About to buy a Bianchi Camaleonte II 2009......

Black3y
Black3y Posts: 5
edited January 2009 in Commuting chat
I am about to commit to buying the above bike and wanted to know if anyone had any thoughts / opinions before I take the plunge.

Background - I am a newbie who started commuting 12 miles each way on my Hardrock mountain bike and want to make it easier. I am also doing LEJOG in June.

I have looked for sometime for a bike that comes in at < £500 and I really like the look / spec of the Bianchi Camaleonte's. I can get one for £410 from a local shop.

Any recommendations of alternatives or advice would be greatly appreicated. I am keen to stick with the flat bar road bike / hybrid bike range as my colleagues on LEJOG have this setup too.

Comments

  • woodford2barbican
    woodford2barbican Posts: 1,505
    Only thing I would say as I haveno knowledge of this specific bike is not to rule out drop bars or butterfly bars etc on the grounds of what your colleagues are using.

    LEJOG is a long ride and you want to use something with which you are comfortable.
  • girv73
    girv73 Posts: 842
    Looks decent enough, and it's a Bianchi, but I suspect you may be able to get better than mostly-2200 components for £500 if you look hard enough and aren't fussy about the brand. There's a thread on this board comparing the different Shimano road groups and the low end ones (2200, Sora) aren't doing so well in the comparisons.

    As someone else used to MTB gearing and with hills to tackle, I'd think the triple crankset is a good idea :)

    If you'd consider a drop bar bike, I've just bought a 105 equipped BeOne Storm 1.0 from Chain Reaction for £500.
    Today is a good day to ride
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    I have a Tiagra rear mech and Sora front mech and Sora shifters.

    Yes you can ride a long distance with them. My 8 gear Tiagra rear mech doesn't change gears smoothly/comfortable however.

    If you're thinking flat bar road bike, I'd seriously just buy a road bike with relaxed geometry. The drops and therefore longer (but not wider) handlebars will give you more positions to place your hands thereby enabling you to move your back providing more options of comfort.

    I also think the specifications are higher for less with drop bar roadbikes as oppose to flat bar bikes (but I could be wrong).
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • Black3y
    Black3y Posts: 5
    Thank you very much for your replies.

    I was certianly considering a road bike but I am concerned that the route we have chosen includes some terrain that is much better suited to a hybrid. It is certainly not all on tarmac. How do road bikes fair on Bridleyways and suck like surfaces??

    With reference to the the gear sets, I have looked around alot and have considered a large array of bikes. I have tried not to be too shallorw and concentrate on looks that much, but some of the bikes I just really dont find very nice to look at!!!!!

    Its all sooooo stressful!
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    Maybe you could consider a cyclocross bike? They ought to deal with the sort of off-roading you're talking about, where I'm not sure that a hybrid will.

    DDD is right about the drops, on a long ride it's a blessing to have a range of positions for your hands and wrists, as well as some variety for your back and neck. Flats just don't offer that option.

    Maybe your LBS would let you take a drop bar bike out for a try - a good LBS should let you have it for longer than just an hour or so...
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • biondino
    biondino Posts: 5,990
    +1 for a CX bike, which seems easily the best compromise for a bike that is okay on the streets and can deal with bridleways etc. It has tyres that can deal with mud etc, but is light and has a predominantly road geometry. A hybrid is likely to be heavier, suited for nothing, and may well have tyres that can't deal with much in the way of off-road riding (and hybrids which are basically flat-barred road bikes won't be any better off-road than a roadie).
    My Focus / My Bob Jackson
    Blog (incl. bikes)
  • Black3y
    Black3y Posts: 5
    The good news
    OK - I am glad I came here to ask before I made the plunge
    The bad news
    I am now even more confused than when I started looking!!!!

    CX then - any pointers regarding makes/models for £500. Obviously I can start browsing but if you guys think there are any stand out candidates i'd love to know!

    Thanks (i think)
  • girv73
    girv73 Posts: 842
    If you can stretch the budget a bit, you might be able to pick up a Specialzed Tricross Sport 2008 triple for under £600.
    Today is a good day to ride
  • woodford2barbican
    woodford2barbican Posts: 1,505
    You could buy this off me if you want......

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/68655520@N00/3163056314/

    It will do the trick perfectly.

    :wink:
  • artaxerxes
    artaxerxes Posts: 612
    Good luck with your jouney, sounds fun.
    How will you be carrying your gear? If you are using panniers, better make sure your bike can have them fitted. Also check that the bike is long enough so that back of your feet don't hit the pannier bags while pedaling.
  • Black3y
    Black3y Posts: 5
    Thank you linoue - that is very useful advice. I will certianly check that the panniers dont interfere with my stride.

    The Camaleonte I am looking at is not the disc brake one and so im pretty sure that my current panniers fit straight on.

    my only conern with a road bike is that it does simply limit me (us) to roads only, which isnt what I believe we had planned.... Maybe Cycle X is a good compromise, although I know nothing about them as yet.

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