Can anybody recommend me a bike please

feel

Hi Soni, i would not be too quick to buy off the internet compared to your LBS (local bike shop). You may well pay more at your LBS but what you will get in return is a lot of useful advice particularly a few weeks/months after the purchase. Believe it or not in the year after the purchase you will probably spend the same again on accessories/gear etc eg your bike won't come with pedals and then you will have to buy shoes as well. Not forgetting helmet, computer, inner tubes, jerseys, shorts, longs waterproof jacket, bike pump, track pump, saddle bag, tools, front light, rearlight etc, etc, etc. Talk to the man/woman in your LBS and you may well be able to negotiate a deal on some of these, maybe even a 10% off deal for the next 6 monthes on these essentials, which will make them money and save you money.

Soni

I've spoke to 2 bike shops now and asked if they can move on the price if i pay cash, one was on a Specialized Allez, it was up for £579.00 for a triple and he said they arn't allowed to discount 2009 bikes.

I then phoned another shop and they gave me high prices for 2008 Trek's, and said they are awaiting delivery of the 2009 Trek's, so i said in conversion that i assume the 2008 models will be reduced in price once the delivery of 2009 bikes are delivered, and he said no they won't be reducing the price of the 2008 models because the 2009 models are that much more expensive this year so it still justifies and gives an incentive to purchase 2008 models!!

Whereas most of the websites like Evans shows a dinstinct saving on last years models.....

alfablue

Soni wrote:

I've spoke to 2 bike shops now and asked if they can move on the price if i pay cash, one was on a Specialized Allez, it was up for £579.00 for a triple and he said they arn't allowed to discount 2009 bikes.

I then phoned another shop and they gave me high prices for 2008 Trek's, and said they are awaiting delivery of the 2009 Trek's, so i said in conversion that i assume the 2008 models will be reduced in price once the delivery of 2009 bikes are delivered, and he said no they won't be reducing the price of the 2008 models because the 2009 models are that much more expensive this year so it still justifies and gives an incentive to purchase 2008 models!!

Whereas most of the websites like Evans shows a dinstinct saving on last years models.....

I think there is some element of price-fixing by the bike manufacturers - allegedly some LBS's are under threat of supplies drying up if they discount too much. This year, apparently, manufacturers/distributors were trying to supply fewer bikes to the market to prevent the end of model year glut that usually takes place, my LBS said they were having a lot of trouble sourcing any bikes back in July. Of course this is all gossip - if there was proof then there would be legal action by trading standards. It is very easy to operate a cartel/do price fixing informally, just look at last weeks paraffin debacle - only revealed because Shell blew the whistle in return for some protection from punishment.

Soni

I've finally found a bike that i like!

Haven't been to a shop yet to see it - as will have to wait until they receive delivery, but can you guys check the spec out for me and let me know if its anygood?

I was interested in the Trek 1.5, as I found one in red/white and a type of gold/white here:-


http://www.trithebike.co.uk/TREK1.509.htm

and here

http://www.sbrsports.com/1011/515-231007

But wasn't too keen on the colours, but then at lunchtime today i managed to stumble accross this one:-

http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/113615.html

I really like the colour of the above bike and its in my price range of up £900.00 max.

Soni

P.S. The reason i'm asking is because of this review of the 08 version over the 07 which states its a shame the equipment has been downgraded on the 08 from what was provided on the 07.....

Here

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgur ... n%26sa%3DN

alfablue

It is a shame that this years Trek 1.5 has Sora shifters, Tiagra are much better, given that yo will have the money for a Tiagra (or better) equipped bike I think you should consider it. The Focus Variado is highly rated and is a lot more bike for your money (as is the Variado Expert). I don't suppose the colour scheme will please you though.

stronginthesun

i would get a 2008 trek 1.5 . my friend has one and is very pleased with it with no problems . looks good in red and white too . dont believe the rubbish about not discounting , just go in with a wad of cash at the end of the month . never pay list even on this years model .

Soni

Tried out a 56" Boardman Comp at lunchtime, it felt quite nice sitting on it, what are they like?

Going to try out a Trek tommorrow, they have a Trek 1.5 2009 not made up though in my local bike shop......

Which would you guys go for? I believe the Boardman has the better spec?

stfc1

You seem to have moved from a budget of £400 to £900 (how often this happens!) but if you are still considering a Trek 1.2 I'd trawl your local bike shops for a 2008 model. They're better spec'd, cheaper to begin with and if they have one you WILL be able to get it at a discount (I was offered one for £380 the other week).

Soni

Hi stfc1, yeah i have £410.00 saved in cash allready and by tommorrow night will have another £120.00, as have a second job on a weekend Fri/Sat and i'm saving this money each week for the bike, so this weekend i'll have £530.00, by next weekend i'll have £650.00 (which will put me in a good position to purchase something) and if i wait for the weekends after that will have £770.00 and then £890.00 by the end of the month.

My Mrs will only let me have the money to myself to save until the end of the month - but to be honest that will by me a decent entry level bike and i'd be stupid to pay any more than that out on a first road bike.

This might sound a little extreme, but i've put a word document together with all the bikes from Scott, Cannondale, Trek, and Specialized, togehter with phots of the bikes and prices, and i've looked at the 1.2 Trek 2008 you mentioned, its in black/red and i personally don't like the colour.....

I really like the Green Trek 1.5 2009 though

Soni

P.S. Can't wait until i get the bike and can join some ride days out

littleandy0410

Soni, I'm surprised you like the Boardman, it's black on black! Not nearly garish enough for you!

I have a Boardman Road Comp, I got it for £540 about 3 weeks ago when Halfrauds had 10% off. I love it, and I think the spec is about the best for the money. I was going to buy a Giant SCR 1.5 for £499, but I just love the look of the Boardman, so as soon as I found out about the discount I had to have one!

It's my first road bike, in fact my first drop-bar bike ever! I've always been into mountain biking (still am) so took up road biking as a way of keeping fit as I live in the fens so don't have many hills!

I would go for the highest spec you can afford over the look of the bike - Tiagra or above shifters are good, so you don't have the little thumb switches. If you've sat on one and it fits, why not go for it?

Have you considered a Cube Peloton? I love the look of them. :twisted: :spanner in the works!:

stronginthesun

get the trek 1.5 then , remember couple of weeks and it will be dark early and cold , at least you will get a bit of good weather if you get it now , dispite my earlier comment you will probly have to pay list , but make sure you get some freebies , computer , shoes , pdals ect thrown in

Soni

Found these reviews on the bike, looks like this is the one!

http://www.buzzillions.com/dz_448565_trek_1.5_reviews

Soni

littleandy0410 wrote:

Soni, I'm surprised you like the Boardman, it's black on black! Not nearly garish enough for you!

I have a Boardman Road Comp, I got it for £540 about 3 weeks ago when Halfrauds had 10% off. I love it, and I think the spec is about the best for the money. I was going to buy a Giant SCR 1.5 for £499, but I just love the look of the Boardman, so as soon as I found out about the discount I had to have one!

It's my first road bike, in fact my first drop-bar bike ever! I've always been into mountain biking (still am) so took up road biking as a way of keeping fit as I live in the fens so don't have many hills!

I would go for the highest spec you can afford over the look of the bike - Tiagra or above shifters are good, so you don't have the little thumb switches. If you've sat on one and it fits, why not go for it?

Have you considered a Cube Peloton? I love the look of them. :twisted: :spanner in the works!:

My god you have thrown a spanner in the works, i like the look of this one and its also available in black and white, and looks quite colourful in white with the red:-

http://www.cube-bikes.de/xist4c/web/PEL ... 30650_.htm

I'll be spending this weekend visiting bike shops so will put this Cube on my consideration list to try out.

Thanks for the recommendation LittleAndy - i'll let you all know which one i decide on - as i'll have to make a decision this weekend as will want to put some money down deposit so i can get the Tripple ordered in in whichever bike i decide on which will probably take between 7-10 days for the shop to receive delivery of it once i order it.

Soni

I've just had a ride of a 2008 Trek 1.5, it was only a 54cm as opposed to the 58cm that i need but the 58 wasn't set up.

It was fantastic, like chalk and cheese compared to the old 80's style Raleigh Racer i've just sold - it rode more like my 90's style Marin Palisades Trail mountain bike.

Now - my major concern is this - the guy at the bike shop knew his stuff, you could tell it was a specialist shop and that he knew his stuff, he was a realy professional, i asked him about my weight v a road bike, i'm 18stone by the way, he said the main problem i need to watch out for is pot holes in the road, he said my weight against a pot hole will almost certainly buckle a wheel.......

I'm a bit worried about this cause i'm looking at £90 apparently for a new rear wheel on the Trek 1.5.....

Is a road bike for me - considering my weight?

Soni

Hi guys, took the gamble and i've bought a bike - although not physically got it yet as it needs to be ordered in.

I went for the Trek 1.5 2009 Tripple in the end.

The bike shop were really great, as i said above the guy was a professional. They had a jig that they put me on to measure my inside leg, my height, the height of my shoulders, the width of my shoulders, how long my arms are, the size of my feet etc., etc.,etc., and then they put all this information into a computer program.

Before doing all those measurements and putting the data into the computer program, he asked me to site on a couple of bikes, and said that i would probably need the 56cm,

However, the computer program made a diagram of the bike, together with showing all the measurements from saddle - handlebars, etc., etc., (it was like an Autocad Drawing) and it then came up with a bike size of 58cm!!

I sat on a 58cm and the cross bar is only about 1" below my groin, but the guy said because i have a long upper torso i need the 58cm for the distance.

He said that when i receive my new bike the saddle will be quite far down, he would say that the saddle isn't high enough, but because of my torso length its more important for the distance to be right between the saddle and handlebars than what it looks like visually.....

Do you think its going to look stupid?

simon_e

Soni wrote:

The bike shop were really great, as i said above the guy was a professional.

[snip]

Do you think its going to look stupid?

If he knows his stuff and it fits you properly then no. Sounds like you've found a decent shop there. Don't be afraid to give them a mention, someone in your area may be looking for a good shop and word of mouth is the best recommendation.

Good luck with your new bike, the 1.5 is a nice looking machine. Re. potholes I'd suggest you take it easy until you build confidence. Your wheel won't die at the first bump but thumping into a nasty pothole could put it out of true. Don't worry too much, get out and enjoy riding it.

Soni

Simon E wrote:

Soni wrote:

The bike shop were really great, as i said above the guy was a professional.

[snip]

Do you think its going to look stupid?

If he knows his stuff and it fits you properly then no. Sounds like you've found a decent shop there. Don't be afraid to give them a mention, someone in your area may be looking for a good shop and word of mouth is the best recommendation.

Good luck with your new bike, the 1.5 is a nice looking machine. Re. potholes I'd suggest you take it easy until you build confidence. Your wheel won't die at the first bump but thumping into a nasty pothole could put it out of true. Don't worry too much, get out and enjoy riding it.

Hi Simon E, yeah the bike shop i went to were great - if anybody is interested they are called Larkfield Cycles and they are in Larkfield Kent, just off Junction 4 of the M20 - near Maidstone.

Will post up once i collect my bike at the end of the month!

feel

Soni wrote:

he said my weight against a pot hole will almost certainly buckle a wheel.......

I'm a bit worried about this cause i'm looking at £90 apparently for a new rear wheel on the Trek 1.5.....

True , but i guess you are not aiming for potholes - in all my years riding i have always managed to ride around all the big ones. I wouldn't worry about the 1" clearance over the cross bar, just out of interest how tall are you?
As i mentioned in my earlier post there are advantages to buying from an LBS and hopefully this guy will be good at helping you out with advice and the minor niggles that develop. Just remember the spending isn't over

alfablue

If you do eventually break the wheels (and you may well not do so) you can get some decent handbuilt ones with 36 spokes for maybe £150 - if well built they will stand up to the use you put them through.

Soni

feel wrote:

Soni wrote:

he said my weight against a pot hole will almost certainly buckle a wheel.......

I'm a bit worried about this cause i'm looking at £90 apparently for a new rear wheel on the Trek 1.5.....

True , but i guess you are not aiming for potholes - in all my years riding i have always managed to ride around all the big ones. I wouldn't worry about the 1" clearance over the cross bar, just out of interest how tall are you?
As i mentioned in my earlier post there are advantages to buying from an LBS and hopefully this guy will be good at helping you out with advice and the minor niggles that develop. Just remember the spending isn't over

Hi Feel, yeah i'm glad i went to the LBS now instead of purchasing on line - as its as though they are building the bike for me with all the measurements they are taking - apparently they use it to calculate the correct height for the seat, handlebars etc., and of course i would have probably ordered a 56cm frame size over the internet - whereas the program they have calculated that i in fact require a 58cm.

In reality, the smaller frame size could have meant discomfort and a short lived hobby and a very expensive mistake.....

Thanks for the advise!

Soni

Double Post

Soni

Hi guys, as some of you may recall from my previous posts above, i am collecting my new bike next Wednesday/Thursday.

I am presently excercising every morning (lost 7 lbs in the last 2 weeks!) and i'm presently using my Marin Palisades Trail riding up some steep hills where i live.

The Marin i'm presently using is from the 90's, and as such as the pedals with the little 'basket' for want of a better word that you put your feet into, and this seems to work really well for me when i'm climbing as my feet don't slip off the pedals!

However, i'm a little concerned about the pedals on the new bike i'm getting next week - the Trek 1.5 2009 model.

I understand it doesn't have these - can somebody please point me to a site where i can purchase some new pedals that will be suitable for me - which will also 'definetely' be compatible with my new purchase?

I could get them from the LBS i'm getting my bike from, but he is a specialist and most of his stuff is very expensive!

Soni

Hi Guys, just to report that i collected my new bike yesterday, really pleased with it , here is a photo, although the photo doesn't really do it justice:-


http://www.sonifenton-scott.pwp.blueyon ... yBikes.htm

alfablue

Soni

The bike is a beauty - love the colours!

As for pedals, the natural progression is to ditch the toe straps and go for clipless. They are easier and safer. Cheap but excellent are the SPD M520's which you can find online for under £20, plus you need some SPD shoes.

Soni

alfablue wrote:

Soni

The bike is a beauty - love the colours!

As for pedals, the natural progression is to ditch the toe straps and go for clipless. They are easier and safer. Cheap but excellent are the SPD M520's which you can find online for under £20, plus you need some SPD shoes.

Hi AlfaBlue,

Yeah i phoned the bike shop up a couple of days before collection and asked them if it came with pedals, they said yes but only the flat type.

I asked them about the clipless pedals, they said they start at £35.00 which wasn't too bad, but then they said i would need a special type of shoe also and they start at £65.00!

So, i asked them about toe clips (as thats what my Marin has and i use them to climb the hills behind my house and they seem to work fine for what i need) and they said they are only £7.00 - so said slap some of them on it! But in the end they fitted them free of charge.

However - i was looking at some clipless pedals the other day, and they were absolutely gorgeous - they were brilliant white (will suit my bike perfectly) and i thought they were Shimano, but i looked the the Shimano website the other day and they weren't on there, so i have no idea where i saw them.

Do you know then ones i mean? I think they were about £39.00, they were diamond white, and looked really sporty....

I've asked my Mrs to put a set of Clipless Pedals and some shoes on my Sata's list for this year!!

P.S. Went out this morning on my normally half hour ride at 6am before work, and the new bike has cut the time i do it in from 30 minutes - 20 minutes! I'm now going to have to arrange another route so i can keep the excercise time to 30 minutes

alfablue

Were they Crank Brothers pedals?

I am not sure they will stay white for long though. Pedal bodies get quite a bit of wear.

There is a debate over road versus SPD (mtb pedals), I favour SPD's for beginners, they are a bit cheaper but more importantly you can walk in them. They are fine on road bikes.

For really cheap and okay shoes you could get these DHB ones at £45, or Specialized Sonoma for £42, or if on a very tight budget, these DHB ones for £34. They are all mtb shoes which is what you need for SPD pedals, but you can walk in them (which you can't really, with road shoes).

The cheapest good pedals are Shimano M520's for £17 delivered from Highonbikes. Not white, but silver should look okay.

New bikes are typically supplied with either no pedals or very cheap ones because invariably riders fit their own preferred pedals.

That is a fantastic difference on your ride - the speed of road bikes eh?

Soni

alfablue wrote:

Were they Crank Brothers pedals?

I am not sure they will stay white for long though. Pedal bodies get quite a bit of wear.

There is a debate over road versus SPD (mtb pedals), I favour SPD's for beginners, they are a bit cheaper but more importantly you can walk in them. They are fine on road bikes.

For really cheap and okay shoes you could get these DHB ones at £45, or Specialized Sonoma for £42, or if on a very tight budget, these DHB ones for £34. They are all mtb shoes which is what you need for SPD pedals, but you can walk in them (which you can't really, with road shoes).

The cheapest good pedals are Shimano M520's for £17 delivered from Highonbikes. Not white, but silver should look okay.

New bikes are typically supplied with either no pedals or very cheap ones because invariably riders fit their own preferred pedals.

That is a fantastic difference on your ride - the speed of road bikes eh?

Hi AlfaBlue,

The pedals i found the other day and really like were these:-

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/tim ... s-ec008888

Would these require the shoes that you referred to above re: not being able to walk in?

alfablue

Yes, they require "road" shoes which have a rigid and completely flat sole, the cleats stand proud of the sole, it can be very skiddy to stand or walk in them, and the heel is a lot lower which feels weird



Off road shoes have walkable soles and the cleat is recessed



The bolt pattern in the sole determines what cleats (and hence pedals) will fit, SPD (off road) have a 2 bolt design (red in the pic), road pedals tend to have 3 bolt designs. Some road pedals can also take SPD's, but I don't know of any off-road shoes that can take road pedal cleats (there may be some - rare).

Off road shoes come in a variety of designs, some are very casual and look like board shoes or trainers, some look like "approach" or "trail" shoes, some are like walking boots, some look much like road shoes (like the second pair above) but with the walkable sole.



Green: Look, Time Impact, SPD-SL, Speedplay, Look Keo and Delta
Red: SPD, Time Atac, Speedplay Frog and Crank Brothers Egg Beater systems

Blue: SPD-R only

The above diagram shows the 3 most common cleat patterns, the highlighted dots in Green are referred to as 3 bolts Look fitment, the Red are known as 2 bolt SPD fitment and Blue dots are SPD-R fitment only.
These are the 3 most used terms but they will fit other pedal types. Green will fit Time Impact, SPD-SL, Speedplay, Look Keo and Delta. Red will fit SPD, Time Atac, Speedplay Frog and Crank Brothers Egg Beater systems. The Blue will only accept SPD-R pedal types. (from the Wiggle web site).