Alternatives to Triban 540?

mac_man

I currently ride an early 90s road bike which I inherited in mint condition, but which I believe is too big for me. I've sized it at 61cm on the seat tube and I am 5' 10", which according to most guides I've read is a frame more suited to somebody 6'+.

I've noticed that I'm getting shoulder/back pains and some hip tenderness. I'm putting it down to the bike being too long and I do feel stretched out on it.

So I need a new bike. I'm living in Spain and was considering getting a Decathlon Triban 540 as there is a local store. At least I can try for size.

Any other suggestions at that price point? I'm not looking at looking at anything too racy, and all day comfort would be a priority.

yiannism

In Spain you have Orbea and BH, both great brands, i am pretty sure that you can find a comparable bike. I drive Orbea Avant H30 and is great endurance bike without braking the bank to buy it.

Jerry185

I had a Triban 540se as my first proper bike. Great spec and did a great job - only the tyres were rubbish and it didn't cost a lot to change them.
Felt underclass in my first bike camp in Mallorca: hotel full of carbon and lucrative. Lead guy said 'nothing wrong with your bike.'
For the price you can't beat it; just be careful with the size as Decathlon go a lot on height, where leg length is better

mac_man

Jerry185 wrote:

I had a Triban 540se as my first proper bike. Great spec and did a great job - only the tyres were rubbish and it didn't cost a lot to change them.
Felt underclass in my first bike camp in Mallorca: hotel full of carbon and lucrative. Lead guy said 'nothing wrong with your bike.'
For the price you can't beat it; just be careful with the size as Decathlon go a lot on height, where leg length is better

Thanks.
I'm still considering getting a bike shipped from the UK. Merlin seem to have some cracking deals at the moment. They have a Shimano 105 equipped bike for £599 which includes some decent pedals and shoes. Even with shipping on top it looks good value.

Jerry185

Looks a good deal, especially if you can get the vat off.
Compared to the 540, the Merlin is about one kilo heavier, wheels a step down as are the brakes. Tyres are way better. On the shoe option, avoid the spd choice unless you can get really light shoes and pedals - it does make a huge difference, others will disagree, but I was a year in when I changed to a lightweight shoe (with Look cleats) and noticed an immediate and permanent difference (evidenced by strava logs)

mac_man

Thanks Jerry. At my age (53) and fitness level (very average) will a pair of shoes make that much difference? On my old bike I'm using MTB SPDs with MTB shoes. Not cool ;-).

Can't lose the VAT sadly, well not till we Brexit, LOL.

In terms of geometry I've been looking at the Merlin, the Triban and this one on Planet X: http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/EBPX58SO/p ... -road-bike

To my untrained eye the dimensions don't look radically different. But I'm looking more a comfy, rather than sporty ride. The Planet X bike is marketed as an 'all day' ride whereas the Merlin is supposedly more sporty, yet the geometry differences seem much less than the differences between say MTB cross country and trail bikes.

Jerry185

^^^^^what oxo said. All the bikes mentioned will be 'comfortable' for sportive riders providing you get the right size and fitting (whole new thread).
Shoes; oxo sounds more clued up. I have an old pair of spd shoes for my hybrid and spin classes, but they weigh a ton. If you're doing 40 + mile runs and are looking at your times, shoe weight is a major factor. By way of example, my perfectly reasonable Specialized shoes were 720 grams. Now wear Bontragers at 440 grams. Moving parts = massive difference.

kingrollo

the big plus for the decathlon is you can easily visit the store and try it for size.

nowt wrong with the spd and mtb shoe combo - loads of people ride ride bikes with this set up. ease of in out and ability to walk are bigger issues than shoe weight imo.

mac_man

Well, here she is. Picked the bike up last week and had the first test ride a couple of days ago. It feels very different to my old classic 90s bike. Shifting is a dream by comparison with no more fumbling around the downtube to get to the shifters. It feels more stable on the descents as well. Regarding comfort I will have to give it a few rides to see if the aches and pains have gone.

Jerry185

Happy smiles Mac man; I had some good times on my Triban. Just watch the tyres (Hutchison) on cornering in the wet. Suggest swapping out for continental Gp4000 (c£60 for a pair on line), or something tougher if you're on crap roads. The rolling resistance will be much lower as well which makes a significant difference over decent trips.