Best alu bike/frameset

spasypaddy

Hi

gonna be building a new bike for next spring to leave in a holiday home

Ideally i would buy a frameset and reuse all the bits i have lying around however for the right bargain i'd buy complete and swap bits out.

If you were buying a alu road frameset what would you buy?

I'm currently looking at the canyon, cannondale, specialized, bowman, kenesis.

I want it to be very much head down and race orientated. So not a synapse style frame.

Budget is 600-800 frameset, 1200-1700 complete bike

craigus89

Bowman.

spasypaddy

Craigus89 wrote:

Bowman.

you got one?

im currently on a CAAD9 which i love

craigus89

I haven't but will have next spring if all goes to plan.

From what I've read it would be my choice, wouldn't get the Canyon as it's a lot of money for the frameset, no cannondale due to the BB, Specialized Allez Sprint would be nice but expensive...

You'll probably just get a lot of subjective opinions like I've just given you but hopefully it's useful.

singleton

I've got 2 CAAD's so obviously like them.
Winter bike is a 2011 CAAD10 11 sp 105 with alloy wheels and mudguards
Summer bike is a 2016 CAAD12 11sp Ultegra with carbon wheels
You could get a new CAAD12 105 for about £1100, sell the wheels immediately and put something else on - should have a great build for you budget.
Personally I'd consider a Bowman as well, but I've not ridden one or even seen on in the flesh.

thegreatdivide

Trek Emonda ALR 6

clubsport

Buy a caad12 frame for your requirements, head down yet still capable of longer rides.

dannbodge

Allez Sprint would be my choice.
They are about £12/1500 for a complete bike, just need some decent wheels on it.

Matthewfalle

Craigus89 wrote:

Bowman.

this or CAAD

sloppyschleckonds

Does the Bowman still have tight clearances for tyres over 23mm?

Caad12 takes 28's

Bottom briquettes

Spesh Allez is the usual ‘go to’ frame, at your budget.

neeb

Have a look at the Ridley Helium SLA. Difficult to find many reviews but I think it has the same geometry as the top-end carbon Helium SLX which is a great bike (I have one). It's Ridley so it's probably good.. Some great deals around:
https://www.merlincycles.com/ridley-hel ... gKVZ_D_BwE

Watch out for the sizing, S=M, M=L with Ridley..

darkhairedlord

Just get a supersix, it won't melt.

philbar72

darkhairedlord wrote:

Just get a supersix, it won't melt.

heard from many sources that the caad12 is actually a better frame than a supersix (the standard version).

solstice21

Built up a Kinesis Aithein using my spares earlier this year. Love it.....Been using it loads.

poptart242

philbar72 wrote:

darkhairedlord wrote:

Just get a supersix, it won't melt.

heard from many sources that the caad12 is actually a better frame than a supersix (the standard version).

Owner of the latter, used to own the former. Can't tell the difference tbh.

OP - if you're happy to build a CAAD12 I think you'll be happy. Head down geo, but I was still comfy after back to back 100 milers last weekend. Super-flippin' light too.

Indigo Gorilla

The CAAD12 2018 Tiagra is availible for £875 from Evans Cycles. Good option could be to either use that as a complete bike or buy it, remove the groupset etc and sell them on as think to buy a frame alone is very close in cost.

tom_down

Indigo Gorilla wrote:

The CAAD12 2018 Tiagra is availible for £875 from Evans Cycles. Good option could be to either use that as a complete bike or buy it, remove the groupset etc and sell them on as think to buy a frame alone is very close in cost.

If you go down the caad route This seems the best option - The framesets alone are pricey, you could sell off the tiagra and the wheels and make a fair bit of money back

Also the Emonda ALR worth a look - geometry is not as aggressive as the others mentioned

spasypaddy

darkhairedlord wrote:

Just get a supersix, it won't melt.

dont get this comment. ive specifically picked alu to keep costs down. the weight difference these days is marginal and i like a stiff ride with good road feedback.


thanks to everyone else for their comments.

CAAD12 full build or Specialized allez sprint (Then strip and sell parts off, seems hard work)
or a bowman and build.

Canyon is the cheapest of the lot if you have a race license at £549...

CAAD12 frameset is £679
Bowman is £749
Allez sprint frameset is £1200

I'm not a fan of trek bikes and cant bring myself to own one. no real reason.

RIdley paintjob doesnt do anything for me, but im sure its a nice bike.


The end build is likely to be DA7900 and some DA C50s or some other alu rimmed deep sections. Which then means i use the 7900 off my look which then gets eTap in time for next spring/summer.

sloppyschleckonds

Good shout for the Canyon, been out of stock a long time though.

MiddleRinger

Solstice21 wrote:

Built up a Kinesis Aithein using my spares earlier this year. Love it.....Been using it loads.

^ Quality frameset. Have put a fair few miles on my Aithein. Geo is more towards race than endurance. Got it built up with some better finishing kit and it's hovering just over 7kg currently.

thegreatdivide

BR did a bit earlier in the month on the new Emonda ALR in its new lovely paint for 2018

https://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/art ... alr-52903/

singleton

Poptart242 wrote:

Owner of the latter, used to own the former. Can't tell the difference tbh.

I sold my SuperSix and bought a CAAD12 and I prefer it.
Not a massive difference I suppose, but I prefer how the CAAD it rides.

warrior4life

there's not a huge difference in the ride of top end alloy frames, theyre all good.
For me it would be based on price, looks and the brand I like best.
You wont find a bad review on any of them.

sloppyschleckonds

Current prices:
Trek Emonda ALR £800, last years frame discounted £675
Caad12 £840, discounted to £679
Canyon AL £550

Matthewfalle

thegreatdivide wrote:

BR did a bit earlier in the month on the new Emonda ALR in its new lovely paint for 2018

https://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/art ... alr-52903/

its a trek. duuullllllllllll and fugly. nice paid for promotion masquerading as journalistic prose though. bet everything else they have been guven is the best possible and works amazing.

Matthewfalle

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

Current prices:
Trek Emonda ALR £800, last years frame discounted £675
Caad12 £840, discounted to £679
Canyon AL £550

bowman?

wotnoshoeseh

Solstice21 wrote:

Built up a Kinesis Aithein using my spares earlier this year. Love it.....Been using it loads.

I bought one of these last year in the Black Friday sales, then an Ultegra R8000 groupset, some Fulcrum Quattro wheels from a mate off a brand new high end Bianchi he didn't want (the wheels that is, not the Bianchi), Ritchey bars and stem and a spare saddle I had.
Total cost ~£1300.

Great bike, great value.

sloppyschleckonds

Matthewfalle wrote:

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

Current prices:
Trek Emonda ALR £800, last years frame discounted £675
Caad12 £840, discounted to £679
Canyon AL £550

bowman?

Crap tyre clearances, ditto ribble/ dolan

craigus89

You can fit 25's apparently but it looks pretty tight. GP4K's in 25 might struggle which is a shame!

sloppyschleckonds

£745 for the Palace-R
Has external cabling as well
Only available to pre-order