Starter bike opinions

jdpotter
jdpotter Posts: 3
edited November 2013 in Road beginners
I'm looking at getting back into road biking and have up to £800 to spend (cycle scheme)

I've been looking at the 2013 bikes as I figure last years discounted bike offer better value for money, but having not been around biking for a good 7 or 8 years wondered what quality various levels of kit offered. To help I'll be riding about 2 hours at a time 2-3 times a week.

I'm not sure to go for, what benefit would I get from going for 105 spec'd bike like the cube peleton race
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobi ... prod111955

Or is 4-6 hours a week not going to be enough riding to spend that much? Opinions in these bikes would help a great deal

Basso xenon devil 2012 seems good value
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/basso-devil-xenon-2012-1/

As does the Mekk 2.0 poggio
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/mekk-2g-poggio-p20-tiagra-2013/

Others I saw
Felt F85 tiagra
Giant defy 2 2014
Fuji roubaix 1.3

Other suggestions would be great cheers too.

Comments

  • rickeverett
    rickeverett Posts: 988
    I ride the MEKK Poggio with full 105 and it is a excellent bike.

    More suited to upgrading as the frame they use is very well designed. Mekks stance is frame first which is the right way to go. However the finishing kit is good quality branded and reliable stuff too.
    There's a recent review somewhere of the poggio and it was very good indeed. EDIT: http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/cate ... -13-47466/

    Acceleration and power transfer is top draw. The frame is stiff and responsive without being figity. Absorbs the road well but its stiffness doesn't help on bigger lumps and bumps. The positioning is on the sporty/race side of sportive. It can be modified very easily to "race mode" as well laid back too.

    As I have modified the bike slightly to full group set and lighter wheens etc but that's just what anyone does over time with any bike.

    Although the one you selected is Tiagra, at the price Wiggle have it at for a Full Carbon light bike with full internal cable routing pluss 5 year frame warranty its a no brainer. Oh and they are a new British brand too !!
  • Moonbiker
    Moonbiker Posts: 1,706
    Which wheels plus the tyres also I assume did you upgrade too? 8)
  • rickeverett
    rickeverett Posts: 988
    Moonbiker wrote:
    Which wheels plus the tyres also I assume did you upgrade too? 8)


    Wheels I already had on another bike so its now got Fulcrum Racing 5CX + Continental GP4000 Limited Tour 100 Edition Tyres. Although come the new year a new lighter summer wheelset will be purchased.

    Rode the Mekk on the R501 Wheelset just the once - because I already had the Fulcrums.

    Also fitted a 105 Chainset, Sram brakeset +swisstop pads and a nice black Selle Itallia SLR XC Saddle along with Black bar tape. Rest of the fit is original 105, and Ritchey finishing kit found on the Poggio 2.5 (note the 2013 Poggio 2.0 has Mekk finishing not that its really that much different).
  • simon_masterson
    simon_masterson Posts: 2,740
    Get the bike that fits best with the money you have available after you've accounted for the rest of the kit you need. Don't worry about carbon frames and light wheels; both are very overrated but neither is magic (I.e. it's not as simple as buying a bike made from carbon fibre as not all carbon fibre is made equal), and wheel weight is not as important as many say that it is.
    Retro(ish) TT 2017-
    Fixed TT 2015-2016
  • rickeverett
    rickeverett Posts: 988
    Simon Masterson wrote:
    Get the bike that fits best with the money you have available after you've accounted for the rest of the kit you need. Don't worry about carbon frames and light wheels; both are very overrated but neither is magic (I.e. it's not as simple as buying a bike made from carbon fibre as not all carbon fibre is made equal), and wheel weight is not as important as many say that it is.


    Whilst fully I agree, the Mekk is probably the best all round bike there to begin with - never mind the fact Wiggle have it down from £1250 to £774 because its end of season flog time. Isn't a low grade poor performance carbon frame either.
  • Schoie81
    Schoie81 Posts: 749
    rickeverett wrote:
    Whilst fully I agree, the Mekk is probably the best all round bike there to begin with - never mind the fact Wiggle have it down from £1250 to £774 because its end of season flog time. Isn't a low grade poor performance carbon frame either.

    To the OP - one thing to consider if you're using the cyclescheme - a) can you buy from wiggle using the sceme? You may well be able to - but I'm not sure? and b) you may not get discounted prices if you're using the tax-free schemes. The retailers don't make much profit via the scheme, so they often wont sell the bikes via the scheme at discounted prices - so if wiggle are advertising the Mekk at £774, you might not get it for that using the cyclescheme. This happened when I bought my MTB via the cyclescheme.
    "I look pretty young, but I'm just back-dated"
  • jdpotter
    jdpotter Posts: 3
    Schoie81 wrote:
    To the OP - one thing to consider if you're using the cyclescheme - a) can you buy from wiggle using the sceme? You may well be able to - but I'm not sure? and b) you may not get discounted prices if you're using the tax-free schemes. The retailers don't make much profit via the scheme, so they often wont sell the bikes via the scheme at discounted prices - so if wiggle are advertising the Mekk at £774, you might not get it for that using the cyclescheme. This happened when I bought my MTB via the cyclescheme.

    Luckily yes you can with wiggle, been a part if a smaller company we can do what wiggle want to comply :)

    Thanks for the info re the Mekk, been looking at it wondering if it was too good to be true but the reviews seem to be complimentary.

    Also are Shimano r500 clinchers worth getting on a bike or do they not offer much over a stock makers rim/hub combo? Baring in mind I can't afford the sort of money that people band around paying for aftermarket wheels, what comes on the bike will stay on for the foreseeable
  • rickeverett
    rickeverett Posts: 988
    jdpotter wrote:
    Schoie81 wrote:
    To the OP - one thing to consider if you're using the cyclescheme - a) can you buy from wiggle using the sceme? You may well be able to - but I'm not sure? and b) you may not get discounted prices if you're using the tax-free schemes. The retailers don't make much profit via the scheme, so they often wont sell the bikes via the scheme at discounted prices - so if wiggle are advertising the Mekk at £774, you might not get it for that using the cyclescheme. This happened when I bought my MTB via the cyclescheme.

    Luckily yes you can with wiggle, been a part if a smaller company we can do what wiggle want to comply :)

    Thanks for the info re the Mekk, been looking at it wondering if it was too good to be true but the reviews seem to be complimentary.

    Also are Shimano r500 clinchers worth getting on a bike or do they not offer much over a stock makers rim/hub combo? Baring in mind I can't afford the sort of money that people band around paying for aftermarket wheels, what comes on the bike will stay on for the foreseeable

    R500s are considered to be decent, reliable Shimano entry level wheels. Better than no name ones sometimes found on entry level. I wouldn't worry about r500s.

    The mekk is a excellent deal at the mo. Mekk use the same frame throughout the range.. In each model range. Therefore they spec up with group set and finishing kit. That way you get a top frameset with full internal cables and has room for electronic transmission. Downside is on lower spec group sets they use the r500s and some own brand finishing kit.. But its still decent stuff that isn't exactly going to fall apart.

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