Planet X or ?

mcvw

Hi,

I have a budget of £1000 (cycle2work scheme) and am considering one of the following:
- Planet X pro carbon sram rival
- Planet X pro carbon 105 tdf ltd edition

I've tried cannondale's (supersix evo 105 - nice but over budget at £1600) and my friend just got a roubaix sport sl4 (also very nice, but again £1600 is over my budget) - but what's holding me back on the Planet X, is not being able to try one. I'm in surrey and the nearest Planet X shop is up in Sheffield!

At this pricing point is there an alternative bike(s) that offers better value or spec - and would I notice a big difference if I went for an alloy frame rather than carbon?

Or should I have faith and pull the trigger on the Planet X over the phone/internet?

All advice/opinions gratefully received

Thanks,


Mike

diamonddog

Triathlon Zone in St Albans do Planet X so you could try one there.

I have a Pro Carbon with Sram Rival and can't fault it, I also have a Canyon with Sram Force that cost well over twice as much and TBH there is a difference in ride quality but I get the same enjoyment from both.

macleod113

Please bear in mind Planet x and some other online retailers will charge a premium (up to 12% I believe) for you to use a CTW voucher so don't let them shock you when they ask for another £120 when you place the order.

do you have a good reputable LBS you can get one from?

mcvw

Thanks diamonddog The Canyon Aeroad SF is a thing of beauty - but way over my budget

And thanks also to MacLeod113 - I wasn't aware of any additional charges...

I do seriously like the Planet X bikes (and St Alban's is a much more accessible than Sheffield), but I do wonder if I might even notice the difference between an all-carbon bike and maybe go for a more conventional constructed bike instead - perhaps like this Cannondale?

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m7b0s6p547 ... 5-5-C-2014

Any thoughts?

diamonddog

TBH I would go for Interest Free option above Cycle Scheme personally which PX do (a friend bought one using IFC).

I have had the Pro Carbon a few years now and it still puts a smile on my face when I ride it and no problems with components or frame from day one, the Canyon CF SL I have is also a great bike to ride but as you stated not in your budget, both are carbon. My alu bike is used on the turbo full time and never comes off it.

Carbon is not the be all and end all, there are some really good alu bikes out there but IME carbon bikes do soak up the bumps and vibrations better, the best thing to do is go and try several different ones before you decide.

TFC1

I boight my PX PRo Carbon at Triathlon Zone just under a year ago. they were really helpful and i love the bike!

Shtukka

+1 for the Px Pro Carboon SRAM rival - I've had mine 6 weeks on C2W and it's great. Can't be beaten at that price point.

funkyg

diamonddog wrote:

TBH I would go for Interest Free option above Cycle Scheme personally which PX do (a friend bought one using IFC).

I disagree, with the Cycle Scheme you save the tax on it which is upto 40% depending on your tax bracket.

HebdenBiker

diamonddog wrote:

TBH I would go for Interest Free option above Cycle Scheme personally

Cycle Scheme is a no-brainer, especially if you are a higher-rate taxpayer. I've just ordered a PX Pro Carbon with SRAM rival through Cycle Scheme. Even with the £100 admin charge I'm saving £300.

Being able to try before you buy - well - it depends on your experience of buying/riding bikes. I've had so many over the years that I know a Medium will be fine for me. Once I've ridden it, I will fit a longer/shorter stem if needed, to get an optimum fit. It's an inexpensive adjustment.

Otherwise, it's a 3hr-ish drive to Sheffield to sit on one. Worth the petrol in my opinion, in order to get the right sized bike.

mcvw

Although I agree that the cycle scheme offers nice savings (via tax etc), but I'm not happy that Planet X will charge an additional 12% admin fee for me opting to purchase a bike from them (I have the Cycle Plus voucher)

I'm pretty sure that Cycle Surgery, Evans etc don't charge admin fee's for purchases via the cycle scheme :?:

mcvw

Just called Triathlon Zone (St Albans) - regarding the possibility of trying a Planet X this Friday. Unfortunately they don't accept the Cycle Plus scheme so Planet X could well be off-limits to me now

HebdenBiker

mcvw wrote:

Although I agree that the cycle scheme offers nice savings (via tax etc), but I'm not happy that Planet X will charge an additional 12% admin fee for me opting to purchase a bike from them (I have the Cycle Plus voucher)

I'm pretty sure that Cycle Surgery, Evans etc don't charge admin fee's for purchases via the cycle scheme :?:

Well, OK. If you want a carbon bike from Evans, they do the Norco Valence C4. It's about 1kg heavier than the PX and has a downgrade in equipment (Tiagra vs Rival). £100 is very, very good value for -1kg of weight from a bike, which is why I'd go for the PX, but it's a personal decision and I'm sure the Valence is a perfectly good bike.

HebdenBiker

mcvw wrote:

Just called Triathlon Zone (St Albans) - regarding the possibility of trying a Planet X this Friday. Unfortunately they don't accept the Cycle Plus scheme so Planet X could well be off-limits to me now

Hold on there. PX website states they DO accept Cycle Plus. So not off-limits - you'll just have to buy direct.

mcvw

Very True. I could buy direct. But the reason for using cycle scheme is to take advantage of the "benefit" from work - which right now doesn't seem to be much of one...

mcvw

And yes, Planet X do accept cycle plus, but triathlon zone in St. Albans don't

two_flat_tyres

I've had my carbon pro rival for three years now and it's served me very well. I have slowly upgraded and tweaked some bits, the wheels being the main and best upgrade I did, but the majority of the bike is spot on for the money. I would recommend one for sure.

HebdenBiker

mcvw wrote:

Very True. I could buy direct. But the reason for using cycle scheme is to take advantage of the "benefit" from work - which right now doesn't seem to be much of one...

Well OK. You don't want to pay the admin fee and that's fine. If you want a carbon bike that's under a grand from a bike shop that accepts Cycle Plus vouchers, your options are quite limited. I've pointed out the Norco bike from Evans. You don't get as much for your money as with the PX but it'll be a great bike. I've done long, multi-day rides across mountain ranges on bikes equipped far more poorly than that bike.

Similarly, there is this from Cycle Surgery. Great frame from a prestige brand, but brakes and drivetrain are, once again, a significant step down from the PX but if your main priority is keeping your costs down, it'll be a great bike. It would leave you with enough money for pedals and shoes too if you need them.

Or if you're happy with an alu frame (once again, they have served me well on long, challenging rides) then you have far more options. You will not go far wrong with something like this.

HebdenBiker

Or this carbon job, if you happen to need a size 55cm

ic.

Will Halfords accept it? The Boardman range are excellent for sub £1k

HebdenBiker

IC. wrote:

Will Halfords accept it? The Boardman range are excellent for sub £1k

I agree with you about the Boardmans, but I believe Halfords operate their own C2W scheme. The OP could always ring and ask them...

mcvw

Thanks for all the comments - all much appreciated. I had previously looked at the Boardman range (due to the excellent spec offered), but from looking at Halfords website they operate the cycle2work scheme (not cycle plus), so no luck I think.

I agree with previous posts that sub £1k, the Planet X offers a lot of bike for your buck - even with the admin fee. Although, out of interest, how would the following compare - which would be priced similar to the Planet X - after adding the admin fee (yes, I know the Planet X has better components, but it's more about the frame/geometry etc)?

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... rrency=GBP

HebdenBiker

You would not be able to get that Specialized on the bike to work scheme because it is over £1000. Personally, I wouldn't pay that money for a Sora-equipped bike because there is better value to be had elsewhere. If you want a branded frame and are happy with Sora, I would be looking at the Wilier I pointed out earlier.

But hey - it's your money. All of the bikes mentioned in this thread, including your Specialized, will get you to work and back and see you right on the Sunday club run. Just go for the one which floats your boat.

bigmat

Planet X, to be fair to them, only pass on whatever admin fee they are charged by the relevant cycle to work scheme. For me, with I think cyclescheme, I'm pretty sure its £100. Their perfectly fair justification for this is that their bikes are already keenly priced and they can't afford to take a further hit when accepting payment by cycle to work vouchers.

My main concern with planet X would be getting any response from them - I've been waiting for a reply on the status of my order since last Monday. I'm being generous and putting it down to staff on holiday!

HebdenBiker

BigMat wrote:

My main concern with planet X would be getting any response from them - I've been waiting for a reply on the status of my order since last Monday. I'm being generous and putting it down to staff on holiday!

Err, just phone them?

ic.

Have you actually asked Halfords the question? You might be surprised...

stronginthesun

going back to the original question , planet x pro carbon sram rival or 105 ?
im in the same position but paying cash , cant make my mind up between the groupsets
looks like the 105 is complete , where the sram rival skimps on the brakes and cassette , this doesn't worry me
which is best probly not a lot in in it to tell the truth

HebdenBiker

stronginthesun wrote:

going back to the original question , planet x pro carbon sram rival or 105 ?
im in the same position but paying cash , cant make my mind up between the groupsets
looks like the 105 is complete , where the sram rival skimps on the brakes and cassette , this doesn't worry me
which is best probly not a lot in in it to tell the truth

I've never used SRAM so was attracted to the novelty I think it's lighter too.

mcvw

This looks a bit of a bargain...

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBHOTR105/ ... reviewstab

diamonddog

mcvw wrote:

This looks a bit of a bargain...

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBHOTR105/ ... reviewstab

Quite a long ett for the size range, Small = 547mm whereas Pro Carbon Small is 530mm and Medium is 547mm.

mcvw

diamonddog wrote:

mcvw wrote:

This looks a bit of a bargain...

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBHOTR105/ ... reviewstab

Quite a long ett for the size range, Small = 547mm whereas Pro Carbon Small is 530mm and Medium is 547mm.

Yeah, I noticed the same after comparing the geometries. Also after some googling it's presumed that the frames on these bikes may not quite be 'as good as they appear'. So maybe not as good as first thought...

diamonddog

Why not go to Tri Zone and have a look at the PX range then decide, at least you will have seen them in the flesh as it were.