New training Road Bike - Help Needed?

cstaylor992000

Looking for general advice, looking for a new training road bike.

Ideally looking at more comfort than out and out aggressiveness and have narrowed it down to a selection of bikes due to finding some offers. What would you recommend of the following and which to pick? Also as I am 6ft 4, it limits sizes a little.

Boardman Road Team Carbon with 105/Tiagra - £900
Cube Agree GTC Compact with Tiagra (Carbon)- 2013 Model found at £750
Giant Defy 1 2013 model with 105 (alum) - £750
Giant TCR Composite 2013 model with Tiagra - £800
Cannondale Synapse Alloy with Tiagra- 2013 Model - £719

I will be swapping the wheels as I have a spare of Mavic's, as most of these bikes wheelset are basic.

Thoughts please of which is best??? Thanks

LegendLust

Are you fitting mudguards to these choices?

cstaylor992000

No, I have some retro fitted ones but my choice is not based on mudguards.

earthvspace4XTuUWcX

After the recent winter where I was constantly cycling along muddy lanes and through deep puddles/floods I decided discs were the answer, and built myself a Kinesis Pro6, I suggest you therefore consider CX bikes as well. This:
http://www.kinesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/crosslight/pro6 might be above your budget but can be bought as a frameset and could probably build up a complete bike for less, obviously there are other CX bikes to consider.

keef66

Of those I'd probably go for the Synapse, but only because that's the only one I've ridden and it fitted me perfectly.

My winter bike is a Kinesis Racelight Tk (subsequently superseded by the Tk2, Tk3 and 4S) but that was because I wanted proper mudguards and at the time the Synapse didn't have the clearance (it does now). You'd struggle to get a 4S built up for the price you seem to be aiming for.

Maybe a trivial point to you, but if I was choosing a winter bike now I'd be looking for something with concealed cables; the shift cables on my 7 year old 105 stuff get in the way of the front light and annoy me immensely.

pmannion9

Kinesis Racelight TK3 worth a look.
Mounts for rack and full guards if required.

passout

If you want discs then I'd look at Whyte bikes. Otherwise Moda (Bolero is nice for a few quid more) or planet x alu bikes. There's always Ribble of course.