Need help choosing a new bike - we can help?

Slow1

Am looking to step up to Carbon, but need a few pointers. So please help!

I am a big lad 6'2' and 100kg (but falling).

I ride mainly for fitness and do 60-90 min sessions during the week and a longer 3 to 4 hour ride at weekend.

I have a half decent ali bike with 105 bits at present but am looking for something a bit more comfortable and stiffer. Can someone clarify if (i) I will genuinely get much benefit from a carbon frame and (ii) whether the Sportive vs Race bike thing is really a material issue.

I would also like to feel more confident going down hills at speed.

Potential Shopping list includes:
Spec Roubaix SL3 Expert
Cannondale Super6 Ultegra
Bianchi Sempre or Infinito Ultegra
Felt..maybe
Scott CR1 or Foil

Cheers

giant_man

Don't understand what this thread is about. Just a wish list as far as I can see, can't see much help going on - who's supposed to be helping anyway?

passout

For those after a cheapish road bike or winter trainer, I though this was a good option
http://www.realcycles.com/m37b0s283p246 ... er_10_2011

millsn

I weigh in at around 100kg and have two bikes that I do the weekend 40 mile CTC on.
1) A Cube race agree - I bought this from Bath after an article in Cycling plus some years back and it's harsh as hell and fast. It has full ultegra from the period and is fine for about 2 hours riding.
2) A circa 1986 Holdsworth Elan fitted with Shimano 105 which is far more trustworthy down hills but rather heavy these days up them but I still like the more faithful handling versus the cube.

Both bikes run 42/52 chainsets which I get on fine with.

My next bike will be more comfortable, fitted with Ultegra and may be a bought frame fitted with all the gear (bar the crankset) from the Cube.

As to which bike I'm baffled. Carbon / Titanium? De Rosa/Cannondale/Trek/Orbea. They're all lovely. I'm not keen on radical decals, simple is better for me. Whilst I rode the Cube when I bought it I wasn't able to ride to 40 miles to confirm it was the right purchase. Assume I go carbon, how the devil do I narrow down the choice? I was hoping I could spend £1000 on a frame to get a nice light bike to take my weight / power
Help

dannyfag

Hi,

Iv been riding a cannondale 6/ 13 with ultegra kit from 2006 i think, which i bought second hand as my first road bike,to see if i liked it after 30 plus years of bmx/ then mountain biking only. Having really enjoyed being on road and geting out twice a week with friends im going to upgrade and have seen a lot of offers for the 2011 cannondale and pinarello both of which i really like the look of, so my question is for about the £2000 i have seen both the bikes on offer/ sale for which is better. I mainly ride the bike when im not mountain biking and most rides are only 20ish miles up to 40ish miles with some longer rides on occasional summer Sundays.
Any points of view or experience welcome,

Cheers dan

davoj

So am about to purchase my first top end frame after a few years with a standard carbon but not sure which way to go, but am looking at the Scott foil R1 or Focus Izalco Team 1.0 the two frames both Matt black and 2012 models.

So any advise on either make or models? It's a massive investment for me so have the usual doubts or any other recommendations appreciated

petewaldron

I am trying to find the best bike for my girlfriend who is looking to get into triathlons with me.

Ideally I want to spend between £600 and £800, but want a bike, that should she get into it is suitable to upgrade in the future.

Thanks

Pete

Andyderb

Hi,

I'm currently looking for something new, at the moment I read a Trek Madone 4.5 105 setup with upgraded pro lite wheels, nice bike but now looking at spending upto to £3k on a new "Best" bike.
My criteria includes decent wheels i.e Cosmic or Ksyrium (or similiar), Ultegra minimum (possibly Di2, as this is now available within this price range) would also happily consider Sram or Campag although now experience of using them.
On my list at the moment are the following:

Dolan Ares
Canyon Aero CF
Cervelo S2
Cannondale Supersix

Dolan and Canyon both great bikes but I'm a bit concerned about having to but online without having a proper bike fit.

At the moment I am completely undecided so any advice would be most welcome.
Cheers

richardemma

Hi, i've been riding my Bianchi vir nirone tigra compact for the last two years so i'm looking to upgrade to a full carbon frame and better groupset. budget of 1500 to 2k.
I'm pretty sure i'm going for a Cube agree GTC race. The thing is i've read to much so i've read good and bad reviews. I only really ride the odd sportive and 50 miles each sunday.
ps i'm a bit of a poser
Thanks
Richard

Andyderb

I went from a Bianchi Via Nirone to a Trek Madone 4.5 with 105 gears which is a far improved ride,quicker/smoother and climbs better!
So any carbon bike in the 1.5 to 2k price bracket will be an improvement and you won't notice too much difference based on the riding you do. Regarding kit if your sticking with Shimano then 105 minimum but on a Cube I'd expect some Ultegra.
If your a poser though then surely only another Italian model will do!!!!! No seriously pick the one you like the look of best, spec and ride wise you won't got far wrong.

richardemma

Thanks.
I was looking at Bianchi's infinito but it's an extra £500 with 105 as the Cube comes with full Ultegra. So i guess if you cross a poser with (my wife discribes me as) tight arse you get a Cube.
Thanks again....

canadiankate

Hi,

I'm buying my first road bike and I don't want to spend any more that £1000 on the bike. I've sat on, and found the Trek Madone 3.1 WSD 52cm Frame and found it super comfy. Obviously that bike is miles out of my budget, but I've been told that the geometry for Trek's are the same throughout the range and so the Lexa SL (At £800) would be the same fit.

However, I've also seen that the Red Rose Pro 200 and the Rose Pro SL 2000 were highly recommended by you guys as well. It looks like the componetry on the Rose is much better (Shimano 105, or SRAM etc), but I'm not so good at reading the geometry specs and wondered if anyone has any knowlege of Rose bikes?

I'm about 163cm, with inside leg of 79cm and I'm longer legged than reach. I've actually a negative ape index so have fairly short arms! I think I'd fit either the 53cm mens Rose bike, or the small womens Rose bike.

essentially - which is the better bike for a beginner? The trek or Rose?

ROSE PRO-WSL 200 Compact - http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/rose ... aid:478205
ROSE PRO-SL 2200 compact - http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/rose ... aid:473130
Trek Lexa SL - http://www.trekbikes.com/uk/en/collecti ... xa/lexa_sl
Trek Lexa S - http://www.trekbikes.com/uk/en/collecti ... exa/lexa_s

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you

Kate

Valowitz

Hi,
I'm looking at my first TT bike and have narrowed my favourites down to an Orbea ordu SLT or a Argon 18 E80. Can anybody give any advice on one or both of these bikes.
Many thanks.

bikergirl17

this is somewhat niche-y but for all the short people struggling with the absolute wasteland for 650 c wheel options ...

are there wheel builders who can make a good sub 1300 g wheel (i've looked, no luck, but assume with your connections would be more fruitful).

if you contact me, can discuss my experiences directly; have spent over a year looking into good wheel options with no resolution. thanks.

Espresso

Hi, after a lot of searching for my next bike I've managed to narrow it down to two choices; Moda Tempo £1400.00(105 grp set, American Classic Victory 30 wheels, 7005 Alloy frame with Carbon seat stays and carbon forks, weighing 7.9kg) and the Cube Agree GTC £1300.00 (carbon frame, 105 grp set, Easton EA30 wheels, weighing 8.4kg)

I currently ride a Trek 1.2 (2010 model) I've done the Dragon ride on this last year and have a place in this ride again for 2011, so I will being putting in the miles along with trying my hand at TT. Last year I completed 10,000K on my bike so a lot of time will be spent in the saddle and I want something comfortable but with a performance edge! (I know I'm looking for the perfect bike, but I dont have that kind of budget)

Help please!!!!

frostym73

Hi
I am looking to buy a new bike i have just sold my ribble nero corsa
which was a great bike light and fast but want to upgrade
I have looked at the cube GTC race and i am also thinking of a Dolan Hercules se with
ultegra groupset but they only give the weight 0f the frame 1200 g for a 48 cm does this
sound heavy the cube weighs just 7.8 kg total .
Do you know much about Terry Dolan bikes.

love to ride

im thinking of buying a road bike and know of a 2008 felt f100 going for sale i was wondering if you could help by possibly giving your experienced opinion of what this bike may be worth by any chance?

hopejoeworks

I am currently looking to upgrade my new bike (Trek 1.8, 2009) to a carbon frame. The trek was picked largely on the grounds that it was under a grand and a further 400 off (£500 all in). I have since done comps, ironman and the alps and feel I have earned something a bit flashier (and that doesn't click quite as much as my current one).

I have been told that the Cube bikes have head tubes that are too low down for my inflexible physique, which is a shame as they have reviewed very well for you guys. I have around £2500 to spend and would like to hear about similarly good value for money, but with the head tube a bit higher.

Any recommendations?

Thanks

HavanaBlaugrana

Am looking for a winter trainer/commuter road bike for about £800. Would prefer a compact if possible. Have looked at Specialized, Trek, Cannondale, but can't make my mind up. WIll be buying on ride to work scheme.

Any ideas gratefully received! Thanks

muppetville

I am taking the plunge and going to buy my first road bike this spring time - using the cycle to work scheme.

I have had some great advise about the pros and cons of both bikes from friends and sales staff but would like some unbiased help.

I am wanting to commute roughly 10 miles a day - would like to try a couple of days touring during the summer months and go with a triple.

My short list
Cube Axial WLS £900 - http://www.cube.eu/en/wls/axial-wls/
Trek SL £800 - http://www.trekbikes.com/uk/en/bikes/ro ... a/lexa_sl/

I've test ridden both and am happy with either.

I have been told that Trek has a far better frame and this is what I should make my decision on. I am, however, very interested in the spec on the Cube - Shimano 105... It seems to be very good value - but what is the frame like?

Feeling a little confused.com at the moment and I don't want to make the wrong choice.

Hope you guys and gals can help me...
muppetville

Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2011 10:14 pm

Diesel 13

Hi guys first post and looking for help already!!

I got back into cycling last year after a long period out of the game due to other sporting commitments. I bought a trek 1.5 alpha through the cycle to work scheme. Really enjoyed getting back into the saddle and doing a few sportives which got the old juices going again. Im planning on joining a club this year and decided to treat myself to a NEW summer bike. Something fast and stiff. I thought that choosing a new bike would be easy peasy however im in a pickle in choosing what to buy. Any help offered would be appreciated.

My budget is £1500 give or take a few pounds. This is what ive came up with so far -

1. Ribble bianco sportive with 105 groupset, mavic ksyrium elite wheels and carbon seatpost,stem and bars. £1600
2. Ribble evo pro carbon with 105 groupset, mavic ksyrium elite wheels and carbon seatpost,stem and bars. £1500
3. Cube agree gtc. 105/ultegra groupset. £1550
4. Merida scultura evo. 105 goupset £1500
5. Giant composite 2 105/ultegra £1600

What do you think???

Again all your advice is much appreciated.

calahal

Hi,

Two years ago i bought a Saracen Tour 1 as my first road bike (http://www.evanscycles.com/products/sar ... e-ec001192 for a spec). I like it and it has served me well however experience has now told me that the frame is too small and so i want to upgrade.

My question is, with a budget of around £600, is it best to buy a complete bike or just buy a frame and fork and then move over all the other components (which i can then upgrade bit by bit)? if the latter, can people recommend frame manufacturers or a guide to frames as I am struggling to understand who is who and what constitutes a good value-for-money frame.

In terms of what i want from a bike, it would be more the sportive end of the scale than pure racing.

Any advice is greatly appreciated, cheers.

HEDaniels

Hiya.
I'm all new to road bikes and am looking for a bike under £500 which I would hope to buy via our bike to work scheme. I've been looking at the Raleigh Airlite 200, I was drawn to the 2010 red and white, but having looked at it further I really like it.

Please can you advise if this is a good bike to get for my first road bike?

Many thanks
Han

DeanoR

Hi,

Just signed up for cycle to work scheme and am able to get the bike from most outlets. I no near to zero about bikes but figure a road bike is best option (I did think about hybrid for comfort) as it means I can use for commute and at Triathlon's which am planning to do this year. There is a Cycle Life at the bottom of my road and an Evans 1 mile away. A friend said that Cycle Life has limited bikes as is Raleigh owned so I went into Evans.

My voucher is for £1,000 and ideally wanted that to cover bike, helmet and lock (I have shoes from spin class). I tried out the BMC Street Racer SR01 Tiagra (£999) and the Bianchi via Nirone 7 Sora compact. (£649), primarily because that was all they had in my size at the time. I asked about the Specialised Allez (a friend has one) and they said it was similar to both but that they had none in my size at any store in the country!

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/bia ... varone%207

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/bmc ... ?query=BMC

A friend at work says they are pretty similar and decent, although the components and wheels on the BMC are slightly better....but are they £350 better:?:

Having read some of the forums (and the wiki link on Groupset - intense!) it would seem I may get even more confused by posting this..... more people asked = more opinions! The What Road Bike? post by Canterbury Tailwind was useful but the bikes reviewed were from a few years ago so really unsure where to go from here. Suppose I should not get too hung up on the bike as ultimately it's me that will get it from A to B.

Any advice on bike and/or stores is welcome.

Cheers
Dean

paulfg42

Round £1000 budget, although happy to go over for the 'perfect' bike. Have a decent commuter bike which I'll still use in the winter. Looking for something mainly for the summer months, distance riding with club plus lots of hill climbing. I'm on the road to recovery after a serious crash going downhill so want something that will handle downhills well. Never used clipless so would need some advice on that too.

Giant Defy 1 is the bike that's caught my attention so far.

August104

Need advice on new carbon bike, this will be my race bike. My price range is 2,500-3,000.
My local bike shop can get me a 2010 Felt FC with Ultegra components, for about 2,100. I am unsure on if I should buy it and make this my race bike, I like the overall design of the 2011 felt F series bikes much more but don't really want Shimano 105 components.
I am also considering the 2012 Cervelo S2, one of the Felt F-series or one of the Felt AR-series.
Whatever I get, I will but it from my bike shop which sells Cervelo, Felt, Pinarello, BMC, and Jamis.

petehendrick

Hi there,

I currently ride a 2009 BMC Streetfire SSX (ali frame, carbon front fork) but find it quite a harsh ride, so am looking for a comfortable carbon road bike. By comfortable, I mean something that's not too racy to the point where I'm really stretched out or super low on the handlebars. At 90kg I'm not the fastest on the hill climbs so I'm not obsessed by weight, and I'd prefer not to go for anything too mainstream (e.g. Trek, Specialised) and, from an aesthetic perspective, really like dark bikes (subtle black / grey, not loads of multicoloured paints and decals). Not fussed about groupset among the main three. Budget circa £2,000. Hope you can help!

AntonBoyle

Hi,

I am going to upgrade from my Kona Zing entry level bike to my first carbon bike. I have a budget of 2k. After countless hours of looking I keep coming back to the Cube Agree GTC Race 2012 model but can't find any reviews on it. Does anyone own one or know if they are a worthy purchase. The high spec and price is attractive (plus it looks ace).

My other consideration was the Cannondale Synapse 105. Am I missing any worthy contenders? Would live to see a top listing of 2012 bikes but is it too early for this?

All help greatly appreciated.

andyg1987

I'm looking at buying a Cannondale, always liked them, either;
2012 CAAD10 105 (£1400)
2012 SuperSix 105 (£2000)
or possibly 2011 CAAD10 Ultegra (£1600)

Firstly, are they worth buying, and secondly, which is the better bike for the money (is the extra £600 for the SuperSix justified)?
Or just any other bikes worth looking at in this sort of price range alternative to Cannondale.

Many thanks in advance, Andy

stearnman

Hello,

New to the forums and need advice on a new bike in the $1000 USD range (psuedo entry level). Two bike that I have been looking hard at are a Novara Strata (sold at REI, around $1099) and a Schwinn Paramount Series 5 (sold at Performance Bicycle, clearance at $999). Both are using Shimano 105 derailers (f/b) and shifters. The Novara has Shimano Tiagra [12-30] 10-speed cassette and FSA Vera [50/34] compact crankset, Tiagra hubs, shimano brakes...rims?? unsure. The Schwinn has FSA Omega compact 50/34T crankset and a SRAM PG 950 11-26T 10-speed cassette, Shimano RS10 wheelset with Tektro R350 brakes.

For me, I'm not a complete beginner, but still very new to road riding. I've tried to do good research, but still am unsure about over all quality. The biggest thing I looked at has been components (derailers, shifter, cranksets [compact vs triple], cassettes and hubs) less on the aluminum frame, seat, post, rims, wheels, etc. If l saw a bike with Sora components, it usually was a "I'll pass on it and keep looking".

These seem to be some of the better deals I've found.

I'm still willing to look at other manufacturers (Trek, Specialized, GT, Bianchi, Fuji, Giant, etc.), just think the components should be Tiagra or better...for the price range.

Thanks for any help!

Chris

PS - Current physical weight for myself is around 215 lbs (~97.5 kg). I state this because some research on RS10 hubs says there could be weight limits to keep them in true longer due to limited spokes.

MORE: REI might be offering a 15% discount around the 23rd of March...with the dividends. $1099 should drop to ~ $940. But, Preformance Bikes has a 10% rebate (next day) with membership purchase ($20), so that would give me ~$100 to spend next day on $1019 bike purchase.