Recommend a bike for the Alped'Hues

GPG

Hi all

New here ((Great site)).. I've been cycling mainly mountain bikes the last eight years but switched to a road bike last year.
Next June I'm attempting to cycle the Alp d'Hues six (6) times in approx 14hrs for charity.

I'm confused as in terms of what new bike to purchase for such a challange.. The guy at my LBS recommended one of the following..

http://www.specialized.com/gb/gb/bc/SBC ... cname=Road (approx €1100)

http://www.specialized.com/gb/gb/bc/SBC ... cname=Road (appprox €1750)

Has anyone experience with these bikes and/or what bike would you recommend for such a challenge?

I like the idea of of the style of frames as my current CB tends to give me back pain after a while..

Im 89kg/5ft 11in btw.

Many thanks!
G

Monty Dog

Quickest answer is the one that fits you best and the lightest one you can afford....you're probably going to be climbing in excess of 9 hours, so comfort is key - you might find the standard gear range too high and think about getting something with SRAM Apex and a 32 big sprocket on the back.

inseine

A motorbike ?
Good luck with that, whichever bike you choose.

davenice

The two bikes you've linked are very similar except for the Secteur being aluminium and the Roubaix being carbon.

So for climbing the Alpe d'Huez I'd have the Roubaix if I could afford it! It'll be lighter (also has better wheels) ;-)

As a comparison, Giant also do a similar range called the Defy which I believe has the more relaxed riding position.

The Defy 1 is about the same price point as the Secteur:
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bik ... 317/49821/
and the composite 1 is similar to the Roubaix although more expensive with slightly better drivetrain components:
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bik ... 316/49818/

All of the bikes linked (yours and mine) come with a "compact" chainset (50/34) - the Specialized bikes have a slightly lower-geared cassette (12-30) whereas the Giant ones are 11-28. You can change the cassette etc etc but for a big hill climb like that you'll be wanting as low a gear as possible unless you were a tiny whippet!

I definitely agree with the advice above - if you're gonna lay out over a grand you want to try a few bikes. The Secteur and Roubaix you linked above are going to be quite similar, try and find a shop that can offer you a bigger selection of brands to test out. (Having said that, I like my Secteur :-) )

Dave

cyberknight

Monty Dog wrote:

Quickest answer is the one that fits you best and the lightest one you can afford....you're probably going to be climbing in excess of 9 hours, so comfort is key - you might find the standard gear range too high and think about getting something with SRAM Apex and a 32 big sprocket on the back.

+1

I ride a boardman comp with apex and the gearing is great !! on the club run last week i was the only one still sitting on some of the hills, a couple had to walk !

If you want a closer range of gears you could also look at a bike with a triple chain ring that will give you a similar low gear but with smaller jumps in ratios, the new 2012 tiagra is looking sweet .

cougie

That's some target.

The difference between those two bikes is pretty minimal. Is it worth paying the extra for a bit of weight saving ? That's up to you - but as you weigh 89 kilos - the difference won't be noticeable.

I'd be thinking a triple could be worth it. It's a hell of a lot of climbing and you'll be tiring after 2 climbs or so.
If you can lose weight then that will help - and bear in mind it can be very hot up there. I've ridden thru melting Tarmac up there.

Good luck - ride as many hills as you can over here - again and again.

Lazarus

What road bike do you have now and have you worked out why it gives you back ache ?

Wouldn't spend any cash on a new bike unless you knew how to avoid the problem you already have, Then maybe spending some money on your current bike to alleviate the problem.

I feel kind of at odds with the idea of raising money for charity but at the same time splashing out a grand on a new bike !

GPG

Thanks for you replies! Interesting info... I came across these two bikes today in a LBS.

http://www.cube.eu/en/road/pro/agree-sl/ (RRP €1650 - Deal €1450)

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bik ... 857/43141/ (2010 model - RRP €1950 - Deal €1450)

I like both but swinging towards the CUBE Agree SL with GIANT handlebar swap over as I preferred those..The CUBE gets excellent reviews, a light grade aluminum frame, it weighs only 8..1kg. but it may not be as good a climber as the GIANT TCR Advanced 4??? so help on this would be appreciated...

I'll throw http://www.boardmanbikes.com/road/index.html into the mix here... Chatting with a friend recently who has one/recommends them... such a though call!!!

BTW here is my challenge :arrow: http://deelnemers.alpe-dhuzes.nl

CarlosDSanchez

The cube has quite quite a relaxed riding position, the front end is a good 45mm higher than my Dolan. It certainly feels pretty light and I've had no problems with comfort on 100+ mile rides. It comes with a 28 tooth largest sprocket on the cassette as well so you have a low bottom gear.

neeb

I'd definitely go for some seriously low gearing.... Not that you would need it to do the Alpe once or twice, but to do it 6 times the challenge will be to pace yourself so that your legs don't give out completely on the 5th or 6th attempts.

McCullochE

Earlier this year I did the route of the Marmotte, which is 174km and 5,000m of climbing, finishing with the Alpe. I'm a similar weight and height to you, and have a Specialized Roubaix. Fresh, I can do the Alpe in 1hr 19, but after the Marmotte it took me 2 hours to go up the Alpe. While you'll 'only' be cycling up the Alpe you'll be cyling 84km (excluding free-wheeling down) but you'll have to climb just over 6,000m. A tough challenge.

My gearing was a compact at the front and 12-27 at the rear. While I would have apprecaited a lower gear, in truth no matter how low a gear you have on a steep section you'd always like one lower. The Roubaix was also great comfort-wise.

The biggest challenge you will face is not the bike or the gearing, but boredom - doing the Alpe on the sixth run will be challenging in terms of keeping yourself motivated. While it's a great ride, doing the same run over and over will be boring.

Good luck though!

ishmael11

As someone who did it three times in five days this year, I welcomed the triple. You don't actually need the bottom gears on anything but the first few turns, but it gives you the option of arriving relatively fresh at La Garde, after which you can kick on. After la Garde, you’re basically doing 15 x 3 minute repeat intervals at 75rpm, with a 30 second rest between each, which you can train for quite easily.

MccullochE is right – boredom will get you. Those bends in the third quarter (turns 10 down to 6?) are all bit samey after the first time.

As to bike, go for whatever is stiffer, and what you can live with afterwards. I got a Scott Addict (about £1700 from rutland bikes), which climbs like a demon in the Alps, but takes it out of your hands the rest of the year round. A price worth paying though….

Most of all though, it’s body weight that matters going up the Alpe. Lose as much as your body frame can take.

cougie

We made the error of staying up there for the Tour a few years back. Was handy for the stage finish up there - but every ride started with a cool descent, and ended with the climb back up.

The climbs back up :
Day 1 was fine
Day 2 was slower - we stopped for water
Day 3 we really struggled.


Maybe it was the heat, cos it was massively hot that year, or maybe we were unfit, or maybe it was the other climbs we did or maybe all three....

I was on a 39*27.

hammerite

Whilst nearly all your effort will go into riding up, you need to think a little bit about riding down. You have to have good concentration to get round those 21 hairpin bends, especially as the road can be quite busy - and you're likely to be moving faster than any cars in places. I've ridden up and descended a few times, once it was a fantastic feeling - I could just go for it, another was ok but frustrating with traffic, the other was terrifying as the conditions weren't great (even though it was July it was cold and wet).

You'll need to take summer kit with you for climbing, and most probably Spring/Autumn kit just in case the weather is bad or purely just for descending.

GPG

okay people..after weeks of trawling online and around Dublin's bike stores for the best bike for such a challenge, I finally narrowed it down to the CUBE range.. Analyzing the CUBE bikes especially the CUBE Agree SL...a neat looking bike caught my eye...the GIANT TCR-4. Although I loved the look and the feel of the CUBE Agree I couldnt help but prefer the GIANTs carbon frame so the CUBEs Full Ultegra components + Easton wheels presented a real dilemma in choosing which bike! :shock:

The guys in store couldnt be more helpful and suggested swapping over ALL components plus the wheels from the CUBE onto the GIANTs carbon frame.. SUCCESS!!! Although I more than doubled my budget including new cycling gear I am more than happy with the purchase! Took it up Howth Head in Dublin a few times already and it rides like a dream and climbs with ease...

http://bit.ly/afOZNm + http://bit.ly/si1ey8 = (((MY GIANT CUBE)))


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I'd like to say a big thanks to the pros @ http://buildabike.ie/ for all their help + support + 2years free service which they included! If you live in Ireland and are unsure on choosing your next bike..trust me..talk to these guys you wont go wrong! No association just a very happy customer!

...now..time for some hill climbing.....

MattC59

This one: