Carrera Vanquish vs Raleigh AirLite 300

muckyhaud
muckyhaud Posts: 38
edited May 2012 in Road buying advice
Hi all,
I am wanting to purchase a road bike for fitness (to replace running). I have next to zero knowledge on bikes and the tech specs mean nothing to me. I have just found out what tiagra and sora is but that is about it :oops:

As I am only beginning I visited Evans and the guy in the shop said he wouldn't sell me a bike for less than £550 as he couldn't do it to me knowing I would be back having bought a peice of crap! Is that correct, is there really nothing good sub £550?

I have been looking at the Carrera Vanquish. It is £530 at Halfords (was £450 up until last night)
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... 65710#dtab

Also the Raleigh Airlite 300 @£489 (£599 at Evans!)
http://www.bikesdirect365.com/products/ ... -Bike.html

So which one, if any? Do you guys recommend either, not found any real reviews on the above bikes. Do yu recommend any other bikes for the similar price.

Finally are there any guides or anything that explain the different parts and what to look for?

Thanks in advance for any help

Comments

  • Roadracer123
    Roadracer123 Posts: 38
    +300000000000000000000000000000 for the vanquish, extremely light, smooth gear change, great components and beautiful ride. all in all amazing value for your money...
    and no i dont work for halfords.
    Carrera Vanquish....
  • muckyhaud
    muckyhaud Posts: 38
    Thanks for that,
    Anyone know how the bikes components compare against each other from the spec? Is it pretty similar for the money or is one much better than the other. It is all just words to me at this stage lol
  • mogi
    mogi Posts: 69
    the bloke from evans is a clown,specialized allez 16 for £450 from EVANS.its a great frame that runs up to the 8 or 900pound bikes. Get one of them and spend the rest on helmet gloves and a pair of cycling shorts/bibs. If yo get the bug its a great frame to upgrade mate...i would buy it in an instant over the carrera or raleigh.good luck with your choice and enjoy
  • mogi
    mogi Posts: 69
    but...the carrera is the better specced of the bikes you mentioned.
  • danowat
    danowat Posts: 2,877
    I raced a crit last weekend, and a guy was on a Carrera Vanquish, he was doing bloody well on it!
  • muckyhaud
    muckyhaud Posts: 38
    Thanks Mogi,
    The guy from Evans had me walking out feeling pretty disillusioned! He told me he would sell me a 'Claud Butler' but not to come back and see him in a month when it had dropped to bits! I looked at the specialized Allez and I really like the look of the bike. The thing that put me off (again due to the Evans guy) he told me I should make sure I get tiagra levers/shifter etc or else it wont last 3 years. At this point I wanted to get out of the shop. The Carrera and Raleigh both have this and carbon forks (something else he told me to make sure I got). It is all very confusing to a noob.

    Is the frame the most important thing then. I am confused that if the 2 other bikes have higher grade components than the Allez why is the Allez a better bike to go for (I don't mean to question your advice by the way, just trying to understand :) ).
  • father_jack
    father_jack Posts: 3,509
    Bit of a hard seller him lol. Although I do agree to skip Sora and go for Tiagra. But then why not SRAM or campag, you might prefer their hoods over Shimano.

    There is so much choice on modern bikes it really is bewildering. Carbon, alumimium, steel, titanium, (mix of both), SRAM, Campagnolo or Shimano. Different brake types, geometry, crank/cassette gearing, pedals, wheels, etc.
    Say... That's a nice bike..
    Trax T700 with Lew Racing Pro VT-1 ;-)
  • muckyhaud
    muckyhaud Posts: 38
    I have the opportunity to buy a Carrera Vanquish 2010 model, only used 3 times and apparently in immaculate condition for £325. It has shimano pedals and cleats as extras thrown in. What do you guys think to that? Good deal or still better paying extra and getting Specialized Allez?

    So many questions lol
  • muckyhaud
    muckyhaud Posts: 38
    Right I have I decided to go for a specialized Allez, for defo. Gonna order tomorrow. The 16 is available for £399 and the 24 for £429. Which one do I need? Is the 24 overkill?
  • UPGRAYEDD
    UPGRAYEDD Posts: 117
    If you're new to cycling, go for the 24, as it will give you a granny ring to spin when the hills get tough.

    I am not new to cycling but have a triple chainset on one of my bikes and use it all the time on steeper hills. It enables me to keep up a high cadence, which I prefer, rather than grinding and straining in a higher gear.

    Any chance that you could test-ride both the bikes in question before committing the cash? TBF, paying more than a £100 quid less for what is effectively a brand new bike might very well be worth it if the bike feels right for you.
    "A gentleman who goes by the name Upgrayedd. Which he spells thusly, with two D's, as he says, "for a double dose of this pimping."
  • danowat
    danowat Posts: 2,877
    muckyhaud wrote:
    Right I have I decided to go for a specialized Allez, for defo. Gonna order tomorrow. The 16 is available for £399 and the 24 for £429. Which one do I need? Is the 24 overkill?

    Depends on where you ride really.
  • UPGRAYEDD
    UPGRAYEDD Posts: 117
    danowat wrote:
    muckyhaud wrote:
    Right I have I decided to go for a specialized Allez, for defo. Gonna order tomorrow. The 16 is available for £399 and the 24 for £429. Which one do I need? Is the 24 overkill?

    Depends on where you ride really.

    Fair point chap - for example, I imagine you'd have considerably less use for it than us hill-dwellers.
    "A gentleman who goes by the name Upgrayedd. Which he spells thusly, with two D's, as he says, "for a double dose of this pimping."
  • danowat
    danowat Posts: 2,877
    Indeed I do :lol: , I need to change my compact to a 53T chainset as I spin out on TT's
  • saintdracula
    saintdracula Posts: 232
    go for the vanquish with its 105/tiagra gearing

    well at least mine had it.

    If so, Halfords are really under-selling the bike!
  • ChrisSA
    ChrisSA Posts: 455
    muckyhaud wrote:
    He told me he would sell me a 'Claud Butler' but not to come back and see him in a month when it had dropped to bits!

    Sale of goods act?
    muckyhaud wrote:
    he told me I should make sure I get tiagra levers/shifter etc or else it wont last 3 years.

    I'm sure Sora would last 3 years - though it depends on usage. I've got Sora shifters, and would prefer to have Tiagra or better. Not because of the workmanship or the name on them, but because they have the paddle to shift and not a thumb lever. It makes changing gears in the drops a right bugger.

    IIRC all of Campag's shifters have this annoying thumb lever too....
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  • father_jack
    father_jack Posts: 3,509
    IIRC all of Campag's shifters have this annoying thumb lever too....

    Actually that's why I chose Campag, I don't like the single lever up/down on Shimano. I don't like Sora because it's not where the best place on the hoods. I don't ride on the drops anyway.
    Say... That's a nice bike..
    Trax T700 with Lew Racing Pro VT-1 ;-)
  • muckyhaud
    muckyhaud Posts: 38
    So......I actually got a Carrera Vanquish in the end, £400 brand new after complaining to Halfords about something, yep £130 knocked off, AWESOME. The even knocked of 15% of all the accessories I bought, hemet, spare tube, bottle, pump etc.

    Anyways went for a quick 15min ride tonight just before it got dark. Loved it! I have nothing to judge against so my opinion isn't worth much to experienced people but...I haven't sat on a bike for 15 years. I have never riden a road bike. Jumped on, felt comfortable and I was away. Was shocked at the speed of the thing. Hit a pot hole and no real drama. I'll soon get used to cornering with it. The gear changes seemeed fantastic (compared to my old raleigh mustang MTB lol) and brakes up to the job. I will invest in better pedals soon, but to get started it is great bike.

    I am getting up early in the morning and going out for a ride :D
  • ChrisSA
    ChrisSA Posts: 455
    Congrats. When I got my first road bike (for 20 odd years) in Feb, it shocked me how quickly it span up, compared to my knobbly tyred MTB.
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  • chris.g
    chris.g Posts: 6
    Hopefully getting mine monday :) same deal as yours!! Like you im new to road bikes so should be fantastic! How are you getting on?
  • muckyhaud
    muckyhaud Posts: 38
    Bit of an update then...
    Definately was the right choice. Had it around 21 months now and not had a minutes bother..not replaced anything other than brake blocks, still has even the orginal tubes!!! (exepcting puncture now I have said that lol)
    I did upgrade the pedals and got some nice shoes with cleats, worth the investment.

    Still absolutley love the bike...I have riden other road bikes that my freinds have now that were 3x as expensive as mine. They can't believe how good the vanquish is...and having rode theirs I have no need to upgrade :D

    It is much better spec than the newer version though, so I couldn't say how good the 2012 model is

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