New Bike- Carborn or Steel?

SnazzyMadazzy

Hi, I am looking at buing a new road bike and wondering what I should get, I have looked at a Specialized Allez and also a Ribble Evo pro carbon. Do you think it is worth the extra £300. Also could anyone recommend any other bikes with a max price of around £1000.
Thanks

imposter2.0

It's going to be difficult for anyone to answer meaningfully without more info on bike specs and the type of riding you do ..

matt_n-2

Also the Allez is aluminium not steel.

ugo.santalucia

CAAD 12 with 105 is a nudge above a grand and a fine bike...

smmjrr

When I bought my first road bike I went aluminium and a friend who did a lot of cycling said I would be better going carbon, but as it was first dabble into cycling so went for the Allez Elite which is a great bike, he was right only 4 months later I bought a carbon, Steve

northpole

With a budget of £1,000 I'd be tempted to have a good look at the Ribble special with Ultegra groupset

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-ev ... l-edition/

Peter

Semantik

northpole wrote:

With a budget of £1,000 I'd be tempted to have a good look at the Ribble special with Ultegra groupset

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-ev ... l-edition/

Peter

Not sure why Ribble always comes up as the 'best value' suggestion. Sure,they are ok but that frame is donkeys years old and a bit flexy- don't ask me how I know. Ribble were selling the frames for £250 for quite a while so you can do the maths on what the bike is actually worth. Groupset is not full Ultegra in any case- brakes and chainset are FSA...in fact the only Ultegra parts are the shifters and the mechs. Ribble are becoming more like Planet X every day..
For the same or less money OP could get a carbon 105 bike from Giant or Spesh or Trek or the Cannondale the other poster has mentioned. All will be head and shoulders above that Ribble.

EG https://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/prod ... _2016_Bike

fat daddy

smmjrr wrote:

When I bought my first road bike I went aluminium and a friend who did a lot of cycling said I would be better going carbon, but as it was first dabble into cycling so went for the Allez Elite which is a great bike, he was right only 4 months later I bought a carbon, Steve

on the other hand though ... my 1st bike was (and still is full carbon) ... and my subsequent 2 purchases have both been Aluminium.

you cant say which is better carbon or aluminuim .. it all depends on the bike .... a crap carbon will be worse than a good aluminium and vice versa

for £1k I would probably buy a CAAD12 .. thats mostly aluminium .... throw in a few more £££s and I would go for the carbon six

kingrollo

IMO Carbon gives a nicer ride, all other things being equal.

But there is absolutely nothing wrong wrong with an aluminium bike. If its your first bike I would tempted to go with alu - and spend the cash you save on helmets, shorts, shoes etc. If in 12 months time youre eating up the miles, and still loving it - you can upgrade to a CF bike then, and probably sell the alu for only slightly less than you paid.

cycleclinic

You seem to buying on price. So buy on that. The frame material should mot be a consideration as tyre choice can transofrm or ruin the ride of any bike. If you are spending more then start to consider frame material more. Nothing wrong alloy bikes they can be comfortable.