Well what a shite forum this is nobody is even bothered answering peoples questions.
Hey Willow, some of us answered.Problem with this question is that there appear to be many threads runinng concurrently.Someone's just passed me again0
