the right choice

robbiegill

my dawes giro 300 has been a great servant to me and really got me interested in cycling during the 4 years since i bought it. this year however my fitness has vastly improved mainly due to picking up tips from "cycling plus" and varying my training by doing a bit of everything - intervals,hill climbs and long weekend rides. i think it is now time to get the wallet out and i"m looking to spend between £1000 - £1500. i would really appreciate some advice from anyone really to tell me what advantage i"ll get from a bike in that price range in terms of speed, comfort,handling etc in comparison to my 5yr old dawes ? i am being pulled towards the boardman team carbon from halfords or cp"s bike of the year,the giant tcr advanced 3. Bear in mind though that i am 44 years of age so i need something that i can be comfortable on for the long rides. thanks guys - and girls.

markos1963

Hi and welcome to the forum. You seem to be well sorted and its probably the right time to upgrade so now the fun and games start. This upgrade will probably have the biggest impact on your cycling more than any other will in the future so it pays to get it right. Either of the bikes mentioned would be fine(in fact any bike in this price bracket will be good for its purpose) Importantly fit and purpose are crucial so my advice is to get down to a good LBS(local bike shop) who sell bikes in your catagory and chat to them. Tell them what you want to do, how fit you are,any injuries/ailments. It would also pay to have a proper fitting done(usually refunded against the cost a bike purchased) The most important thing is to keep having fun though.

kingrollo

My experience is that bikes don't make you faster or fitter. But some are more exhilarating to ride - I started out with a Peugeot - 653 frame ultegra (1990) - so pretty good spec. Then I brought a low end pinarello - boy what a difference - lightning acceleration, and lots of fun to ride - and looks to die for.

That Boardman in a recent review ticks all the boxes - 16lb - and good quality kit. Its a personal thing - but I am not keen on how it looks. - so its a non starter for me. Other bikes I have looked at:-

Wilier Izoard (bit outside budget at present)

Kuota Kharma - £1500

Ribble Sportive

Planet X carbon - ultegra £1300

Kuota Kebel £1700 - £1900


Bear in mind - the 2010 models come out september - so if your lucky you will see reductions in some 09 stuff.