caad8 or allez elite?

jonnyg2210

looking at both of these bikes not sure which is the better both at £900. maybe you guys could let me know your experiences of them or maybe you could suggest other bikes in the same price range

p.s. this is a bike to work scheme and must go through Halfords or its partner stores

cheers

chrisvanderkaap

whatever fits the best. don't look for a bargain but something that inspires confidence.

my guess is allez will be a little smoother but both bikes are very similar builds.

Buckie2k5

what groupset are each of the bikes? will make a huge difference on choice.

chrisvanderkaap

given the price I assumed they'll both be tiagra spec.

jonnyg2210

that's correct tiagra

AK_jnr

Still using my CAAD8 as a winter bike and it's a great bike. Not that different from my supersix.

chuckla

Felt Z85 is in that price range with shimano 105 all round!

Gabbo

CAAD's from what I have seen are more popular amongst serious cyclists who like a good ol' winter steed. Never see Allez' on the roads which makes me think they're the popular choice among relatively new cyclists who adopt a temporary liking for the sport before giving it up.

Just look how many Allez are on gumtree. Also, my friends who have shown an interest in cycling only know one decent brand and that is Specialized. Every newcomer to the sport seems to want a Specialized Allez. Heck, I made that mistake too but with a Tarmac. Would've much preferred a Cannondale looking back.

Just my 2p

ic.

If its Halfords why not look at a Boardman Road Comp? SRAM apex with CXP22 mavic wheels. I used to have one, it was a great bike

Oh, and the Brownlee brothers train on them.....

chrisvanderkaap

IC. wrote:

If its Halfords why not look at a Boardman Road Comp? SRAM apex with CXP22 mavic wheels. I used to have one, it was a great bike

Oh, and the Brownlee brothers train on them.....

+1. Thats quite a step up in build kit and wheels. worth considering too but can't comment of the frame.