A question of geometry?
actrack
Posts: 13
So I was going to buy a mountain bike this summer but living in SE London/NW Kent there aren't too many mountains round here so a road bike would hopefully get more use. I've been stalking this forum for little while trying to pick up as much info about road bikes as I've never had one before. The things I have picked up are that the rider will make a far bigger difference than the bike ever will but a good set of wheels will likely be the best upgrade. Someone on here summed it up well by saying don't buy £2K bike buy a £1.5K one and a £500 wheelset.
The more comfort orientated bikes, Defy/Domane/Roubaix etc., seem to be what I'm after but the well known brands charge a lot for their product (although one Giant/Trek retailer does offer a choice of free accessories, which I will need, and which does make the cost a bit more palatable) and generally put poor wheel sets on them. I have looked at the end of season sales but needing the medium size frame most decent stuff was already gone.
The other nugget I picked up was Canyon/Planet X/Ribble bikes. They all appear to give great VFM and generally get good reviews. The new Canyon Ultimate CF SL, or maybe even the SLX, have really caught my eye and tick all the boxes apart from the endurance/sportive geometry (although I would also have to get the VCLS 2.0 seatpost and 25mm tyres).
I look at the geometry specs and frankly they appear to only differ very slightly from one another so is there a big difference in how these bikes would ride? Should I forget the Canyon? As there's no point in getting the wrong bike no matter how good a deal it might be.
Any thoughts greatly appreciated.
The more comfort orientated bikes, Defy/Domane/Roubaix etc., seem to be what I'm after but the well known brands charge a lot for their product (although one Giant/Trek retailer does offer a choice of free accessories, which I will need, and which does make the cost a bit more palatable) and generally put poor wheel sets on them. I have looked at the end of season sales but needing the medium size frame most decent stuff was already gone.
The other nugget I picked up was Canyon/Planet X/Ribble bikes. They all appear to give great VFM and generally get good reviews. The new Canyon Ultimate CF SL, or maybe even the SLX, have really caught my eye and tick all the boxes apart from the endurance/sportive geometry (although I would also have to get the VCLS 2.0 seatpost and 25mm tyres).
I look at the geometry specs and frankly they appear to only differ very slightly from one another so is there a big difference in how these bikes would ride? Should I forget the Canyon? As there's no point in getting the wrong bike no matter how good a deal it might be.
Any thoughts greatly appreciated.
0
Comments
-
I suggest that you test ride, or just 'store fit', a few bikes just to see what seems comfortable.
A few other items to consider:
1) wheelbase - a longer wheelbase usually gives more comfort, and also allows room for mud guards. A frame that has mounts for mud guards makes it easier and more secure to install them.
2) headtube - a longer headtube usually give a slightly more upright riding position, which makes breathing easier.
3) top tube - a longer top tub usually requires more forward lean of the toro.
4) Your vision angle - made sure that you don't need to strain your neck to see down the road
'Race geometry' is not necessary for a fast and comfortable bike.
Make sure the wheels and tires are sturdy and reliable. Lightweight 'racing wheels' are not the best for recreation, exercise, training, etc.
Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA0 -
The difference between a road and mountain bike is mountain bikes are stronger, better handling and give a smoother ride over rougher surfaces. The down side to mountain bikes is they are noticeably slower than road bikes due to extra weight, suspension and bigger tyres. Generally road bikes are lighter and faster especially up hills but you will feel uneven road surfaces more.
A £1,500 road bike will be more than enough for most people and leaves some fund spare for suitable clothing and accessories you will need over time.
As above make sure the bike fits you with a test ride. My road bike has a more upright position after I adjusted its setup as I find this more comfortable. As long as the bike is the right size for you it is easy enough to make adjustments to suit your size and riding style.0 -
have you ever riden a proper road bike ? their totally different from MTB's !
long as your only going to want to ride road then a road bikes the way to go.
depending on what you want it for depends on the geometry tho TBH most "sportive" geometry road bikes (aka shorter top tube, taller head tube , longer wheel base etc) would suit most people.....full on race bike geometry could be to much for you if your not used to it !0 -
I have both a roubaix and a defy. Both are excellent value for money and suit amore relaxed riding experience (in my case this means old git) .. I assume they sell in large quantities because they satisfy peoples needs. Also for me, I have two bike shops within distance that specialise in the oboe and I have received excellent service and advice from both0
-
Many thanks for all the replies so far. Just to add that no I have not ridden a road bike before and my MTB days were nearly two decades ago so I don't have any recent bike riding benchmarks, or prejudices, to go from.
Whilst out today I did pop into a Giant store and the knowledgable chap went through the differences between the Defy and the TCR and, given its intended use, I would choose the Defy every time. Test riding the Defy and the Domane should be possible but the Canyon is a problem.
Talking of the Canyon they describe the Ultimate CF SL/X's geometry as being Sport Pro which is in the middle of the three geometry types they offer so not completely full-on but clearly racier than the Defy/Domane. Hmmm.0 -
I have the Canyon SLX. Slightly harsher ride over rough road surfaces than my Basso Astra it's replacing - for sale in the classifieds by the way ;-) - but that's more to do with the 23mm Mavic tyres than the frame I think. It has quite a short top-tube and tall head tube/stack height for the given frame size, so don't think you'll not be able to get a comfy position or it's a harsh ride (if you manage to buy the right frame size that is, which can be a challenge if you dont have a curren't bike to compare measurements to). The on-line calculator was spot on for me - other than specifying a longer stem after comparing measurements with my Basso to obtain a similar reach. If you go for a Canyon, well worth looking at the new SL given you may not benefit from the slightly lower weight of the SLX due to the lack of hills around your way! Good luck, but I'm sure whatever you choose you'll not be disappointed. .. and will want to upgrade it in about 12 months ;-)0
-
To a certain extent this depends on what you mean by 'comfort'. The body positioning on a road bike is very different to on an MTB. A 'real' MTB with suspension and appropriate (for trails) tyres won't be the most rewarding ride for the road; subtract these things and you essentially have the basis for the hybrid bike, which can be a very viable choice for the road. Even the 'sportive' bikes that are so popular at the moment will have you fairly stretched out - compare with a tourer, which will also likely have a springier steel frame and fatter tyres. Unless you have back problems, you will adapt, but you don't necessarily have to - whilst I count among the majority around here that advocate drop bar bikes, it's not the only way.0
-
I'd echo some of Doty's comments Re the Canyon option. Online size calculator worked for me. I ride mine up to 200kms with no issues.
The new CF SL looks like really good value.
But you have loads of other options. Probably too many
Also it may pay to look at something cheaper to start with and upgrade later when you know more about what will suit you. The cheaper bike can then become your winter hack.
Good luck"You really think you can burn off sugar with exercise?" downhill paul0 -
Thanks again for the input particularly that the Canyon is not some highly-strung steed which is likely to throw me off as quickly as I could swing a leg over it. I entered my measurements into the PPS calculator and it advised that I purchase a medium size which is what I would have expected. The SL is the model that I'm interested in but the 2013 SLX models are reduced, and some even further in their outlet, but again the medium size frames sell-out first.
When I say "comfort" I'm only repeating what I have read about sportive/endurance geometry bikes and no doubt this term is relative to a "race" bike or any other road bike for that matter.
As for choice I honestly believe there is too much and I'm suffering from information overload as reading another thread on here there is such a thing as a Cervelo R3 Black Edition which is supposed to be a bit of bargain and my LBS turns out to be a Cervelo dealer (although again my size is likely to be sold out).0 -
My friend bought a complete bike from Ribble. Carbon frame and Centaur gruppo for less than a grand. Wheels were upgraded at a later point but he's 4 years along the road and many many miles trouble free. If I was starting from scratch, this would be my option. Wiggle has a bike sale on at the moment - 45% off complete bikes.
This looks A1:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/felt-f6-apex-2013/seanoconn - gruagach craic!0 -
I was in the same position as you a couple of months ago. Awfully confused about what geometries might work for me and what might not. I tried to test-ride as many as I could (only 4-5 in the end) but then went for a racy styled Felt (the F-series) from Wiggle. Sadly found that the vertical drop from the saddle to the handlebars was too far for me, and put too much pressure on my neck and between my shoulder blades (I do tend to get a sore neck from time to time anyway though, so it was the fault of this rather than a reflection on the bike). Luckily the bike qualified for a return under their 30 test-ride policy, so it went back.
Then went back and picked up a Cannondale CAAD8 in a sale from my LBS, and the taller headtube has meant a much more comfortable ride. Headtube is only a couple of cm's taller, but that's all I needed.
Not sure if that's a help or not.0 -
I had the same issue with my road bike initially the drop from saddle to handle bars was too big. Flipped the stem so it is upright and now the bike is good for my needs.0
