Is the Planet X Pro Carbon Ultegra 6800 a good choice ?

sinar
sinar Posts: 59
edited July 2014 in Road buying advice
Hello,

I have never ridden a road bike but have ridden mountain bikes for many years.

I've decided i'd like to get a road bike, with the aim of riding to work when i get fit enough (25 miles each way)

I've been doing some research and the Planet X Pro Carbon Shimano Ultegra 6800 seems like a really good value choice, with good specs and i think it looks great in black (I prefer understated looks to flashy paint jobs)

My mountain bikes are Treks, but looking at Trek road bikes I would be getting a lower spec bike for around £1200, even taking into account last years models with discounts.

I'm going to Planet X in sheffield on thursday, as i've not even seen one yet, and of coarse i don't know if they would be a good fit.

I"m a 50 year old woman, 5' 4", with some weight to loose, i'm around 140lbs,/10 stone/63KG

Any advice appreciated, thanks for reading

Julie

Comments

  • chanjy
    chanjy Posts: 200
    Would be brilliant as a first road bike. Fairly racy position though, so just be prepared for that.
  • diamonddog
    diamonddog Posts: 3,426
    Vgood bikes, at your size you will need a size small IMO. As mentioned above you will need a little time to get used to the road bike position.
  • joedxb
    joedxb Posts: 15
    I've had the RT58 for about 4 months, slightly more relaxed geometry than the Pro Crabon, but all in all a great bike. Its a bit more expensive than the pro carbon , but I bought it for the reasons stated above, wanted comfort over racy looks
    good luck
  • chippyk
    chippyk Posts: 529
    Was 999.99 a few weeks ago, good bike but in my opinion they've been a little cheeky putting it up 200 quid or 20%. Don't unerestimate Ribble.
  • Alpina007
    Alpina007 Posts: 106
    I bought one at £999.00 4 weeks ago. Brilliant value and a comfy bike. Spent some cash on a Retul bike fit and it nows fits like a glove.
  • natrix
    natrix Posts: 1,111
    andymcallan wrote:
    I bought one at £999.00

    So did I, got a white one - it's a cracking bike :D

    Having said that, make sure you are comfortable on it, probably best to get a bike you are comfortable on than one with ultegra rather than 105. A bike fit is a good idea.
    ~~~~~~Sustrans - Join the Movement~~~~~~
  • sinar
    sinar Posts: 59
    ChippyK wrote:
    Was 999.99 a few weeks ago, good bike but in my opinion they've been a little cheeky putting it up 200 quid or 20%. Don't unerestimate Ribble.

    Is that exactly the same specced bike as the one for £1199? the reason i ask is that i read a review on it (can't remember where) and it said it did not have a compete Ultegra groupset, the one for £1199 states full ultegra, I was just wondering if that might account for the price increase, because i don't really like the idea of paying £1200 for a bike that was £1000 a short while ago, I understand prices go up, but thats a massive increase.
  • sinar
    sinar Posts: 59
    joedxb wrote:
    I've had the RT58 for about 4 months, slightly more relaxed geometry than the Pro Crabon, but all in all a great bike. Its a bit more expensive than the pro carbon , but I bought it for the reasons stated above, wanted comfort over racy looks
    good luck

    Thats interesting, I don't want a full on race geometry, and would prefer one slightly more relaxed. Forgive my ignorance, but what makes the bike worth £200 more? i though it might be lighter but its a tiny bit heavier.

    I could up my budget a bit and perhaps go for the RT58, if i would see benefits.
  • sinar
    sinar Posts: 59
    ChippyK wrote:
    Was 999.99 a few weeks ago, good bike but in my opinion they've been a little cheeky putting it up 200 quid or 20%. Don't unerestimate Ribble.

    I had considered Ribble, but they are not very close to me, and as its my first road bike and i am not sure on sizing i would not want to buy one without trying it out
  • sinar
    sinar Posts: 59
    thanks for all the replies, they have been very helpful, I went to Planet X in Sheffield yesterday and bought the bike, they were really helpful, only downside, i have 22 days to wait before i get my bike, but i'm sure it will be worth the wait
  • Pat Murray
    Pat Murray Posts: 95
    Just make sure that when you get the bike that you check the components are as advertised, I bought a XLS Cyclocross bike as a commuter from them earlier in the year, picked up the model in the shop when passing. Some 600 miles / 3 months later the 105 cassette advertised had morphed into Tiagra when I stripped things down following shifting problems.

    This is the point when you find out that their after sales service is woeful - they fob you off with "we will look into it and get back to you" but in reality just do not want to know. I am passing it on to Trading Standards - see if they can make them more accountable.

    It is such a shame that a good product at a good price point is let down by such "customer service".
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    You're seriously getting Trading Standards involved over the difference between a Tiagra and a 105 cassette which must be all of a tenner??

    I can appreciate there's a principle involved, but if it was me I'd just come on here, slag them off for a while, then take my future business elsewhere.
  • Pat Murray
    Pat Murray Posts: 95
    keef66 wrote:
    You're seriously getting Trading Standards involved over the difference between a Tiagra and a 105 cassette which must be all of a tenner??

    I can appreciate there's a principle involved, but if it was me I'd just come on here, slag them off for a while, then take my future business elsewhere.

    And that's what they rely on, add up how many folk they have misled and its a tidy sum.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    If you're suggesting they are systematically supplying components cheaper than / inferior to those advertised, that's another matter. But wouldn't there have been a few threads about it if that was the case?

    I agree it's pretty poor customer service; wouldn't have taken them 5 minutes to stick a 105 cassette in the post to you.
  • natrix
    natrix Posts: 1,111
    Pat Murray wrote:
    Some 600 miles / 3 months later the 105 cassette advertised had morphed into Tiagra when I stripped things .

    Here's a tip; post about this on the singletrackworld forum, making sure that planet x is in the thread title, and Brant from Planet X will magically appear on the forum and sort it out for you. It's not the most conventional customer care system, but in the case of Planet X it does seem to work.
    ~~~~~~Sustrans - Join the Movement~~~~~~
  • Camcycle1974
    Camcycle1974 Posts: 1,356
    Pat Murray wrote:
    Just make sure that when you get the bike that you check the components are as advertised, I bought a XLS Cyclocross bike as a commuter from them earlier in the year, picked up the model in the shop when passing. Some 600 miles / 3 months later the 105 cassette advertised had morphed into Tiagra when I stripped things down following shifting problems.

    This is the point when you find out that their after sales service is woeful - they fob you off with "we will look into it and get back to you" but in reality just do not want to know. I am passing it on to Trading Standards - see if they can make them more accountable.

    It is such a shame that a good product at a good price point is let down by such "customer service".

    picked up the model in the shop. Therein lies the problem. If it was a shop build then maybe, just maybe they built it with a Tiagra cassette that they had lying around. Not that it makes any difference. I have had both Tiagra and 105 cassettes fitted to different bikes and there is no discernible difference. Big bike brands do this all the time to save cash as they do with fitting non-series brakes etc. At least you got 105 throughout apart from the cassette!
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,120
    Am I right in thinking that the PX Pro Carbon and the Ribble basic Carbon frame are essentially the same?

    Are they any good???
    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • Camcycle1974
    Camcycle1974 Posts: 1,356
    SecretSam wrote:
    Am I right in thinking that the PX Pro Carbon and the Ribble basic Carbon frame are essentially the same?

    Are they any good???

    Yep, think they are from the same mold. Not bad frames but both have a rep of being flexy. Personally think the Ribble 872 is a far superior frame but the Pro Carbon gets all the attention/praise. Fine by me as I don't see any 872's out on the road. Plenty of Pro Carbons though.
  • duckson
    duckson Posts: 961
    Being someone who goes into Ribble quite alot and i think the R872 is a really nice looking frame (cant comment on how it rides)....cant see the Pro Carbon being as nice in the flesh personally.
    Cheers, Stu
  • Camcycle1974
    Camcycle1974 Posts: 1,356
    duckson wrote:
    Being someone who goes into Ribble quite alot and i think the R872 is a really nice looking frame (cant comment on how it rides)....cant see the Pro Carbon being as nice in the flesh personally.

    It's not as nice which is why I went 872. Was going to buy the RT-58 carbon frame they do but A) it was more expensive and B) looked a bit cheap and tacky imo. Saw the PX in the flesh and it just didn't compare to the 872. The 872 rides very well. It's stiff in all the right places without being harsh and is suitably fast when putting the power down. Tried the alloy version of the RT-58 recently (same geo as the carbon version) and was very glad I went for the 872. :)
  • natrix
    natrix Posts: 1,111
    Personally, I think that the Ribble bikes look a bit gaudy compared to the Planet X, but the look of a bike is very much a personal thing and I can quite understand that some people may prefer the look of the Ribble bikes.

    Here's a review of bikes from the ITV 4 "Cycleshow" which includes the Planet X Pro carbon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJomKaACKNk
    ~~~~~~Sustrans - Join the Movement~~~~~~

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