(ROAD) what (retro)Steel/carbon rear/zertz/comfy Climber?

a_to_the_j

Hi all,

after the recent death of my lovely stiff light road frame, need to replace it with another, but

i'm gettin' old!!!!!!
need something comfy as i found i was getting really beat up on my roady as it was so stiff, and these D&G roads are so crappy or made from that crappy tarmac/chip/gravel stuff.... i'd moved up to 25c tyres, carbon seat and stems but it was still pretty bad.

I'd appreciate any opinions on frames with carbon rear stays?
ZERTZ inserts?
roubaix etc?
can i really get a decent climber thats comfy?

any options /make / year / model welcomed - THANKS!

alihisgreat

Depends on what your budget is -> there are plenty of more comfort orientated bikes out there.

Up to £1000 you're probably best looking at something like Giant's aluminium defy range http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/road/product/review-giant-defy-1-12-45849

(other options -> Cannondale Synapse Alu, Specialized Secteur, Ribble Sportive bikes, Felt Z85)


Above about £1200 you can start looking at Carbon, or maybe titanium

-Giant Defy Composite or Advanced
-specialized roubaix
-cannondale synapse carbon


If you want something a little different maybe a custom steel frame?



can't really comment on decent climbing bikes though.

a_to_the_j

ahhhh Ribble bikes, they were not on my list - but there DEDA range and Gran Fondo look ideal..............


i was looking at frame only, prob. up to 500 mark but push it for something special.

alihisgreat

could also be worth looking to Planet-x then

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/c/q/frames

the RT-57 at the top is their new 'fast sportive' bike -> so not a full on super stiff racer.

the pro carbon is also supposedly quite comfy as its not super stiff -> and the frame is only £200 at the moment.


oh and Kinesis is worth looking into as well:

http://www.kinesisbikes.co.uk/products/Racelight/
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/frames/road/product/review-kinesis-gran-fondo-33976/

a_to_the_j

well well well

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=74434

this looks like a bit of a bargain for that kind of top of the range steel....and carbon rear too.... niceeeee kinda retro, but not....

a_to_the_j

thanks for the advice : but re: Ribble - yeah but this review put me off from BikeRadar
"t’s certainly not an arse-kicking race ride but you’ll still need to put up with some buzz on frost-knackered surfaces. Looking ahead to pilot the steady steering through more pothole-ridden roads is also a shrewd move if you want to avoid getting jarred and jolted – there’s more rattle than you’d expect."

come ride in the backroads of D&G and every road surface is like that, my old road bike just got shaken and smacked to bits unless i wanted to go on suicide A-roads.

Monty Dog

The best frame material for reducing road buzz is titanium IMO rather than steel. But rather than all the gimmicky inserts etc, the choice of wheels, tyres and pressure can make a significant difference too - a nice, supple 25mm tyre run at 5-6 bar will likely be a revalation if you're been running skinnier tyres at maximum pressure. Likewise, a lightweight wheel using a narrow section rim like Campagnolo Neutron or a handbuilt using an Ambrosio Excellight rim will feel smoother than a 30mm vee rim. A big factor is rider weight - I'm pretty light and my race bikes skitter and bounce around on broken tarmac when riding at full gas regardless.

rolf_f

a_to_the_j wrote:

thanks for the advice : but re: Ribble - yeah but this review put me off from BikeRadar
"t’s certainly not an arse-kicking race ride but you’ll still need to put up with some buzz on frost-knackered surfaces. Looking ahead to pilot the steady steering through more pothole-ridden roads is also a shrewd move if you want to avoid getting jarred and jolted – there’s more rattle than you’d expect."

come ride in the backroads of D&G and every road surface is like that, my old road bike just got shaken and smacked to bits unless i wanted to go on suicide A-roads.

I'd take those reviews with a pinch of salt - quite apart from anything else, I'd like to see the review team recommend a road bike you can 'pilot' through potholes without getting jarred and jolted . I can't say I find my Gran Fondo buzzy (and I don't weigh anything) but you could always look at the Sportive Bianco as an alternative. That's lighter and smaller tubed so maybe more flexy.

london-red

Without wanting to fall into the trap of the "I've got one, therefore it's the best bike out there" camp, you might want to have a look at the Genesis Equilibrium.

Comfort wise, it's a spot on and doesn't sacrifice much in getting there.

a_to_the_j

...so whats with their ordering then? because i read on the website that i *HAVE* to also order the fork as well as the frame..... so the frame price isnt really what you could ever pay? it should really be the frame and fork? or am I being a total numpty....?

"This frame is only supplied when you also order Ribble Gran Fondo Forks"