Yet Another, "I've Got £2K ish What Bike Should I Buy

TheOldMan

But it's true. My quandary is as follows:

1. Pearson Palace - 9/10 in Cycling Plus Bike of the Year?
I have a Pearson Touche; it rides better than its spec' would suggest and C+ said much the same of the Palace. They are fairly local and I've always had great service.
But the gears & wheels are middle of the road spec'. Oh, and it's black.

OR

2. Go to a 'value' brand, eg., Ribble / Planet X?
Ribble Gran Fondo / Nero RC with higher spec' group (eg., Ultegra 6700) and wheels for well under £2K (lets ignore the I hate Ribble / Ribble are great argument for the moment).
But will it ride like a great £2K bike or just a collection of expensive components?

OR

3. Go for something with a more 'exotic' brand?
But probably a restricted choice at my budget and once again the group and wheels are unlikely to be very special.
Maybe this option is a long term thing, think of it as getting a great frame and upgrade the other stuff over time?

Oh! I have an aversion to 'mainstream' brands like Specialised / Cannondale etc., and my current bike is an Easton aluminium frame / carbon fork, 105 gears and Fulcrum Racing 7 wheels.

I don't get out much in the week (I have to work too hard) but try to get in a couple of 30 - 60 mile rides at the weekend and will be riding mostly sportives this year.

stevenb

A few ideas from me:
http://www.primera-sports.com/Template.aspx?prodID=5761
The Six 105 would be more than adequate for your needs and you save £200.
You could also upgrade within your budget and sell the Aksium Race wheels for approx £100 and use the £300 left to buy some Pro Lite Bracciano wheels and a pair of Kevlar beaded tyres such as Conti GP Attack/Force or Michelin Pro Race 3's. That's save you a big chunk of weight straight off.
8)
http://www.primera-sports.com/Template.aspx?prodID=5453
A very nice bike indeed and probably one of the best 'just get on it and ride it' bikes out there along with the Six 105. You could go for the Roubaix Comp at £1999.99 but it won't be as fast as the Tarmac and will be heavier.

To be fair, whatever else you buy will be there or thereabouts.
I know these two bikes I mention ride very nice....even the base Tarmac model rides very quick.
For me I'd stick to these two no question.
Both are very upgradeable for future use if you wanted to do that.
My 2p

Chip \'oyler

As you're in London get yourself a Viner from these guys

http://www.lebeauvelo.co.uk/Products%20 ... 0Home.html

galatzo

Here'syour starting point

http://www.primera-sports.com/Template.aspx?prodID=6657

Chubby on a compact

The Oldman

Graham Weigh are selling Dolans kitted with Sram Red for just under £1900.

huuregeil

I think splashing out on expensive compnents is a waste. Put it this way, 300 on wheels, 200 on bits, 500 on groupset gets you something very very usable. This means a grand for a frame. Go and hunt the best frame you can get for your grand! (Or, if buying a built up bike, have these broad figures in mind - you're looking for Ultegra/Centaur and sensible wheels). Even compomise a little now on groupset or wheels (as per cannondale 105/aksium suggestion above) and get a better frame. This gives you a great ride and easy upgrade options in future. Best frame: one that fits and suits your riding style. There are lots of options in this price range.

TheOldMan

Many thanks for all your comments; doesn't get any easier does it?!

The last point about frame first seems to ring true to me & I like the Viners suggestion for the same reason (they will size and build a frame to fit).

I'm now thinking along the lines of a custom frame, possibly Titanium (Burls anyone?) and will do aome more research.

Many thanks.

huuregeil

Steel frames are lovely too, don't discount gettting a custom steel made. In fact with a ~£1000ish budget, you'll get a top-drawer steel frame with carbon forks, and this could well be the benchmark by which you judge other frames.

nicensleazy

I have just seen a cracking little buy for £2000, full carbon Italian bike with Campag group set! Lovely

pure-james

to me the fit is most important

get the best fitting bike you can for your money, pay someone to do a fit who can help you find a bike as part of their service

you can always upgrade the spec of the components later

this then removes the whole quandry of what bike comes with what components

Marcosplace

The FELT bikes I saw in a LBS shop looked and weighed amazing..check them out.

pure-james

go to scherrit at bike whisperer

get a fit done

he can then either suggest an otp bike that will fit or he can spec a custom ti frame from XACD

either should come in under 2K

Down the Road

How about this?


http://bikereviews.com/2009/10/cinelli-willin-sl-2010-road-bike/


Under budget at £1800 which allows room to upgrade wheels

ex-pat scot

There's no right answer.

For me there is no choice: custom build all the way.
Part of the pleasure / sport is in the delicious choices available as I choose "a la carte".

In your situation I would choose as follows:

- go to Planet X for the groupset. £775 gets you a full SRAM Red or 7900 Dura Ace. If you go mid-range, you will always be wondering "what if?" and have a slight "second best" feel about the bike. (personal option would be Red).
- finishing kit is a matter of choice. In my opinion the Newton Deda or Bontrager x lite bars / stem are pretty lightweight value for money.
- same with the seatpost & saddle. Unless you already know what fits your @rse, then get to LBS and try a few demo saddles and take your time.
- That lot takes you to £1000 (groupset and contact points, with a basic pair of pedals).
- that then leaves £1000 for frame, forks and wheels.

Personally, I'd get a pair of training wheels - you can pick up a pair of Aksiums for just over £100, and there are plenty of other options in the Planet x B or C, or Shimano range.


That then leaves £850 odd for the frame & forks.. My honest opinion is that you can't really go wrong at that price level. By all means look at the reviews, but you'll see there aren't any really duff options. Best bet would be to talk to LBS and see whether you can test-ride a coupl of rrames, and as others have said, make sure you get yourself properly fitted.

That lot would give you a great buike, and allow you the pleasure of planning a decent set of "best wheels" as you save up. My thoughts would be to look at the wheelsmith.co.uk clinchers- that's what I'll be doing some time.

If you're like me, then you'll want to tweak a little further. Eg sell the chainset & BB new from the groupset, and replace with superlightweight exotica. Same with the brake calipers.

Chip \'oyler

ex-pat scot wrote:

There's no right answer.

For me there is no choice: custom build all the way.
Part of the pleasure / sport is in the delicious choices available as I choose "a la carte".

In your situation I would choose as follows:

- go to Planet X for the groupset. £775 gets you a full SRAM Red or 7900 Dura Ace. If you go mid-range, you will always be wondering "what if?" and have a slight "second best" feel about the bike. (personal option would be Red).
- finishing kit is a matter of choice. In my opinion the Newton Deda or Bontrager x lite bars / stem are pretty lightweight value for money.
- same with the seatpost & saddle. Unless you already know what fits your @rse, then get to LBS and try a few demo saddles and take your time.
- That lot takes you to £1000 (groupset and contact points, with a basic pair of pedals).
- that then leaves £1000 for frame, forks and wheels.

Personally, I'd get a pair of training wheels - you can pick up a pair of Aksiums for just over £100, and there are plenty of other options in the Planet x B or C, or Shimano range.


That then leaves £850 odd for the frame & forks.. My honest opinion is that you can't really go wrong at that price level. By all means look at the reviews, but you'll see there aren't any really duff options. Best bet would be to talk to LBS and see whether you can test-ride a coupl of rrames, and as others have said, make sure you get yourself properly fitted.

That lot would give you a great buike, and allow you the pleasure of planning a decent set of "best wheels" as you save up. My thoughts would be to look at the wheelsmith.co.uk clinchers- that's what I'll be doing some time.

If you're like me, then you'll want to tweak a little further. Eg sell the chainset & BB new from the groupset, and replace with superlightweight exotica. Same with the brake calipers.

You're right - there is no right answer! So you'd recommend buying a high end groupset, but then pairing it with a pair of aksiums! And then only leave £850 for the frame? The biggest difference to any bike is the quality of the frame and wheels. IMHO I'd spend as much as possible on the frame, after all this is what determines how it rides, then get a decent pair of wheels, and see what money's left for the groupset etc. The OP can always upgrade various bits of the groupset as and when, which is a cheaper way of doing it.

jgsi

TheOldMan wrote:

2. Go to a 'value' brand, eg., Ribble / Planet X?
Ribble Gran Fondo / Nero RC with higher spec' group (eg., Ultegra 6700) and wheels for well under £2K (lets ignore the I hate Ribble / Ribble are great argument for the moment).
But will it ride like a great £2K bike or just a collection of expensive components?

Oh! I have an aversion to 'mainstream' brands like Specialised / Cannondale etc., r.

Only a minor point, I don't really understand that aversion if you are able to accept Ribble etc

TheOldMan

Re., my 'aversion'. It's just that down here where I live, as opposed to up there where I was born and raised, Cannon, Specialized, Trek, Scott etc are 10 a penny but I think I've seen one Planet X and a couple of Ribble winter bikes - and that's it, perhaps I'm subconsciously supporting the lads from Lancashire 'cos that's home!

Anyway.

I suppose the point of my question was that with a mainstream brand (at my budget) you might get a good frame but typically with a mediocre group. With Ribble, and for the same money, you can get a better group but is this at the expense of a mediocre frame?

I like the look of the Gran Fondo and the Nero RC but don't have a clue how they compare with say the Cannon 6 or any other of the frames suggested in this thread.

I know the front end of the Planet X Pro Carbon gets negative comments in lots of reviews so I am inclined to remove it from my long list.

I haven't read negative reviews about the above two Ribble frames (but there are virtually no reviews) and was hoping to find someone(s) on this forum who could comment from personal experince. Are they good frames, a keeper worth upgrading, or just another mass produced far eastern bit of carbon with fancy graphics?

pure-james

it really does not matter how wonderful a frame or groupset is. if the bike does not fit you it will affect your comfort, power output, duration in the saddle etc

a really bad fit will lead to you getting biomechanical problems

also an inappropriate frame dialled in to fit eg seatpost and stem at extreme lengths or shortness will do horrible things to the handling

so i reiterate, get a fit done and then you can quickly eliminate frames that wont be right for you

the best option will be a custom job

if you have the cash get a custom made frame and spec it up with simple components

as years go by and everyone else is trading in their bikes every 3 or 4 years all you have to do is pick up better group set and better wheels while you keep your custom fitted frame

invest now to save money in the long term

bikewhisperer.co.uk can do a fit and then either suggest the best off the peg frame or actually do the spec for someone like XACD to build the frame

Down the Road

Fame and Wheels are the key to a good bike. Groupset upgrades are done by manufacturers (or Resellers) to impress those who do not know better. A Madone 6.9 with Sora and decent wheels will outperform a Ribble with Dura Ace and Poor Wheels

TheOldMan

I think we've probably covered the ground now. I get the message about fit and will certainly be investigating custom build.

Many thanks to everyone who contributed - and I will let you know the outcome.

Ta.

vinerbikesuk

Unless you get the fit right it’s all money down the drain... there is fitting and there IS fitting.

There is a limited opportunity to be fitting by one of the world’s leading bike fitting guru's.
Giuseppe Giannecchini [aka Mr Ganzo!] no one like him exists in the UK [He is a true full time professional bio mechanic]

We import him from Italy once a month for a weekend fitting session. Next dates April 17th & 18th

Having done over 40 fits so far, he has jet to see one rider who has the correct fit {me included!!}

More information at www.velosolutions.eu

Westerberg

Unless you get the fit right it’s all money down the drain

my current bike cost me £700. It's not the perfect fit but a quick adjust of the saddle and I've been fine. Did the Etape on it last year. Certainly not money down the drain. I do think this whole bike fit thing is taken to extremes. For the vast majority of people who don't have underlying health issues, get the right frame size, adjust the saddle height, adjust headset size if required - and away you go. You don't need a man specially shipped from Italy to tell you how to ride your bike.

Garry H

Westerberg wrote:

Unless you get the fit right it’s all money down the drain

my current bike cost me £700. It's not the perfect fit but a quick adjust of the saddle and I've been fine. Did the Etape on it last year. Certainly not money down the drain. I do think this whole bike fit thing is taken to extremes. For the vast majority of people who don't have underlying health issues, get the right frame size, adjust the saddle height, adjust headset size if required - and away you go. You don't need a man specially shipped from Italy to tell you how to ride your bike.

That's the tricky bit...

max888

Planet X have just released a new frame and other stuff that looks really good. There are no reviews yet as it is too new but it might be worth a look.

Chip \'oyler

Westerberg wrote:

Unless you get the fit right it’s all money down the drain

my current bike cost me £700. It's not the perfect fit but a quick adjust of the saddle and I've been fine. Did the Etape on it last year. Certainly not money down the drain. I do think this whole bike fit thing is taken to extremes. For the vast majority of people who don't have underlying health issues, get the right frame size, adjust the saddle height, adjust headset size if required - and away you go. You don't need a man specially shipped from Italy to tell you how to ride your bike.

You might have done the Etape but if you'd had a proper bike fit you would have done it quicker and in more comfort

Westerberg

Chip \'oyler wrote:

You might have done the Etape but if you'd had a proper bike fit you would have done it quicker

I don't know how you can say that with such certainty? I'd already adjusted the seat and cleat position to my satisfaction. I'd have done it quicker if I was fitter - that's all.

Chip \'oyler wrote:

and in more comfort

nope. I've setup my own bike to be right for me and my body has adjusted to this position and strengthened accordingly. I'm not saying all bike fittings are wrong - I'm just challenging the view that they are necessary/compulsory - not so and not required here.

Chip \'oyler

Westerberg wrote:

Chip \'oyler wrote:

You might have done the Etape but if you'd had a proper bike fit you would have done it quicker

I don't know how you can say that with such certainty? I'd already adjusted the seat and cleat position to my satisfaction. I'd have done it quicker if I was fitter - that's all.

Chip \'oyler wrote:

and in more comfort

nope. I've setup my own bike to be right for me and my body has adjusted to this position and strengthened accordingly. I'm not saying all bike fittings are wrong - I'm just challenging the view that they are necessary/compulsory - not so and not required here.

OK you know best :roll:

TheOldMan

As a thank-you to everyone who took the trouble to reply to my original question; a brief update.

I went down the custom build route after getting a sizing; and order a Ti frame from Justin Burls with Chorus group and Neutron wheels (everyday / training). Plan is to get some luvly light hand builts later when the bank balance has revived!

Now, anyone know where I can get a nice pair of fast legs?

Evil Laugh

I reckon you made a good choice.