First road bike .. which one of these 4?

gerasalus

hi all,

basically i'm choosing my first Road Bike. If i was in UK, i would simply get Decathlon Triban 3, but as Decathlon does not ship outside UK, i'm stuck with more expensive options.
Useds bikes are also not an option, since most of them where i reside are without documents, or are beyond acceptable condition.

So:

£569 Raleigh Revenio 2 Sora 2013 http://www.wiggle.co.uk/raleigh-revenio-2-sora-2013/
£549 Felt F95 Sora 2013 http://www.wiggle.co.uk/felt-f95-sora-2013/
£525 Battaglin S11 Sora 2013 http://www.wiggle.co.uk/battaglin-s11-sora-2013/
£505 Viking Circuit Tiagra http://www.rutlandcycling.com/43867/Vik ... -Sale.html

I know about Sora and Ultegra etc. But the fact is that the max amount i'm willing to spend is £550 (+/-£20, shipping included).

Currently i'm leaning to Battaglin S11 Sora 2013 but... ?

Anonymous

Either the Battaglin or the Felt.

Make sure the Battaglin is 2013 Sora (It's pictured with 105) as I know the Felt is and would go with the Felt if the Battaglin was not.

Wondering if the Felt might be lighter, have a better fork and smoother welds?

night_porter

Well unless you are getting some special discount that I cannot see then the Raleigh & Felt are both too expensive (not the prices you are quoting) and I would steer clear of the Viking as they are built down to a budget price with poor quality bars, stems, seatposts, etc. Therefore the Battaglin appears to be the only option, go for it. 2013 Sora is the same as 2011 Tiagra which I have on 2 bikes and it is faultless.

navrig

Not the Viking so one of the other 3.

Go for the most comfortable if you can sit on them otherwise choose by preferred colour.

fludey

I'd be tempted by the Felt, have 2 Felts and love em, had an Orbea kitted with Sora and never had any issues...if it has latest Sora fitted will have similar shifters to other models as been updated so no little thumb lever any more.

gerasalus

The prices are the ones i've written with shipping costs so basically Felt is £25 more than Battaglin

RichPWRR

Have you considered the Giant Defy 5? Normal retail price is £499 which leaves room for shipping. Great bike, trusted brand and easy to upgrade in the future.

gerasalus

Giant Defy has 2300 which i guess is a step down from Sora for the same price.

Also, i've started to compare Felt vs Battaglin a bit more and note some minor differences:
Felt has Sunrace casette vs Battaglin Shimano and as i understand Shimano is better?
Felt has Vittoria Diamante slick while Battaglin has Michelin Dynamic Sport - Vitorria seems more durable if i understand correctly

Anonymous

I would not choose a bike based on make of cassette and tyres. They are things that wear out and may be replaced/changed soon anyway.

2300 is two steps down from 2013 Sora IMO

Just seen the 105 version of the Battaglin. What would that cost you?
Was thinking of a Boardman for the Mrs, but the Battaglin might be nicer.

Are 105 cages always that short? Wondering if it would take a bigger cassette?
The Photo of the Battaglin Sora show it with 105, but I am guessing that the Sora derailleur cage will be longer.
Anyone know what the Battaglin weighs?

Have fun whichever you get ;-)

gerasalus

Battaglin 105 is already discounted, so .. £779.70 .. way out of my price range.

I'm not choosing bike based on tyres or casette, just Felt and Battaglin seem almost identical, except that Felt has good reviews, while Battaglin has almost none, except in some danish speaking forums. And since i cannot test them, i'm looking at minor things to help me choose which one to get

Anonymous

How do you feel about the looks of the Felt and Battaglin? I know its difficult to tell from a photo but they are pretty similar spec so it might be swayed by that. I think having a bike you like the look of is very important personally.

Pull up a big pic of each side by side and have a good look. Remember the Battaglin will not have the levers, crank or derailleur shown in the photo. It will be the same (apart from possibly crank) as the Felt.
Are you 100% sure the Battaglin comes with 2013 Sora, and not 2012?
I think I would go for the Felt if you can get it for £525 + shipping.

me-109

Not the Viking, it's nasty!

The Felt and Raleigh are more expensive than your original post; the Battaglin is cheaper. If your original budget stands then it's the Battaglin. If your budget has flex and these are the ones you are interested in, then the thin seat stays on the Raleigh may give a more comfy ride, if that is what you are after.

AlastairSoutar

My nearest Decathlon Store in Scotland said they would package a Triban 3 ready for a courier arranged, to pick it up.
Perhaps any Decathlon store in UK would do the same.
Alastair

Anonymous

I do not want to sound rude/snobby but why would the OP want a Triban 3 + huge courier cost via decathlon and a courier, rather than a 2013 Sora, branded bike from wiggle? :roll:

Triban 3's are not the answer to everything. They would not even be there if it were not for the 'branded' bikes that Triban owners seem to want to knock all the time lol.

simon_masterson

Is there not a bike shop near you? I wouldn't advise you buy a first bike without trying it first.

gerasalus

Simon Masterson wrote:

Is there not a bike shop near you? I wouldn't advise you buy a first bike without trying it first.

There are only two bikes in my City:) http://www.fujibikes.com/bike/details/supreme_21_c 53cm and http://www.fujibikes.com/bike/details/sportif_15_c 54cm . Both of them are too small (i'm looking at 58cm). So.. i guess not

gerasalus

Well, tough luck i guess - while i waited, the discount i had for Felt is no longer valid. And wiggle can't answer if Battaglin is with 2013 sora or not. Maybe i should save some more and get Mekk Pinerollo or Verenti Belief with Tiagra... or wait a little bit more.

andreavda

gerasalus wrote:

Well, tough luck i guess - while i waited, the discount i had for Felt is no longer valid. And wiggle can't answer if Battaglin is with 2013 sora or not. Maybe i should save some more and get Mekk Pinerollo or Verenti Belief with Tiagra... or wait a little bit more.

the battaglin s11 is a full sora 2013, I just purchased one yesterday evening, I can refer you as a friend so that you get a free pair of sunglasses with 3 lenses with the purchase of the bike.

ianbar

felt for me

Wrinkly Smurf

andreavda wrote:

the battaglin s11 is a full sora 2013, I just purchased one yesterday evening, I can refer you as a friend so that you get a free pair of sunglasses with 3 lenses with the purchase of the bike.

Sorry for hijacking the thread - my choice is down to the Moser Speed or Battaglin S11 - both with Sora 2013, apart from colour there doesn't seem to be much in it. I prefer the colour on the Battaglin, but like the shape of the Moser! Apart from the colour - do people have a favourite out of these two?

Andrea, I wear glasses so sunglasses aren't much use to me, but if you get any bonus for referring me feel free (I guess you'd need my real name etc).

AlastairSoutar

... why would the OP want a Triban 3 + huge courier cost via decathlon and a courier, rather than a 2013 Sora, branded bike from wiggle?

£300 for the bike + £20 for the courier - Can you get a similar spec bike for that money on wiggle or elsewhere?

andreavda

Wrinkly Smurf wrote:

andreavda wrote:

the battaglin s11 is a full sora 2013, I just purchased one yesterday evening, I can refer you as a friend so that you get a free pair of sunglasses with 3 lenses with the purchase of the bike.

Sorry for hijacking the thread - my choice is down to the Moser Speed or Battaglin S11 - both with Sora 2013, apart from colour there doesn't seem to be much in it. I prefer the colour on the Battaglin, but like the shape of the Moser! Apart from the colour - do people have a favourite out of these two?

Andrea, I wear glasses so sunglasses aren't much use to me, but if you get any bonus for referring me feel free (I guess you'd need my real name etc).

I bought the battaglin s11 sora 2013, it comes with oversize tubes, which looks really cool, and ultegra hubs !!!
105 £ only for the pair of hubs
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=69847
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=69848

it was a surprise for everyone who received the bike, in some reviews left on wiggle the customer was really happy about this ultegra hub, because it's from shimano and it's quite expensive, so hopefully it's going to be reliable in the long term.

and the battaglin s11 is handmade in italy, frame, wheels, saddle, I think even the handlebar, I'm not really sure about the stem and the seatpost though.

in the moser you don't get the shimano hollowtech bottom bracket as in the s11, and you don't get the shimano sora chainset as in the s11, but you get FSA components, I think that these FSA components are quite cheap.

yes I do get a 10% bonus off your first purchase, as for the sunglasses I too wear spectacles, I was thinking of purchasing a clip-on or maybe just wear contact lenses.

Wrinkly Smurf

Hi Andreavda if I go to Wiggle I'll let you know, problem is that my works C2W scheme doesn't do wiggle, but their spec is better and even better if i could get the C2W discount.

Wrinkly Smurf

Found an online retailer who didn't want to add silly amounts extra for cyclescheme, thanks JE JAMES. Now just waiting for the paperwork and bike (Mekk AL ZR with the Claris gears). Frame gets a great review and the brakes slated - so first upgrade will be brakes . No reviews for the Claris geared version, but it's the bottom of the range Shimano, just replaces 2300 without the thumb shifters.

JCarr7003

andreavda wrote:

gerasalus wrote:

Well, tough luck i guess - while i waited, the discount i had for Felt is no longer valid. And wiggle can't answer if Battaglin is with 2013 sora or not. Maybe i should save some more and get Mekk Pinerollo or Verenti Belief with Tiagra... or wait a little bit more.

the battaglin s11 is a full sora 2013, I just purchased one yesterday evening, I can refer you as a friend so that you get a free pair of sunglasses with 3 lenses with the purchase of the bike.

Andreavda, would it be possible for you to refer me as a friend for the Battaglin? I've been looking for an entry level road bike for a while now and I think the battaglin s11 looks the best for me..
Thanks!

neilhannam

Some ugly looking welds on those Battaglin bikes.

I'm biased as I have a Felt myself and it's fantastic looking and great to ride. Why anyone would choose anything else in this price bracket escapes me as I think the spec is equal to any of the others mentioned. However it's personal choice Smurf so i'd just go with your gut instinct if you can't try them out for fit and feel. For what it's worth of the two you've narrowed it down to i'd go with the Moser but that's based purely on appearance.

simonhead

What about the Merlin own brand Maven, £469 at the moment with Sora groupset leaving you some spare cash for pedals and shoes if you dont have them already?

noiseboyfeetman

How about a Merlin with full a Tiagra groupset for £599? Personally i've no experience of Merlin bikes but a few people on here have got the cheaper Merlin S2200 and says its a good entry level bike.

http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/bikes/road-bikes/merlin-road-bikes/merlin-malt-r-road-bike-2013.html

Ok, I see Simonhead has already mentioned Merlin :oops:

andreavda

I thought that it'd be a sensible thing to update you on the purchase of the Battaglin S11 sora.
Actually I haven't ridden long, to be fair I haven't ridden at all really, 160 miles, in fact I only use the bike during the summer and spring seasons, anyway the quality is really good, the shimano sora groupset works really well, the shimano ultegra hubs are a nice touch on a bike this cheap, and the wheels, although are really aerodynamic, well you'll find them uncomfortable on the pavé at first, but you'll get used to it.
In my city I don't get to drive on pavé often, that's why I'm fine with these wheels, however, if you live in some old city like Rome, you may be better off with normal wheels and lower tyre pressure, the ride will be more comfortable.
The only thing that puzzles me is the geometry of the frame, there are huge differences between the measurements I took myself on the bike frame, and the ones uploaded on wiggle website, if someone could measure his toptube I'd really appreciate it.
I can still refer people to get the sunglasses with your purchase of at least 50 £.