New road bike but what frame

skye3737

So you've converted me. It's new bike time and a road bike seems to be the way forward but what frame should I be looking for Aluminum or carbon?

I've read DDD's beginners guide but I'm still unsure which one is going to best for me. I intend to use this new bike for commuting and also some social rides of about 25 - 40 miles.

I will be getting this with the help of C2W plus I'm happy to top this up for the right bike but until I can make up my mind on which frame is best for my riding i'm a little stuck. :shock:

DonDaddyD

Glad to hear that my thread was of help.

Assuming you are on Cyclescheme, try looking at:
Giant Defy range
Trek 1 series
Specialized Allez.
Felt Z bikes
Cannondale Synapse
Bianchi Via Nirone
Wilier Triestina
Focus Varido Expert

Most of these bikes offer a slightly more upright position, aimed at providing more comfort over longer miles but are still road bikes and will eat up your commute and slightly longer 25 - 40mile commute.

Personally would suggest aluminium, but for £1000 (where your C2W voucher should top out) you could get carbon rear triangle stays, alu frame and carbon fork. Personally would consider nothing less than Shimano 105 at the £1000 price range most of the bikes above come with carbon bits tied to aluminium and Shimano 105.

OR

If you want carbon fibre which is fine to commute on but a little excessive given the rising prices check out:

Planet X
Focus cayo
Boardman (the carbon version road bike)

As you can see there are a lot of bikes within this price range, all decent, all very good. Perhaps setting a budget of how you are willing to go to. try to factor in the cost of pedals, helmet and any other accessories you may need into your pricing. If you can give a more definitive price of how much you are willingto go to I, where you will be buying the bike from (some places won't do C2W) then I can help narrow things down a bit more.

Above all else get thee to a shop and try the bikes out.

biondino

So your budget would be over a grand? It doesn't sound like you need a superbike for your requirements so you could go for a reasonably-specced machine that does all you need it to - 105/veloce level. The new Kiron at Wiggle looks ideal:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Kiron ... 360043854/

Eau Rouge

The most important thing is to get a bike you really like. That mainly means that it looks good to your eyes, but you should also be happy with what you paid for it and what you get for the money. You don't wanto to overspend, regret spending quite that much on a bike, and almost be wary of actually using it in case anything happens to it.

The law of diminishing returns applies to bike in a big way, but generally, more expensive bikes are "better" than cheaper ones, but the difference between even a top end bike and a decent entry level one with a carbon fork isn't night and day.

That said, get the most expensive frame you want to afford ('want', not 'can'). Otherwie you run the risk of sitting there in 6 months time wishing you'd just spent that little bit more for that other bike that was just a little bit better.

As for material, in an extremely general view of it, the more carbon the better, starting with forks, then stays, then the whole frame, but there are very definitely excellent aluminium frames available too that are arguably better than some carbon frames.

Roastie

skye3737 wrote:

So you've converted me. It's new bike time and a road bike seems to be the way forward but what frame should I be looking for Aluminum or carbon?

Steel. Unless you plan to race, have a look at the Condor Fratello. Yummy bike.

skye3737

I'll be willing to go up to 1,600 for the bike and plus what's needed for pedals and the like.

So far I've looked these bikes but I'm open to suggestions.

http://www.speeds-cycles.co.uk/news/201 ... -bike.html

http://www.airevalleycycles.com/product ... 1b0s6p4549

http://www.airevalleycycles.com/product ... 1b0s6p4550

As for shops these are in my area.

http://www.primera-bournemouth.co.uk/home.aspx

http://www.bikelab.co.uk/

http://www.dorchestercycles.co.uk/


The top 2 shops offer fitting services is that worth getting done? :?

Eau Rouge

I went for the Mortirolo, and to say I love it would be an understatement.
It's such a comfortable ride, you hardly notice dodgy uneven surfaces, yet at the same time, it's a proper alive racy bike, happy to accelerate and climb without seeming to waste any of your power. Dodging potholes or lose stones is a doddle, it seems to have almost telepathic steering control at times. It's a joy to ride along anywhere really, always ready to go when you are. The only downside is that it's very hard to just pottle on it, you always find yourself going for it It isn't, however, on overtly racy geometry, with a taller head tube than you'd might otherwise find, more of a sportive setup, not that you couldn't race on it.

It's very well finished, these Italians know what they are doing, and looks like a lot of care has gone into it, which is nice when you're paying this kind of money. The shops will probably mention this, but you can actually have any of the three paint schems with any of the groupsets, the prices are per groupset, not paint scheme, so I have a Mirage with the Lampre paint schema. It will have the full groupset too, no skimping on brakes or BB, and the Ritchey bits are all good stuff too.

il_principe

Primera have a good rep. I've never been there but heard good things, and they've twice been very helpful when I've rung them.

At the money you're spending I'd reckon you're best off going to a proper LBS as much as I love the value Wiggle offer!

DonDaddyD

The Mortirolo is superb.

Test rode it before I got my Kuota

Having test rode it in someways I do feel the Moritolo is a little OTT for commuting and am tempted to say that it should be kept as a best bike so that it remains special and something cheaper is commuted on and brutalised 5 days a week.

Bianchi have this coming out though:
and it looks like sex!

prawny

Ooh I'm not usually fussed on Bianchis but, ooh

cjcp

Does it need to be a new bike? I know someone selling a Cannondale Caad 9 60cm bike. Couple of years old.

benno68

The Focus Cayo seems to be great value in both 105 and Ultegra spec, and they have very good reviews too. Wish I'd gone for the Cayo 105 instead of my Defy 2.