advice please (little different from the norm!!)

chiefwiggum78
Posts: 8
Hello,
I'm doing London to Paris to London bike ride at the end of July 2013 for charity, Covering some 130 miles a day and im not sure what sort of road bike i'll need.
The problem is i'm 6.3" and at the moment 20st(hoping to be alot less by the time the ride comes along!!). I am a rugby player, So the problem isn't the fitness (well not yet) Im more concerned with strength of the frame and the Tyres/Wheels
I have a budget of around £700, although this isn''t set in stone. It Seems like this is a good time to buy a bike, with lots of deals around at the moment.
I'm looking for some advice and tips for the bike, maybe as couple of options of bikes
any help would be great
thanks in advanced
Danny
I'm doing London to Paris to London bike ride at the end of July 2013 for charity, Covering some 130 miles a day and im not sure what sort of road bike i'll need.
The problem is i'm 6.3" and at the moment 20st(hoping to be alot less by the time the ride comes along!!). I am a rugby player, So the problem isn't the fitness (well not yet) Im more concerned with strength of the frame and the Tyres/Wheels
I have a budget of around £700, although this isn''t set in stone. It Seems like this is a good time to buy a bike, with lots of deals around at the moment.
I'm looking for some advice and tips for the bike, maybe as couple of options of bikes
any help would be great
thanks in advanced
Danny
0
Comments
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Go secondhand and you should get carbon & Shimano 105 or equivalent for your budget.0
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The issue won't be with the frame, but with the wheels. As long as you stick to something strong (more spokes is key when on a budget) you'll be fine. 105 would be nice for a gruppo, but don't get too caught up with carbon as for a long flat ride like L2P you won't feel any real advantage with a lighter frameset.English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg0
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You'll want 32 or 36 spoke wheels, preferably hand-built (or at least checked for tension by someone who knows what they're doing). Wider tyres will make you less vulnerable to pinch flats; 28c rather than 23c, for example. Frame material and construction isn't a problem at your price point.- - - - - - - - - -
On Strava.{/url}0 -
I think you'll largely struggle to get 105 on a new bike for your budget, not that I don't think Tiagra wouldn't be perfectly fine. The difficulty is going to be that the vast majority of sale bikes seem to be in small sizes - I've seen very few that would be anywhere near your(and my) size.
What about a Canyon though? Mavic Aksium wheels and 105. http://www.canyon.com/roadbikes/bike.html?b=30730 -
thanks for the reply's
can not tell you how much time i've spent researching for this bike!!!0 -
http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/FBB ... _bike_2012
I like the look of this - great value and a decent / tough wheelset. Bit different too.
I like the Genesis Aether ( I have one of these) - good all round road (under rated) bike but they stopped making them. Winstanleys bikes were still selling them recently. Wheels are a good average and it does give the option of taking wider tyres.
I'd also have a look at Merlin Cycles as they have some great value bikes (thinking Merlin brand but there are others) and they can often show some flexibility with build.
There's always a Ribble Winter trainer with Mavic Askiums or Fulcrum 7s on - would do the trick. The Dolan range might be worth a look too.
In terms of what sort of bike - a plain road bike with dropped handlebars and mid weight. Personally I wouldn't go for a tourer, hybrid, cross bike or anything else - too slow (unless carrying a heavy load). On your budget I'd stick to an aluminium frame (best value) but aim for carbon (or part carbon) forks. Groupsets like Tiagra or Apex will be fine.'Happiness serves hardly any other purpose than to make unhappiness possible' Marcel Proust.0 -
Look at cyclocross bikes and then fit 27 mm road tyres... Job done. Genesis Vapour, Focus Mares, planet X Kaffenback, all good stuff... They typically come with 32 spokes wheels with rather strong rimsleft the forum March 20230
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ugo.santalucia wrote:Look at cyclocross bikes and then fit 27 mm road tyres... Job done. Genesis Vapour, Focus Mares, planet X Kaffenback, all good stuff... They typically come with 32 spokes wheels with rather strong rims
Sometimes this is true but rims on cross bike vary a good deal as they do on road bikes - sometimes they are the same (eg some planet X cross and road bikes have the A57s on them). You will probably get wider tyres on a cross bike, 'tis true but you will have to buy some new tyres plus the gearing may be low. Some cross bikes have pretty high bottom brackets too. The brands mentioned here are all good bets and you can quite happily ride cross bikes on road if you want to - wouldn't be my choice though.'Happiness serves hardly any other purpose than to make unhappiness possible' Marcel Proust.0 -
Thanks for the Advice...
The Bike i Got was the TREK Domane 2.0.
Having Hand Built Wheels Made, 36 spoke
Went to my LBS, Balfes Bikes in East Dulwich, Great service, very informative.
Danny0 -
Good choice!0
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Yes - nice bike & a good solution.'Happiness serves hardly any other purpose than to make unhappiness possible' Marcel Proust.0
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Had this convo in another thread, you'll hear a lot about 'more spokes the better' but that advice will come from people wieghing 70kgs who have never sat on a bike weighing 20+ stone. So take it from a guy who has/does...
Dont worry about frame or wheels, i weighed 23stone last year, same as you, 6ft 2, rugby player and ive not had a problem with as alu frame on a £500 bike i bought 5 years ago or the wheels, Shimano RS20's. Still going strong. Likewise ive not had a problem on a carbon frame with more expensive wheels for a few years either. The only thing i would steer clear of (but not in your budget anyway) are carbon wheels. Top end are fine but there are some cheaper versions knocking about that arent rider weight tested.
Shimano, Giant and Easton wheels dont have a rider weight limit. Giant frames dont tend to have weight limits either.
The bike i had 5yrs ago ive still got and still going strong on my turbo trainer, seriously, dont worry about it, bikes can easily handle it. Unless you buy a real cheap pair of wheels or are wanting to do wheelies and bunny-hops you wont need to worry.
Good luck with the ride!0 -
You are making a lot of assumptions about people that you have never even spoken to, let alone met.Yellow is the new Black.0
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chiefwiggum78 wrote:Thanks for the Advice...
The Bike i Got was the TREK Domane 2.0.
Having Hand Built Wheels Made, 36 spoke
Went to my LBS, Balfes Bikes in East Dulwich, Great service, very informative.
Danny
Sounds like you did the right thing...left the forum March 20230 -
I saw the other thread about the wheels, it did make me think about changing the wheels or not.
When i discussed this with the tech guy at the LBS i think i did it more for "peace of mind".
they did give me great advice about the wheels and the bike, explaining all the features on the bike
I think i got a really good deal.
Bike £999.00
Hand built Wheels £300
saddle bag £20
Lights £30
Pump £20
Bottle and Carrier £15
They took the cost of the wheels on the bike off the cost of the new wheels
Total Price £1149
will post a picture of the wheels
Now to spend more money on lots of extras!!!0 -
chiefwiggum78 wrote:I saw the other thread about the wheels, it did make me think about changing the wheels or not.
When i discussed this with the tech guy at the LBS i think i did it more for "peace of mind".
they did give me great advice about the wheels and the bike, explaining all the features on the bike
I think i got a really good deal.
Bike £999.00
Hand built Wheels £300
saddle bag £20
Lights £30
Pump £20
Bottle and Carrier £15
They took the cost of the wheels on the bike off the cost of the new wheels
Total Price £1149
will post a picture of the wheels
Now to spend more money on lots of extras!!!
What are they building you for 300?left the forum March 20230 -
A wheel made from steel girder's!
will post a picture with the spec when i get0