Best, most comfortable sportive bike?

ashnbecs

I'm looking to get a new road bike, primarily for 100m sportive type riding. Comfort is critical although I will be using it for club time trials so would like it to have a reasonable turn of pace. Budget is pretty flexible; ideally less than GBP2k but definitely less than GBP3k. If it is important I weigh in at c.105kg and just over 6ft.

Bikes that seem to tick the boxes include the Cannondale Synapse (Hi Mod); Specialized Robioux and Giant (Cycle plus bike of the year).

Any advice or other recommendations appreciated.

Chip \'oyler

The Viner Magnifica is a bike designed for Sportive riding
http://www.epic-cycles.co.uk/Viner.htm

But if you're after supreme comfort, have you thought about getting a made-to-measure steel frame. A visit to a good UK builder like Brian Rourke or Bob Jackson should sort you out, and with your budget you could get 853 tubing or even stainless steel 953 and still have a decent groupset etc

redddraggon

Lynksey Ti frame and whatever groupset of your choice.

maddog 2

I'd look at a good ti frame and spec it with a mid-priced gruppo (Ultegra 6700/Sram Force) and some nice wheels.

Having said that, I've just built up a Giant TCR Advanced which I'm very impressed with.

Scrumple

Sabbath Silk Road

EKIMIKE

Titanium for sure. Will last forever. I think Planet-X have a good deal at the moment. 20% off the price of your basket. You can get a Lynskey made Titanium Sportive frame built up with Ultegra 6700 with 6700 wheels for a good price.

Mothyman

when i asked a similar question 6 months ago I found that the helpful posts mainly backed the bikes they had chosen...very understandable.
you've got a good list above to go and try out - one or two will stand out as a lovely ride, I'm sure.
I went for the spesh roubaix - really comfortable over medium distances (I'm not young and had a bad back so it ticked my boxes)...it probably isnt quick enough for quick time trials - i cant seem to average anywhere near the speeds some fellas boast of on this forum...if I had my money again I might have gone Titanium for the longevity - but am overall v happy with the roubaix

let us know what you choose - enjoy!

Mothyman

nickwill

Go for the one that fits you best. This will be far more important than brand, frame material etc. Weight isn't a huge factor either, unless you are very light. Find a bike shop that you feel you can trust and get properly measured.

ugo.santalucia

ashnbecs wrote:

I'm looking to get a new road bike, primarily for 100m sportive type riding. Comfort is critical although I will be using it for club time trials so would like it to have a reasonable turn of pace. Budget is pretty flexible; ideally less than GBP2k but definitely less than GBP3k. If it is important I weigh in at c.105kg and just over 6ft.

Bikes that seem to tick the boxes include the Cannondale Synapse (Hi Mod); Specialized Robioux and Giant (Cycle plus bike of the year).

Any advice or other recommendations appreciated.

Forgive me if I make a few assumptions:
Given your weight and height, I assume you are a bit overweight. If you want to run 100 miles events, as you say comfort is the priority, not much in terms of materials compliance, but primarily in terms of correct geometry and correct riding position, which will save you from annoying back pain.
So, none of the "off the peg" bikes is good for you. What you need is to have a bike fitted around you... use a good fitting service, normally it is free if you then buy a bike. A custom steel frame may be necessary, but maybe not, maybe you can get away with a standard one and with stem/fork length adjustments to fit your measurements.

I think if you are really after a comfty bike for sportives, this should be your first requirement. Forget the difference between materials, which are negligible, forget the claimsof the manufacturers... geometry and correct fitting is all what matters

richa

Synapse or Roubaix v.good choices and well within budget. The TCR Advanced (C+ bike of 2009) is also great - and I have one - but a little more agressive in terms of geometry.

nickwill

RichA wrote:

Synapse or Roubaix v.good choices and well within budget. The TCR Advanced (C+ bike of 2009) is also great - and I have one - but a little more agressive in terms of geometry.

If they fit!

northpole

I have a roubaix pro from two years ago - still working great and suits me very well.

If I were starting afresh I may consider the Ribble Gran Fondo which is superb value for money but I'm not sure if there is any way to try one before you buy one? I'd definitely call into Condor Cycles to see what their current line up have to offer - you can have a custom fitting with Condor and they now produce less aggressive frame profile alternatives than used to be the norm.

That's not to say that I wouldn't end up back where I started! NB the Roubaix family have, I think, all got the same profile frames - it's just the materials and weights which alter (along with groupsets, etc).

Peter

gbs

Pearson Pave (cf) and Enigma Etape (ti) are my recommendations - both well within yr budget limit. The Pearson is based on stock frames whilst Enigma could be bespoke.

strodey

Go get bike fitted, it'll probably cost you nothing as you'll get it free if then buying the bike, otherwise it'll be £50 well spent!

Evil Laugh

I find my Synapse very comfortable both in fit and the quality of the ride is good, I've spent all day on it and still felt great.

Not sure it's the best value for money full price, I got 1/3 off.

But like others have said within the bikes you are looking at, which are all good, fit will be the most important factor re comfort.

ashnbecs

Thanks Chaps,
I'll have a look at the bikes mentioned. My preference is for a well known, reviewed and off the peg bike. This is solely based on my lack of knowledge which means if I got one built I wouldn't be able to accurately assess the bike shop's recommendations. Agree on the fit being critical. If anyone has recommendations for LBS in my local area please shout. I live in Billericay in Essex and work near ST Paul's in London. Will be heading to chelmer cycles who have a good reputation in chelmsford and do Cannondale and will go to Condor on the Grays Inn Road I think.

My current bike(s) is (are) the low end Boardman 2008 road bike and have done a fair few sportives on it; like the bike but am ready to upgrade to something more comfortable but still reasonably swift. Also have a Specialized tricross 2009 for my winter bike.

I will give TI frames a look.

Thanks for all the input so far

ugo.santalucia

ashnbecs wrote:

Thanks Chaps,
I'll have a look at the bikes mentioned. My preference is for a well known, reviewed and off the peg bike. This is solely based on my lack of knowledge which means if I got one built I wouldn't be able to accurately assess the bike shop's recommendations. Agree on the fit being critical. If anyone has recommendations for LBS in my local area please shout. I live in Billericay in Essex and work near ST Paul's in London. Will be heading to chelmer cycles who have a good reputation in chelmsford and do Cannondale and will go to Condor on the Grays Inn Road I think.

My current bike(s) is (are) the low end Boardman 2008 road bike and have done a fair few sportives on it; like the bike but am ready to upgrade to something more comfortable but still reasonably swift. Also have a Specialized tricross 2009 for my winter bike.

I will give TI frames a look.

Thanks for all the input so far

Condor is a good starting point as they offer a fitting service and their bikes are second to none. The groupsets are the same for all bikes of similar price range, most likely Shimano 105 or Ultegra.
As for the reviews... reviewers are people like me and you, who in the best case scenario are given a bike to ride for a few miles and based on that have to write a review. In the worst case scenario, they've never seen the bike and they're told by the manufacturer what needs to be stresed about the bike, so I wouldn't base my choices on reviews.
In my experience discussions on forums like this prove to be far more valuable than any review.
Titanium is out of your price range, unless you want to compromise on components, but there is no need as Ti is not more comfortable than other materials.
In my view a custom made steel Audax frame would be the best choice, but they're not flashy and that is an issue with some riders

giant_man

ashnbecs wrote:

Thanks Chaps,
I'll have a look at the bikes mentioned. My preference is for a well known, reviewed and off the peg bike. This is solely based on my lack of knowledge which means if I got one built I wouldn't be able to accurately assess the bike shop's recommendations. Agree on the fit being critical. If anyone has recommendations for LBS in my local area please shout. I live in Billericay in Essex and work near ST Paul's in London. Will be heading to chelmer cycles who have a good reputation in chelmsford and do Cannondale and will go to Condor on the Grays Inn Road I think.

My current bike(s) is (are) the low end Boardman 2008 road bike and have done a fair few sportives on it; like the bike but am ready to upgrade to something more comfortable but still reasonably swift. Also have a Specialized tricross 2009 for my winter bike.

I will give TI frames a look.

Thanks for all the input so far

Chelmer in Chelmsford are overpriced imo and will steer you towards you a cannondale as they are main agents. Condor in London are great but can be overpriced, and you'll come away with just a Condor with no other choice. As you live in Essex, know it well, get yourself over to Ciclos Uno in Hainault, see Trevor and have a word. His shop is a true Aladdins cave chock full of nice machines and he'll see you get the right bike FOR YOU! The best starting point you could wish for. He won't just sell you anything, they look after customers. Good luck. Always have some good deals going on as well.

http://www.ciclosuno.com/contact-us

JamesB

Not a LBS I know but look at Epic Cycles @ Tenbury as they have a very good range of bikes (Viner / Look / Scott / Bianchi) / Cinelli) and I`m sure that they`d be able to get a good fit bike for you and let you test ride!---for the amount of money you intend spending the travel costs are small by comparison
Alternatively have you looked at Van Nic Ti bikes, the Mistral gets excellent reviews, Yukon (which I have) is a very relaxed comfy ride and doubles as a winter bike taking mudguards and would be OK for a bit of TTing I think

ugo.santalucia

JamesBwmb wrote:

Not a LBS I know but look at Epic Cycles @ Tenbury as they have a very good range of bikes (Viner / Look / Scott / Bianchi) / Cinelli) and I`m sure that they`d be able to get a good fit bike for you and let you test ride!---for the amount of money you intend spending the travel costs are small by comparison
Alternatively have you looked at Van Nic Ti bikes, the Mistral gets excellent reviews, Yukon (which I have) is a very relaxed comfy ride and doubles as a winter bike taking mudguards and would be OK for a bit of TTing I think

To be honest, if one has to travel from Essex to Tenbury to buy a bike, he might as well go to Belgium and visit Eddy Merckx's factory and outlet... the distance is probably similar... and the experience does not compare...

vtech1.5

I have the synapse 105 carbon compact very comfortable and quick even with me on it :-).
I bought mine from Chemer Cycles in Chelmsford very good service and good price, (previous after/sales service from Chelmer is the reason I used them )Cannondales seem to nearly always sell at MRP unless they are last years model, so I dont think you can say they are overpriced .
You could always try one and if you like it ask for a bit off

huuregeil

ugo.santalucia is bang on the money in everything he says. Have a serious look at getting a custom steel frame made for you, 2k all in will get you something very nice indeed. In this vein, Roberts Cycles in Croydon should be high up on your list - go and have a chat to them and see what they recommend, have them spec you up a complete bike, and if in doubt, ask here. You really can't go too far wrong: the frame is the expensive bit and that will be spot-on; wheels will probably be handbuilt and the builder they use is excellent, so you're guaranteed good quality; groupsets are standard, Ultegra/Centaur will be benchmark and nothing wrong with either of them. The rest of it - namely saddle, handlebars - are personal and you've got more chance of getting them wrong on an OTP bike, because you largely get what you've given.

JamesB

ugo.santalucia wrote:

JamesBwmb wrote:

Not a LBS I know but look at Epic Cycles @ Tenbury as they have a very good range of bikes (Viner / Look / Scott / Bianchi) / Cinelli) and I`m sure that they`d be able to get a good fit bike for you and let you test ride!---for the amount of money you intend spending the travel costs are small by comparison
Alternatively have you looked at Van Nic Ti bikes, the Mistral gets excellent reviews, Yukon (which I have) is a very relaxed comfy ride and doubles as a winter bike taking mudguards and would be OK for a bit of TTing I think

To be honest, if one has to travel from Essex to Tenbury to buy a bike, he might as well go to Belgium and visit Eddy Merckx's factory and outlet... the distance is probably similar... and the experience does not compare...

Fair enough, was aiming to make a helpful suggestion based on my experiences and also other forum commenst about not being able to `try before buying`...Tenbury is not teh end of the world btw and can be reached by a land journey

giant_man

JamesBwmb wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

JamesBwmb wrote:

Not a LBS I know but look at Epic Cycles @ Tenbury as they have a very good range of bikes (Viner / Look / Scott / Bianchi) / Cinelli) and I`m sure that they`d be able to get a good fit bike for you and let you test ride!---for the amount of money you intend spending the travel costs are small by comparison
Alternatively have you looked at Van Nic Ti bikes, the Mistral gets excellent reviews, Yukon (which I have) is a very relaxed comfy ride and doubles as a winter bike taking mudguards and would be OK for a bit of TTing I think

To be honest, if one has to travel from Essex to Tenbury to buy a bike, he might as well go to Belgium and visit Eddy Merckx's factory and outlet... the distance is probably similar... and the experience does not compare...

Fair enough, was aiming to make a helpful suggestion based on my experiences and also other forum commenst about not being able to `try before buying`...Tenbury is not teh end of the world btw and can be reached by a land journey

And Epic cycles are not the last lbs to visit either, good that they may be ...

JamesB

Yes indeed

TheStone

I'd go Ti. The long distance comfort is very noticable.

I've got a Litespeed Siena, which is probably towards the top of your price range.
The Planet-X Ti bikes (Lynskey), look a bargain to me.

ashnbecs

Thanks for all the info people.
Chelmer was on the list as its local, does the Cannondale, will let me test ride and service has been recommended by various local riders.
I recognise the name of the Hainault shop so will visit there thank you for reminding me.
I'm not going to go down the steel route - too old school despite recent technical advances.
Ti is tempting - May be able to up the budget if necessary. If I go Ti how much should I budget for?

Chip \'oyler

ashnbecs wrote:

Thanks for all the info people.
Chelmer was on the list as its local, does the Cannondale, will let me test ride and service has been recommended by various local riders.
I recognise the name of the Hainault shop so will visit there thank you for reminding me.
I'm not going to go down the steel route - too old school despite recent technical advances.
Ti is tempting - May be able to up the budget if necessary. If I go Ti how much should I budget for?

How does an oversize, fillet brazed lugless steel frame look any different to a Ti frame? Especially one that's made with 953 Stainless Steel :?:

calvjones

Most lugless steel frames I guess have smaller diameter tubes than Ti frames (although to me this is a good, not a bad thing as is less dated IMHO).

I have an Airborne (Van Nich) Amazon/Carpe Diem that I've used for lots of sportives and is great. I appreciate the clearance for proper mudguards (and so may you as it p1sses down on 90% of 2010s UK sportives...)

Whilst I didn't go for them in the end, I think there's a lot to be said for a custom Enigma; they're in the SE, seem like nice guys and will build exactly what you need.

huuregeil

ashnbecs wrote:

I'm not going to go down the steel route - too old school despite recent technical advances.

Too old school because: it's got the word "steel" in it; image; performance?

If the word, well fair enough, each to their own!

If image, well personally I think a modern oversized fillet brazed steel frame looks the dogs, and you get a custom paint job. Far more cool than the everyone-has-one-because-C+-rated-it OTP.

If performance, think again. Not only is steel ideal for the kind of riding you're doing, but the custom fit is a major plus.

ugo.santalucia

Honestly,

I don't get the point of asking for advice if you already have made up your mind about what you want. There's enough people telling you that if you are overweight and looking for a comfty bike, you have to go custom, or at least with a proper fit. If what you really want is a carbon-titanium bike because it's cool and trendy, then tell it as it is.