Need help choosing a new bike - we can help?

rob_spedding

If you're planning on buying a new road bike - whatever your budget and whatever type of bike you fancy - post below or email cyclingplus@futurenet.com and we'll try and help you out in Cycling Plus's new I Need New Wheels...and Bike Finder sections.

Rob

llion.preston

Hi, looking for a road bike under £700 to by via cycle2work scheme. I want a fairly lightweight bike which would be suitable for sportives if i decided to. I have looked at the Specialized Allez 16, the Giant Defy range and the Raleigh Airlite range. Any suggestions would be welcome and opinions on the bikes mentioned would be great! Thanks Llion

whatanotherhill

Speak to your LBS and see if they have any 2010 models lurking at the back somewhere as that way you could end up with a better specced bike for the same money. I have just bought a 2010 Specialised Tricross, £150 below list and a whopping £300 less than the 2011 price.

Have you had a look at the Cube road bike range, they are well specced, normally a chainset up on the likes of Giant/Specialised for the same money.

Hope this helps

scazzer

Hi
Ive recently converted to road cycling after many years of MTB and im now hooked
:shock:
Ive bought a new road bike and im now thinking of selling MTB prob about£400 fingers crossed,and put the money to a 2nd road bike that would be ideal for the winter months or even the summer the way our weather is at the moment ,so any ideas of what i should look out for....

cheers

Tillynaught

Going to be buying a new bike next week, taking out a Wilier Gran turismo and a Giant TCR Advanced 1 '11 for a test ride, anyone own one? the giant looks to be a pure race machine where as the Wilier looks like it might be more comfortable on longer rides(and looks fantastic) Wilier comes with campag which i have never used, Giant comes with Ultegra. Anyone got any thoughts/advice on this?

whitestar1

I am thinking about the Cannondale CAAD 9 hoping to get the high spec version for under a £1000. Any one can say if this is possible and just how good is it? I own a MTB. This will be my first road bike.

griffsters

Hi - Quite new to road biking and purchased a Boardman Road Comp which has whetted my appetite and I want more, but whatever i do I cant seem to get comfortable. I just feel too stretched out.

I've decided I'm going to cut my losses, do a bit better research and purchase something better suited to me and how I want to ride. I've just turned 40, not as flexible as i used to be and carry a few too many pounds so an aggressive racing geometry is not high on my list of priorities.

I want something more relaxed so i can build up some miles, and maybe aim for a Sportive or two in time. My Budget is £1000.

I'm putting together a list of bikes I want to sit on and test and so far my internet research has pointed me towards the Cannondale Synapse 105 and Cube Attempt. The Focus Cayo 105 looks fantastic but i'm put off by reviews stating its aggressive geometry? Given that I wont easily be able to sit on and test this bike i've discounted it for now.

What i could do with is a round up of relaxed riders within or around this budget - I did read the reviews in this months Cycling Plus but they were outside my budget and / or leaning towards an aggressive set up.

Any other bikes worth a look?

Edit: Gone for the Synapse!

Aggieboy

Rob Spedding wrote:

If you're planning on buying a new road bike - whatever your budget and whatever type of bike you fancy - post below or email cyclingplus@futurenet.com and we'll try and help you out in Cycling Plus's new I Need New Wheels...and Bike Finder sections.

Rob

What's the point of this thread if no one replies to the posted queries, Rob?

rob_spedding

Aggieboy

Sorry if I didn't make it clear in the original - I'm asking questions that'll be answered in Cycling Plus magazine. We send on to a few of our tame experts and, as many have day jobs, the replies aren't instant. Once we get a reply though we'll post it.

Aggieboy

Rob Spedding wrote:

Aggieboy

Sorry if I didn't make it clear in the original - I'm asking questions that'll be answered in Cycling Plus magazine. We send on to a few of our tame experts and, as many have day jobs, the replies aren't instant. Once we get a reply though we'll post it.

Thanks, Rob.

As most are new they should be made to ask the 'experts' in Cake Stop in the first instance. At least there they'll get an instant reply, although the answer probably won't be connected to the question and will include Wiggle, Audi drivers, football, politics and knockers.

johnson1985

Hi, I'm looking for a hybrid bike (max budget £270). I'm not a serious cyclist or anything, I just want a good bike for cycling around town, and on little bike rides every now and again maybe down a country path as well (but nothing too off-road!). So I'm not too bothered about getting an AMAZING bike with specifications that will be wasted on me.

I've found three different bikes that I'm trying to chose between:


http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165534

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... 65534#dtab

http://www.ridgeback.co.uk/bike/motion

I have been told that the carrera subway one is the best one of the three, and that it's at a great price. However, I just don't like the way it looks, and I get the impression that maybe the specification is a bit fancy for what I want (??) Or am I wrong??

Can you tell me why the subway is better, and if I need those better qualities?? Or should I go for one of the other two better looking bikes (in my opinion) with a worse specification??

Sorry if that all sounds confusing, but I really don't have a clue about bike spec's and I'm also horribly indecisive!!

Any help would be much appreciated!

steve

ian1132

I'm thinking about getting a road bike. Im used to a MTB for some years, and want to get a road bike for week-end rides, building upto 4 - 6 hour routes.

Initially I can get a road bike via the cycle2work scheme, this however is locked down to Halfords only. I have recently noticed that the Boardman Road 2011 model has had decent reviews.

However as I havent ridden a road bike before for any period of time, is it possible to hire a bike or pick up something cheap so that I can go on some test rides, before purchasing a bike? I would feel slightly awkward going into another bike shop asking for advice and a test ride, if I would not likely be buying from them, unless the bike was a very good deal.

any suggestions within the London area, and a time and place to take a road bike for a test run? Do you have any routes?

regards

Bike-Spy

I am looking at buying a Cyclocross bike (with my own money unfortunately as we don't have the Cycle2Work scheme ).

I have narrowed it down to the following:
- Specialized Tricross:http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/tricross-2011-road-bike-ec025019
- Giant TCX 3: http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Giant-TCX-3-2011_39467.htm
- Kona Jake: http://www.evanscycles.com/products/kona/jake-2011-cyclo-cross-bike-ec026521

Would really appreciat on some advice on which is the better bike or a better alternative to those listed ?

Also, if possible, I would prefer last years (2010) model so I can get a better spec for my budget - are people aware of anywhere that may have discounted stock ?

Thanks for the help.

dg74

Hello - can you offer me some assistance?

I have been looking for a new road bike to replace my Specialized Secteur. I had set my mind on the Orbea Aqua T105 which I really liked the look and feel of (this took the place of a Bianchi Via Nirone with Campag I was looking at).

The problem is, I'm slowly being turned towards the fact that carbon road bikes are coming down in price to the same level as the Orbea's price (LBS £1060). I have looked at the Focus Cayo, Boardman, BTwin, BeOne, Ribble and a couple of others but most are fitted with triples and I want a compact - plus I really fancy Campag instead of SRAM or Shimano - in other words I'm looking for something slightly out of the ordinary/exotic for the price of the Orbea.

My riding is purely leisure/fitness/commuting/the odd sportive. Am I being too picky here? I'm quite sold on the Orbea but need some form of advice before my head pops from bike overload Very Happy

Many thanks

Darren.

echobase

Hi,

I currently ride a GT Zum S2 hybrid and am looking at purchasing my first road bike since I was 14. I am totally hooked on road riding and my hybrid is not quite up to it on the flats but is amazing on the hills. I had the fortune of riding a Specialized Roubaix with Ultegra set up carbon everything (WOW) and.....in purple which was actually fantastic as amazingly I got lots of wow looks!! (there are not enough purple bikes on the road) So I am now totally hooked but the problem is it was way out of my price bracket and there are way too many other bikes to choose from?
I am however steering towards Specilzed and in particular the Allez in black or the Secteur Sport in Black and red, both triples.
Is there any difference in the two?
Should I be looking at any other alternatives in the price range of £600-750?

Help I am totally lost?
Cheers
J

sharrow

Hi

Current ride is a Spesh' Roubaix but it suffered from being used throughout last winter (think mudguard hitting fork and resulting in new forks :shock:).

I'm looking for a bike for use throughout the worst of the winter, suitable for club runs and reliability trials etc. Budget is around £600.

Ribble Audax is the obvious choice but wondering if there are any other alternatives.

Cheers

Stuart

mikey2341

Hi,

I'm looking for an entry level TT bike - what are your recomendations? budget of <1000

Thanks

Timerrr

Hi

Looking to buy my first road bike through the cycle to work scheme to use on leisure rides/ sportives, try out some triathlon and possibly cycle to work!

May as well max out the cycle to work scheme and spend the £1k. I have looked around with the help of your excellent website and am tempted by Ribble's carbon bikes on the basis that I can always upgrade some of the bits later.

However I am not sure about sizing. is there anything you can recommend to ensure I get the right size bike or am I better off buying from a local shop (which would probably mean an alu frame at this price). Start Cycles have a bit of bike sizing kit but they charge £60 for the privelege - presumably negotiable if I bought a bike from them but the deals aren't as good.

Views?

Thanks
Timerrr

Bike-Spy

Timerrr wrote:

Hi

Looking to buy my first road bike through the cycle to work scheme to use on leisure rides/ sportives, try out some triathlon and possibly cycle to work!

May as well max out the cycle to work scheme and spend the £1k. I have looked around with the help of your excellent website and am tempted by Ribble's carbon bikes on the basis that I can always upgrade some of the bits later.

However I am not sure about sizing. is there anything you can recommend to ensure I get the right size bike or am I better off buying from a local shop (which would probably mean an alu frame at this price). Start Cycles have a bit of bike sizing kit but they charge £60 for the privelege - presumably negotiable if I bought a bike from them but the deals aren't as good.

Views?

Thanks
Timerrr

It is always better to get a local bike shop to size you up and for your to actually test ride your chosen bikes. Apart from size, teh test ride will also help you assess which type of bike is more comfortable for you.

Saying that, this is not always possible if you are after a specialist bike only sold by one or two retailers or you want a better price.

In these cases, you will need to study the geometry diagrams and measurements supplied by the frame manufacturer. I am sure others with more experience will chip in here, but in my mind the two most important measurements to look at are:

- Standover height: essentially the distance between the ground and the top tube which tells you how far away the top tube will be from your crotch when standing over (hence the name !) the bike

- Top Tube length: the length between the middle of the seat tube to the handlebars. This will directly translate to the length of your upper body and determine how far forward you will need to bend when riding inc onjucntion with the seat height and angle/height of the handlebars.

I hope I have got this right, would welcome further wisdom

denzzz28

Im looking for a bike to use for my weekend long ride so it should be a comfortable and relax bike, im not a powerfull biker so light weight is ideal.

Im choosing between Felt F95 2011 (£674.99) with Sora/tiagra gear system
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/fel ... e-ec024150

and Fuji Team 2.0 2011 (on offer @ £739.99 from £829.99) with full tiagra gear system.
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/fuj ... e-ec026237

the Felt is Lighter than the Fuji according to the specs but the fuji looks more comfortable to ride although felt i think is the better looking lol!

I also fancy the Scott Speedster S40 Triple 2011 (£799)
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/sco ... e-ec025504

and Wilier Escape 2011 (£799)
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/wil ... e-ec026873

Slightly out of my budget but would consider adding some more if the bike is worth the extra

Can you please help me choose as I am going to evans today or tomorrow to buy one. all replies will be appreciated. thanks

denzzz28

I also wondering if the are better shops to buy bikes other than evans. thanks

Logesrider

Hi,

I want to buy a new bike, either a Specialized or Trek. Im after either the Venge, Tarmac or Madone 5+. I dont know if one is better than the other if im going to pay that type of money.

They offer similar things so im not sure if one is better for comfort, speed or looks.

Cheers

CJSA330

Hi

I am looking to buy my 2nd road bike. I've been riding a Specialized Allez for a year. I've found the position a little stretched. I've tried changing and flipped stems to improve the position which has improved the comfort level. However,the bike doesn't really look right .

I want my next bike to be a better fit, feel I need a longer head tube and slightly shorter top tube as a starting point in the frame geometry.

I have about 2.5-3k budget.

I love the look of the Cervelo RS also the Look 566 was recommended, so far I can only find these as frames not complete bikes, so no test ride, It's a large outlay without riding the machine. I know I can test some of the more mainstream bikes, but looking for something a bit different.

Any other suggestions ?

denzzz28

CJSA330 wrote:

Hi

I am looking to buy my 2nd road bike. I've been riding a Specialized Allez for a year. I've found the position a little stretched. I've tried changing and flipped stems to improve the position which has improved the comfort level. However,the bike doesn't really look right .

I want my next bike to be a better fit, feel I need a longer head tube and slightly shorter top tube as a starting point in the frame geometry.

I have about 2.5-3k budget.

I love the look of the Cervelo RS also the Look 566 was recommended, so far I can only find these as frames not complete bikes, so no test ride, It's a large outlay without riding the machine. I know I can test some of the more mainstream bikes, but looking for something a bit different.

Any other suggestions ?

for that amount im sure you can get a VERRRRRY NICE bike. i went to this nice shop in Kingston upon thames (Sigma Sports) and they sell top end bikes, those bikes that you mentioned are top bikes and i think either of them will be good. but it doesnt matter how expensive they are if it doesnt fit you wont be satisfied.

the shop that i mentioned have proper equipments and tools to measure a rider and they do a proper sizing and then built the bike that fits the rider. I guess you should find a shop that has a proper equipment to measure you up. most small bike shops dont have this facility and they only rely on how the rider feels whilst trying different bikes.

hope this helps

CJSA330

Thank you denzzz28, I have heard good reports about Sigma sports, its a bit a drive but may be worth the effort. To date I've found the service from some LBS patchy, especially regarding the bike fit. I want very good service if I'm to be tempted buy a high end bike.

MaestegGeezer

Evening.

Looking for recommendations for a road bike which would be bought through the Ride2work scheme through my employers who's stipulation is to use Evan's Cycles or in my case Tredz in Swansea as there is no Evans Cycles local.

I am just at the end of long road of recovery after having both ACL and PCL and cartlidge replaced and after being unable to do any sport of any kind for a year, Im looking to slowly build my fitness back up by getting on the bike.

Im 5ft 9 and approx 9 stone, and have £1000 to use on the bike(and equipment etc).

Many Thanks

Soph_Cyclist/rower

I'm looking to buy a Road Bike, maximum budget about £1500.
I'm 23, 162cm and about 50kg.

I currently have a dawes Audax (top range 06 model) bike, frame size 51cm, with a short stem and 65 cranks. I've got a triple on the fount and on 10 speed on the back. Only thing that doesn't fit me is I don't have a particularly comfortable grip on the breaks as I have small hands, and this is with chocks in them.

It's brilliant as I can fully load it up for touring without the frame flexing and it can with stand 100 miles of commuting through London's potholes each week! I've been doing sportives for the last few years for fun. I have started doing triathlons, duathlons and some road racing this year.

I have just come back from a trip to the Alpes, doing all the big Col's and the Alpe d'huez duathlon . So much fun! And have decided it is time to look for a bike to be used purely for road cycling/racing so I don't have the disadvantage of an 11.5kg bike slowing me down. And so I can give the boys a better run for their money up the mountains! I will be keeping my Dawes to use for touring, commuting, bad roads etc.

Any manufacturers that are good in the small sizes? Also any manufacturers that make gear shifter breaks for small hands?

Any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

McQue

I need a bike that I can ride down the cycle paths and climb the hills to work, not have to worry about winter too much, both cycling itself and prepping for a ride. I want a good all round bicycle that won't let me down in both practicality and speed/ riding pleasure.

Another spanner in the spokes... I aspire to do some real long distance endurance touring coming up to next year. I want that fine balance of comfort and speed. I'm 6'3'' stocky build so don't want something that'll buckle from underneath me either, ha!

indysmith

Hi,
I'm looking for a bike capable of short and long rides across the country in all weather conditions. Ideally I'd love a titanium frame with traditional style geometry in the vein of the Enigma Esprit, although this is unfortunately well out of my price range (up to £850 - no more). Weight is an issue, but I don't want anything too fragile.
I am 5'7 with a 32" inside leg. This will be my first road bike, although I am a very experienced cyclist in XC and fixed riding (I was a bicycle courier).

h34e0f

I'm after a cheap and basic road bike. I ride primarily MTB but I'm after a cheap road bike (with drop bars) for fitness and commuting. Budget is around 350.

My only requirement is that it's big (I'm 6'5)

I've been looking at the following;

http://www.falconcycles.co.uk/Corporate ... rium.shtml - Looks fantastic, but with my limited knowledge of road bikes I don't want this to sway me!

I was also recommended a Dawes Giro 200 but reviews warn me against it!

Also looking at the Giant website where there are some good options, but I'm struggling to find a price list and am confused as to all the different options.


Any advice would be appreciated!

LondonMTB

Hi, I'd really appreciate some advice...
Looking for my 1st road bike. Am female but long legs/arms, 5'7", and think I'll need a 52 frame, from what I've tested so far.
I probably need a triple bike, plus it needs to be able to carrier panniers - as well as social road rides, I'll be doing some touring in France on it so need to grind up long hills with 10kg or so on the panniers.
Apart from that I'm not fussy about looks, but want good components (preferably above Sora...).
My budget is £500-800, preferably about £500 but if something was great value then I'd go to £800...I've so far looked briefly at:
Fuji Finest 1.0 Triple Women's bike (£699 down from £779)
Specialized Secteur?
Specialized Dolce Women's (£649 down from £769)
Trek 1.5 Triple (£749 down from £899)
Pinnacle Dolomite Two (£629 down from £799) or Three (£799 down from £999) - (compact not triple)
Any other suggestions or tips as to which of these seem good value? Or should I just get a good 2nd hand bike??