Head v Heart?
dstev55
Posts: 742
Hi all,
I'm going to be buying a new road bike soon and I've got it down to a choice of 3. The 3 I am looking at are:
Canyon Endurace CF 9.0 SL
Rose Xeon CGF-4000
Focus Cayo Ultegra 2016
I've been riding for only 9 months (I currently have a Btwin Alur 700) however the progress I have made is incredible and I feel although I can still get much fitter I would love a lighter bike. My bike weighs 9.4kg with pedals and bottle cages so as you can imagine it does hold me back a little. I have struggled with the low riding position of road bikes and I am currently riding my bike with stem upside down to help bring the position a little more upright.
So down to my choices. The main two are the Canyon and Rose. They have similar specs, similar weight and are similar prices. Both are endurance bikes but both still marketed as race oriented. The Focus is the outsider - although it's a little cheaper, the spec is poorer and it's a little weightier, I think the only reason I am keeping this in is because Focus are stocked at a local shop and I can try it unlike the other two. I am planning on getting a professional bike fit in the next month or so which may help me decide.
My heart says the Canyon (brand pedigree I think), my head says the Rose as I think it's a better bike and will suit me more. Plus it's easier to change the spec of the Rose (would probably go for a 52/36 chainring and Dt Swiss R20 Dicut wheels). Putting a proper sensible head on I would go forth Focus for the reasons above.
So does anyone have any advice? Has anyone got or ridden the bikes I am looking at? Anyone ever bought a direct to consumer bike before and regretted it?
Thanks in advance!
I'm going to be buying a new road bike soon and I've got it down to a choice of 3. The 3 I am looking at are:
Canyon Endurace CF 9.0 SL
Rose Xeon CGF-4000
Focus Cayo Ultegra 2016
I've been riding for only 9 months (I currently have a Btwin Alur 700) however the progress I have made is incredible and I feel although I can still get much fitter I would love a lighter bike. My bike weighs 9.4kg with pedals and bottle cages so as you can imagine it does hold me back a little. I have struggled with the low riding position of road bikes and I am currently riding my bike with stem upside down to help bring the position a little more upright.
So down to my choices. The main two are the Canyon and Rose. They have similar specs, similar weight and are similar prices. Both are endurance bikes but both still marketed as race oriented. The Focus is the outsider - although it's a little cheaper, the spec is poorer and it's a little weightier, I think the only reason I am keeping this in is because Focus are stocked at a local shop and I can try it unlike the other two. I am planning on getting a professional bike fit in the next month or so which may help me decide.
My heart says the Canyon (brand pedigree I think), my head says the Rose as I think it's a better bike and will suit me more. Plus it's easier to change the spec of the Rose (would probably go for a 52/36 chainring and Dt Swiss R20 Dicut wheels). Putting a proper sensible head on I would go forth Focus for the reasons above.
So does anyone have any advice? Has anyone got or ridden the bikes I am looking at? Anyone ever bought a direct to consumer bike before and regretted it?
Thanks in advance!
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Comments
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The weight of your bike is not holding you back. At all.
If you want a new bike, get the one that fits best and you like the look of most.Insta: ATEnduranceCoaching
ABCC Cycling Coach0 -
I would get a bike fit first personally and that will help you figure out what bikes are suitable. Although as NapD says your current 9.4kg bike won't be holding you back (unless you're planning to do hill climb races this autumn), that said n+1 is the right number of bikes so no reason not to buy another if you have the money (would also mean you can keep your current one as a winter bike).0
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What NapD says. Your heart has convinced your head that you need a new bike.
Buy a new bike because you want to. As long as it fits you get the one that floats your boat and in a year or so you will look at it and want to ride it. Not the one that makes you think you should have bought something else.0 -
The Canyons look awesome, and for me that's as good a reason as any to get one!0
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It's really not all about the weight. Unless you're climbing mountains all day long. Once the bike is rolling - its fine. You would be better off working on your position - get that more aero as thats slowing you down compared to the bike weight. You don't see any pros suddenly dropping out of the peleton as their domestique adds 2Kg of water to their bike ?
Personally I'd not be getting a bike now as the weather seems to be turning. I'd be looking to winterproof the old one - guards, lights and stout tyres and get ready to rack up the winter miles.
That leaves the whole of the winter to dream about the new bike.0 -
Personally I'd not be getting a bike now as the weather seems to be turning. I'd be looking to winterproof the old one - guards, lights and stout tyres and get ready to rack up the winter miles.
Some good deals around at the moment though!0 -
Thanks for all the advice.
To be fair it will probably be early next year when I do end up buying a bike anyway. As for a light bike, I love going up hills and I'd prefer to buy a bike that caters more for climbing than it does flat performance. I live in a fairly hilly area and I'm only about 20km away from the Peak District and I'll be hitting some of the famous climbs in there next year, so a lighter bike is a must for me.
Still not any closer to making up my mind between the 3 bikes though!0 -
stick with what you have and train hard throughought winter, 9.4kg isn't so bad. when spirng comes around and you've saved a bit more cash, get the upgrade.0
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To be fair, I'm hoping to move house very soon and I think my wife would be a little annoyed if I came home with a new bike before we moved so it probably will be Spring in all honesty. Made the mistake of looking at some of the more mainstream alternatives too (Trek, Cannondale, Specialized etc) so my mind could have completely changed by next year!0
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So it's agreed then.... You're not getting a new bike just yet
The forum has just saved you money...... For now.0 -
I think you should weld 2kg of weight to your frame and wheels, just to prove to yourself that it makes absolutely no difference 8)
I think the moneysavingexpert.com site would be less likely to dissuade people from getting a nicer bike than this place
This is cycling we are talking about ........ go with your heart
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Why does having a lighter bike not make any difference to how quickly you can ride (especially climbing)? I've lost about 5kg in the last 2 months and the progress I have made in terms of segment times on Strava is incredible and I'm sure if I lose a few more kg they'll increase even more, so surely it has a factor in how quickly you climb?0
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Why does having a lighter bike not make any difference to how quickly you can ride (especially climbing)? I've lost about 5kg in the last 2 months and the progress I have made in terms of segment times on Strava is incredible and I'm sure if I lose a few more kg they'll increase even more, so surely it has a factor in how quickly you climb?
It does, just not as much as you think - have a look at an online calculator such as bikecalculator.com and play around with the weights.
How have you lost that weight? Lots of cycling perchance?
I also lost a lot of weight last year and yes, it made a huge difference to my speed. But I also did a whole load of cycling, which also gave me a lot more power. A simple way to show this is to compare workouts on the turbo over time because on a stationary trainer it doesn't matter how much you weigh.0 -
Why does having a lighter bike not make any difference to how quickly you can ride (especially climbing)? I've lost about 5kg in the last 2 months and the progress I have made in terms of segment times on Strava is incredible and I'm sure if I lose a few more kg they'll increase even more, so surely it has a factor in how quickly you climb?
It does, just not as much as you think - have a look at an online calculator such as bikecalculator.com and play around with the weights.
How have you lost that weight? Lots of cycling perchance?
I also lost a lot of weight last year and yes, it made a huge difference to my speed. But I also did a whole load of cycling, which also gave me a lot more power. A simple way to show this is to compare workouts on the turbo over time because on a stationary trainer it doesn't matter how much you weigh.
Both a fair bit of cycling (around 100km a week, so not a huge amount) but also a much improved diet. For the first time in my life I actually WANT to eat healthy and don't feel it's something I have to do, as I know it will improve my cycling.0 -
Realistically 5kg is a lot more than you will save by changing bikes, however by changing from a 9.4kg bike to one of those listed you might save 1.5kg or so which will definitely make the bike feel different. On the other hand, I have 2 bikes, one weighing about 8.8kg and one a bit over 10, and my average speeds according to veloviewer are almost identical on both (also bear in mind it only really affects climbing, not riding on the flat or descending so much). To be honest with my nicer wheels on either I prefer the heavier bike as it's a better fit (and a much more expensive frame!).
I didn't really give a recommendation above, but if it was me and I had the spare cash I'd always buy a new bike - just keep in mind that saving a few hundred grams isn't likely to be a game changer! The frames you list will probably feel much nicer to ride than the b twin but that's always going to be subjective.0
