new bike, to heavy?

pieman99

Hello looking to buy a CLAUD BUTLER ROUBAIX bike through cycle to work scheme. I cant find alot of reviews for this bike, except one which says its heavy with not very great wheels and abit difficult going up hills. I was hoping to try out a sportive next year and so was wondering if this bike is good enough or not, buying new wheels for it isnt possible, at least not yet, so any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

ALaPlage

You get what you pay for. The bike is a good bike for the money and will adequately carry you through a sportive. The more you pay however generally means the bike gets lighter. Practically all new bikes - even those costing between £2k and £3k are specced with the lower end of a wheel range and often it is the first thing most roadies will upgrade.

I do not know what the spec is on the Claud Butler but you will be getting the heavier components both in wheels and groupset as well as the frame itself being heavier than other frames costing more.

Depends how serious you are about your cycling and what the budget is you can spare but don't let that put you off the important thing of getting out and riding. Why spend hundreds more then find out cycling is not for you - see so many nearly new bikes on Ebay often bought on C2W scheme where the owners realised they were not that keen on cycling once they had tried it.

Whatever you buy - if you fall in love with road cycling you will want to upgrade the bike anyway in 12-18 months time so why not go for the Claud Butler and ride or spend a little more and find something a little better specced.

Crankbrother

Try picking up a second hand Trek, Specialized, Giant ... Likely could get something for around £300 and if it's not for you sell it on for £250 if it's in the same condition you bought it ...

Or if you get the bug and want to buy something better you can do the same and you've only lost £50 ... If you buy a new bike you'll lose around 40% of it's value after 3 months ...

Thevfact that you already have reservations about the CB says it all really ... If you're buying it and you're not sure, it's gonna make it difficult to sell on if it needs changing/got rid of ...

yaya

Crankbrother wrote:

Try picking up a second hand Trek, Specialized, Giant ... Likely could get something for around £300 and if it's not for you sell it on for £250 if it's in the same condition you bought it ...

Or if you get the bug and want to buy something better you can do the same and you've only lost £50 ... If you buy a new bike you'll lose around 40% of it's value after 3 months ...

Thevfact that you already have reservations about the CB says it all really ... If you're buying it and you're not sure, it's gonna make it difficult to sell on if it needs changing/got rid of ...

+1

ALaPlage

Agree with Crankbrother that second hand is a great option to consider. As you stated you are looking on a C2W scheme then I didnt raise this option but if you can spend cash up front then it is a worthwhile consideration.

The only requirement being you need to do your research and narrow down you choices to a shortlist of bikes you know you will be happy with. As different manufacturers have different frame geometries you need to be sure you are buying the right size frame for your size and that you know it is a comfortable ride.

Go and look round some bike shops to find the bikes of choice and then search them out online.

My wife wanted a road bike and liked the look of the Kona Lisa (new £1200 with Shimano 105 groupset) and the Trek WSD (also around £1k). I found her the Kona on Ebay and paid £500 for it. It was practically unused having been out for one short ride of a few hundred metres and the owner deciding they should have gone for a MTB. Arrived in the original box as new and £700 cheaper than had I gone to a bike shop for it.

So once you have worked out what you want on your bike and what make(s) suit it is worth a search out for second hand.

That said the Claud Butler or The Carrera TDF from Halfords at the £300 price point are not bad starter bikes so all depends on if you want new or are happy to look second hand - as I stated in my first post there are lots of nearly new bikes on Ebay - some go for strong money so worth biding your time however I have seen some good prices recently on models from Trek and Specialised that cost circa £700-£800 new at around the £300 to £400 mark.

If you are stuck to C2W scheme and want to spend around £300 on a bike then the Claud Butler is ok to get you going.

pieman99

Hello, thanks for the replies, i was looking at spending about £500, the Roubaix is £515 from my LBS, so was going to go there, also, i'm not sure what size i need,etc and so wanted to get a bike from my LBS so that they could help me set it up right, something i dont think i could do properly if i used EBay! There is a halfords near me and thought about going there, but have heard various stories about them so they seem to be either hit or miss when it comes to helping you get the right bike!

ALaPlage

If you are in the £500+ territory then perhaps you can do a little better than the CB Roubaix. If your C2W voucher works at Halfords I would recommend you look at the entry level Boardman - a much better bike for the money than the CB. Halfords do have a mixed set of reviews and I believe it is down to the team in an individual store rather than Halfords as a whole. You can always buy from them then use your LBS for service etc plus they will possibly be a better source for accessories and kit as Halfords have a very limited range and not the best value. I would also look at the Trek 1.2, Specialized Allez or Secteur and perhaps the Bianchi Virone. Worth paying that little bit more and your C2W should allow you up to £1000 shouldnt it?

Size can vary by Manufacturer due to frame geometries. Important measures are standover (feet flat on the floor and you have an inch or two gap under the crotch to the bar) and reach (stretch from the saddle position to the bars). Your LBS will be able to guide but typically 5'10" and 32" inside leg will fit a 54 or 56 cm frame as a starting point.

Part of the fun is finding your first bike but you have to take the plunge at some point and just get out there and ride.

EDIT: Just searched the CB Roubaix and with Shimano Sora groupset I see it is available from Factory Bikes Direct at £430 - seems like the LBS could do a little better then £515 perhaps :shock:

prawny

I rode a carrera tdf yesterday, it was surprisingly good for the money. I've never ridden the CB but I could have happily spent a few hours on the tdf. It did have better tyrea and saddle on tho.