New bike advice for £4500 budget

golfer+1

I snapped my cruciate 18 months ago and sold everything. Couldn’t bring myself to read anything to do with cycling all though rehabilitation. Now fit and ready to buy a new bike but so much seems to have changed in the last 18 months, especially the prices!!!! Most manufactures seem to have a bike at this price point with the Sram electric group set. My last bike was a dura ace tarmac (now about 9k I’d imagine). I want electric gearing and a ride that’s not too ‘venge’ like. Ideally, with a good set of wheels that won’t need an instant upgrade. I’m really out of the loop so any expert that has time to reply will be much appreciated.

shirley_basso

Which tarmac? SL4/5? Which DA? do you still have it?

Do you want discs (you're almost certainly going to get them)

shirley_basso

Edit: just seen you sold everything.

Questions:

What type of riding do you do/want to do?

golfer+1

As I said nothing like the venge (race geometry). I had the sl5 and liked it. I do club rides and sportives, I enjoy going up-hill. I’m not necessarily brand orientated but would like the best possible wheels for the money.

shirley_basso

How do you feel about disc brakes?

golfer+1

Not my preferred but the way forward I suppose. Rim brakes would limit my options.

mrb123

Not sure there's really much difference between the Tarmac and Venge geometry.

shirley_basso

Venge is allegedly a harsher ride and less 'throwabout'

daniel_b

If you can find one due in stock next year, a Scott Addict RC20 would be my suggestion.

Not that aggressive a ride, and very comfortable, probably down to the dropped stays, and stock 30mm tyres.

https://scott-sports.com/gb/en/product/scott-addict-rc-20-bike

mpie

At this price point virtually all bikes are going to be 'good', so my recommendation (on the assumption that you don't race) would be to get whatever bike 'turns you on', i.e., get the bike that you'll want to ride every day. It's aesthetics as much as anything else. Beyond that, it'll just depend on what fits, what you want to do with it and what you can get. For what it's worth, I've never found other peoples' specific recommendations about 'best bike' reflected in what I actually liked to ride - it's just too personal.

jimmocrates

daniel_b said:

If you can find one due in stock next year, a Scott Addict RC20 would be my suggestion.

Not that aggressive a ride, and very comfortable, probably down to the dropped stays, and stock 30mm tyres.

https://scott-sports.com/gb/en/product/scott-addict-rc-20-bike

It's a stunner.

daniel_b

jimmocrates said:

daniel_b said:

If you can find one due in stock next year, a Scott Addict RC20 would be my suggestion.

Not that aggressive a ride, and very comfortable, probably down to the dropped stays, and stock 30mm tyres.

https://scott-sports.com/gb/en/product/scott-addict-rc-20-bike

It's a stunner.

When you are spending that much, for me it has to look good - the recent Addicts and Foils for me are some of the best looking bikes out there.

mpie

Another suggestion: For that sort of money I would seriously consider getting a shop to build up the bike you want (i.e., semi-custom) rather than taking what some marketing bod though was the most sellable combination of bits. Stock bikes rarely come with wheels and tyres worthy of the frame & groupset. And you can get it set up just for you from day one (stem length, handlebar shape, saddle...)

mpie

daniel_b said:

When you are spending that much, for me it has to look good - the recent Addicts and Foils for me are some of the best looking bikes out there.

I rest my case - it's a personal thing. The Addict is aesthetically... OK ...but personally I don't like fully integrated front ends. Each to their own.

pinno

"18 months and out of the loop"!?

My C40 is 23 yrs old with Record 10 (8 years old)... and rim brakes. Dura ace wheels (Ambrosio cassette).
Rides beautifully.

£4k if you want it.

Bikeauthority.cc

Definitely do a frame set build rather than complete bike.

As already said stock wheels are generally rubbish at this price point and the finishing kit is normally pretty average too.

I think I'd point you at a TCR. Frame isn't silly money, rides well and can be light enough for your uphill enjoyment. There will be other options if you want to go a little less mainstream

MidlandsGrimpeur2

Another suggestion: For that sort of money I would seriously consider getting a shop to build up the bike you want (i.e., semi-custom) rather than taking what some marketing bod though was the most sellable combination of bits.

Personally, this is my approach whenever I get a new bike. You can get everything built up to your requirements from the off and don't have to put up with any components that may not be a first choice, as often happens with a fully built factory bike.

You are also more likely to get more for your money as an LBS will perhaps be prepared to give you a good deal if you have a bike built up by them. The last few bikes I have bought have generally seen a 15-20% discount off full RRP.

drhaggis

Bikeauthority.cc said:

Definitely do a frame set build rather than complete bike.

As already said stock wheels are generally rubbish at this price point and the finishing kit is normally pretty average too.

I think I'd point you at a TCR. Frame isn't silly money, rides well and can be light enough for your uphill enjoyment. There will be other options if you want to go a little less mainstream

TCR pro's also come with reasonably light, reasonably deep-section wheels, and the ultegra build within budget comes with a crank power meter too. The trick? Wheels are hookless, which limits your tyre compatibility.

daniel_b

mpie said:

daniel_b said:

When you are spending that much, for me it has to look good - the recent Addicts and Foils for me are some of the best looking bikes out there.

I rest my case - it's a personal thing. The Addict is aesthetically... OK ...but personally I don't like fully integrated front ends. Each to their own.

100% agree - it's all in the eye of the beholder :-)

For me that super clean front end is an epiphany of sorts, and being a die hard Scott fanboi, having a CR1 I built up, and a Foil (non integrated already) and loving it, it was pretty much meant to be

*I appreciate fully the integrated front end is likely a home mechanics nightmare!

To the OP - regrettably for your budget, imho you are unlikely to get something with wheels that (You seem to like the finer things in life) you deem suitable for the rest of the bike.

If I were in your position, I would concentrate on the frame and groupset, and then either try and get it in under budget to leave room for new wheels, or look to get them further down the line.

bobones

Factor O2 Rim for £5k?

https://factorbikesuk.com/products/off-season-deal-factor-o2-rim

Beautiful in a classic way, Ultegra Di2, good wheels, nice kit, light, great ride quality, TdF and P-R podium pedigree, up to 30mm tyres, easy maintenance, good support, uk based.

pinno

bobones said:

Factor O2 Rim for £5k?

https://factorbikesuk.com/products/off-season-deal-factor-o2-rim

Beautiful in a classic way, Ultegra Di2, good wheels, nice kit, light, great ride quality, TdF and P-R podium pedigree, up to 30mm tyres, easy maintenance, good support, uk based.

God that gruppo is fugly.
Probably rides like a dream but for my £xxxxk I would want something that looks great.
That colour scheme is naff.

Personally, I would prefer the glorious colour scheme with Record 10 on say... a Colnago C40.

mrb123

https://www.reillycycleworks.com/collections/frames/products/copy-of-spectre-all-road-disc-frameset?variant=39592503148633

Reilly Spectre frameset currently on sale. £750 for some Farports wheels built with nice hubs and spokes.

2 grand left for your groupset of choice and other bits and pieces.

bobones

pinno said:

bobones said:

Factor O2 Rim for £5k?

https://factorbikesuk.com/products/off-season-deal-factor-o2-rim

Beautiful in a classic way, Ultegra Di2, good wheels, nice kit, light, great ride quality, TdF and P-R podium pedigree, up to 30mm tyres, easy maintenance, good support, uk based.

God that gruppo is fugly.
Probably rides like a dream but for my £xxxxk I would want something that looks great.
That colour scheme is naff.

Personally, I would prefer the glorious colour scheme with Record 10 on say... a Colnago C40.

I love the colour scheme and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You probably don't like the look of any recent Shimano chain sets (or SRAM's for that matter). Anyway, it's a great bike for £5k and there are some more photos and opinions here:

https://www.cyclist.co.uk/reviews/8296/factor-o2-disc-review

davep1

pinno said:

bobones said:

Factor O2 Rim for £5k?

https://factorbikesuk.com/products/off-season-deal-factor-o2-rim

Beautiful in a classic way, Ultegra Di2, good wheels, nice kit, light, great ride quality, TdF and P-R podium pedigree, up to 30mm tyres, easy maintenance, good support, uk based.

God that gruppo is fugly.
Probably rides like a dream but for my £xxxxk I would want something that looks great.
That colour scheme is naff.

Personally, I would prefer the glorious colour scheme with Record 10 on say... a Colnago C40.

I read this a while ago, and it got me thinking about what makes a groupset good looking or not? I have Ultegra, and I don't really like the slanted "X" of the crankset, so started googling various cranks. A lot of other Shimano cranks look the same, Tiagra, 105, Dura Ace. They do an FC-R345 which is ok in a Spirograph kind of way, but might be a bit cheap to work nicely (not that I have ridden it).
So I looked at Sram, there's an Apex that looks a bit like the FC one above, but the don't really grab me. Some of the Rival ones are a bit like Ultegra, the Force ones seem to have more metal.
Campag also do the slanted X and Spirograph style ones.
If I had the money for a nice bike, I'd want a groupset that worked well, obviously, but would like something a little different aesthetically. I'd probably try for the spiderweb ones Cannondales have.

Anyway, as to a bike for £4k. Titanium surely? Kinesis do the GTD and the ATR, I'd want to ride one first which is tricky as brand tends to sell frames and people spec and build themselves or get a shop to do it for them. Reilly and Enigma would also be on my list.

MattFalle

mpie said:

Another suggestion: For that sort of money I would seriously consider getting a shop to build up the bike you want (i.e., semi-custom) rather than taking what some marketing bod though was the most sellable combination of bits. Stock bikes rarely come with wheels and tyres worthy of the frame & groupset. And you can get it set up just for you from day one (stem length, handlebar shape, saddle...)

this totally but why get a shop to do it? total waste of a couple of hundred squiddlies that could be spent on bits/blow/ho/blood transfusions.

mpie

davep1 said:

Anyway, as to a bike for £4k. Titanium surely? ...

Just don't get sucked into the "Titanium is a bike for life" nonsense. Titanium frames are no longer lived (in terms of material science) than carbon, aluminium or steel. If you like the look, then fine - enjoy it, but don't pretend there anything magical about it.