£2.5-£3K budget

pauljink

I know, another one of those threads....

So, I'm looking for the following:

* Ultegra 6700 Di2. My winter bike will have Ultegra 6700, so I want to keep similar groupsets to save on doubling up on replacement chains / cassettes. The way I see it there's no point having 11-speed on my new build if the cost of 10 speed components is going to drop. I don't see any compelling reason to go 11-speed. Am I wrong to think like this??
* Full carbon
* Around 7KG weight
* Wheels that are good enough, which I imagine means around £300-£500 retail price

My current options are:
* Canyon Ultimate CF SLX at £2.6K.looks to be the best all-round bike. Have stock in my size.
* Ribble R872, also at around £2.6K. I'm put off by the 11-15 day delivery, and that's if all my components are in stock.
* Rose Xeon CRS-3100 also at £2.6K. Multiple colour options!

I'm keeping an eye on discounted 2013 models from other manufacturers but nothing comes close to these 3.

Would love to hear any other recommendations. Thanks!

noiseboyfeetman

I'd be seriously tempted by the Kuota Kharma Evo from Epic Cycles with Ultegra Di2 and Cosmic Carbone SL wheelset...

http://www.epic-cycles.co.uk/Kuota_Kharma_Evo.html

Camcycle1974

pauljink wrote:

I know, another one of those threads....

So, I'm looking for the following:

* Ultegra 6700 Di2. My winter bike will have Ultegra 6700, so I want to keep similar groupsets to save on doubling up on replacement chains / cassettes. The way I see it there's no point having 11-speed on my new build if the cost of 10 speed components is going to drop. I don't see any compelling reason to go 11-speed. Am I wrong to think like this??
* Full carbon
* Around 7KG weight
* Wheels that are good enough, which I imagine means around £300-£500 retail price

My current options are:
* Canyon Ultimate CF SLX at £2.6K.looks to be the best all-round bike. Have stock in my size.
* Ribble R872, also at around £2.6K. I'm put off by the 11-15 day delivery, and that's if all my components are in stock.
* Rose Xeon CRS-3100 also at £2.6K. Multiple colour options!

I'm keeping an eye on discounted 2013 models from other manufacturers but nothing comes close to these 3.

Would love to hear any other recommendations. Thanks!

Why bother with Di2? Save £500. The 872 with Ultegra and better wheels would be less than 2k. not sure where 2.6k comes from when the special edition bike is £999? Once upgraded I still can't see how it would be that much money unless speccing it with DA? It's £1400 with mechanical Ultegra and £1900 with the Di2 6700-5700 mix group. Wheels can be upgraded separately. My 872 with full 105 was £1200. Yes, you have to wait a while but two weeks for a bike built to your spec is not long. Dread to think how long Canyon would take.

diamonddog

Boardman Elite SLR 9.0 S.

trek_dan

A friend has just bought last years model BMC RM01 for £2800. Brilliant bike for the money, 6.8kg, Di2, Kysrium Elites and full Easton finishing kit. Styling isn't everyones cup of tea though.

pauljink

Camcycle1974 wrote:

pauljink wrote:

I know, another one of those threads....

So, I'm looking for the following:

* Ultegra 6700 Di2. My winter bike will have Ultegra 6700, so I want to keep similar groupsets to save on doubling up on replacement chains / cassettes. The way I see it there's no point having 11-speed on my new build if the cost of 10 speed components is going to drop. I don't see any compelling reason to go 11-speed. Am I wrong to think like this??
* Full carbon
* Around 7KG weight
* Wheels that are good enough, which I imagine means around £300-£500 retail price

My current options are:
* Canyon Ultimate CF SLX at £2.6K.looks to be the best all-round bike. Have stock in my size.
* Ribble R872, also at around £2.6K. I'm put off by the 11-15 day delivery, and that's if all my components are in stock.
* Rose Xeon CRS-3100 also at £2.6K. Multiple colour options!

I'm keeping an eye on discounted 2013 models from other manufacturers but nothing comes close to these 3.

Would love to hear any other recommendations. Thanks!

Why bother with Di2? Save £500. The 872 with Ultegra and better wheels would be less than 2k. not sure where 2.6k comes from when the special edition bike is £999? Once upgraded I still can't see how it would be that much money unless speccing it with DA? It's £1400 with mechanical Ultegra and £1900 with the Di2 6700-5700 mix group. Wheels can be upgraded separately. My 872 with full 105 was £1200. Yes, you have to wait a while but two weeks for a bike built to your spec is not long. Dread to think how long Canyon would take.

The Canyon is currently in stock. I think I would receive in within 5-6 days, as a lot of folk report. The problems with delivery are only really when bikes are not stocked and have specific build weeks.

I was speccing the Ribble with R872, RS80s, Ritchey WCS kit, Ultegra carbon pedals and GP4000s. Was also going for full 6700 kit.

I have been debating with myself for weeks the merits of Di2 over mechanical, but I got an excellent insurance settlement that has given me a few £K more than anticipated.

pauljink

trek_dan wrote:

A friend has just bought last years model BMC RM01 for £2800. Brilliant bike for the money, 6.8kg, Di2, Kysrium Elites and full Easton finishing kit. Styling isn't everyones cup of tea though.

Similar model on Evans for £3K. You're right about the styling - not sure it's my cup of tea.

displacedaussie

I'd go for the Canyon Ultimate CF SL with Ultegra 6800 and then spend whatever money you have left on either wheels (if you race or really want some fancy carbon things) or a trip to the Alps!

http://www.canyon.com/_en/roadbikes/bike.html?b=3241

(or this version which comes with the Cosmic Carbone SLE wheelset)

http://www.canyon.com/_en/roadbikes/bike.html?b=3243

pauljink

displacedaussie wrote:

I'd go for the Canyon Ultimate CF SL with Ultegra 6800 and then spend whatever money you have left on either wheels (if you race or really want some fancy carbon things) or a trip to the Alps!

http://www.canyon.com/_en/roadbikes/bike.html?b=3241

(or this version which comes with the Cosmic Carbone SLE wheelset)

http://www.canyon.com/_en/roadbikes/bike.html?b=3243

Liking the silver one, but think I'm sticking to 10-speed, so those are both ruled out!

pauljink

noiseboyfeetman wrote:

I'd be seriously tempted by the Kuota Kharma Evo from Epic Cycles with Ultegra Di2 and Cosmic Carbone SL wheelset...

http://www.epic-cycles.co.uk/Kuota_Kharma_Evo.html

Looks good and exactly the spec I'm looking for. But I dunno, I think the name puts me right off

Camcycle1974

pauljink wrote:

Camcycle1974 wrote:

pauljink wrote:

I know, another one of those threads....

So, I'm looking for the following:

* Ultegra 6700 Di2. My winter bike will have Ultegra 6700, so I want to keep similar groupsets to save on doubling up on replacement chains / cassettes. The way I see it there's no point having 11-speed on my new build if the cost of 10 speed components is going to drop. I don't see any compelling reason to go 11-speed. Am I wrong to think like this??
* Full carbon
* Around 7KG weight
* Wheels that are good enough, which I imagine means around £300-£500 retail price

My current options are:
* Canyon Ultimate CF SLX at £2.6K.looks to be the best all-round bike. Have stock in my size.
* Ribble R872, also at around £2.6K. I'm put off by the 11-15 day delivery, and that's if all my components are in stock.
* Rose Xeon CRS-3100 also at £2.6K. Multiple colour options!

I'm keeping an eye on discounted 2013 models from other manufacturers but nothing comes close to these 3.

Would love to hear any other recommendations. Thanks!

Why bother with Di2? Save £500. The 872 with Ultegra and better wheels would be less than 2k. not sure where 2.6k comes from when the special edition bike is £999? Once upgraded I still can't see how it would be that much money unless speccing it with DA? It's £1400 with mechanical Ultegra and £1900 with the Di2 6700-5700 mix group. Wheels can be upgraded separately. My 872 with full 105 was £1200. Yes, you have to wait a while but two weeks for a bike built to your spec is not long. Dread to think how long Canyon would take.

The Canyon is currently in stock. I think I would receive in within 5-6 days, as a lot of folk report. The problems with delivery are only really when bikes are not stocked and have specific build weeks.

I was speccing the Ribble with R872, RS80s, Ritchey WCS kit, Ultegra carbon pedals and GP4000s. Was also going for full 6700 kit.

I have been debating with myself for weeks the merits of Di2 over mechanical, but I got an excellent insurance settlement that has given me a few £K more than anticipated.

Ah well, in that case time to splash the cash! I was on a budget for my 872 so left the finishing kit as was. Will upgrade as I go along. I did upgrade to 105 though as I can't stand to look at Tiagra. Wheels were not needed as I have some handbuilts so just went with the Shimano 500's as a cheap winter training set. Tyres I will swap over from my current bike. Good luck with your purchase, nice to have so many options (or not as the case may be!)

As an aside my local Giant dealer was doing a very good deal on a TCR Advanced SL with full SRAM Red. Think it may have been 3.5k though. Food for thought. stunning bike and very light (certainly less than 7kg) Chris bikes if you are interested. He has an online shop.

jezzpalmer

11 seed is now legacy kit, and an extra cog is handy.
DA, Ultegra, SRAM Red and Force are all now 11 speed, I expect 105 and Rival to follow soon.

The mechanical DA9000 spec'd Canyon SLX would be a good option if they have it in your size, no Di2 but a lovely bike.

pauljink

Look at the price of a 10-speed cassette, then check out the price of an 11-speed. Same with shifters. I've had a couple of expensive Ultegra shifter repairs. On the other hand, I just bought 3 Shimano chains for my 8-speed commuter for less than than £25. A 105 cassette is half the price of a DA9000, so I don't see what return I'm getting for the additional outlay, bar a little extra smoothness.

I'm happy if 11-speed takes off, means there will be plenty of 10-speed bargain around!

Camcycle1974

i agree. case of emperors new clothes. what do we get next year? 12 speed?

rolf_f

Camcycle1974 wrote:

i agree. case of emperors new clothes. what do we get next year? 12 speed?

To some extent it depends on where you are. Anyone in London who craves 12 speed is probably soft in the head - traditional 5 speed (one at the front!) is probably sufficient there. On the other hand, the hillier it is the more you benefit from more gears. But no one seems to think that way.

I live in hilly West Yorkshire and 10 is pretty nice. I can do without 11.

bigaac

I Ordered the Canyon CF SLX 7.0 Di2 last week (6th Sept) and its due for delivery tomorrow.

Camcycle1974

Rolf F wrote:

Camcycle1974 wrote:

i agree. case of emperors new clothes. what do we get next year? 12 speed?

To some extent it depends on where you are. Anyone in London who craves 12 speed is probably soft in the head - traditional 5 speed (one at the front!) is probably sufficient there. On the other hand, the hillier it is the more you benefit from more gears. But no one seems to think that way.

I live in hilly West Yorkshire and 10 is pretty nice. I can do without 11.

In Cambs Rolf so could get away with one chain ring (ride SS a lot of the time). If I lived in the lakes I'd have a triple. These things do become necessary depending on geography but the manufacturers have to have something new to sell I suppose.

rolf_f

Camcycle1974 wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

Camcycle1974 wrote:

i agree. case of emperors new clothes. what do we get next year? 12 speed?

To some extent it depends on where you are. Anyone in London who craves 12 speed is probably soft in the head - traditional 5 speed (one at the front!) is probably sufficient there. On the other hand, the hillier it is the more you benefit from more gears. But no one seems to think that way.

I live in hilly West Yorkshire and 10 is pretty nice. I can do without 11.

In Cambs Rolf so could get away with one chain ring (ride SS a lot of the time). If I lived in the lakes I'd have a triple. These things do become necessary depending on geography but the manufacturers have to have something new to sell I suppose.

This is it - I suppose I could get into trouble if I suggested that people running 10 or 11 speed in places like Cambridge are no different to people driving Range Rovers in Chelsea - but it's true!*

* only it isn't really because the analogy would only really work if the car manufacturers made virtually nothing but 4wds.

jezzpalmer

Living in Wales where it can be quite hilly I run either 11-28 or 12-28 so there can be some big jumps between ratios right where you don't want them; so 11 speed helps smooth that out. A 12 speed would be better still.

Camcycle1974

jezzpalmer wrote:

Living in Wales where it can be quite hilly I run either 11-28 or 12-28 so there can be some big jumps between ratios right where you don't want them; so 11 speed helps smooth that out. A 12 speed would be better still.

Good point Jezz. Just bought a new bike and went 11-28 on the cassette. 11 speed would have made the decision easier I guess. Agonised for ages as it is pretty flat round here but I may take the bike away to more hillier climbs so didn't want to limit myself.

Anyway, de-railing this thread currently. Did the OP come to any decision yet? Plenty of bargains to be had right now.

How about a Focus? The Izalco Pro with full DA can be had for less than £3k and is a gorgeous bike. Also a Di 2 version I think for a bit less than DA mechanical.

rolf_f

Camcycle1974 wrote:

jezzpalmer wrote:

Living in Wales where it can be quite hilly I run either 11-28 or 12-28 so there can be some big jumps between ratios right where you don't want them; so 11 speed helps smooth that out. A 12 speed would be better still.

Good point Jezz. Just bought a new bike and went 11-28 on the cassette. 11 speed would have made the decision easier I guess. Agonised for ages as it is pretty flat round here but I may take the bike away to more hillier climbs so didn't want to limit myself.

Hmmm, logically that wouldn't make sense! You'd be better off saving a few quid on the groupset and going 10 speed and using a small part of the savings to get a spare cassette for when you do go to the hills. My 13-29 was a cheap Veloce one rather than the Centaur ones I normally use - but it's fine for the rare use it gets. 11-28 on 11 is still way gappier than 11-25 (let alone something like a 23 which would still be fine in Cambridge) on 10. If I were you I'd be looking for a nice Cambridge appropriate cassette and keeping the 11-28 for when you need it.

I don't really notice the gaps anyway - but I am comfortable over a wide cadence range so maybe that helps.

Camcycle1974

Rolf F wrote:

Camcycle1974 wrote:

jezzpalmer wrote:

Living in Wales where it can be quite hilly I run either 11-28 or 12-28 so there can be some big jumps between ratios right where you don't want them; so 11 speed helps smooth that out. A 12 speed would be better still.

Good point Jezz. Just bought a new bike and went 11-28 on the cassette. 11 speed would have made the decision easier I guess. Agonised for ages as it is pretty flat round here but I may take the bike away to more hillier climbs so didn't want to limit myself.

Hmmm, logically that wouldn't make sense! You'd be better off saving a few quid on the groupset and going 10 speed and using a small part of the savings to get a spare cassette for when you do go to the hills. My 13-29 was a cheap Veloce one rather than the Centaur ones I normally use - but it's fine for the rare use it gets. 11-28 on 11 is still way gappier than 11-25 (let alone something like a 23 which would still be fine in Cambridge) on 10. If I were you I'd be looking for a nice Cambridge appropriate cassette and keeping the 11-28 for when you need it.

I don't really notice the gaps anyway - but I am comfortable over a wide cadence range so maybe that helps.

Thanks for the advice Rolf. I need a 2nd cassette anyhow for my other set of wheels. Might look for a 105 11-23 then (if they do that variant) otherwise 11-25. Will keep the 11-28 on for winter on the training wheels. As you say, not sure I will notice the gaps much. Have been running 12-28 on my Defy since I bought it.

pauljink

Camcycle1974 wrote:

jezzpalmer wrote:

Living in Wales where it can be quite hilly I run either 11-28 or 12-28 so there can be some big jumps between ratios right where you don't want them; so 11 speed helps smooth that out. A 12 speed would be better still.

Good point Jezz. Just bought a new bike and went 11-28 on the cassette. 11 speed would have made the decision easier I guess. Agonised for ages as it is pretty flat round here but I may take the bike away to more hillier climbs so didn't want to limit myself.

Anyway, de-railing this thread currently. Did the OP come to any decision yet? Plenty of bargains to be had right now.

How about a Focus? The Izalco Pro with full DA can be had for less than £3k and is a gorgeous bike. Also a Di 2 version I think for a bit less than DA mechanical.

Think I've decided on the Canyon. Hopefully place an order over the weekend :d

pauljink

bigaac wrote:

I Ordered the Canyon CF SLX 7.0 Di2 last week (6th Sept) and its due for delivery tomorrow.

Let us know how it goes

cyclingscot

You may already have ordered the Canyon but if not consider the Felt Z3. The 2013 model comes with full Di2 and deals to be had bringing it under £3000. I have used one for a couple of months and it is a fantastic piece of kit. Di2 is just the icing on the cake.