Help a big fat n00b

badlydrunkboy

Hi,

This is my first post so please go a little bit easy. I've finally managed to convince my employers to do the Ride2Work scheme after months of trying and we're now at the point where we can order our stuff. This is where i need your help Which bike do i go for? I've got down to a shortlist of what i reckon might be best/what i like the look of and was hoping i might get some advice from here. First of all, i'm 6'3 and 17.5st so i'm not a slight lad. I'm also completely new to riding a road bike but would like to get properly into it and join a local club on top of the 13 mile commute a couple of times a week.Anyway, the bike has to be from CycleSolutions and i was looking at spending no more than £700 on it so this is my shortlist:

Specialized Allez 24 2011
Specialized Secteur Sport 2010
Specialized Allez Sport Triple 2010
Cannondale CAAD 8 Sora Triple 2010
Felt F95 2011
Felt Z100 2011
Scott Speedster S50 2011
Specialized Allez Sport 18 2011

Wow, there's actually a lot there isn't there. Sorry. Like i said, i don't really know enough about bikes to make an informed decision. All i know is the Scott one is all kinds of sexy.

Any advice or opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Once i'm decided on the bike, we can move on to the accesories.

Cheers

spasypaddy

so this is where you come looking for your advice now :wave:

badlydrunkboy

:picard: sorry spasy, i just thought i might get more opinions on here. Not saying you haven't helped loads but there are only a couple of people who can help over there but i'm hoping there are loads here :toppa:

danowat

Try them out and pick the one that fits you best, and you like the look of best, because any of those are pretty decent bikes.

on-yer-bike

Just make sure it fits properly and buy the one you like the look of.

badlydrunkboy

I'm not really sure how i'd manage to try all those. Cyclesolutions are doing a road show type thing at work next wednesday but they wont be bringing all of them with them. I'll also be in my work clothes when i get to sit on them.

danowat

I am not 100% sure, but I would say the CAAD is probably the better "all rounder", I'd say the Allez and the Felts would be more "racier" and the Sectuer more "comfortable", not sure about the Scott.

Like I said before none of them are a bad bike, and they are pretty much, much of a muchness component-wise.

Which one do you prefer the look of?

badlydrunkboy

Looks wise, i'd say the Z100 and the S50. The curved frame of the specialized's doesn't doesn't look right to me. I have no idea about the components on the felts or the scott.

danowat

The Z100 has slightly better components

Bobbinogs

Hi there badlydrunkboy, as others have said, you have a good list of good bikes but the important thing will be finding the right bike for you. It can be bewildering so I wouldn't get too hung up on the spec for now.

Why not start trying to cut the list down to start with, for instance, all the Allezs are roughly the same (ignore the spec and triple/compact question for now). So, get a test ride on any Allez and see what you think. If you cannot get on with an 18, a 24 won't be any better. Then, once you have an opinion about the Allez, try anything else against it. For instance, the Allez is slightly more aggressive than the Secteur (but not too much). So, if you find the Allez position requiring a bit too much flex then you know you are looking for a more relaxed geo bike (see some other threads on that). If the Allez feels great then at least you have something in the bank that you can go back to for reference.

Hope that helps.

badlydrunkboy

Being new to a road bike would the components really make a difference to me? I hear a lot about SORA and TIAGRA or whatever but what i don't know can't really hurt me, can it? I'm hoping that in a years time i'll get another bike anyway and if i have all the equipment, should be able to afford a more expensive one.

badlydrunkboy

Thanks by the way guys. I think i'll email cycle solutions and see if i can get them to bring down an an Allez, the Felt and the Scott.

Bobbinogs, that's excellent advice, thank you. It helps to know which are more aggressive etc. My route to work is pretty flat so i dont intend to be doing too many hills just yet, if that makes any difference.

danowat

I believe the main bugbear r.e. Sora vs Tiagra is that Sora uses a button to downshift, where as Tiagra uses a lever, but no, it doesn't make much difference overall.

Personally, I wouldn't get too hung up on spec, as has been said, get one that is comfortable, get some miles on it, lose some weight, and then you'll be more keyed up when you decide to upgrade to a different bike in the future.

The main component in a bike is you, so its important you are comfortable.

Bobbinogs

It helps to know which are more aggressive etc. My route to work is pretty flat so i dont intend to be doing too many hills just yet, if that makes any difference.

Not really. The term "aggressive" is usually applied to a bike which gives a more aero stance for the rider (that is, low down at the front) which also helps power delivery (he says, guessing a bit). When climbing, most people are on the hoods or hands across the bar (tongue out and lolling around is optional).

I suspect, from your posts, that you would suit something more relaxed but relaxed can be a very subjective term. Hence, this is why you need to set a reference point as to what works for you.

If you are commuting, it is definitely worth ensuring that you can get some mudguards on too...but why not leave that until the very end because by then you should have got a shortlist of 2 bikes. Oh, and don't be afraid to then do a proper test ride of one against the other.

badlydrunkboy

I'd forgotten about mudguards. Can you get mudguards for the felt and the scott?

psychle

As has been said, they are all good bikes but aside from fit and comfort you should also consider what they are designed for and what you want to use it for.
You can bet the average British conditions weren't featuring highly in the minds of the designers of the bikes you have listed.

This is one of the few new bikes I know of which strikes a good balance between fun and British practicality. It'll take 28c tyres and full mudguards.
http://www.cyclesolutions.co.uk/p29682/Genesis-Aether-10-2010.aspx

It's spec may not be particularly exciting but I think it's an ideal first road bike and is the one we chose for my brother recently.
There is also a higher specced version but frame and wheels are the same so I don't think you get too much more for the extra £200.

jgsi

I had looking myself for a lower spec bike for winter training/short commutes/runabout.
It might have been a Ribble but a quick visit to a local shop.... one of the best in country... many believe... had me haggling for this:

It will handed over with a standard double and full mudguards.
Roll on weekend.... when my upto now runabout has finished its Ebay auction and have the dosh to settle the bill.
your sincerely
Cannondale fan

badlydrunkboy

psychle wrote:

As has been said, they are all good bikes but aside from fit and comfort you should also consider what they are designed for and what you want to use it for.
You can bet the average British conditions weren't featuring highly in the minds of the designers of the bikes you have listed.

This is one of the few new bikes I know of which strikes a good balance between fun and British practicality. It'll take 28c tyres and full mudguards.
http://www.cyclesolutions.co.uk/p29682/Genesis-Aether-10-2010.aspx

It's spec may not be particularly exciting but I think it's an ideal first road bike and is the one we chose for my brother recently.
There is also a higher specced version but frame and wheels are the same so I don't think you get too much more for the extra £200.

Any reason why that one is more practical?

oh and JGSI, i'm assuming you posted a pic but i cant see it at work. What is it?

danowat

CAAD 8 Sora I believe.

badlydrunkboy

Ahhh, I've heard Cannondales are meant to me great bikes but the colour scheme on that one is borink as hell. Maybe the new one will be nicer?

psychle

badlydrunkboy wrote:

psychle wrote:

This is one of the few new bikes I know of which strikes a good balance between fun and British practicality. It'll take 28c tyres and full mudguards.
http://www.cyclesolutions.co.uk/p29682/Genesis-Aether-10-2010.aspx

Any reason why that one is more practical?

It is designed to be used as a sportive / audax / commuter / light tourer / winter machine.
It has clearance for wider tyres and mudguards. It'll also take a rack.
The geometry is less race-oriented than most of the bikes on your list.
It uses an 8-speed cassette - 8-speed cassettes and chains are a lot cheaper to replace.

What it doesn't have is bling. But it's simple looks are easy to maintain and won't go out of fashion.

At this moment my brother is making his way around the Western Isles on it.
When he returns he'll be using it to commute to his work and to prepare for riding it in the Etape Caledonia sportive next May.
As he said on the phone to me the other day, he just can't stop smiling when he's on it.

jgsi

badlydrunkboy wrote:

Ahhh, I've heard Cannondales are meant to me great bikes but the colour scheme on that one is borink as hell. Maybe the new one will be nicer?

aha the joys riding throughout the year is that the winter bike is the boring one... the bling - suchas I can afford -is for the race season using the Synapse carbon.

badlydrunkboy

Ahh, well there's no way i can afford two bikes at the moment and to make it financially feasible i will need to be commuting on it at least twice a week, even through the winter. Cycle Solutions are apparently bringing a Specialized Allez Elite and the Scott (as well as a few other bikes that i'm not interested in) but they wont bring any specific models on request so i guess i'm going to have to go to a LBS to get to sit on one of the Felts but even then, what are the chances of them having what i want in store in my size? :roll: