Help me choose sportive bike - £1000-£1200

mattcolmer
mattcolmer Posts: 3
edited October 2012 in Road buying advice
Am looking for advice on choosing a first proper road bike. I won't be racing on it but want to expand my range for a day in the saddle.
The choice is ridiculous - have spent hours on websites and need to start narrowing things down.

Am considering the following:

Cannondale Synapse 5 105 2012
Boardman Team
Ghost Race 4900 or 5000

I don't need to go superfast, and want to be fairly comfortable so that I can cycle for 4-5 hours in a day.

Any thoughts? Am I in the right area or missing something obvious?

The discussions about 105 v Tiagra etc leaves me slightly confused - should I be worrying about this stuff?

Any advice greatly appreciated.
Matt

Comments

  • silverpigeon
    silverpigeon Posts: 327
    There is loads of choice for that budget, probably the most contested price point amongst manufacturers. The bikes you list are all fine examples and there are too many more to list. For that sort of money you can expect 105 groupset, high end alloy or basic carbon frame and decent enough, budget wheels.

    If this is your first bike I would would stop spending hours on the internet and spend some time at your local bike shop(s) instead. Try different models and sizes and get one that fits you and is the most comfortable. It might cost a bit more but you can always haggle on the price and if you get the right bike - it'll be worth it.
    Basso Astra
    Principia Ellipse SX
    Kinesis Racelight 4S
    Kinesis Crosslight Pro Disc
  • arlowood
    arlowood Posts: 2,561
    With your budget you could just stretch to the outgoing 2012 carbon framed Trek Madone 3.1.

    Available from this seller in 3 sizes that cover most peoples needs for £1200

    http://www.hargreaves-cycles.co.uk/prod ... b&vid=6100

    This model got great reviews recently in Cycling Plus :-

    http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/cate ... 1-12-46356

    Excellent bike for sportive riding.
  • Brakeless
    Brakeless Posts: 865
    https://www.canyon.com/_uk/roadbikes/bike.html?b=2505

    Ultegra and Mavic Ksyrim Wheels for £1268!!
  • alihisgreat
    alihisgreat Posts: 3,872
    Giant Defy 1 with £200 left over

    ~£80 on a nice new saddle... ~£50 on some nicer tyres... and some spare change for other bits.



    Other than that the Trek Madone as mentioned by arlowood would tempt me. The spec on the canyon is amazing.. but you've got to ask whether the frameset suits your needs.
  • maddog 2
    maddog 2 Posts: 8,114
    Giant Defy or Trek 3.5

    Wheelbase had some stonking deals on Cannondales recently too.
    Facts are meaningless, you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true! - Homer
  • maddog 2
    maddog 2 Posts: 8,114
    http://www.wheelbase.co.uk/products/can ... 5-2012.htm
    Facts are meaningless, you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true! - Homer
  • mattcolmer
    mattcolmer Posts: 3
    Thanks for all your responses.
    I got to one of my local bike shops yesterday which was very helpful, although I have had to take Cannondale off my shortlist as they haven't got any Synapse available until mid February!
    They recommended the Specialized Roubaix or a Cube, but this seemed partly driven by what they had in stock.
    It's not as easy as I thought it would be to buy my first bike!
    Matt

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