first road bike dilemma

FlossyAnn

Morning All,

Having spent lots of time over the last months trawling bike websites/mags, I have a dilemma: as a newbie to road biking, do I spend £1000-£1500 on an entry level Italian/'renowned branded' bike, with lower spec or do I spend the same amount on a less prestigious brand and get better spec?

I'm currently considering Colnago/Wilier vs (say) Ribble.
I'd need to bike to be a solid all rounder - it would be my first serious road bike and I need a few years' wear out of it before I can afford another addition to the fleet.

Any advice would be greatly rec'd. Many thanks for your time.

saintdracula

Just in case you're wondering, Wiliers are pretty much as common as Ribbles where I live; that is, I see them just as often. Not frequently, but it's noticeable.

Depends on how rubbish the spec is to be honest: the best - and most boring - piece of advice I'd give would be: test the bike!

Personally I'd choose a 2010 Raleigh, although the Ribble Bianco and the New Sportive are stunning bikes. And actually, 2010 Bianchis should be going cheap too; I would choose Bianchi over Colnago/Wilier.

But you know, the main objects of importance are the wheels and frame. I could imagine myself enjoying an entry level Italian as much as a better equipped Ribble. And in fact I prefer climbing on my cheap steel Raleigh rather than the much lighter Carrera, because when you're out of the saddle the front is much more steady, and it's lower down. So even if the bike is 'objectively' better, that may not be enough, 'subjectively'.

Ah, but you say that you're getting another addition to the fleet: you look like a prospective n+1 cyclist. Then, I'd get a super cheap as chips old school steel frame for under 200 quid, play the **** out of it, and then get something much more expensive - like a serious Wilier/Colnago. Not only will you appreciate the ride of your new ride much more, but you will be able to tinker with your bike in a risk-free way. And at least you'll have an excuse when you're scalped :twisted:

Embee83

saintdracula wrote:

And actually, 2010 Bianchis should be going cheap too; I would choose Bianchi over Colnago/Wilier.

This is what I chose. I picked up a 2010 Bianchi Via Nirone Veloce for under £800 two months ago in the sales.

northpole

In my opinion the lower end Wiliers etc are like cart horses. They look great but just try picking them up (book a session with a physio first!). The top end models are dream machines and lovely to ride, the entry level ones simply make up the numbers.

If you want a new bike around the £1k mark I don't think there's any competition at the moment for Ribble and Planet X. That's where my money would go without any hesitation.

Peter

FlossyAnn

Many thanks for the sound advice. The Ribbles do look fantastic and I'm very tempted ... will keep you posted.

skyd0g

Ribble. 8)

navrig

Ribble :-)

Gran Fondo for me in January.

FlossyAnn

The Ribble GF looks amazing - is the geometry aggressive? And do you mind me asking what size you bought and how tall you are, Navrig? The reason I ask is that I've read that the Ribble frames are on the larger side. I may just hAve to go up North for a proper fitting.