Most suitable road bike for riding Tour de France mountains?

christiandransfield

Hey guys,

I'm going to be cycling 5 mountain stages of the Tour de France for charity in July and wondered if I could your brains about bikes.

I wondered what you guys think would be the most suitable bike under £1000 (preferably closer to £500 than £1000) for my challenge. I'll be cycling a total of 800kms over 5 stages, incorporating such mountains as the Col du Tourmalet, Col du Galibier and Mont Ventoux.

I'm currently training on an 80s Raleigh Banana team bike, but don't think it'll be up to the actual challenge.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Christian.

www.justgiving.com/ferocious5

dr_taka

Christian.

A secondhand bike? You need something forgiving one (with good vertical compliance) like the one they use in Paris-Roubaix (like a Specialized Roubaix or new Trek Domane), compact crank and 11-28. You will go anywhere in the Alps and Pyrenees.

You check this out? http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/b ... 000-29719/

Good luck.

Monty Dog

If you've never ridden mountain stages in Alps, then you're up for a challenge and I would doubt your old Raleigh would be up to the the task - mainly because it doesn't have a low-enough range of gears for your to comfortably ride up hills. The cost of conversion would be quite prohibitive too about £300 and it would still be a 1980s bike with new bits, so you'd not really be adding any value as you'll need wheels and a complete modern drivetrain. I would opt for something with a triple chainset like the Giant Defy 5 for £570 or Defy 4 for £620 to give you low enough gears - from the sounds of your post, you don't sound like you have a wealth of cycling experience or fitness? Worth paying the extra £50 for the Defy 4 for the carbon fork - saves weight and adds comfort to your inevitable long days in the saddle. Also you ensure you budget for decent kit to wear - wearing uncomfortable / unsuitable kit day-after-day can be equally as draining.

Ringo 68

I would have a look at a Boardman Comp.

With its Sram Apex gearing (and a 32 rear sprocket) you really could climb a wall.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165710

pianoman

If you want lightest for the price you won't go far wrong with a Moda Bolero/Rubato, and if you choose the Bolero you'll even get mudguards thrown in for winter use. Plus, Moda now do their bikes custom spec so if you want the 50/34 chainset with big back cog of, say, 28, they'll sort it for you. The American Classic wheels are also far and away above the level of the wheels on most £1k bikes - and light weight too, critical for what you're doing. If I wanted a winter trainer that could also handle climbing duties in the summer I'd seriously consider one of them.

MichaelW

The big climbs are mostly well graded at 10-12% (for mules). There may be short sections of steeper road. Compact double chainset is the usual modern transmission to use but a road triple will give you some extra low gears and no-body ever complained about having low gears in the Alpes. Light weight helps you climb but low gears are probably more helpful.
For non-racing use, you may want to consider how you use the bike. Will you turn it into a general purpose commuter bike or all-weather fitness machine? Look at the clearance for tyres and mudguards and the threaded eyelets for fitting them.

Tom Dean

dr_taka wrote:

You need something forgiving one (with good vertical compliance) like the one they use in Paris-Roubaix (like a Specialized Roubaix or new Trek Domane)

:roll: roads in the alpes are not like Paris-Roubaix.

Buy from a reputable shop where they will fit the bike to you properly. Do it as soon as possible so you can get used to it.

unixnerd

Specialized Secteur with a triple crankset would do the job at well under a grand, it has more upright geometry so it's comfier on very long trips. A triple gives you loads of low gears for the steep bits.

christiandransfield

Thanks for all your input guys.

I forgot to mention that my Raleigh weighs around 10.5kg and the has a double chain set, which is as follows:

Front: 42 and 52

Back: 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, and 26.

dr_taka, yes, I don't mind the bike being second-hand.

Monty Dog, I don't have a wealth of experience when it comes to bikes at all, no. I've had my Raleigh for years (juddering front forks on downhill sections and the like!). In terms of fitness, it would have been better if I'd been training over the last 6 months, but have been ill with my Crohn's disease, so that hasn't been an option.

Michael W, in answer to your question about what I'd like to use it for afterwards, I'd hope that I can do other long-distance rides on it in future and use it as a "all-weather fitness machine".

Would a triple crankset be a lot more desirable than my double?

Also, would the provided saddle for these bikes be comfortable enough for long-distance riding or are there any in particular that you'd suggest buying?

si2k2000

Christian, I would almost certainly say go for a triple. I ride a lot and would say i am pretty fit and it was tough going last year in the Alps with a compact double. Not to try and put you off but nothing can prepare for the steepness and length of these alpine passes at least with a triple you would have low enough ratios to just tap out a rhythm and work your way to the top.

It sounds like a tough challenge, I wish you the very best with it.

christiandransfield

Duly noted!
I never like to set myself easy challenges!
Thank you!

si2k2000 wrote:

Christian, I would almost certainly say go for a triple. I ride a lot and would say i am pretty fit and it was tough going last year in the Alps with a compact double. Not to try and put you off but nothing can prepare for the steepness and length of these alpine passes at least with a triple you would have low enough ratios to just tap out a rhythm and work your way to the top.

It sounds like a tough challenge, I wish you the very best with it.

giant_man

Sounds like a blast Christian, enjoy mate!

balthazar

I agree with Tom Dean, in that you should buy soon, from an attentive and experienced shop, and get used to the bike. The make doesn't matter, but the bike should fit you well and for that you need input from an experienced eye. if you ride enough beforehand you'll reveal any weak or sore points in your bike fit, and a communicative shop will help with adjustments as needed.

You have some fabulous rides ahead of you- don't forget to look at the view! It's not all about suffering you know..!

fleshtuxedo

Just thought someone should echo what Monty Dog said about clothing - leave some budget for some decent road shoes (£50 ish?) and some good shorts (£40 or more per pair) if you don't already have them. Don't make do with old MTB/commuter stuff from your mate, get some proper road specific ones and you'll be far more comfortable on this kind of challenge. Any little irritation will become a big pain as you grind your way up the Galibier. Unless your bike comes with them, you'll need some pedals (Look Keos/Shimano SPD SL for about £30) to clip your new shoes into too.

Good luck and enjoy it, it'll be something you never forget. In a good way

unixnerd

Agreed about shoes. My nephew has been riding a lot of late and I recently dragged him into my local bike shop for proper cycling shoes and clip-in pedals to replace his trainers. Even on normal pedals he found the cycling shoes made a huge difference. They have a much stiffer sole than trainers.

hammerite

Agree with the triple chainset option. My first trip to the Alps was with a £500 Trek with a triple chainset, I still found the climbs hard enough work.

Also agree about the clothing. Be prepared for it to be very hot, but be prepared for it to be cold too. My first trip we were riding in 35C heat with the sun blazing down on us all day. It did cool slightly as we got higher, but was still 25C+. Last summer I went out there it rained a lot and was barely above 10C most of the time, on one descent I had to get off the bike and stretch everything out as I'd got so cold (even though I had about 3 layers on top half, full finger gloves and leg warmers). Both trips were at the end of July.

Even if it's hot it's worth adding a layer for a long fast descent.

gabriel959

I think spending £1000 is reasonable. £750 on that Boardman, £50 for shoes and £150 for a good pair of bibs and a decent jersey and another £50 for a helmet.

graham_g

Buy mountain bike shoes and double-sided pedals - that way when you stop on a 15% slope for a breather, you can actually get going again with a much lower risk of tarmac face plant. If it's a sunny 35 degrees when you stop on that 15% slope and you're starting to hallucinate, you'll be able to walk to the side of the road without falling over, maybe even to some shade.

Otherwise all good advice above - buy it sooner rather than later, ride it over summer and then come November, stick mudguards on it and make sure you're doing ~10 hours a week. Winter miles = summer smiles as the saying (rightly) goes.

fleshtuxedo

Why buy mountain bike shoes and pedals for road riding? It's not hard to use one sided clip in pedals. If you're commuting and clipping in and out at loads of lights, maybe, but for riding the open roads of the Alps? Not worth compromising efficiency and comfort.

christiandransfield

Thanks for the info again guys.

You'll be happy to hear that one of my first purchases was a helmet... You never can be too safe, especially with drivers in England!

In terms of clothing, I've bought a £70 pair of Santini bib shorts, which are great so far. I have an old (AT least 7 years) pair of Duegi blue cycling shoes with yellow straps etc, which were £50 at the time, along with a pair of Look 1-sided pedals. I'll assume that these will still be fine, as long as I replace the beyond dilapidated cleats for them.

matt@theforce

If you have a Decathlon nearby have a look at their bikes as they are good value for money. I believe the Triban5 comes with a Triple 50/39/30 - 25/12 gearing setup the same as the Forme5. I've changed my rear cassette to an 11-28 and its much easier to ride around the Peak District.

christiandransfield

I'm not sure that I do, but will have a search. Thanks for the info!

The onyl thing that has stopped me buying a bike thus far is funds. I'm looking to buy a Garmin Edge 200 first, as I don't even know how fast I'm going yet! (Worked it out as an average of about 17.5mph ish so far on 30-mile rides).

matt@theforce

The Triban5 is £499 or is you want the flat bar road bike Forme5 (not on their website) they were being advertised @ £399 last week. Pics of the Forme5 are in my signature

christiandransfield

Thanks for all the input again.

I've found a cube gtc agree (2011) and cannondale carbon 6 (2010) for about the £900 mark, but don't know which would be the better choice. All I know is that the Cannondale won bike of the year in 2010. Any ideas?

christiandransfield

Also, the person selling the Cannondale says they have changed the bars to compacts from Planet X for his preference. I'm not sure if that makes a difference in terms of lowering the value of the bike etc. advice on that would be much appreciated as well.