fancy a road bike what about specialized?

Hi all,
I have taken mtb'ing this is my 2nd year and enjoying it. Last year I rode through the winter snow,mud and ice and trashed all my chain,bearings,cassette,rings,cables et all to the tune of £4-500
i dont want to do that again.
I fancy a road bike as the roads up here in Edinburgh seem clearer during the winter so i hope more enjoyable than going to glentress and sliding about on the ice,
I have a budget of 9-1500, which seems to cover alu or low end carbon
I am 6'4" 14stone with a 36" inside leg and 44yo so I want to keep working on my new found fitness
I have had a look at specialized so far alieze?/tarmac or sectuer/roubaix (sorry if spelling not as the marketing dept would like)
any feedback or suggestions on similar :?: ps my big fault is I like bikes that look good!
I have taken mtb'ing this is my 2nd year and enjoying it. Last year I rode through the winter snow,mud and ice and trashed all my chain,bearings,cassette,rings,cables et all to the tune of £4-500
i dont want to do that again.
I fancy a road bike as the roads up here in Edinburgh seem clearer during the winter so i hope more enjoyable than going to glentress and sliding about on the ice,
I have a budget of 9-1500, which seems to cover alu or low end carbon
I am 6'4" 14stone with a 36" inside leg and 44yo so I want to keep working on my new found fitness
I have had a look at specialized so far alieze?/tarmac or sectuer/roubaix (sorry if spelling not as the marketing dept would like)
any feedback or suggestions on similar :?: ps my big fault is I like bikes that look good!
0
Posts
This is sound advice, you wouldn't want to spend all that cash out then lose most of it realising you can't get used to the position or you just plain don't like it
Summer beast; http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr34 ... uff015.jpg
Blimey! I ride through the winter too and it doesn't cost me anything like that- unless all yrou stuff is XTR or something?
they also really really came through on the customer service front for me when I [email protected] a new S-Works carbon roubaix frame - and in doing so guaranteed my repeat custom for life!
I have a new roubaix, and a langster - i'd love an allez frame for a winter bike - and even my kids have the hotrock series of specializeds. You can't go wrong with em. (IMO, of course)
Not over priced and not rubbish, just right 8)
Summer beast; http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr34 ... uff015.jpg
Have been riding my Secteur Elite for a month now and have found it to be very good. Just started cycling after spending a few years running. Looked at the reviews of different makes etc and the Secteur Elite sounded the right sort of bike at the price I wanted to pay.
I have not been disappointed and look forward to my cycle rides, steadily building up my fitness and distance at the weekend and short rides in the evenings. Well impressed good bike, I'm becoming addicted.
That said I bought a Specialized Roubaix Comp 2009 in the summer (carbon with full 105 groupset) and it is the best money I ever spent (although I did get a cracking ex-demo deal on it). Very comfortable, light, quick and responsive - fabulous bike. It's also a cracking looking bike - well I think so anyway, adn it gets lots of admiring looks. This is my second road bike, with my first being a cheaper Specialzed touring road bike a bought 5 years ago or so. It's now be my spare bike.
For winter use it may be best to get a bike with disc brakes, as lightweight rims may only last one or two winters when matched with rim brakes. This depends on the type of grit from the road surface that gets on the rims.
I have a preference for frames that accept 135mm rear hubs, as you can use MTB hubs which are better sealed against the weather. Also, a bike that has eyelets for mudguards and room around the brake calipers to allow for full mudguards is sensible for a winter bike. Well over half of road bikes don't allow for fitment of full mudguards.
If you don't want discs, take a look at 9 speed Sora or Tiagra equipped bikes such as those from Cannondale, Kona, Trek, Dawes, etc.