New Frame vs new Bike

Miles253

Ive come to the point where i am sick of riding a bike thats too small for me, and want to fast track my new bike purchase.

I'm open to the idea of buying a new frame, in the right size for me, and hence saving a bit of money apposed to a new bike.

If anybody has any good recommendations for a solid Alu frame for less than £500 quid preferably, and also preferably that i can buy from new so as to not rely on second hand market. I'm a tall guy so ill need a brand that stocks up to at least a 60cm, hence why Ribble is not a good option.

if anybody has been in a similar position to me, and instead bought an entire new bike, i would be interested in the thought process.

bernithebiker

I'm not a Cannondale guy, but 25mm tyres and 10psi less would smooth out bumps more......

Bobbinogs

You can do a sportive on any bike. I have seen all sorts of rider/bike combos turn up and do well (I have also seen some riders on very fancy bikes go out the back quicker than Andy Schleck). If you wanted to get into racing this season then a cheap 2nd hand Allez for £300 would do the job as long as you got the right size...you could get about £250 back for your current Allez!

Don't let the finance thing over-complicate things for you or get in the way of doing things you want now. Could be that you hate racing or are shoot at it so why spend a big chunk now when you can see what kind of racing (TT, crit, open road, etc.) you want to do first without the risk of bending a brand new bike.

Miles253

Good advice Bobbinogs, but thats where the problem comes in, i want a bike that i will find comfortable for Sportives/ club rides as well as race. Given, my Allez doesn't fit, so a properly sized one might be a lot better, but it still doesn't necessarily improve on what ive got. I wanted to buy a new bike next year anyway, could this be a good excuse?

At Bernithebiker, i actually run 25mm tyres at 100 rear and 90 front, and it is better, but a specially designed frame might be too.

Bobbinogs

Hi Miles23, in what way does the Allez not fit, just a size thing or geo? If the latter, the SS and Synapse are quite different so pick the one with the right geo.

I think my idea (assuming that your Allez is just the wrong size) is that you can effectively swap your current bike for one that is suitable for racing and sportives for as little as £50. I swapped a 56 Secteur for a 54 Allez (albeit via selling/buying off ebay) and ended up with a fantastic bike that fitted perfectly...and I came out with £100 in my back pocket. I have done some long/fast rides on an Allez (since 'swapped' from a 2008 Elite for 2011 Comp) so there is no reason why you need anything better for now and no reason why a good fitting Allez cannot be used to great effect racing as well as sportives.

Hence, I guess my point is, don't just plan to do sportives and/or racing...do them now (but you can sort your bike out for as little as £50 first)

Miles253

Im 6 ft 4 and ride a 58 (XL) so i struggle with a few different aches and pains that a bike fit hasn't cured.

I am scouring ebay for a suitable replacement, as that is the cost effective option. Not as fun though. ha

kajjal

Bobbinogs is giving good advice. It is better to focus on getting a bike of the right size and setup correctly for you rather than focus on buying a more expensive bike to solve your problems.

I am over 6ft6 with a 36.5" cycling In seam and ride a 62cm Trek so understand being tall. When I first got my bike it gave me knee, ankle and seat pain on any ride of more than an hour. I read up on bike fit / setup and made some changes. Moving the saddle further forwards cured the knee and ankle pain. Measuring myself for a saddle and buying a wider saddle with a cut out solved the seat pain. Flipping the stem to the upright position gave me the more upright riding position with an inch of drop I wanted.

Just remember it needs to be the right bike setup for you. Some people would find my setup fine others would want a lot more drop.

Miles253

Yeah, it is perhaps in my best interest to focus on getting the right size. I of course do get this if i get a new bike, if i buy a new frameset, i will also have to pay for another bike fit.

Fat-Boy-Roubaix

I have SuperSix Evo and it is pretty smooth, certainly compares to my 2010 Roubaix. Quite aggressive saddle to bar drop if you remove the mountain of spacers it comes with. You can get 25mm on there but it runs close, too close for me to the rear brake calliper. I have Schwalbe One 23mm Tubeless on the back and you could barely pass a Bic pen through..

Definitely try before you buy, as the sizing is not completely standard my 54 Roubaix was a little small and the 54 SS is just about rightif anything a tiny bit too long as I have a zero offset seatpost on there.

Lovely bike

johnny25

I'm currently riding a Synapse and did a 3 man TT over the weekend. The bike was fine and had no real problems.

If you're looking predominately for speed to race and compete in TT's, then it's not just the bike, it also has a huge amount to do with fitness levels. My fitness level is good, but I was no match for those averaging 23-24mph over the undulating 23 mile course.

I doubt a SS would have made a noticeable difference at this stage in my fledgling TT exploits. Nevertheless I'm considering one for next year.

They're both top bikes. Take your pick!

Miles253

johnny25 wrote:

I'm currently riding a Synapse and did a 3 man TT over the weekend. The bike was fine and had no real problems.

If you're looking predominately for speed to race and compete in TT's, then it's not just the bike, it also has a huge amount to do with fitness levels. My fitness level is good, but I was no match for those averaging 23-24mph over the undulating 23 mile course.

I doubt a SS would have made a noticeable difference at this stage in my fledgling TT exploits. Nevertheless I'm considering one for next year.

They're both top bikes. Take your pick!

Did you find you could achieve the position you wanted on the taller Headtube?

Fat-Boy-Roubaix wrote:

I have SuperSix Evo and it is pretty smooth, certainly compares to my 2010 Roubaix. Quite aggressive saddle to bar drop if you remove the mountain of spacers it comes with. You can get 25mm on there but it runs close, too close for me to the rear brake calliper. I have Schwalbe One 23mm Tubeless on the back and you could barely pass a Bic pen through..

Definitely try before you buy, as the sizing is not completely standard my 54 Roubaix was a little small and the 54 SS is just about rightif anything a tiny bit too long as I have a zero offset seatpost on there.

Lovely bike

That's what I've been hearing about the smoothness. I would be likely to keep a few spaces tucked under there for good measure I think.

How Far is too Far

I have been riding a Super Six Hm for 3 years, done rides upto 200 miles with no comfort problems. I found the Mavic wheels to be a little harsh but now use Fulcrum wheels and even on 23mm tyres it is fine for 10 hours+ in the saddle.

Get the bike you prefer they will both be good for long distance, depending on what riding position you prefer.

johnny25

Miles253 wrote:

johnny25 wrote:

I'm currently riding a Synapse and did a 3 man TT over the weekend. The bike was fine and had no real problems.

If you're looking predominately for speed to race and compete in TT's, then it's not just the bike, it also has a huge amount to do with fitness levels. My fitness level is good, but I was no match for those averaging 23-24mph over the undulating 23 mile course.

I doubt a SS would have made a noticeable difference at this stage in my fledgling TT exploits. Nevertheless I'm considering one for next year.

They're both top bikes. Take your pick!

Did you find you could achieve the position you wanted on the taller Headtube?

I'm fortunate to be very flexible so I had the handle bars lowered by 3cm (a few of spacers removed). I can get a good aero position, although I was not using TT bars at the time, and hold that position for as long as I need to. I'd imagine the Evo would be better suited to a more 'aggressive' riding style because of the shorter head tube. Having said that, I've haven't ridden an Evo yet.

Miles253

How Far is too Far wrote:

I have been riding a Super Six Hm for 3 years, done rides upto 200 miles with no comfort problems. I found the Mavic wheels to be a little harsh but now use Fulcrum wheels and even on 23mm tyres it is fine for 10 hours+ in the saddle.

Get the bike you prefer they will both be good for long distance, depending on what riding position you prefer.

The thing is, having only ridden one bike for any length of time, i've no idea what riding position i would best suit, i know which i would prefer, i.e. long and low and aero but whether or not my body will cope with that is a different measure. I am young and reasonably fit so i dont see why not, but ive no way of knowing.

Miles253

Ive changed direction a bit so i have changed the thread title, if anybody has any good recommendations for reasonably priced frames that are stocked to size 60 or above, at £500 or less, i would be please to hear from them.

lawrences

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/FRPXROT57/ ... fork#tabfs

arlowood

Miles253 wrote:

Ive changed direction a bit so i have changed the thread title, if anybody has any good recommendations for reasonably priced frames that are stocked to size 60 or above, at £500 or less, i would be please to hear from them.

Have a look at the Paul Milnes Ebay site. They have a Forme Longcliffe Pro alloy frame in a 61 size available for £280

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/forme-longcli ... 642b0926a8

Reason I am flagging them up is that I bought a 56cm Forme Longcliffe frame from them a year back and built that up with mainly 105 components as seen below.



Great bike and very comfortable for long distance sportives - rode the Etape Caledonia on it in 2013.

Eventually sold it earlier this year to a guy who wanted it as a training bike for Crit racing. Reason for sale was that I had just bought a 2nd hand Trek carbon frame as a build project and SWMBO couldn't see a reason for having two bikes.

Found Paul Milnes to be excellent to deal with so give them a call if you are interested.

letap73

I have a supersix evo himod and I also have this:

http://www.cycledivision.co.uk/product- ... pid21.html

Considering the price differential between the two there isn't much difference between the two in performance.