Best Bike £1000 and Under

BlakeysFC

Hi All,

I know this has probably been asked hundreds of times on here but please bare with me.

I'm new to road cycling and haven't properly cycled in well over 4 years (had a Marin MTB back in the day).

I need a bike around £1000 and under for a charity bike ride from London to Brussels I'm doing in September 2013, I've booked a few warm up Sportive's of 30 miles in September and 50 miles in November and December.

So, therefore I need to start my training as soon as possible and have been looking for a first Road bike for some weeks now.

I've come to these conclusions:

Trek 1.5,
Trek 1.1,
Trek 1.2
Specialized Allez Sport Compact,
Giant Defy 3,
Jamis Ventura Comp,
Bianchi Nimrone 7 Sora,
Cannondale CAAD8 Sora,
Specialized Secteur
Fuji Newest 1.0,
Fuji Roubaix 2.0.

My shortlist at the moment is:
Specialized Allez Sport Compact,
Cannondale CAAD8 Sora,
Cannondale CAA8 105,
Giant Defy 3,
Giant Defy 1.

I know it's best to go down to my LBS and ride them myself, and I will be doing that on Saturday, but until then I'd love to get some advice from everyone on here.

Any help and advice would be very very very much appreciated.

Blake.

smidsy

They are all reasonable bikes and it really is down to how they fit and which one you like best when you test them.

For what it's worth the Cannondale gets my vote as it has a really good frame - but most people on here would have guessed I would say that.

There is not a bad bike there so its fit,fit,fit.

garynevstasche

I had a similar decision recently, I went for the Defy 3. Might be worth getting the cassette changed to a 12-25 though.

Frame is great, reviews seem to back this up. Very comfortable for someone new to road cycling (as I am). Sora groupset has been reliable, rest of the standard kit seems good. Last but not least it is a neutral colour.

BlakeysFC

Thanks for the advice so far guys.

The Giant Defy 3 is currently my front-runner but I also love Specialized's and Cannondale's so I think I have a tough decision on my hands, may end up spending £200 more and getting a Defy 1 or CAAD8 105 for their superior groupsets....

Hmmm decisions decisions...

cogidubnus

What about the Boardman road team? Just won cycling weeklys best sub 1k bike.

taimur

Pretty sure you can buy a 105 equipped Cannondale Synapse in that budget, which would be a good purchase to serve your requirements.

Synapse has been rated bike of the year for balance of weight speed and comfort at the price point in the past. Considering you are not a regular and are going for a long ride this bike may be exactly what you need, a fast roadbike with repute for comfort for all day rides.

If CAAD 8 is your flavour Pauls cycles has a discount on them (200 saving) or you could just go for the CAAD10 105 at 1039 the highest reputed Aluminum race bike condidered better than most entry level carbon bikes!

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/offers.php?cat=7

garynevstasche

BlakeysFC wrote:

Thanks for the advice so far guys.

The Giant Defy 3 is currently my front-runner but I also love Specialized's and Cannondale's so I think I have a tough decision on my hands, may end up spending £200 more and getting a Defy 1 or CAAD8 105 for their superior groupsets....

Hmmm decisions decisions...

Got my 2012 Defy 3 for 630 at my LBS. It would leave you room in your budget for other bits and pieces you may want/need.

bazbadger

It's depressing how much 'less' you get for £1k today, compared to 3 years ago. Have you looked at Planet X ? They seem to do better than most in bucking the 'Sora for a grand is normal' trend.

If not, I'd go for the Cannondale.

NITR8s

Dont get anything with Sora, you can easily get a bike with Tiagra for under a grand. For example the Cube Peleton Race is £999 and comes with full 105 groupset and easton finishing kit.

Gladiator

NITR8s wrote:

Dont get anything with Sora, you can easily get a bike with Tiagra for under a grand. For example the Cube peloton Race is £999 and comes with full 105 groupset and easton finishing kit.

+1

Cube are superb, get great reviews on here, i would also go for the Cube Peloton race. Failing that then the Giant Defy.

Dont bother with Cannondale, friends a bike mechanic and in the business its well known they arent as good as everyone thinks, he told me to avoid them quoting their workshop nickname.."Crack'n'Break". Tells you everything.

So Cube or Giant.

ShutUpLegs

Gladiator wrote:

Dont bother with Cannondale, friends a bike mechanic and in the business its well known they arent as good as everyone thinks, he told me to avoid them quoting their workshop nickname.."Crack'n'Break". Tells you everything.

So Cube or Giant.

I'd suggest 'your' friend doesn't have much experience as a bike mechanic or is an idiot.

BlakeysFC

Thanks for the advice everyone.

Getting down to some local bike shops tomorrow and going to look at/test ride the Defy 1 and/or Defy 3 Giant, CAAD10 and/or CAAD8 105 Cannondale, Specialized Allez Sport Compact and and Trek 2.1 so I'll let you know how I get on.

Saw the reviews for the Boardman Comp but buying from Halfords is the part that puts me off...silly really I know, just never had good experiences looking at/buying bikes from them personally.

cogidubnus

Ive just bought the Road Team Carbon and was set up perfectly. With Halfords some stores are brill and others are rubbish. Visit one and see the service you get. If they are knowledgeable then you are onto a winner. If you hit on a bad one then fair enough go to your LBS for a Cannondale etc

essjaydee

Giant defy 1 comes up tops in most sub1K bike tests, closely followed by Boardman road team

ba68

planet x have the Sl pro carbon with sram rival for 999 at the moment, worth a look.

BlakeysFC

Well went to a couple of bike shops today.

Didn't get the chance to Test Drive anywhere near the number I thought I would as the first shop I went to didn't have the Specialized Allez Sport or the CAAD10 made-up that I wanted to test drive, so I left that shop and went to another.

Luckily enough they had a ton of stock, Cannondales, Treks and Giants. I test drove the Defy 1 in 1KM loop (which was my Number 1 choice going in to today) and thought it was a brilliant ride, obviously I didn't have anything to compare it to having never ridden a rode bike before, so I tried out the Cannondale Synapse 5 105 (which the guy recommended to me over the CAAD8 and CAAD10) I rode that and thought that the ride wasn't as good as the Defy 1 and it didn't feel as comfy either.

So....I put a deposit on the Defy 1, and will pick it up Monday

Hoping the decision to not test ride any other bikes won't come back to bite me on the bum!

BlakeysFC

Just an update really.

Picked up my bike earlier today, and am absolutely chuffed with it to say the least. Took it for a ride as soon as I got home from my LBS and took it for a 2.2 mile ride (in the glorious English summer (at long last!), my first ride since March.

The bike rode beautifully I must say, and rides the bumps in the roads around me amazingly. Such a comfy bike, so glad I went for the Defy 1 now. Also glad I didn't get a different Saddle as the stock Giant one seems pretty much perfect for me at the moment.

Hoping to do another 2.2 mile ride either tomorrow or Thursday and then do 8-10 miles on Friday or Sunday....hoping this won't be too much for me in my first week of training?!

smidsy

ShutUpLegs wrote:

Gladiator wrote:

Dont bother with Cannondale, friends a bike mechanic and in the business its well known they arent as good as everyone thinks, he told me to avoid them quoting their workshop nickname.."Crack'n'Break". Tells you everything.

So Cube or Giant.

I'd suggest 'your' friend doesn't have much experience as a bike mechanic or is an idiot.

You have just gone up immesurably in my estimations :P

dubcat

BlakeysFC wrote:

Just an update really.

Picked up my bike earlier today, and am absolutely chuffed with it to say the least. Took it for a ride as soon as I got home from my LBS and took it for a 2.2 mile ride (in the glorious English summer (at long last!), my first ride since March.

The bike rode beautifully I must say, and rides the bumps in the roads around me amazingly. Such a comfy bike, so glad I went for the Defy 1 now. Also glad I didn't get a different Saddle as the stock Giant one seems pretty much perfect for me at the moment.

Hoping to do another 2.2 mile ride either tomorrow or Thursday and then do 8-10 miles on Friday or Sunday....hoping this won't be too much for me in my first week of training?!

Lovely to see someone write their experience post purchase. Great to see you are happy with your purchase. I am erring towards a defy 1 after reading reviews. I was hoping to buy a used bike but it's probably too big a risk for me to do so as I will end up buying something I will have to spend lots of money on knowing my luck

I might hold out until September and see if i can get a 2012 defy 1 on the cheap when the 2013 hits the store.. of course by then it will be all wind and rain and i will have missed the little summer we are having lol.

Congratz on your purchase and your riding

BoarderGreen

smidsy wrote:

ShutUpLegs wrote:

Gladiator wrote:

Dont bother with Cannondale, friends a bike mechanic and in the business its well known they arent as good as everyone thinks, he told me to avoid them quoting their workshop nickname.."Crack'n'Break". Tells you everything.

So Cube or Giant.

I'd suggest 'your' friend doesn't have much experience as a bike mechanic or is an idiot.

You have just gone up immesurably in my estimations :P

The workshop name for cannondales is 'crack n' fail' or 'crap n' fail' the play on words doesn't work otherwise. Generally expensive for what they are but with a decent discount it's all good, just never pay list for them

nochekmate

I think that these bikes are attractively priced if the size is right.

Got one myself currently as part of my stable of bikes and I think that for £750 they are a steal

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=84316

cwbb

defo the giant DEFY 1 for me been looking at some sub grand bikes and it wins easy and boardman team nice too but defy 1 ,after looking around and test riding some of the above bikes it was an easy choice giant defy 1 enjoy your new steed sir....col.

NELLY2488

Gents,
I to am having the same problem, I have narrowed the search down to the Giant Defy 1, Planet X Pro Carbon Rival Road Bike 2012, or, Colnago Air 105 2012. All the bikes seem to have decent kit on them. I have also considered the Boardman range and numerous others.

I have not cycled a decent road bike for nearly 8 years and have been scratching around on an old Raleigh mountain bike which I have just put some Schwalbe city jet tyres on to do the 30 mile return commute to work.

I have torn the meniscus and ligament in my knee and now have to give up running and impactive sport for a while. So back on the bike I think from now on. I want a decent bike that I can use to and from work and then for long rides. I just did the National Three Peaks for H4H (walking), in May, and want to cycle Tower to Tower next year again for charity. So the bike I buy will be used for this. I am going to take advantage of the cycle to work scheme and would welcome advice on every thing. Including kit, pedals, shoes etc.

Any words of wisdom more than welcome.

Cheers

NELLY2488

nochekmate wrote:

I think that these bikes are attractively priced if the size is right.

Got one myself currently as part of my stable of bikes and I think that for £750 they are a steal

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=84316

Just had a look at the bike, bargain for the money. It is now on the list to consider along with the others!!!

teisetrotter

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sed/road- ... =conf_SERC

and

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=67806

food for thought.

NELLY2488

http://www.cube.eu/en/road/performance/peloton-race/

Just need pedals and shoes and my voucher to come CTW!!

Get £100 voucher from Cube as well to spend on kit!!