Cycle Scheme - which is the best purchase?

Smonks

Hi all,

I'm returning to the road riding scene many many years since I used to ride and time trial as a young'n. I have been mtb'ing for many years so I 'm not in touch with the road scene and what is good or not.

I'm looking to purchase a road bike through the cycle scheme at work - this allows you to spend up to £1k but you end up paying £600.01 plus a small release fee after 12 months.

Unfortunately, this scheme has set partners so I can't look at the likes of the Focus Cayo at Wiggle (no online partners) or the Chris Boardman bikes at Halfords (runs its won scheme).

So, my shortlist.

Trek 1.7 Compact
Cannondale Synapse Alloy 5
Felt F75
Orbea Onix

I have discounted the specialized Allez Sport already.

The Orbea can be found for £1099 so that extra £99 might take some haggling to get it within the acceptable limit for the scheme.

The Synapse has a good frame with a back end which dampens much of the vibration and is also stiff, but the finishing kit is not as good as the Trek.

The Trek overall is a decent purchase, 105 and Bontrager. I want the bike mainly for training, I'm not going back to racing or time trialing, just days in the saddle!

All thoughts would be appreciated.

bigal.

This dilema has been discussed a lot on this forum already and there is a lot which comes down to personal preferance. The main factor to consider and you have already mentioned it is the spec of the groupset used on the bike. All of the bikes you have listed are good and I would pick the one with the best spec of groupset which would appear to be the Trek if it is entirely kitted out in 105.

The Onix is a good looking bike which if kitted out with 105 would become a contender as well.

Sounds like it is between the Trek and the Orbea. My choice would be the Trek as you are getting a good bike all round along with 105 and Bontranger kit you cant go far wrong.

The Onix still looks good. Decisions, decisions.

Smonks

Cheers bigal,

I have been perusing the forums and as you say, it is a much discussed subject. I hadn't seen many references to the Orbea, Cannondale or Felt as options though hence this post to perhaps discount them.

The Orbea comes with Tiagra groupset and an Ultegra rear mech and Shimano R500 wheels. Only problem is that the shop is a long way away and so it would be hard to test ride in contrast to the trek dealer which is 5 minutes down the road and run their own race team so I'm sure they'd be able to set the bike up just right for me.

As you say, decisions decisions! :roll:

kingrollo

What scheme are you under ? from what you say it sounds like cyclescheme - which basically means any bike unless the shop do there own scheme ?

Smonks

Yeah, that's the one Kingrollo - cyclescheme

You can only buy from shops signed up to the scheme - so online retailers like Wiggle are out and shops that run their own scheme as you say, like Halfords, are also out.

In my locality, I have the choice of

Chevin Cycles
Stif Bikes
All Terrain cycles
Woodrup cycles
JD Cycles

...to name a few

marcthehammer

Go for the Orbea.Go for the Orbea.Go for the Orbea.

rolf_f

Smonks wrote:

The Orbea can be found for £1099 so that extra £99 might take some haggling to get it within the acceptable limit for the scheme.

You probably won't be able to haggle off the £99 but you might be able to pay it on top of the scheme price - assuming the shop is prepared to do this. All Terrain won't (or at least they wouldn't last year).

Monkeypump

Cyclescheme have got loads of retailers signed up, so you should find something. My vote would be the Trek, but 09 stock is getting low and the 2010 aren't quite as good value for money.

However, the option of 'topping up' over the £1000 limit is not allowed, so although many retailers are happy to 'come to an arrangement', I'd suggest keeping this quiet if you get a chance to do it!

kingrollo

Monkeypump wrote:

Cyclescheme have got loads of retailers signed up, so you should find something. My vote would be the Trek, but 09 stock is getting low and the 2010 aren't quite as good value for money.

However, the option of 'topping up' over the £1000 limit is not allowed, so although many retailers are happy to 'come to an arrangement', I'd suggest keeping this quiet if you get a chance to do it!

+1

Focus \ Halfords aside - you can effectivley get any bike you want - if your spending £1000 + you might as well invest some time as well -

Ribble do cyclescheme (charhge £50 though) - there bikes always get good reviews

Smonks

I heard that you couldn't 'top up' over the £1k although some shops will come to an arrangement with you - however, they have clamped down on this a lot recently and the government have threatened to pull the scheme which I assume the bike shops wouldn't be keen on!

The Orbea is nice, but I can't be doing with the hassle of trying to get it within the £1k budget and also not have the facility to test ride it.

The Trek is looking like the main contender.

I'm 5'10" and the shop suggested I would be a 56 frame but I have read elsewhere on this site to try a size up from the one they recommend as that could feel better - anyone agree with this?

Monkeypump

Test ride, test ride, test ride!

I was lucky enough to test ride a few of my main contenders before buying (except Planet X, but that was only because I was too lazy to drive up there - they were happy to oblige). It turns out that in THEORY lots of bikes would have fit me, but only a couple actually felt to be the right size (even after saddle height/fore/aft adjustments).

Funnily enough I did need a bigger size than first thought for the Trek, but probably not wise to assume same rule for everyone.

simonaspinall

How is it that with some companies you can go over the limit...or do they do their own unofficial c2w scheme?

rolf_f

Smonks wrote:

I'm 5'10" and the shop suggested I would be a 56 frame but I have read elsewhere on this site to try a size up from the one they recommend as that could feel better - anyone agree with this?

No! Don't guess! Go to a place where they will give you a proper fitting and then choose the bike based on what really fits and is in budget rather than what you think looks cool and is in budget.

It isn't just overall height but leg length vs torso length that needs to be considered. Reach to bars, bar:knee clearance, width of bars, position of saddle relative to bottom bracket etc etc.

kingrollo

Smonks wrote:

I heard that you couldn't 'top up' over the £1k although some shops will come to an arrangement with you - however, they have clamped down on this a lot recently and the government have threatened to pull the scheme which I assume the bike shops wouldn't be keen on!

The Orbea is nice, but I can't be doing with the hassle of trying to get it within the £1k budget and also not have the facility to test ride it.

The Trek is looking like the main contender.

I'm 5'10" and the shop suggested I would be a 56 frame but I have read elsewhere on this site to try a size up from the one they recommend as that could feel better - anyone agree with this?

No

try a fitting - but if in doubt go a size small - you can work around fit with stem length - but if the bike is to big you can't !

ACMadone

The Trek is looking like the main contender.

I'm 5'10" and the shop suggested I would be a 56 frame but I have read elsewhere on this site to try a size up from the one they recommend as that could feel better - anyone agree with this?[/quote]

I'm 5'10 as well. I've got both a 56 and 58 in Treks. They're both set up in the same positon by swapping the stem so the total top tube length plus stem is the same. I'd try both and if still unsure have a propper fitting. What works for one doesn't necessarily do the same for someone else.

rolf_f

ACMadone wrote:

I'm 5'10 as well. I've got both a 56 and 58 in Treks. They're both set up in the same positon by swapping the stem so the total top tube length plus stem is the same. I'd try both and if still unsure have a propper fitting. What works for one doesn't necessarily do the same for someone else.

I'm guessing here (sorry!) that the most obvious difference between those two setups is that the bottom bracket will be further forward on the smaller framed bike relative to the saddle position. So, if you have longish legs, you might have problems with knee-handlebar clearance on the small bike when standing out of the saddle. On the other hand, you might find your knees too far ahead of the bottom bracket on the larger bike (this is my problem!). I suspect some folk can chop and change between frame sizes without difficulty and others, like me, not fit any standard frame perfectly.

If you are spending a decent whack on a bike, I'd just get the proper fitting done and save having to worry about whether you got the right size or not.

bigal.

I would normally go for the smaller option as it is easier to raise your saddle and add length to your top tube using a longer stem. The problem with going for the bigger size can be that you end up with a very short stem which will affect the handling of the bike and make your steering feel twitchy.

Smaller frame is lighter as well.

Meant to add that I am also 5' 10" and have been measured for frame sizing and my perfect top tube length is 55cm.

Everyone is different but I have 3 bikes which have a 55cm TT and 1 bike with a 56 TT. It is only after a year of riding the different frames that I can now feel the difference and find the shorter TT more comfortable.

Smonks

Thanks for the advice all.

I will be test riding them, the shop in question (chevin cycles) has offered to set the bikes up for me and allow me to test ride a number of models if required so I'll be doing that.

Now this might seem like a stupid question, but how do you know when something really fits right? I ask because my Santa Cruz Blur mtb is a size large and it felt great at the time of test riding (tried the medium as well) but in hindsight I think the medium would have been a better choice - whilst the ride is comfortable, I think a smaller frame would have been more beneficial on the really tricky stuff.

If the smaller of the sizes is comfortable and I can't feel much difference, then from what you have all said, the smaller option is possibly more versatile in that I can change stem length/height and seat adjustment etc?

Also, are the 2010 models out yet, they still have the 2009 model in stock which I want as I've heard the newer ones aren't as well specced, wasn't going to buy for a month or so but if it's a case of now or never, I may have to bite the bullet!

Oh, one more question, what's a decent budget pedal (no more than £100) - despite having SPD's on my mtb, my shoes are pretty knackered so I'll be buying new road shoes anyway so SPDL's are an option.

pmannion9

I just bought these a few weeks ago after finally stepping up from SPd's.

Shimano Ultegra 6620 SPD-SL Silver from Merlin Cycles.
Bargain for £65 I thought.

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/road-bike-pedals/shimano-ultegra-6620-spd-sl-silver.html

I find a lot more power transfer with the new SPD-SL and wish I had switched a long time ago....Still takes a bit of use clipping out I find !!! Have fell just the once :-)

gabriel959

I have got both and use SPDs for commuting as they are more practical but you can feel a lot of energy being wasted when pedalling with these. For sunday rides I would go for SPD-SL every time

rhoward1978

Hi

No-one seems to have mentioned the Felt F75 but I have one so thought I should.

Has Cannondale CAAD( and a spesh allez elite previously, all 105 standard £1000 ish bikes. Find the Felt a lot better tho, the seatstay is carbon unlike the Trek so it is light and has a less harsh ride while still being really quick.

If you can test ride one, do as I think personally it was better than the Trek - hands down. Comfortable and fast.

Obviously it is all subjective and you might not like it, I'd suggest a try tho

Ta

Rich