Road bike advice please. ( yawn I know )

Toe knee

Hello everyone,

Having now sold my defy 2 ( to big, my bad ), I was delighted to find out I am eligible for the C2W scheme in work again, my aim is to buy the best spec bike for £1000, the aim is to buy one that will not need upgrading in the near future, and I'm looking for a more relaxed geometry than aggressive,and not to bothered if carbon or not.
My research up to now, had me putting the cube peloton SL 2015 at the top of my list, but upon visiting a few bike shops today and looking on line, it seems that although the components are good, the frame is not so good ( unless anyone can tell me otherwise ). I have today been shown on a couple of occasions the Scott speedster 10
2015...? I was also looking at the Dale synapse 2015, but not sure about the disc brakes. So any advice would be greatly appreciated on this, I bet very repetitive question. If I can work out how to put links to the above up, I will post them.
Also this is an early 50th present from my wife who is paying for it, so I'm a mamil, who hasn't reached 50 miles yet if this helps aswell.

Thank you for looking.

Tony

cedargreen

Toe knee wrote:

, my aim is to buy the best spec bike for £1000,
Tony

Personally, I would try not to get too hung up about the spec. There are loads of bikes available at this price and most will have similar spec. Bikes which have 'better' spec in one area- like 105 groupset instead of Tiagra- will probably compromise somewhere else, such as the wheels.

Much more important than spec is sizing and comfort. You could easily spend 3 or 4 times your budget on a road bike but if it's the wrong size it won't work for you. Try a few bikes out for size and if possible, use your C2W voucher at a decent bike shop with knowledgable staff who will help you get fitted correctly.

Manc33

I worked out you can build up a china carbon road bike for about £1100 that would be nearly all CF (not the wheels). Carbon fiber wheels are 1. More expensive and 2. Heavier.

Who knows how light it would be or if anything would break.

But the important part is the gear I factored in, because I use flat bars I factored in 10sp M980 trigger shifters@ £100, Ultegra flat bar brake levers @ £20, PC1051 chain @ £15, 10sp XT rear mech @ £45, Ultegra brake calipers @ £65, cassette @ £30. So there's about £280 of it. Swapping the flat bars for drops will add a slight amount and STi shifters will add way more like £200 more.

But can you go in a shop and get a £1200 bike with XTR shifters and Ultegra brake calipers? :P What about £1500?

Oh - and thats all carbon fiber. The frame, stem, handlebars, seatpost, saddle, bar ends and bottle cages. I am sure you'd have to pay over £2000. I never mentioned the tyres I factored in - GP4000S @ £67 a pair. One day eh.

darkhairedlord

Manc33 wrote:

I worked out you can build up a china carbon road bike for about £1100 that would be nearly all CF (not the wheels). Carbon fiber wheels are 1. More expensive and 2. Heavier.

Who knows how light it would be or if anything would break.

But the important part is the gear I factored in, because I use flat bars I factored in 10sp M980 trigger shifters@ £100, Ultegra flat bar brake levers @ £20, PC1051 chain @ £15, 10sp XT rear mech @ £45, Ultegra brake calipers @ £65, cassette @ £30. So there's about £280 of it. Swapping the flat bars for drops will add a slight amount and STi shifters will add way more like £200 more.

But can you go in a shop and get a £1200 bike with XTR shifters and Ultegra brake calipers? :P What about £1500?

Oh - and thats all carbon fiber. The frame, stem, handlebars, seatpost, saddle, bar ends and bottle cages. I am sure you'd have to pay over £2000. I never mentioned the tyres I factored in - GP4000S @ £67 a pair. One day eh.

And did you read the OP before spouting that sheeeet...??

Toe knee

Manc33

Does OP know you can make up a CF bike that will be really light for about £1200?

He does now. So does anyone else finding the thread.

If you spend £1200 here in a shop you get a metal frame and 105 groupset.

I always thought C2W was employers and retailers rigging it so you spend your cash with them or isn't that what its about? Plus building your own bike is always more satisfying. Building it is part of the journey into understanding its maintenance in future.

OP didn't say whether he is buying a £1,000 bike thats been reduced to £750 or a £1250 bike thats been reduced to £1000 - so no one can tell him what he wants. How do you know he won't change his mind after reading my post? You don't really but throw an insult right off regardless.

If suggesting other options where you spend the same amount of money on something but end up with something better is a bad thing then err...

SoSimple

Manc33 wrote:

Does OP know you can make up a top end bike for about £1200?

He does now. So does anyone else finding the thread.

If you spend £1200 here in a shop you get a metal frame and 105 groupset.

I always thought C2W was employers and retailers rigging it so you spend your cash with them or isn't that what its about? Plus building your own bike is always more satisfying.

You clearly don't understand the C2W scheme. It's not about employers and retailers 'rigging it' at all. You can choose any bike from whatever retailer in your company's scheme. You'll pay full retail in the majority of cases and with a few there will be a small mark up as the bike shop makes peanuts from C2W.

The benefit to the purchaser, especially if they are a higher rate tax payer is quite significant.

As for building your own bike being more satisfying, I don't disagree but it's not for everyone - and I'll think you'll find that Ribble, Planet X, Rose and Canyon have copied your idea of building a top end bike for £1200- you should sue!

Manc33

All the finer details on my build would be better in comparison though like pedals, 45g skewers and so on. A full carbon saddle. Do they really have all of that and Ultegra/XT/XTR level stuff (where it matters most - shifters) on carbon road bikes for £1200?

Adding drop carbon bars and Ultegra/DA STi shifters to my setup probably wouldn't break the £1500 mark. Just like on all "cheap" bikes - it would have a £200 wheelset on it not a £50 wheelset but that wheelset would be 1400g... what about the weight, the ones in shops are around 18lb, I have not added up the weight of the china build yet. I admit my setup would be 10sp and going to 11sp might add a lot more, I don't have that sort of cash to be looking. :P

imposter2.0

Manc33 wrote:

Carbon fiber wheels are 1. More expensive and 2. Heavier.

Can you elaborate on these points, please?

Manc33

Imposter wrote:

Manc33 wrote:

Carbon fiber wheels are 1. More expensive and 2. Heavier.

Can you elaborate on these points, please?

Look on Google, I don't need to elaborate.

Carbon wheelsets cost more than £300 for a wheelset and generally weigh over 1500g.

Aluminium wheelsets can be had that cost under £200 that weigh under 1400g.

Carbon seems to be a fad with wheels... everywhere else its used on a bike it seems to serve a purpose over metal, but with wheels I can't see it, as a consumer anyway, maybe the deep profile helps people when racing but thats a minority of people.

imposter2.0

Manc33 wrote:

Carbon wheelsets cost more than £300 for a wheelset and generally weigh over 1500g.

Except for those that weigh considerably less, obviously. You seem to specialise in massive generalisations, which also happen to be wrong.

Manc33

Links?

Why would people be asking/expecting a "sub 1500g sub £400" wheelset when talking about carbon rims?

Show me a carbon wheelset thats under 1400g at around £200.

Last time I was looking into it, all there was available was shallow carbon rims that resemble aluminium ones, that were light - but considerably more expensive than a metal rim. There may very well be carbon rims under 300g per rim or where the wheelset ends up at 1290g or something, but they are always tubulars and always cost a lot more than a metal one at around 1350g-1400g.

I just see them as a fad. If it ain't broke...

EDIT:

Around 1500g and costs £250 with £50 postage, it seems like the going rate to me since they sold 8 wheelsets of it.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Carbon-25mm-R ... 4897.l4275

You cannot get a carbon wheelset anywhere near £200 + sub-1400g. I would love to see it. Even if it were possible the spokes and hubs would have to be junk then you're just pushing the weight back up and so it goes.

chrisaonabike

Have prices gone up over the last couple of years? My end-of-season 2012 Defy 3 Composite (Tiagra) (also an early 50th birthday present from my OH) was £999 reduced from £1249.

Or does C2W require buying at non-marked down prices?

darkhairedlord

ChrisAOnABike wrote:

Have prices gone up over the last couple of years? My end-of-season 2012 Defy 3 Composite (Tiagra) (also an early 50th birthday present from my OH) was £999 reduced from £1249.

Or does C2W require buying at non-marked down prices?

Some will take c2w on discounted bikes.. Don't ask me which ones..

darkhairedlord

Manc33 wrote:

Links?

Why would people be asking/expecting a "sub 1500g sub £400" wheelset when talking about carbon rims?

Show me a carbon wheelset thats under 1400g at around £200.

Last time I was looking into it, all there was available was shallow carbon rims that resemble aluminium ones, that were light - but considerably more expensive than a metal rim. There may very well be carbon rims under 300g per rim or where the wheelset ends up at 1290g or something, but they are always tubulars and always cost a lot more than a metal one at around 1350g-1400g.

I just see them as a fad. If it ain't broke...

EDIT:

Around 1500g and costs £250 with £50 postage, it seems like the going rate to me since they sold 8 wheelsets of it.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Carbon-25mm-R ... 4897.l4275

You cannot get a carbon wheelset anywhere near £200 + sub-1400g. I would love to see it. Even if it were possible the spokes and hubs would have to be junk then you're just pushing the weight back up and so it goes.

So is your advise based on experience or a hunch?
Is this how YOU would spend YOUR money? If it's such a no brainer :shock: build it a report back from casualty...
You of all people should know that cutting corners on a build is just asking for trouble, there is a reason why your suggested build is so cheap....
Perhaps not everyone wants a frankenbike with half an Mtb group set and a dodgy chain line.

EDIT- Please append to all your previous posts above...

SoSimple

Manc33 wrote:

Links?

Why would people be asking/expecting a "sub 1500g sub £400" wheelset when talking about carbon rims?

Show me a carbon wheelset thats under 1400g at around £200.

Last time I was looking into it, all there was available was shallow carbon rims that resemble aluminium ones, that were light - but considerably more expensive than a metal rim. There may very well be carbon rims under 300g per rim or where the wheelset ends up at 1290g or something, but they are always tubulars and always cost a lot more than a metal one at around 1350g-1400g.

I just see them as a fad. If it ain't broke...

EDIT:

Around 1500g and costs £250 with £50 postage, it seems like the going rate to me since they sold 8 wheelsets of it.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Carbon-25mm-R ... 4897.l4275

You cannot get a carbon wheelset anywhere near £200 + sub-1400g. I would love to see it. Even if it were possible the spokes and hubs would have to be junk then you're just pushing the weight back up and so it goes.

Think the OP is after advice on a ready made bike, not whether you can save 200g on some nameless wheels, or a further 100g on some carbon bars that should be OK, but you'll never know.

Of the bikes mentioned, the Cannondale Synapse ticks most of the boxes for the use you're after and I wouldn't discount it on the basis of disc brakes they are coming, like it or not!

For a good spec bike around that price, check out Canyon, Rose, Planet X etc but don't get too hung up on the weight or spec as Manc seems to be. At that price there isn't a huge difference so get a good looking bike you want to ride and upgrade it at leisure.

One thing I've learned from this forum is - don't overthink it!

Bobbinogs

darkhairedlord wrote:

...
Perhaps not everyone wants a frankenbike with half an Mtb group set and a dodgy chain line...

I think this is my favourite bit of this thread

meesterbond

Manc33 - the gift that keeps on giving

chemicalviking

XT ? XTR ??? Have bike radar merged MTB & Road together now lol stick a pivital seat on it that will look amazing. I got the Cannondale CAAD 8 2015 for under £900 great compromise between racey and comfort and can't wait to do some spring sportives on it . Well worth going having a test on one .