£1,500 budget. What do I buy??

tommyp123

Hi, I've started to get into cycling recently using my £300 commuter hybrid at weekends for long rides. I'm really enjoying it so want to invest in a road bike with a budget of up to £1,500. Ive no idea what to buy so if anyone has any recommendations it would be massively appreciated!

imafatman

That's a great budget that will get you a lot of bike but you probably want to think about the kind of riding you want to do.

Are you looking for something comfortable for long rides to soak up the miles? Something that has pannier mounts for carrying luggage for example. Or are you looking for something lightweight and "fast" perhaps a carbon framed race bike?

I recently got a Genesis Croix de Fer which is the former type, heavyish steel frame but great allround comfortable bike for long days in the saddle.

I would reccomend you set some budget aside for a basic bike fit - and I don't mean you bike shop guy just guessing but rather putting you and the bike on a trainer for at least an hour to set your seat height, setback position as well as handlebar reach and height. I paid £65 for an hour and it's the best money I've ever spent because I have a bike which I can ride for 5 hours in relative comfort.

yiannism

If you give us more info about your fitness level and what you plan to do with your new bike maybe you will get more responses.

tommyp123

Thanks both for your comments.

My fitness level is fairly good as I used to run, but due to injuries I've had to move to a different sport that has less impact, so cycling seems perfect. I'm just very new to cycling though so no idea where to begin on buying a road bike!

I'm looking for a bike to use at weekends to go on long rides, so something ideally that is lightweight, fast but also comfortable. I think my plan will be to do a ride like the London to Paris in 2018 so that way I have something to train for.

Hope that helps to advise on the type of bike which I may be best suited for.

fenix

Any road bike north of £500 would easily do what you require. Don't forget to leave money for pedals, shoes, helmets, sunglasses, shorts, longs, jerseys, jackets, gilets etc etc etc

haydenm

Look at what Cannondale are offering for that sort of money, you'll get pretty much everything you need from a bike

The synapse might fit the bill, don't mention disc brakes on here unless you want a 7 page argument (I mentioned it once but I think I got away with it). The one in the link below has them because it was the first deal I saw but it won't make any real difference to you:
http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Cannondale-Syna ... _96478.htm

davesnothere

How tall are you? Rutland still have a couple of these left but only in larger sizes 5ft 10 up i would say, cracking deal for just under a grand (I should know, i've got one)

https://www.rutlandcycling.com/320630/products/2016-cube-attain-gtc-pro-disc-carbon-road-bike-grey.aspx?origin=pla&kwd=&currency=GBP&gclid=CInMjo7Uv9MCFWsW0wodA00IKA

supermurph09

Go to the Canyon site, think to yourself WOW, these look great and look at the spec!! Then look elsewhere, consider Cannondale Caad10 or Supersix maybe a few others then return to the canyon website, choose your bike, use the size guide and pull the trigger.

Wait for your bike to arrive (it wont take as long as people might like to tell you) then ride it an enjoy it.

haydenm

Supermurph09 wrote:

Go to the Canyon site, think to yourself WOW, these look great and look at the spec!! Then look elsewhere, consider Cannondale Caad10 or Supersix maybe a few others then return to the canyon website, choose your bike, use the size guide and pull the trigger.

Wait for your bike to arrive (it wont take as long as people might like to tell you) then ride it an enjoy it.

I saw a thing from them saying their delivery issues are a thing of the past, remains to be seen but lovely bikes

daniel_b

For £100 above your budget (Though they have finance deals) I would consider this Scott Solace as posted in the 'just bought' thread.
https://www.cycledivision.co.uk/products/complete-bikes/road-bikes/scott-2016-solace-10

Mostly Ultegra, Carbon frame, Hydraulic discs.
One of the best deals this year I would wager.

yiannism

For that money you can get a carbon frame with 105 gears (and check for compact crankset and dont go lower than 105). Check for the endurance bikes since they have more relaxed geometry and the frame can absorb better the anomalies of the road and take wider tires. From the brands that i know, Orbea Avant series, giant defy, Cannondale synapse, specialized roubaix all fit the bill. Now as far as about disc brakes i fully support them, they are just better, but little heaver.

tommyp123

DavesNotHere wrote:

How tall are you? Rutland still have a couple of these left but only in larger sizes 5ft 10 up i would say, cracking deal for just under a grand (I should know, i've got one)

https://www.rutlandcycling.com/320630/products/2016-cube-attain-gtc-pro-disc-carbon-road-bike-grey.aspx?origin=pla&kwd=&currency=GBP&gclid=CInMjo7Uv9MCFWsW0wodA00IKA

This looks great, although I'm 177cm in height, so am guessing I'd need the 56cm frame that's sold out unfortunately. I'll have a search and see if I can find it anywhere else as seems really good for the money. Thanks for your help!

tommyp123

Thanks everyone for your comments, they are all really appreciated. I just made the mistake of looking up disc brakes to work out if I need them or not. That seems to open up a whole can of worms!

Joshgav

Have a look at the Giant Defy, great bike for the money, also, take a look at the classifieds section on here.

Best advice is go to a (good) bike shop and try loads, find the size which feels the most comfortable. It's easier to make a small bike feel slightly larger (with a longer stem, taller seat post etc.) than it is to make a larger bike smaller.

keef66

I'm a lighter rider, and I don't do any long or steep descents living as I do in East Anglia. Nor do I commute or do a lot of stop - start riding, so for me rim brakes are fine. I like their simplicity, and I can stop pretty quickly even in the wet. Neither of my frames will take disc brakes anyway, and I'm not in the market for another bike.

If I was in your position though I would seriously consider them. The technology is pretty mature, An increasing number of endurance bikes are now designed for and equipped with them, and the weight penalty is trivial.

Only thing I'd suggest it make sure it's hydraulic disc brakes. The cable actuated ones sound like the worst of both worlds.