Cycle to work - time trial bike

bigmat

Our cycle-to-work scheme will be available soon, I'm able to use either Halfords or Cyclescheme.

Finding a suitable bike could prove tricky as I'm looking for something quite specific. Firstly, I would like a time trial bike. Secondly, I like to ride Campag. So, does anybody know of a suitable bike within the £1,000 limit that might be available on either scheme? I could just get a Carrera Virago and learn to live with Sram I suppose, but would like to check whether there are any possible alternatives first. Maybe shops that would consider doing a frame only deal?

Cheers,

Mat

Chip \'oyler

Riding a TT bike to work could be a bit tricky!

bigmat

Wouldn't be my regular choice, but don't see why I couldn't do it a few times a month. I've seen people ride sportives on tt bikes so 9 miles through London shouldn't be that bad!

Anonymous

You won't notice much, if any, difference between using shimano, sram and campagnolo on a TT bike to be fair...

bigmat

NapoleonD wrote:

You won't notice much, if any, difference between using shimano, sram and campagnolo on a TT bike to be fair...

I will when I swap wheels / cassettes with my other bikes. Although I gather the "incompatibility" issue between Campag and Shimano/Sram spacing isn't always that big an issue...

Anonymous

When I got my new bike with Campagolo, I plonked a Sram cassetted wheel on just to take a photo and found it indexed straight away perfectly. I mean really perfect.

It was the same when I put a shimano cassetted wheel on too.

moonshine

MatHammond wrote:

NapoleonD wrote:

You won't notice much, if any, difference between using shimano, sram and campagnolo on a TT bike to be fair...

I will when I swap wheels / cassettes with my other bikes. Although I gather the "incompatibility" issue between Campag and Shimano/Sram spacing isn't always that big an issue...

if you plan to swap wheels, don't mix groupsets. I think (and someone can confirm) SRAM & Shimano cassettes can be mixed, but its a no-no with Campag.(unless you change the freewheel.

Also, make sure both bikes have the same no of gears...., otherwise you won't be able to mix (i.e no 10/11 speed cappag mixing or 9/10 speed shimano mixing) common sence really...

bigmat

I'll be continuing to mix 9 and 10 speed Campag, which works without any isue at all. Haven't felt the need for an 11th sprocket yet.

pianoman

if you plan to swap wheels, don't mix groupsets. I think (and someone can confirm) SRAM & Shimano cassettes can be mixed, but its a no-no with Campag.(unless you change the freewheel.

Also, make sure both bikes have the same no of gears...., otherwise you won't be able to mix (i.e no 10/11 speed cappag mixing or 9/10 speed shimano mixing) common sence really...

Which is actually quite annoying when you consider that nearly all the budget TT bike options out there are Shimano/SRAM.

Then again, if the bike you want has some FSA bits on (think the Bianchi D2 Alu Tiagra) surely you could just swap out any part having Shimano in its name and replace it with a Campag equivalent? It DOES have 9 speed shifters on though, wouldn't you need to replace them with 10 speed?

bigmat

PianoMan wrote:

if you plan to swap wheels, don't mix groupsets. I think (and someone can confirm) SRAM & Shimano cassettes can be mixed, but its a no-no with Campag.(unless you change the freewheel.

Also, make sure both bikes have the same no of gears...., otherwise you won't be able to mix (i.e no 10/11 speed cappag mixing or 9/10 speed shimano mixing) common sence really...

Which is actually quite annoying when you consider that nearly all the budget TT bike options out there are Shimano/SRAM.

Then again, if the bike you want has some FSA bits on (think the Bianchi D2 Alu Tiagra) surely you could just swap out any part having Shimano in its name and replace it with a Campag equivalent? It DOES have 9 speed shifters on though, wouldn't you need to replace them with 10 speed?

Switching 9 to 10 speed just involves changing cassette so only a 5 minute job. Would prefer 10 speed if possible. Are the shifters on tt bikes Campag / Shimano specific? I had assumed they would be but I'm a bit new to all this. So far I'm liking the look of the Ribble, can get the basic alu frame with Centaur and reasonable finishing kit for under a grand, I would then consider buying a fancy new frame / bars direct from Taiwan. Hmmm, decisions decisions...

moonshine

my rear bar end shifter (dura-ace) is shimano indexed, i.e the spacing between each click corresponds to a shimano spaced cassette, and won't work with a Campag spaced cassette as the spacings are different (as far as im aware....but might be wrong...)
there is no friction mode on my rear shifter.

the front shifter is friction only and there should be no reason it wouldn't work with Campag...

Chip \'oyler

MatHammond wrote:

Wouldn't be my regular choice, but don't see why I couldn't do it a few times a month. I've seen people ride sportives on tt bikes so 9 miles through London shouldn't be that bad!

:shock:

bigmat

Chip \'oyler wrote:

MatHammond wrote:

Wouldn't be my regular choice, but don't see why I couldn't do it a few times a month. I've seen people ride sportives on tt bikes so 9 miles through London shouldn't be that bad!

:shock:

White Horse Challenge (Wiltshire) a couple of years ago. The guy was riding some pretty steep and windy descents on the tri-bars, wobbling all over the place. Scary stuff, that was one wheel I wasn't following for long!

Smokin Joe

moonshine wrote:

MatHammond wrote:

NapoleonD wrote:

You won't notice much, if any, difference between using shimano, sram and campagnolo on a TT bike to be fair...

I will when I swap wheels / cassettes with my other bikes. Although I gather the "incompatibility" issue between Campag and Shimano/Sram spacing isn't always that big an issue...

if you plan to swap wheels, don't mix groupsets. I think (and someone can confirm) SRAM & Shimano cassettes can be mixed, but its a no-no with Campag.(unless you change the freewheel.
Also, make sure both bikes have the same no of gears...., otherwise you won't be able to mix (i.e no 10/11 speed cappag mixing or 9/10 speed shimano mixing) common sence really...

According to my LBS, ten speed Campag will index perfectly with Shimano/SRAM cassettes, but not the other way round.

moonshine

Smokin Joe wrote:

According to my LBS, ten speed Campag will index perfectly with Shimano/SRAM cassettes, but not the other way round.

I can kind of see why this could be the case... as all the rear hubs are 135mm spacing and they have to get the same no of sprockets in the same width....I don't know how much narrower (or wider) a Shimano freehub body is compaterd with Campag, which would dictate the sapce availabe for the sprocket, and hence the sapcing between sprockets.

It can't be much different (i.e mm's) however even a miniscule difference could upset the accuracy of shifting, which is the issue.

Indexing is super sensitive to setup, and some people are even having problems with full shimano setups due to something as simple as concealed gear cables...

Do what you want tho... it makes no difference to me. You asked for an opinion and i've given you mine.

take it or leave it.