Recommend a bike?

luke7s

So i've been a bit reluctant about posting on the forum. As a lot of people ask for advice on what bike to get.

So far i know some specs i want on the bike,

I want a Shimano Tiagra group set or higher
Carbon fork or Carbon frame would be a bonus, although an alloy frame would be fine as long as it's lightweight.

I have a budget of £600 maximum, and i'm not prepared to buy second hand!

So far i've looked at a Decathlon Triban 3 B'TWIN, and would be willing to upgrade the groupset,
the next bike i looked at was a Felt F95.

Advice? Thanks

simon_masterson

You can't buy a road bike that isn't 'lightweight'.

The difference in weight between a low end carbon frame and a low end aluminium frame will be very small, and even at the top end the actual weights aren't large. You also are unlikely to find a bike with an alloy fork either, so it will almost certainly be carbon. In other words, you needn't worry. Weight is one of the most overrated factors in cycling anyway.

Upgrading the groupset would also be pointless; you would spend much more than the bike is worth, and indeed more than it would cost to buy a bike pre-equipped with Tiagra. It's not something to worry about though, excepting for the fact that it's a good idea to opt for a 10 speed. My favourite bike has Shimano 600 on it; 30 years old. It works beautifully.

But both of those bikes are good, by all accounts, and Felt is a well-established brand.

What cycling do you already do, and/or what are you intending to do? That information will have much more bearing on what bike you are likely to want.

luke7s

Simon Masterson wrote:

You can't buy a road bike that isn't 'lightweight'.

The difference in weight between a low end carbon frame and a low end aluminium frame will be very small, and even at the top end the actual weights aren't large. You also are unlikely to find a bike with an alloy fork either, so it will almost certainly be carbon. In other words, you needn't worry. Weight is one of the most overrated factors in cycling anyway.

Upgrading the groupset would also be pointless; you would spend much more than the bike is worth, and indeed more than it would cost to buy a bike pre-equipped with Tiagra. It's not something to worry about though, excepting for the fact that it's a good idea to opt for a 10 speed. My favourite bike has Shimano 600 on it; 30 years old. It works beautifully.

But both of those bikes are good, by all accounts, and Felt is a well-established brand.

What cycling do you already do, and/or what are you intending to do? That information will have much more bearing on what bike you are likely to want.

Oh, well thanks for that information, that has certainly changed my perspective... I currently have a Carrera Titan mountain bike, although i ride on the road... I usually cycle for about 24/25 miles every other day, and i am currently doing this to increase fitness. I would like a road bike simply for the fact that it is much better suited to road cycling compared to my mountain bike, which weighs 32lbs!!!

simon_masterson

That'd be my pleasure.

I had hoped it would, and I only did it because when I stopped worrying about how heavy my bikes are (and they're both made of plain gauge steel), I started to enjoy cycling more.

But as said, those are both good choices, and there are plenty more. The Felt is a bit more of a 'sportive' bike; it's more designed to be comfortable over long distances than an out-and-out racer with very sharp handling and a very low position. But I'd encourage you to go to a bike shop and try some.

declan1

Simon Masterson wrote:

You can't buy a road bike that isn't 'lightweight'.

The difference in weight between a low end carbon frame and a low end aluminium frame will be very small, and even at the top end the actual weights aren't large. You also are unlikely to find a bike with an alloy fork either, so it will almost certainly be carbon. In other words, you needn't worry. Weight is one of the most overrated factors in cycling anyway.

Upgrading the groupset would also be pointless; you would spend much more than the bike is worth, and indeed more than it would cost to buy a bike pre-equipped with Tiagra. It's not something to worry about though, excepting for the fact that it's a good idea to opt for a 10 speed. My favourite bike has Shimano 600 on it; 30 years old. It works beautifully.

But both of those bikes are good, by all accounts, and Felt is a well-established brand.

What cycling do you already do, and/or what are you intending to do? That information will have much more bearing on what bike you are likely to want.

My road bike comes in at 13KG. My friend's-dad's Giant Defy 2 comes in at just over 9KG. Believe me that makes a BIG difference. Don't be worried about weight though. I've learnt that it's only something you can try to lower if you have a lot of money. It's cheaper to just ride a heavier bike for a long time, then when you can afford a nice one it'll seem like a rocket-ship!

simon_masterson

declan1 wrote:

Simon Masterson wrote:

You can't buy a road bike that isn't 'lightweight'.

The difference in weight between a low end carbon frame and a low end aluminium frame will be very small, and even at the top end the actual weights aren't large. You also are unlikely to find a bike with an alloy fork either, so it will almost certainly be carbon. In other words, you needn't worry. Weight is one of the most overrated factors in cycling anyway.

Upgrading the groupset would also be pointless; you would spend much more than the bike is worth, and indeed more than it would cost to buy a bike pre-equipped with Tiagra. It's not something to worry about though, excepting for the fact that it's a good idea to opt for a 10 speed. My favourite bike has Shimano 600 on it; 30 years old. It works beautifully.

But both of those bikes are good, by all accounts, and Felt is a well-established brand.

What cycling do you already do, and/or what are you intending to do? That information will have much more bearing on what bike you are likely to want.

My road bike comes in at 13KG. My friend's-dad's Giant Defy 2 comes in at just over 9KG. Believe me that makes a BIG difference. Don't be worried about weight though. I've learnt that it's only something you can try to lower if you have a lot of money. It's cheaper to just ride a heavier bike for a long time, then when you can afford a nice one it'll seem like a rocket-ship!

Yes, I basically agree.

It'll seem like a rocket ship indeed, but it won't make you 40% faster or anything like that, so for that reason alone I'm content to dissuade people from caring. It's all just a matter of perspective. I started on low-end plain gauge steel from the '80s and just made it work, but when you consider that Stephen Roche, Laurent Fignon and Pedro Delgado won their titles on bikes heavier than the entry level of today - not to mention lacking the modern luxuries we now take for granted - the only conclusion is to dissuade beginners from thinking that they could possibly be too good for their equipment. Which is good because cycling becomes much more fun after that realisation.

saintly_jim

luke7s wrote:

So i've been a bit reluctant about posting on the forum. As a lot of people ask for advice on what bike to get.

So far i know some specs i want on the bike,

I want a Shimano Tiagra group set or higher
Carbon fork or Carbon frame would be a bonus, although an alloy frame would be fine as long as it's lightweight.

I have a budget of £600 maximum, and i'm not prepared to buy second hand!

So far i've looked at a Decathlon Triban 3 B'TWIN, and would be willing to upgrade the groupset,
the next bike i looked at was a Felt F95.

Advice? Thanks

If you're really concerned about the weight of the bike you'll find it cheaper to lose weight yourself first, if indeed you aren't at the peak of your fitness. Once you've reached your limit you can think about lightweight fancy carbon stuff.

luke7s

saintly_jim wrote:

luke7s wrote:

So i've been a bit reluctant about posting on the forum. As a lot of people ask for advice on what bike to get.

So far i know some specs i want on the bike,

I want a Shimano Tiagra group set or higher
Carbon fork or Carbon frame would be a bonus, although an alloy frame would be fine as long as it's lightweight.

I have a budget of £600 maximum, and i'm not prepared to buy second hand!

So far i've looked at a Decathlon Triban 3 B'TWIN, and would be willing to upgrade the groupset,
the next bike i looked at was a Felt F95.

Advice? Thanks

If you're really concerned about the weight of the bike you'll find it cheaper to lose weight yourself first, if indeed you aren't at the peak of your fitness. Once you've reached your limit you can think about lightweight fancy carbon stuff.

I weigh 131lbs... That pretty light...

declan1

luke7s wrote:

saintly_jim wrote:

luke7s wrote:

So i've been a bit reluctant about posting on the forum. As a lot of people ask for advice on what bike to get.

So far i know some specs i want on the bike,

I want a Shimano Tiagra group set or higher
Carbon fork or Carbon frame would be a bonus, although an alloy frame would be fine as long as it's lightweight.

I have a budget of £600 maximum, and i'm not prepared to buy second hand!

So far i've looked at a Decathlon Triban 3 B'TWIN, and would be willing to upgrade the groupset,
the next bike i looked at was a Felt F95.

Advice? Thanks

If you're really concerned about the weight of the bike you'll find it cheaper to lose weight yourself first, if indeed you aren't at the peak of your fitness. Once you've reached your limit you can think about lightweight fancy carbon stuff.

I weigh 131lbs... That pretty light...

Yeah. That's feather-weight. You should think about a light bike then

luke7s

declan1 wrote:

luke7s wrote:

saintly_jim wrote:

luke7s wrote:

Yeah. That's feather-weight. You should think about a light bike then

My only problem is, is that to get a "light" (seriously light) bike, it doesn't come cheap

declan1

luke7s wrote:

declan1 wrote:

luke7s wrote:

saintly_jim wrote:

luke7s wrote:

Yeah. That's feather-weight. You should think about a light bike then

My only problem is, is that to get a "light" (seriously light) bike, it doesn't come cheap

That's (nearly) everybody's problem

edewer

got a Felt F95 myself. Lovely bike, does exactly as it says on the tin (bar desperately needing a saddle change!), nice and responsive and quick when it needs to be. The SORA groupset is ok. I find it a tiny bit clunky but I came from a well-used Trek, and I'm sure over time it'll soften up. Geometry seems nice too for me as I'm at the very top end of the 58cm frame sizing bracket.

Only bits you'd wanna change over time would be the saddle and seat post (for a carbon one) and mebbe wheels come next summer, as theyre not the lightest, but it is a very good all rounder

styxd

Merlin cycles

Alloy frame, carbon fork, tiagra groupset, some alright parts on it. Think its somewhere around the £600 mark

jecooper

I've had the FELT Z85 for a couple of weeks now and its been amazing, Wiggle have some good savings on the Felt range at the moment (also check out a current pizza express offer for an extra 10% off), the Z95 was very tempting but wasn't sure about the Microshift shifters/front mech so upgraded, maybe someone else here can reassure on these specific components.

The Felt F range is meant to be a bit more sporty and the Z range a bit more relaxed, in terms of fitness rides i'd suggest the Z range, especially if coming from mountain bike like me.

Forget the weight, all bikes at this price point will be much of a muchness, the biggest difference you'll notice is the 120psi you put in the 23mm tyres, wobbly at first then you realise how easy it is to ride up a small incline!

team47b

"I weigh 131lbs... That pretty light..."

you weigh 59.5kgs FTFY

neilhannam

edewer wrote:

got a Felt F95 myself. Lovely bike, does exactly as it says on the tin (bar desperately needing a saddle change!), nice and responsive and quick when it needs to be. The SORA groupset is ok. I find it a tiny bit clunky but I came from a well-used Trek, and I'm sure over time it'll soften up. Geometry seems nice too for me as I'm at the very top end of the 58cm frame sizing bracket.

Only bits you'd wanna change over time would be the saddle and seat post (for a carbon one) and mebbe wheels come next summer, as theyre not the lightest, but it is a very good all rounder

Im looking at the Felt F95 and Z95 at the moment and think a 58cm would be about right. Out of interest can I ask how tall you are? Not able to get out to sit on one locally so im trying to find out as much as I can from people who have them so when I do get to test im armed with as much knowledge as possible to make a decision.

Hows the bike been working out for you?

nochekmate

luke7s wrote:

I want a Shimano Tiagra group set or higher
Carbon fork or Carbon frame would be a bonus, although an alloy frame would be fine as long as it's lightweight.

I have a budget of £600 maximum, and i'm not prepared to buy second hand!

Don't dismiss secondhand - the value for money can be amazing if you make the right purchase (paying cash on collection does allow you to walk away if it's not quite what you were hoping for).

£600 secondhand gives you a chance of securing a well-cared for carbon frame with 105 (maybe even Ultegra 6600) or the Campag equivalents. Likely to be better than an absolute budget wheelset on the bike too. Buy from an enthusiast, most of whom will have looked after their bike like a baby!

£600 new is likely to see you making some compromises on your wish list (and certainly you can kiss goodbye to your carbon frame is a bonus idea). I put a pal of mine onto an immaculate year old Spesh Tarmac SL2 with 105 5700 groupset for £675 - keep your Felts and B'twin in my view.

Mikey41

Hmm, for £600 brand new, you will struggle to get carbon fork and Tiagra. Look for 2012 models with a discount and you might manage it, Giant Defy 2 for example. You are going to struggle and you certainly will not get a carbon frame.

If you can add £50 to the budget, it can be done. Pinnacle for example, I also found a Raleigh and a Charge

If you can go to £700, then we start to get some choice: Fuji, Ribble, Ribble again

£800 and the world's your oyster so to speak.