sexy peloton is causing me sleepless nights

otlawrence

im getting my first road bike through the c2w scheme. ive test riden a trek 1.5 and a defy 2. i also have the cube peloton on my list but there is nowehere within 2 hours of me who stocks them from what i can find out.

The trek and giant both felt very similar, i like the fact that with the trek you have a three year warranty on the bontrager parts compared to just the year with giant.

Now my head tells me i should choose between the trek and the giant as i have riden them, both size 54 and they felt better than the 56. yet my heart tells me i should risk it for a biscuit for the cube as something about it is more sexy.....i think less people will have it, and i like that.

can anyone offer some advice, or should i just stop dreaming and make a decision between the trek and the giant?

stokepa31

my mate rides a cube peloton and he loves it so much he hasnt bothered to upgrade as was the plan when we first started riding. its a great bike for the money and as you say, they look the dogs danglies.

stokepa31

my mate rides a cube peloton and he loves it so much he hasnt bothered to upgrade as was the plan when we first started riding. its a great bike for the money and as you say, they look the dogs danglies.

otlawrence

ive looked on the cube website and the sizes are either a 53 or 56. do you think i could get awau with the 53 and add a longer stem if it is a little to short?

nickwill

otlawrence wrote:

ive looked on the cube website and the sizes are either a 53 or 56. do you think i could get awau with the 53 and add a longer stem if it is a little to short?

The size and fit of the bike are far more important than the brand. Is there nowhere you can get fitted for the Cube. It would be worth travelling quite a long way. Imagine how you would feel if you bought it and found you couldn't get a good position.

otlawrence

this is true, like i said this is going to be my first bike, im treating it like its the difference between buying two different pairs of trainers, but i think there are a few more implications to buying the wrong bike than trainers haha!! i think in my heart i already know im going to buy the giant. i just am being a fussy little girl

otlawrence

this is true, like i said this is going to be my first bike, im treating it like its the difference between buying two different pairs of trainers, but i think there are a few more implications to buying the wrong bike than trainers haha!! i think in my heart i already know im going to buy the giant. i just am being a fussy little girl

maddog 2

have you had a look at the geometry charts online to get a feel for how similar they are?

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/road/1_series/15/

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-GB/bik ... 861/38955/

http://www.cube-bikes.de/xist4c/web/pel ... 36201_.htm

the main specs are

Bike:: Trek (54):: Giant (M):: Cube (56)
ETT(cm):: 53.8:: 54.5:: 54.5
Seat Angle:: 74.2:: 73:: 73.5
head tube (cm):: 15:: 16.5:: 15.1

so the Cube has a 54.5cm TT so is the same as the Giant (M). The Trek is slightly less at 53.8cm but the steeper seat angle compensates for this.

The reality is that they are all very similar. The Cube is the longest of the 3 by a tiny amount but a shorter stem by 1cm would see that adjusted out very easily

otlawrence

wow thanks man that is very useful

its been awesome seeing how much people go out of their way on this site to help someone who doesnt know that much.

i think it was the "E" in ETT which threw me off when i was trying to compare the bikes myself.

What role does seat angle play.....and that can be adjusted cant it?

Splottboy

Just come back from a 3 hr ride thro the Snowdonia Mtns ( I'm on annual leave.)

Giant TCR Team 2 didn't miss a beat.

Tuff h/wind, REALLY steep in places, twisty isolated singletrack roads.

Ate it up. Just wish I was 25yrs younger...or least my legs/lungs were.

ratsbeyfus

I dunno where you live, but I test rode a Cube Peleton 53cm in Brighton and really liked it. I think it is definitely worth travelling however for the bike you've set your heart on - I ended up getting my latest bike from a 'local' bike shop in essex more than 100 miles away.

IMO go for sexy!

otlawrence

I live just north of cambs, when I spoke to the company who source the bike for our scheme he gave me a few locations which were ages away.

I'm not gonna be upset if I take the giant by any means it cycled really nicely. I've got a week or so till I get the all clear from the c2w scheme so plenty time to decide!!

seven7faces

i managed to get a cheap 2010 cube peloton and have nothing but praise for it. Apart from anything else its the best looking bike for the money in my opinion.

The only problem is the drivetrain is not as good as 09 model, but i dont mind upgrading, cos the frame and fork suit me fine.

Cubic

I have a 2008 Peloton (in black). It's my first bike, so nothing to compare it to, but I love it. It rides fast and smooth. The 2008 model came with excellent kit as standard - 105 groupset, Fulcrum Racing 7 wheels - for £699, so it was great value. I don't think the 2010 Peloton has quite that level of kit unfortunately, but Cubes tend to well specced compared to their rivals.

I remember the reviews at the time stating that the Peloton's geometry and stiff frame were built for speed rather than long distance riding. However, I'm training for the Dragon Ride and have been doing 6 hour hilly rides, without much discomfort at all.

I also think it's by far the best looking bike in it's class, and it's important to get excited when you look at your bike!

Anyway, I'd definitely recommend the Peloton if it fits you well, although I'd echo the others' points about test riding a few bikes first etc.

kingrollo

otlawrence wrote:

I live just north of cambs, when I spoke to the company who source the bike for our scheme he gave me a few locations which were ages away.

I'm not gonna be upset if I take the giant by any means it cycled really nicely. I've got a week or so till I get the all clear from the c2w scheme so plenty time to decide!!

How long do you intend to the bike ? - 2 years or more ? - then 2 hours shouldn't really you put you off - invest the time the effort is worthwhile.

I travelled miles sourcing my bike - all worthwhile I got the bike that looks and rides just how I want it. People are amzed when I say how little it cost - but the price I paid was putting the effort in to travel here and there.

maddog 2

otlawrence wrote:

What role does seat angle play.....and that can be adjusted cant it?

The ETT is the key measurement as it affects the stretch to the bars but can't be looked at in isolation as a steeper seat angle will effectively increase the stretch.

I other words, all other things being equal, a 54cm ETT with a 74 seat angle will be a greater stretch than a 54cm ETT on a 72 degree seat angle. You can, of course, move the saddle forwards and backwards to compensate but every movement backwards will increase the stretch, and vice versa.

The other adjustable variable is clearly the stem length and anything between 90mm and 120mm is usually fine. The shorter the stem the faster the steering and longer = slower.

otlawrence

Bike:: Trek (54):: Giant (M):: Cube (56)
ETT(cm):: 53.8:: 54.5:: 54.5
Seat Angle:: 74.2:: 73:: 73.5
head tube (cm):: 15:: 16.5:: 15.1


so bearing this in mind, the head tube if im right is the distance from where the forks join the frame to where the handle bars connect to the stem?

and on the giant this is higher up in relation to the seat compared to the cube, which would m ean that especially when in the drops you would be bending lower to get into this position?

carl_p

I think Cycles UK in Norwich stock Cubes. What 1hr 15 mins away? Got to be worth at least a phone call.

otlawrence

Really, I will look into that dude, I have this weekend off so I cud take a trip out if they have one u cud try out!

Thanks for the heads up pal!!

Philby

There are Cube dealers in Ipswich, Chelmsford and Bedford in addition to Norwich - see http://maps.cube.eu/en/#/Suffolk-Lifecy ... olk-0.html

maddog 2

otlawrence wrote:

so bearing this in mind, the head tube if im right is the distance from where the forks join the frame to where the handle bars connect to the stem?

and on the giant this is higher up in relation to the seat compared to the cube, which would m ean that especially when in the drops you would be bending lower to get into this position?

yep. the Giant has a longer head tube so (again) all things being equal, the Giant's bars will be higher up. But again, you can adjust this to some extent with spacers and flipping the stem to get a rise rather than a drop. You can't turn a race bike into a tourer but you can adjust it a few cms up a down.

ben16v

love my cube pretty much the same spec as the peleton, gf got trek1.2 both really comfy but i do have to say i like the look of the cube more... and you have to think about style lol

rolf_f

Travel time is worth considering as a proportion of the cost of the bike but I wouldn't skimp. I made three 6 and a half hour trips to the bike shop where I bought my Look; it is an expensive bike but that would still have added at least a couple of hundred quid to the price. But that said, the trips I made I enjoyed and I was able to test two bikes over 45 miles so at the end, I knew I was making the right decision.

Even frame geometry doesn't give the whole story. One problem I had with the Scott I tested was its very wide top tube which my knees kept clouting!

Honestly, I wouldn't buy a road bike without giving it a decent test at a decent shop.