Road bicycle for 600 - Bianchi, Specialized, Giant?

johnwilson09

Hi there!

I've been looking around for racing bicycles in the UK, and some of the Giant, Specialized, Trek and Bianchi models for around £550-600 caught my eye. I checked out the specs and went down to the LBS to have a look. The models they had in stock in particular were:

Bianchi C2C Via Nirone 7 Xenon 08
Giant SCR 1.5 08
Specialized Allez Sport 08

The Bianchi has a 10-speed Campagnolo Xenon, while the latter two have 9-speed Shimano Tiagra. There was also a Bianchi C2C Via Nirone 7 with 9-speed Sora.

They didn't have a Bianchi made up in the size I want, so I'll go back and try it out, hopefully tomorrow. I'm leaning towards the Bianchi with Campagnolo, if it feels right.

Please can you give your thoughts... The 10-speed cassette would be good to have? Also, the Bianchi and Specialized are mixes, would this be a problem? And should difficulty obtaining Campagnolo parts put me off those models over the Shimano?

Cheers guys!

Yeti575

I'd go for the Giant. I got an SCR Ltd Etd from Winstanleys on offer, may be worth looking at their site to see if they have any offers on? How tall are you? I am 5'10" and found the Giant medium a tad too small.

Juju_uk_68

I like you, just spent £600 from a cycle to work scheme on a Bianchi c2c alu nirone with Xenon.

I suspect its hard to buy a bad bike at £600 these days, each bike you list has its pros and cons. You need to try them if possible to make your mind up.

I must admit I tend to use on the stock gearing, the full spread of xenons 10 gears on the big cog on my commute, and I after a couple of days getting used to it from the Orange p7 I was using, am loving the ride of the Bianchi. But I did not try the others you mention other than sitting on the Allez, but I wager the owners of those bikes are happy with their purchases too.

The pros are that the its a nice frame, reasoanble quality finishing kit, with slightly over heavy wheels that oddly enough suit the slightly rough commute up the A23. Its more sporty than the MTB but its actually comfortable for a first road bike. Well, I find it so.

I suppose a clinching argument is that the local bike shop over the road from me helped me make up my mind, they are a Roadie/Timetrial shop - no shoppers, commuters, mtbs or enything else, and happen to be specialised and bianchi stockists, (as well as Merkx, De Rosa, Look and many others) but they dont bother to stock the cheaper specilaised range, despite no doubt being able to sell them if they wanted to (although they would then be competing with a local Evans store no doubt). And for "low end" customers, tend to stock and recommend the Bianchis over the Specialised. They are serious enthusiasts, and if its good for them, well, who was I to argue.

The xenon is a slightly cheap feeling gear set, well, to me anyway, the plasticcy feel to theshifters let it down and if I was to change one thing, I might have specced a slightly better gear shifter, yet oddly enough, they are also comfortable to grip, and small enough for me with my little girly hands. I did just feel oddly enough that the Bianchi was just a tiny bit more "special" than the Allez, in looks and design, and at £600 all bikes are a bit of a much of a muchness, and so whats wrong in rating the bike in "pride of ownership"?

I guess as someone who likes Italian cars (ex alfa owners club member), Italian bikes (I *do* want a ducati, but only when I can afford a property with a garage) and Italian food, and admire the language, architecture and weather of Italy, andfind I prefer Italian coffee, well, perhaps I am a little bit bit of an Italiophile. And somehow despite no doubt being an excellent bike, does being on a Giant make you feel special?

I;mm sure the appalling snobbishness, and completely mis placed (I amnew to road bikes after all) prestige in the Bianchi brand will put you off the brand as much as it attracted me to it, but theres room for all opinions in life.

but yes, even like this morning, as a fat bloke commuting to work, grossly unfit, who planned to get the train, until I saw the sun shining this pm, and saw a bike in the hallway saying "ride me", I dont regret the purchase for a moment even if you told me in cold logical terms that there is better out there.

Campag vs Shimano. I suspect given my experience in MTB gear, that at the very bottom level, shiman might just be better. But Italian bits on an Italian bike? Makes sense to me. Thats why Ducatis often have Marzochi and Brembo fitted.

Phixion

I'm tempted to get the Spec Allez Sport 08, it's been built and waiting in my LBS for a while. I just have to pull the trigger.

I'm going up tomorrow and hopefully will come home with a new bike.

Juju - did you get the chrome or Celeste colour?

Juju_uk_68

Mine came in metalic grey/silver colour.

I got it via cycletowork through the Halfords scheme. Halfords had to order it in, (after I had cheekilly confirmed my size at the lbs over the road fromwork, who perfectly understood why I couldnt buy from them, but being enthusiasts still spent 1/2 hour with me going through what they felt I should be looking for in a bike anyway!

Everyone else has Celeste bianchis, the ones I see, round Croydon, and in an odd way, pleased its not Celeste (which was out of stock at Halfords suppliers) as that makes it "different". I do like the Celeste colour but frankly as an unfit ex MTB rider, am happier with the more anonymous profile a non celese Bianchi gives you.


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johnwilson09

Thanks for the replies guys.

Yeti - I'm about 6'1, and approx. 58cm frames will fit me. I'm apprehensive about buying online due to the service.

Juju - I do also love the look of the Bianchi bikes. When I asked at the LBS they said the Nirone Xenon was only available in Celeste - so they were telling porkies?

Phixion - What is it about the Allez you prefer over the Bianchi? Cheers!

Phixion

I'm unsure whether I like Celeste tbh, I think it looks nice and is definitely different but I don't think I'd buy one.

I was initially looking for a Bianchi - I love their frames but I soon found out that it would be near impossible to find one with a Tiagra-Equivalent groupset @ £599. The Bianchi C2C Via Nirone 7 Xenon 08 has Xenon groupset which is the lowest in the Campagnolo range, at least with the Allez Sport I'm getting middle-range.

jjojjas

I'm currently waiting for my Bianchi to be delivered. I too looked at the Giant, trek and the spesh.. All were good bikes and perfectly capable machines so any would have fit the bill and no doubt got praise from me. In the end I went for Bianchi for the simple reason I liked the look of it more than the others. Will all components being fairly equal in reliability stakes, and all bikes fit me well enough, I just went for aesthetic appeal
Not very scientific, but I couldn't see any other way of doing it with them all being so close in other ways.
Enjoy which ever you buy.
Jas

simon_e

They're all excellent bikes. Persuade the shop to let you try each one then pick the one you like best - whether it's the position, the feel, the spec or even just the colour.

RedAende

johnwilson09 wrote:

When I asked at the LBS they said the Nirone Xenon was only available in Celeste - so they were telling porkies?
!

iirc 07 bikes were silver/grey and 08 bikes celeste only. Maybe there was a couple of months changeover when both colours available.

I waited for the 08 model as definitely wanted celeste. Only criticism is gear shifters being plastic, not great for changing into big chain ring. Wheels maybe a bit heavy but any £600 bike will have heavy wheels. Probably a plus point considering state of UK roads.

johnwilson09

Simon E wrote:

They're all excellent bikes. Persuade the shop to let you try each one then pick the one you like best - whether it's the position, the feel, the spec or even just the colour.

I tried to get them to let me do a test ride, but they weren't having it. Would it be worth going to another LBS to try it out? I'm in Sheffield, and the nearest Evans' are a train's ride away in Manchester or Castleford! That's about it for shops in my area...

EDIT: Just took a look at the Evans website, they only have the Via Nirone 7 with Sora or Mirage groupsets, not the Xenon. The frame is the same, so it still should give me a decent idea if I were to test one of those? I want to stick with the 10-speeds since that'll give me more option for upgrade in the future.

jjojjas

mines through Evans mate. £20 deposit and they will deliver all the bike to the shop for you to try if there not in stock (but are in the central warehouse). Get your £20 when you turn up.
Try them.
Jas

johnwilson09

jjojjas wrote:

mines through Evans mate. £20 deposit and they will deliver all the bike to the shop for you to try if there not in stock (but are in the central warehouse). Get your £20 when you turn up.
Try them.
Jas

Which groupset did you go with? I'm going to check out the Mirage one.