First road bike - Barracuda Cipressa?

monkeypants
monkeypants Posts: 150
edited May 2008 in Road beginners
Hi, I have the opportunity to pick up a new Barracuda Cipressa for œ200 delivered. I know it's only got SORA mechs and shifters, but is this a good deal and a good base to start from?

Comments

  • Eat My Dust
    Eat My Dust Posts: 3,965
    I would imagine it's not the best bike in the world, but there are bikes out there at more than twice the price with Sora gears on them. It looks cheap and cheerful. I would have thought that after having it for a few months you'll be itching to buy something better!!

    SNAPS
    SNAPS
  • Down the Road
    Down the Road Posts: 949
    No. Expect to pay œ500
    Racing is life - everything else is just waiting
  • monkeypants
    monkeypants Posts: 150
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Down the Road</i>

    No. Expect to pay œ500
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">I cannot afford to spend that much! [:(]
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Hows about trying second hand then?

    You get a LOT more for your money, see my '1st roadbike thread' - a bit above your budget, but there will be bikes within your budget for sure.

    Dan
  • peejay78
    peejay78 Posts: 3,378
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Down the Road</i>

    No. Expect to pay œ500
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    this isn't really all that helpful, especially when you consider that for a first road bike, there are perfectly adequate cheap bikes available - especially from decathlon who sell a bike for 129 or the next one up, with campag xenon, for 279.


    winter: http://tinyurl.com/2vx78q
    summer: http://tinyurl.com/2hsagv
    http://traumradfahren.wordpress.com/
  • mossycp
    mossycp Posts: 233
    What is your budget and what do you want to use it for?

    I would say try and spend a little more. Try Edinburgh Bicycle or look at Specialized Allez and Giant SCR. Never heard of Barracuda and it looks like it's got a horrible steel fork. I doubt the frame will provide a good base for upgrade. You'll get a lot more for your money 2nd hand.

    <font color="blue"><h5>Today is your day, your mountain is waiting, so get on your way {Dr Seus}</h5></font id="blue">
    Today is your day, your mountain is waiting, so get on your way {Dr Seus}
  • monty_dogcp
    monty_dogcp Posts: 382
    Barracuda are a catalogue brand, predominantly selling those horrible œ99 full-sussers and are obviously trying to jump on the increased demand for road bikes. Don't do it, you will be better either saving your money are at least seeing what the likes of Decathlon or Edinburgh Bike have to offer. Despite the Sora gears, they've probably made significant compromises elsewhere with cheap, heavy and unreliable parts - you'll spend œ200 and then an awful lot more replacing parts as they break and it'll still be a clunker! I expect the Barracuda brand manager will be contacting me for libel soon, but seriously, it's junk - don't do it.
  • monkeypants
    monkeypants Posts: 150
    My budget is quite small. I was hoping to only spend about œ200 delivered. I could stretch to a bit more on a reccommendation

    I've heard Decathlon flex quite a bit at the BB shell, so I stopped looking at them.

    It'll be used for riding to work (no Ride to work scheme at the moment, but if I get a new job with one then I'll spend a lot more. This bike will basically be a stop gap until I am able to take advantage of the scheme) and for fitness training, no racing.

    Where is a good place to look? Are there any nice bikes available?

    I've been looking for a Giant OCR4 (I want a double) but I can't find any in my size. ANy other bikes I should look for?
  • peejay78
    peejay78 Posts: 3,378
    i had a 7.1 for some time and had none of this BB shell flex you speak of.


    winter: http://tinyurl.com/2vx78q
    summer: http://tinyurl.com/2hsagv
    http://traumradfahren.wordpress.com/
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    A very quick skim through ebay completed sales shows at least 20-30 much better buys than that Barracuda for your 200 quid in the lsat week! And as the rain keeps falling, so will the prices!

    d.j.
    "Not much to see,
    Not much left to lose"
  • elvisparsley
    elvisparsley Posts: 135
    What about this Giant OCR 4 which they seem to have in most sizes-

    <u><div align="left">https://sslrelay.com/s96379727.oneandoneshop.co.uk/sess/utn;jsessionid=15468407f0bdf0f/shopdata/?main_url=go.shopscript?a=OCR4.06&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/div id="left">

    249 quid with free shipping
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    and live on ebat (just for an example) 140 quid gets you this:

    http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/carrera-epic_W0QQ ... dZViewItem

    Usual disclaimer.

    d.j.
    "Not much to see,
    Not much left to lose"
  • monkeypants
    monkeypants Posts: 150
    Thanks Elvis, I must have been looking in the wrong place. [:)]

    Where can I find decathlons online? They appear to be hidden.

    I've got my eye on this: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... &rd=1&rd=1

    Good deal if it stays sub-œ200?

    Dave, what should I be looking for on ebay? I don't want a very old bike, but something I can clean up and service (if need be), and get going on.

    Thanks for everything so far [:)]
  • peejay78
    peejay78 Posts: 3,378
    decathlon bikes here: http://tinyurl.com/23vwjj
    winter: http://tinyurl.com/2vx78q
    summer: http://tinyurl.com/2hsagv
    http://traumradfahren.wordpress.com/
  • skorpion
    skorpion Posts: 1
    Monty Dogcp wrote:
    Barracuda are a catalogue brand, predominantly selling those horrible �99 full-sussers and are obviously trying to jump on the increased demand for road bikes. Don't do it, you will be better either saving your money are at least seeing what the likes of Decathlon or Edinburgh Bike have to offer. Despite the Sora gears, they've probably made significant compromises elsewhere with cheap, heavy and unreliable parts - you'll spend �200 and then an awful lot more replacing parts as they break and it'll still be a clunker! I expect the Barracuda brand manager will be contacting me for libel soon, but seriously, it's junk - don't do it.

    Hi
    I know this is an old un', but still felt I should reply...
    I bought a Barracuda Cipressa about 18 months ago, on eBay of all places.
    It's a great bike.
    Don't knock it just because it isn't one of the 'Premium' brands: the frame is true and the welds neat; Sora mechs may be at the budget end (and so is the bike's pricing) but it works well; the frame geometry works wonderfully on the winding roads in my part of Lincolnshire and the bike has often embarassed much more exotic machinery.
    Nothing has broken, but I've replaced the stock Kenda Koncept rubber with some more decent Michelins.
    Money well-spend.
    I'm happy: I don't need to impress others with a big name.
    Period.

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