Best spec bike up to £1800

golfergmc

Not really into upgrading things as I don`t know how and wouldn`t be that confident incase I mess something up so I want to go for the best spec I can get for up to £1800, only condition it has to be something I can walk into my LBS and look at/try, so no Ribble/Planet X.

badly_dubbed

take a look at cube....they seem to have high spec for the cash

golfergmc

I already have a Cube Streamer and the spec is great, should have said would prefer carbon or high end alu and will be used for sportives.

badly_dubbed

cube agree gtc race......full ultegra....not that im biased lol

golfergmc

Very nice bike, thought they were more than £1800, CRC has them and thats just a short drive from me.
How do you find it in terms of handling, ride, comfort etc.

AndyF16

Broken Record Department here: 2010 Colnago Ace Veloce - job sorted 8)

ShutUpLegs

CAAD10 Ultegra for £1899

Plenty of shops stocking them

blackrockracer

I would recommend the Cube GTC Race too . Great spec , full Ultegra Groupset and Fulcr
rum 5 wheels. The blue looks realy cool too , somewhat different from all the red , white and black. A friend of mine bought one just last week and is very impressed with its ride quality . He bought it from a LBS and not CRC. They let him take a really long test spin and helped him with his set-up too. I think it cost him £1800 including Ultegra pedals.

badly_dubbed

golfergmc wrote:

Very nice bike, thought they were more than £1800, CRC has them and thats just a short drive from me.
How do you find it in terms of handling, ride, comfort etc.

£1850

couldnt ask for more im very happy so far with it

Chip \'oyler

Go for the bike with the best frameset in your budget. You'll notice far more difference in the quality of the frame more than the difference between Shimano 105 and Ultegra for instance

golfergmc

What would be the best fameset with 105 for the money.

ADIHEAD

I'd look at Cube and Cannondale SuperSIx 105

golfergmc

Looked at a supersix the other day and was very impressed.

unixnerd

Nobody has mentioned wheels yet. Both the CAAD10 Ultegra and Colnago Ace have wheels in the 1800-1900g range. I'd rather get a 105 equipped bike with a lighter wheelset. Going to 1500g wheels will do more for you than jumping from 105 to Ultegra.

Manufacturers seem to try and skimp on the wheelset, few folk seem to pay much attention to it.

rogerthecat

Have a look at Ribble m8

maddog 2

a mate asked me the same question last week so I'm putting together a potential buy list next week to help him.

My first initial interwebbing threw up the SuperSix, Colnago Ace, a Willier and a discounted Scott but I'll have a look at the Cube too.

thespanishadam

Had a quick look on Ribble. Under the special edition bikes you can pick up the Ribble Stealth for under £1400 with full Ultegra. Leaving you a nice £400 for another pair of wheels.

Just an idea.

matt.rochfort

Storck scenario 1.1

Full Ultegra 6700 deep section Veltec wheels and great frame (supposedly)

From Germany Google S-TEC Sports

1999 euros.

Thinking of getting one myself.

or how about a Canyon?

burrage9

I had to make a similar decision recently, and have pretty much decided on a Rose Carbon Pro RS.
http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/products/bik ... o-rs-2011/
For £1750, you can get it with either Force or Ultegra, and both come with Easton R1500s. You're unlikey to find a lighter/stiffer bike for the same money. And ok, you cant look at one in your LBS, but email the guys at Rose, and they'll ship you one to test ride for a week.
Only downside i can think of is that you cant actually get one yet - the new stock is still being made!

maddog 2

Oaky the list I've just given to my mate contains the following four

2011 Cube Agree GTC Race 1850
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=57234

2011 Cannondale Super6 1800
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/can ... gn=froogle

2010 Colnago Ace Veloce 1700
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/col ... ry=Colnago Ace

2010 Colnago Ace 105 1500
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/col ... ry=Colnago Ace

2010 Wilier Mortirolo Veloce 1800 (and maybe even as low as 1500)
see http://www.awcycles.co.uk

The 2010 bikes are obviously sensitive to availability/sizes
There is also the outside bet on a 2010 Moda Stretto at 1750

thinbo

I posted this on a similar thread the other day, it's a 2010 Cube Agree GTC SL for £1760 (RRP £2200) it's only in size 56. If I had £1800 to spend on a new bike I think this is what I'd get (yes I am biased as I currently have a Cube)
http://www.sidcupcycles.co.uk/productdetails.asp?productid=00531

as maddog 2 mentioned if you can find 2010 stock in your size, you should be able to get some decent discounts. I have seen the Moda Stretto for £1700-1800 but can't remember where.

TMR

unixnerd wrote:

Nobody has mentioned body weight yet. Both the CAAD10 Ultegra and Colnago Ace have wheels in the 1800-1900g range. I'd rather get a 105 equipped bike with a lighter wheelset. Going to 1500g wheels will do more for you than jumping from 105 to Ultegra.

Manufacturers seem to try and skimp on the wheelset, few folk seem to pay much attention to it.

Some people get too obsessed about a few hundred grams on the wheels, when they'd get far more performance if they stopped dodging the salad and lost a stone.

Fixed for you

maddog 2

Thinbo wrote:

I have seen the Moda Stretto for £1700-1800 but can't remember where.

Ebay has one (looks like a shop)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MODA-STRETTO-CARB ... 2eb2a0d381


(nowt to do with me)

cuber1618

Hi just got a 2011 Cube Agree GTC race and its fantastic, got mine from Hargroves for £1649 not sure if the offers on anymore but even at full price id say you would not be disappointed with it

Down the Road

Ignore Spec

Look to get the best frame follwed by the best wheels.

It is very easy to dress up a poor frame with a "good" Spec

maddog 2

Look to get the best frame follwed by the best wheels

I'm happy with that idea, and I can assess the wheels no problem but getting a handle (or data) on which frame is "better" than another is, I suspect, almost impossible in reality...

Sure some manufacturers have a good reputation but this tells you very little in reality.

Is the Colnago frame better than the Cube?

I suspect maybe ten people might have a real opinion on this, having ridden both, and you may find that half of them agree

Down the Road

Therefore find a bike with a low spec at your price point but uses the same frame to make a much ore expensive model.

An example could be Trek 5.9 Madone v Trek 6.2 Madone Only 10% diff in price but the frame of the 6.2 is £800 more expensive.( 6 Series goes to £4300 out of the box and it is last year's 6.9 frame which as a bike sold for almost £6K)

I know these are not in the price range but it is just an example of what I am saying

Va Va Boom

op have you decided yet? I seriously looking at the cube either the race or sl but im very tempted by a bike you mentioned earlier- the moda stretto.

It got a great review here and the wheels are £500 alone. Its kitted with SRAM force.

Just cant decide- moda at £2299 or the cube at £1850 (and upgrade the wheels?)

twotyred

One of these with Ultegra

maddog 2

A mate has a Kharma and it's pretty good. Not the lightest but solid enough. Hard to see what it has got over the Cube though, given the Cube is Ultegra.

twotyred

Likewise its hard to see what the Cube has over the Kuota.