Advice needed please for sub or just over 1500 road bikes

Wookiemcbear

Hello all 

I am in the market for a new road bike and I'm looking for some advice. After weeks of looking at bikes to buy online and over the counter at my local dealer I now am sure I want to purchase one from a local dealer, mainly for the aftercare and continuing maintenance. My local dealers stock cube, orange, merida, focus, giant, merkk, frome, trek and cannondale. I am not overly bothered about frame material as long as the bike rides well and is comfortable for long sportive riding. I have been able to narrow my choices to:

Orange carbo 0 
Giant defty composite 2
Cannondale caad10, caad8 105, supersix apex
Focus cayo 6
Scott CR1 at a push
trek domane 4.3
Cube agree gtc pro and race

If anyone has any experience of these bikes I would love to hear from you or of any of the other brands I have listed above

Cheers 

Mark 

denniskwok

I decided on a Focus Evo 6.0 and have been riding it for a few weeks now. To me, it offered the best mix of performance, features and value. The frame is race proven, weighs under 1kg, offers full internal cable routing and looks great with the matt grey/UD carbon and white decals. The wheels are perfectly ok and the same spec as you'll find on the £1899 Evo 4.0. You get Shimano 105 for the most important bits (crankset excepted) and the rest of the kit is ok.

The bike rides really smooth, but still feels properly stiff when you stomp on it. It handles quick, but very predictably with very little nervousness. The geometry is quite race orientated though, with a small headube which may go against your sportive requirements. For me, the relative ride comfort combined with it being stiff under power and aggressive geometry perfectly suited what I was looking for.

Wookiemcbear

denniskwok wrote:

I decided on a Focus Evo 6.0 and have been riding it for a few weeks now. To me, it offered the best mix of performance, features and value. The frame is race proven, weighs under 1kg, offers full internal cable routing and looks great with the matt grey/UD carbon and white decals. The wheels are perfectly ok and the same spec as you'll find on the £1899 Evo 4.0. You get Shimano 105 for the most important bits (crankset excepted) and the rest of the kit is ok.

The bike rides really smooth, but still feels properly stiff when you stomp on it. It handles quick, but very predictably with very little nervousness. The geometry is quite race orientated though, with a small headube which may go against your sportive requirements. For me, the relative ride comfort combined with it being stiff under power and aggressive geometry perfectly suited what I was looking for.

Thank you I do really love the focus it looks amazing and really stands out

Thank you for your advice

maddog 2

my default answer to the same question is Giant defy or Trek madone. Others are better on spec, for sure, but those are my suggestions.

denniskwok

Wookiemcbear wrote:

Thank you I do really love the focus it looks amazing and really stands out

Thank you for your advice

No worries mate. Check put my thread on the Your Road Bikes section for some pics.

markhewitt1978

Wookiemcbear wrote:

Scott CR1 at a push
trek domane 4.3

My choice there would be the Domane 4.3 as it's good grade carbon with good 105 components. With all the trick tech for road smoothing. List price is £1,800 but you should be able to get it for less than that.

Keep in mind however; if you can wait a couple of months, then wait! The 2013 Domane model is due to be imminently replaced with the 2014 spec.

Scott CR1 is interesting as I've just bought a CR1 frame which I'm getting built up at the moment, but there are lots of people in the Commuting Chat forum who have CR1's although mostly the SL version.

smidsy

You need to ride as many as you can to see which one suits you. Any other method is gambling at best.

If gambling get a Cannondale.

markhewitt1978

Especially with the likes of the Trek as they tend to be sized slightly under those from other makes - And it's not me saying that but Westbrook Cycles.

giant_man

Wookiemcbear wrote:

Hello all 

I am in the market for a new road bike and I'm looking for some advice. After weeks of looking at bikes to buy online and over the counter at my local dealer I now am sure I want to purchase one from a local dealer, mainly for the aftercare and continuing maintenance. My local dealers stock cube, orange, merida, focus, giant, merkk, frome, trek and cannondale. I am not overly bothered about frame material as long as the bike rides well and is comfortable for long sportive riding. I have been able to narrow my choices to:

Orange carbo 0 
Giant defty composite 2
Cannondale caad10, caad8 105, supersix apex
Focus cayo 6
Scott CR1 at a push
trek domane 4.3
Cube agree gtc pro and race

If anyone has any experience of these bikes I would love to hear from you or of any of the other brands I have listed above

Cheers 

Mark 

And ouf of those listed, how many have you ridden for comparison? This is the only way you will decide which one is right for you. No point in asking anyone else for their opinions, they're not going to ride it, you are! What they might be looking for in a bike could be different in what you are looking for.

Most of those listed can be test ridden, I'm sure.

Wookiemcbear

I know what you mean, I am only asking as a ride round the block just isn't enough to know what it is like after an hours in the saddle. I have tested non yet as I'm still waiting for my accident compensation to come through after being knocked of my last bike and give the last bike under £500 I'm just making sure I do as much homework as I can cos if I spend 1500 on a bike and I can't get on with it the wife will kill me. Therefore other people's perspective is important to me for long term ownership because this will most likely be the last complete bike I buy for years to come

sloppyschleckonds

Someone started a long thread about the Orange carbo 0.

I think he works for them. Its probably the worst bike on your list.

dwanes

The Orange carbo 0 is a great looking bike in the flesh and i'm sure it will be as good as any of the others.

sarm34

I would if i were you try and find a "new" last years cube agree GTC , there are still some out there cracking bike for the money and better spec than this years model

supermurph09

You won't go wrong with the cube, I have one, its a great bike IMO. I'm looking to upgrade the brakes but that's a personal thing. Not sure about anywhere else, but leisure lakes have it for £1599. However if you take out their VIP membership before buying you'll get it for around £1470.

Cupras

dwanes wrote:

The Orange carbo 0 is a great looking bike in the flesh and i'm sure it will be as good as any of the others.

Its not bad at the price my LBS has it at tbh. £1299.99

canny_lad

I got a Scott CR1 team with full 105 for £1599, it's a great bike IMO. A mate of mine rides a Cannondale Synapse alloy, that's a very good bike too. I wouldn't discount Mekk, seen a few about and they look like decent bikes. Happy hunting

Wookiemcbear

Cupras wrote:

dwanes wrote:

The Orange carbo 0 is a great looking bike in the flesh and i'm sure it will be as good as any of the others.

Its not bad at the price my LBS has it at tbh. £1299.99

So does mine and it does look really nice

Wookiemcbear

Thank you all for your responses I'll let you all know what I go with after my test ride. My favourite bikes in cosmetic appearance are the focus, orange, trek and the cubes. I do like the giant but just not in black (sorry guys)

denniskwok

The importance of cosmetics shouldn't be under estimated. If you like the look of it, you will want to ride it more.

Another bike which could be of interest is the Ridley Damocles Special Edition 105 with 50% off at Wiggle. It's a really good jack of all trades bike and a steal at £1050. The Damocles has been replaced now by the Fenix, but it's still a great bike. I very nearly bought one myself instead of my Cayo Evo 6.0. Wiggle only have limited sizes now though and bear in mind that Ridleys tend to size up on the large size.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ridley-damocles ... 2/?pr=1744