Most important thing to look at when buying a new road bike?
mogsawerble4
Posts: 24
Currently looking at buying a new road bike, however I am unsure whether or not to go for a better group set (105) but with fairly basic wheels or a lower group set (tiagra) but with slightly better wheels and time pedals. The frame is the same.
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Some will say the wheels are the most important part as that is what has contact with the ground. Others will say get the better group as the wheels are easier to upgrade at a later stage.
What are the wheels on offer with both?0 -
The cheap wheels are rodi airline 4 clinchers and the slightly better ones are campag khamsin0
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I'd go with the 105 groupset.
I have very basic wheels on my Cervelo and it just isn't an issue. I will probably upgrade at some point which will be an easy swap - not like the faff of swapping a groupset - even then I would still be using the cheap wheels this time of year.0 -
Thanks for the advice! I think that I will choose the 105 group set as I have browsed a bit and whilst the groupset would cost around £500 ordinarily whereas the wheel set would cost only £130.0
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Thats what I would do - plus as someone else said you can easily keep the wheels and use them as winter set.mogsawerble4 wrote:Thanks for the advice! I think that I will choose the 105 group set as I have browsed a bit and whilst the groupset would cost around £500 ordinarily whereas the wheel set would cost only £130.0 -
Neither matters very much; the groupset isn't something you need worry about and the 'upgrade' wheels won't be particularly special either.0
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Only way you'll get decent wheels is to buy them yourself. Even expensive bikes often come with heavy wheels.http://www.strathspey.co.uk - Quality Binoculars at a Sensible Price.
Specialized Roubaix SL3 Expert 2012, Cannondale CAAD5,
Marin Mount Vision (1997), Edinburgh Country tourer, 3 cats!0 -
Just found same frame with the campag wheels but with campag veloce and the time pedals, should I go for this over the 105 with the slightly worse wheels as veloce is better than tiagra.0
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Most people rate Veloce equal to 105 so it comes down to personal preference.
I had 105 on my last bike and have Veloce on my present bike. Personally I prefer the Veloce - snappier shifting, better shaped hoods, looks nicer, campagnolo has more caché etc. Go to an LBS and see what you think.
Veloce with slightly better wheels is the better deal IMO.0 -
the most important thing is the FIT! Not the components, not the wheels, and not how pretty it is. The fit, every time0
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mogsawerble4 wrote:veloce is better than tiagra.
Some people would disagree vigorously with that statement. It's a subjective matter as it is, but as I said it really doesn't matter very much at all. There is only so much variation between derailleurs, cranks and cogs.
Supposing that it were possible to control all of the groupsets with the same levers, a skilled bike mechanic could use a blind test to persuade a given group of cyclists that any one of 2300, Sora, Tiagra, Veloce or Apex were decidedly superior to the others. Maintenance is what makes a bicycle transmission work well. In this context what that means is that even if you go to one or more bike shops and test different bikes with different groupsets, you're relying on the quality of setup.
Therefore, I agree with the good chap who pointed out that fit is most important, and it's a perfectly reasonable contribution to this thread. The OP should forget about the specs and try the bikes he is choosing between; opting for the one that feels best.0 -
No one is disputing the subjectivity of component choice or anyones' contribution to the thread. I'm one of the people on here who happens to think the differences between groupsets/wheels is minimal.
However the OPs question is still valid and shouldn't be just dismissed. There are reasons other than performance, like resale values and aesthetics that lead people to buy certain components.0
