Too good to be true?

mcvw

Hi,

I've been umming and ahhing for ages over which bike to buy (budget £1000) but this certainly looks like the one.

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXSLPRIV ... -road-bike

With the new 11 speed sram rival it must surely represent a bargain over its very close relative (old sram rival pro carbon), and it's £200 cheaper!

Should I snap this up right away, or am I missing the point/something else?

Thanks,


Mike

cubedean

It does indeed look a bargain. The pro is still a very good frame despite its old design. I couldn't fault mine when I had it.

bmxboy10

That is a ridiculous price. I am not a PX fan but would be pulling the trigger on this if I were you. This must be the best value bike on the market :shock:

mcvw

I'm so close to ordering it, but have a nagging feeling in the back of my head that as soon as I do, they'll announce a new bike or GS package (I was chatting to a manager in the Giant store at St Paul's in London and he said all the new 11speed 2015 road bikes are going to be fitted with discs)...

londoncommuter

Maybe not a biggy but do you need the medium cage derailleur and 32T cassette? With a compact chainset you'd be able to ride up a vertical wall which might suit where you live or might be a waste of time.

two_flat_tyres

I have the 'old' planet-x pro carbon with Rival gear and after nearly 3 years I cannot fault it one bit. the only change I have made is the wheels and its juts a fantastic ride. Light, fast and nimble, ideal for climbing with the wifli gears.

plodder73

mcvw wrote:

I'm so close to ordering it, but have a nagging feeling in the back of my head that as soon as I do, they'll announce a new bike or GS package (I was chatting to a manager in the Giant store at St Paul's in London and he said all the new 11speed 2015 road bikes are going to be fitted with discs)...

Not all 11 speed bikes, but all Giant Defy carbon are now disc

diamonddog

Buy it now, still loving mine with Rival 20 speed.

yertez

Its' almost identical to the £849 Mach 700 B'Twin
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/mach-700-car ... 90154.html

Both are 8.2Kg, main difference is the B'Twin is Shimano 105. Both seem to have Aksium type but unbranded wheels.

twgh

londoncommuter wrote:

Maybe not a biggy but do you need the medium cage derailleur and 32T cassette? With a compact chainset you'd be able to ride up a vertical wall which might suit where you live or might be a waste of time.

What a load of tosh - most recreational cyclists would need a compact and a 32 to get up 8-9% stuff at anything approaching 90 rpm. If you want to tackle steeper stuff that than that and stay in the saddle then a 32 is brilliant. Of course in the UK you can get out the saddle and grind up a 1km climb but if you are planning on heading anywhere with climbs in excess of 3km and 8%+ I would suggest that having a 32 will enable you to climb quicker.

If anyone were buying a bike at this price point I would strongly suggest a medium cage irrespective of whether you put a 11-32 or a 11-25 on the back - having the flexibility is great IMO.

DKay

twgh wrote:

What a load of tosh - most recreational cyclists would need a compact and a 32 to get up 8-9% stuff at anything approaching 90 rpm. If you want to tackle steeper stuff that than that and stay in the saddle then a 32 is brilliant. Of course in the UK you can get out the saddle and grind up a 1km climb but if you are planning on heading anywhere with climbs in excess of 3km and 8%+ I would suggest that having a 32 will enable you to climb quicker.

If anyone were buying a bike at this price point I would strongly suggest a medium cage irrespective of whether you put a 11-32 or a 11-25 on the back - having the flexibility is great IMO.

I tend to agree. It's just a load of macho posturing assuming that nobody needs to run anything bigger than a 28t cassette. I did The Durham Beast sportive on Sunday which packs 5200ft. in 52 miles and I was very grateful for the 12-30t cassette at times. While other riders were coughing up their lungs, grinding away out of the saddle, I was sat in, merrily spinning past them.

twgh

DKay wrote:

twgh wrote:

What a load of tosh - most recreational cyclists would need a compact and a 32 to get up 8-9% stuff at anything approaching 90 rpm. If you want to tackle steeper stuff that than that and stay in the saddle then a 32 is brilliant. Of course in the UK you can get out the saddle and grind up a 1km climb but if you are planning on heading anywhere with climbs in excess of 3km and 8%+ I would suggest that having a 32 will enable you to climb quicker.

If anyone were buying a bike at this price point I would strongly suggest a medium cage irrespective of whether you put a 11-32 or a 11-25 on the back - having the flexibility is great IMO.

I tend to agree. It's just a load of macho posturing assuming that nobody needs to run anything bigger than a 28t cassette. I did The Durham Beast sportive on Sunday which packs 5200ft. in 52 miles and I was very grateful for the 12-30t cassette at times. While other riders were coughing up their lungs, grinding away out of the saddle, I was sat in, merrily spinning past them.

spinning is winning

diamonddog

IIRC it is supplied with the WiFli derailleur and 11/32 as standard and is a hell of a bargain at that price.

londoncommuter

Blimey, I didn't expect that abuse! Of course it's all personal and dependent on where you ride so a compact with a 32 cassette might be great for you but equally a lot of people are happy with the other extreme of a 53/39 chainset and 11-25T on the back. Personally, I have a 34 25T and don't feel I need anything lower to tackle the "mountains" of Kent. Each to their own. I thought it was helpful just in case the OP didn't want the 28T, might not have noticed it and PlanetX would swap it out.....

Back on topic, looks a great value bike.

mcvw

Gutted!!

Sat down yesterday evening - specced the bike (bar tape, pedals yada yada), selected the frame-size (medium), go to choose colour (blue) - only available in matte-black now!

It is available in blue - at the usual price of £999.

F**k you Planet-X and your short term offers!! Makes me think that it was always some entrapment scheme anyway!

markhewitt1978

DKay wrote:

I tend to agree. It's just a load of macho posturing assuming that nobody needs to run anything bigger than a 28t cassette. I did The Durham Beast sportive on Sunday which packs 5200ft. in 52 miles and I was very grateful for the 12-30t cassette at times. While other riders were coughing up their lungs, grinding away out of the saddle, I was sat in, merrily spinning past them.

haha, same, 34/30 up Iveston bank spinning away while others were walking. Not that it wasn't an effort mind you.

DeVlaeminck

36*27 up Hardknott Pass while others were walking, a mate used 39*25 and still finished the Fred Whitton in 6.15. Gearing is personal and personally I'd have no use for a 34*32 - macho posturing or not - when you get down to 5mph I'm not convinced spinning at 90 rpm is any easier than grinding along at say 60 or less.

holiver

Dolan do a Rival 22 carbon bike for £1k too:

http://www.dolan-bikes.com/road/road-bi ... etape.html

markhewitt1978

DeVlaeminck wrote:

Gearing is personal.

That it is. Which is why there's no point in those who say "nobody" needs a 32T cassette.