The new road bike advice post - £750 budget

mr_poll

OK chaps after 12 months of lurking on here and riding a steal of a bike on eBay, £90 Saracen Ventoux I have that itching feeling I am sure you all feel to get myself a new bike. I would love to be considering the carbon models over £1000 but to be honest I cannot stretch that far as my selfish children are demanding a holiday this year – and after a number of years of fighting a spiral debt and finally coming out the other side with a CCJ to my name (now paid off thank God) I don’t want finance, even if anyone would give it me.

Looks like a bonus beckons at work and I am looking at a budget of £750ish – quite happy with alu bike, I do more long rides than race or TT (have my first 100 mile sportive coming up) so not looking for aggressive geometry.

Would love some advice from the forum as most of you appear to know what your talking about. A bit of searching the usual suspects has unearthed the following but happy to led to other paths.

Merlin Cycles arent far from me, signed up for their club so all prices here are 10% off which I have quoted:

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+Shop/Bikes/Road+Bikes/Dolan+Road+Bikes/Dolan+Prefissio+Road+Bike+-+Sram+Apex+-+Mavic+Aksium_PREFISSIO-APEX-AKSIUM.htm

- £720

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+Shop/Bikes/Road+Bikes/Merlin+Road+Bikes/Merlin+5600+Ltd+Edition+Bike_MERLIN-RB-ALLOY.htm

- £670 but might throw an extra £40 quid to upgrade wheels to Fulcrum 5's or Mavik Aksiums. Does anyone have any experience of Merlin's own road bikes?

I could push the budget a little for the BeOne Storm

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=45889 - £799

or Wiggle have this:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/verenti-kilmeston/

£750 quid


Thoughts on the above or any suggestions (including the wait and save up option) greatly received.[/url]

Anonymous

2nd hand finishing kit and wheels off the BikeRadar Classifieds.

Carbon Frame/Forks from chinese manuf. such as DengFu. Or, if you don't want to go the Direct from China route -

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/FRP ... e-new-logo

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-t ... IBBFRAR930

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-t ... IBBFRAR895

mr_poll

Hmmm the only issue i have NapD is that I am about as handy as Abu Hamza - a self build could end up in a right botch the idea is tempting but the practicality is another thing.

Anonymous

Bring it all down here and for the price of a bottle of wine, I'll build it. Only thing I can't do is headsets... However most online frames come with them fitted (except the ones direct from China).

Beware buying online bikes though as often they come in bits!

lucan

Have you had a look at the Kuotas at Jack Parker Cycles in Burscough? If you tell them what you've been looking at so far they might be able to come up with something similar to your specification. Excellent after-sales service, too. I've bought bikes off them for years and they've never let me down.

You never know unless you ask.

mr_poll

Thanks Lucan - might have a butchers they just serviced my yellow peril. Nap think I am still doing the North west BR ride next week will have to have a chat (inbetween my wheezing and gasping for breath).

dcab

sell yer kids! go carbon.

mr_poll

Ha good to see you're still alive dCab, suppose I have 4 so wouldn't miss one lol - check out the FS section if anyone is interested - I am unconvinced by the carbon argument for a total noob like me - happy with a decent alu model as its all I can afford.

Anonymous

mr_poll wrote:

Ha good to see you're still alive dCab, suppose I have 4 so wouldn't miss one lol - check out the FS section if anyone is interested - I am unconvinced by the carbon argument for a total noob like me - happy with a decent alu model as its all I can afford.

For your budget you could probably afford a half decent carbon bike. Whether or not it's any better is open to debate.
I've had top of the range carbon and titanium frames. I currently ride an aluminium frame with carbon fork and rear triangle. It's a tremendous bike!

mr_poll

If I am totally honest I love the Genesis Equilibrium - the top end cherry red one but its £1300. Thats steel so shows my real love.

If I am honest with the Fulcrum 5's the merlin bike looks a cracking deal but then again there is no such thing as a free lunch.

morstar

mr_poll, I don't know if you enjoy shopping around but you've got lots of local bike porn available if you do. Try Hewitts, Leisure lakes and buyabike where you can see lots of exciting goodies.

The Boardman team was a steal at £719 if you can put up with Halfords. As for the carbon thing, you know full well I was still riding a steel 531 bike last year and it was more than adequate(unlike the rider). I've stuck in a couple of commutes recently on my aluminium + carbon fork £500 pound commuter and have recently pulled the trigger on a Boardman team carbon. I absolutely love the Boardman but, is it streets ahead of the others just for being carbon? No!