Need help on how to decide on how best to spend my cash!
harpo
Posts: 173
OK
I’ve currently got a Specialized Sirrus Elite 08 with flat bars triple chainset and 9 speed cassette. It comes with Tiagra shimano equipment and a carbon front fork. I started out using this as a one size fits all bike commuting to work some days and using it on a camping touring holiday. I bought this under protest after demands from my girlfriend for a cycling holiday and actually started likeing it! Recently attempted LEJOG on it and had been covering 200 miles a week training for that. Covered over 3,500 miles in the last year. Normally I cover just over 100 miles a week on a commute and some other leisure riding on the side. I find I never use the smallest cog on the front and rarely have to go into 2nd on the back no matter how steep the climb (unless carrying panniers in Cornwall). I can average around 18mph on my 30 mile round trip with couple of decent hills on my commute so I have a decent level of fitness and ability.
I enjoy the cycling and want to make the move to a racer style bike. I can spend up to £2000 on a bike but don’t know if this would be too much as I don’t really know what will fit my needs and don’t want to waste the money. Everywhere I read you should spend as much as you can but I want to spend sensibly too. I can continue to use the Specialized to commute during the winter (I’ll take the 25’s off and put some 32s with some tread on as the road is an unlit back road and can be littered with farm muck and gravel and need the grip).
So if I get something like a Scott R3 ot 5.2 Madone now I’d want to use it on nice days during the winter and we still have plenty of summer left to get out on it now but don’t know if I should invest in an Audax type bike first for the winter commute and leisure riding (maybe a Ribble Audax with 105 shimano, double crankset). From this I think I might learn more about what I need in a racer and I’ll have the bike for commuting the following summer. Next summer I could then also invest in a racer that will be the spec I understand that I need and if cycling more in a club I can keep it for that and dedicate the audax and hybrid to commuting.
Basically what do you think is the route I should take to entering into more serious cycling and decision making on the bike I need? I keep going round in circles looking at bikes and thinking about it and now I need more experienced guidance from your own experiences. Would investing in a carbon bike at £2000 and using it to commute just see a big investment wasted as it wears out quick?
Cheers,
Iain
I’ve currently got a Specialized Sirrus Elite 08 with flat bars triple chainset and 9 speed cassette. It comes with Tiagra shimano equipment and a carbon front fork. I started out using this as a one size fits all bike commuting to work some days and using it on a camping touring holiday. I bought this under protest after demands from my girlfriend for a cycling holiday and actually started likeing it! Recently attempted LEJOG on it and had been covering 200 miles a week training for that. Covered over 3,500 miles in the last year. Normally I cover just over 100 miles a week on a commute and some other leisure riding on the side. I find I never use the smallest cog on the front and rarely have to go into 2nd on the back no matter how steep the climb (unless carrying panniers in Cornwall). I can average around 18mph on my 30 mile round trip with couple of decent hills on my commute so I have a decent level of fitness and ability.
I enjoy the cycling and want to make the move to a racer style bike. I can spend up to £2000 on a bike but don’t know if this would be too much as I don’t really know what will fit my needs and don’t want to waste the money. Everywhere I read you should spend as much as you can but I want to spend sensibly too. I can continue to use the Specialized to commute during the winter (I’ll take the 25’s off and put some 32s with some tread on as the road is an unlit back road and can be littered with farm muck and gravel and need the grip).
So if I get something like a Scott R3 ot 5.2 Madone now I’d want to use it on nice days during the winter and we still have plenty of summer left to get out on it now but don’t know if I should invest in an Audax type bike first for the winter commute and leisure riding (maybe a Ribble Audax with 105 shimano, double crankset). From this I think I might learn more about what I need in a racer and I’ll have the bike for commuting the following summer. Next summer I could then also invest in a racer that will be the spec I understand that I need and if cycling more in a club I can keep it for that and dedicate the audax and hybrid to commuting.
Basically what do you think is the route I should take to entering into more serious cycling and decision making on the bike I need? I keep going round in circles looking at bikes and thinking about it and now I need more experienced guidance from your own experiences. Would investing in a carbon bike at £2000 and using it to commute just see a big investment wasted as it wears out quick?
Cheers,
Iain
0
Comments
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You have a commuter already, so for now, you can concentrate on a road bike for the Summer and 'nice' winter days...
Do some searching around here, and you will find that Ribble are building themselves a terrible reputation at the moment! :shock:
Spend as much as you can, yes, but, spend it wisely, go to a good LBS and take advice from them.
I've just used Epic Cycles, it meant a 436 mile round trip, but to me, it was well worth it
Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!0
