Cheapish 10spd bike to send abroad

daniel_b
daniel_b Posts: 11,538
edited January 2016 in Commuting chat
As my parents are shortly moving from Spain to Mauritius, I have a 2 month window where I can source a second bike to go into the transport container to be shipped over there.

I'm sending my old Marin, as I now have a Synapse, but my gf has decided she wants to stick with her Tri Cross Sport as a winter bike and child trailer puller - being a triple, I guess that kind of makes sense.

I've been trawling the web for some time now, and not seen a huge amount to grab me.
I was planning on a decathlon bike, but their sale seems to be more the top end of the scale.

My Marin is a 10spd old 105 setup, so for simplicity I'm looking for another 10spd bike, so spares can be shared.
Also my Dad will likely want to ride it as well, so thought a decent quality rig made more sense.

I've also been looking at Halfords, CRC and Evans, as I can get 10% off at each of those places, but again, nothing has jumped out.

Today I saw this GT - strangely Start cycles have the rrp at £700, and are flogging it at £350, but I would need a medium, and they only have a large, but Cyclestore have the medium for £400 - 10spd Tiagra - what do you reckon to it?
Felt F70 05 (Turbo)
Marin Palisades Trail 91 and 06
Scott CR1 SL 12
Cannondale Synapse Adventure 15 & 16 Di2
Scott Foil 18

Comments

  • Not sure if they have anything fur for you but a recent trip to a go outdoors store I noticed they're getting big on cycling. They have.all the sorts of bikes from sub.£300 bargain road bikes and that is really aren't bad (road.cc best buy under £300). To a German company.called Ghost. Also a some decent spec.Raleigh road and hybrid bikes. There's an adventure bike for that looks just like my London Road PlanetX bike with Tiagra/105 gearing and a 700x40c tyres.

    If you're up for looking at Halfords then you should also consider go outdoors I reckon. Not sure they've got a reputation any worse than Halfords.

    Sorry it's only claris 8 speed at £300 but it has a carbon fork and probably upgradeable quality frame. They do have other bikes for a bit more that are 10 spd. I saw a Tiagra front and 105 rear derailleur set up bike that I thought was good for about 650.
  • Merlin have an interesting 10 speed, 105 equipped Sensa for £500. Looks like a bargain to me:

    https://www.merlincycles.com/sensa-romagna-special-57892.html
  • Are there any police auctions happening near you? When I spoke to the cops after my incident they said they had warehouses of unclaimed stuff that they auction every so often.
  • daniel_b
    daniel_b Posts: 11,538
    Happy New Year, and thanks for the replies gents.

    Only just realised that I never posted the Tiagra GT in the first place!
    https://www.cyclestore.co.uk/gt_gts_expert_2015_road_bike-ID_65773?source=aw
    gt-gts-expert-bygtm5gtsexwht.jpg

    Only considering Halfords as I am able to check a build and ensure it is completed correctly.
    Would defiitely consider Go Outdoors - BH are a well reputed brand from what I recall.
    The Moda Bolero looks lovely, but £550 is about £150 more than I wanted to spend.
    Not aware of any auctions, will see if I can find anything out - time is limited though.

    From the ones posted above, there are some cracking suggestions, the Sensa does appear to be the best vfm by some margin, and if I was after a bike for the UK that would be a done deal I think, but it's £100 more than the GT, and will look far too flash next to my battered 11 year old Marin!

    The only comparable bike I can see above for a similar price and spec is the Merlin FF1 - £405 with the current 10% discount and then £388 with cashback, and the GT is £396 with cashback.
    Felt F70 05 (Turbo)
    Marin Palisades Trail 91 and 06
    Scott CR1 SL 12
    Cannondale Synapse Adventure 15 & 16 Di2
    Scott Foil 18
  • daniel_b
    daniel_b Posts: 11,538

    Actually this is looking like a pretty decent deal as well, and has a decent smattering of *105 5800.

    With BC discount and TCB cashback would weigh in at £440, which stacks up pretty well versus the mostly Tiagra bikes above for what, £60 or so less.

    *Realise this contradicts my "I want two 10 spd bikes" but it does seem very good value.

    I don't seem to be able to get my BC discount to work, the £10 off a £75 spend is stuck in there, and there appears to be no way to remove it, I'm sure there used to be, or you would put another code in and it would ask you if you wanted to remove the original one, not any more though.
    In which case the Merlin is looking likely, as it's then over £100 cheaper.
    Felt F70 05 (Turbo)
    Marin Palisades Trail 91 and 06
    Scott CR1 SL 12
    Cannondale Synapse Adventure 15 & 16 Di2
    Scott Foil 18
  • daniel_b
    daniel_b Posts: 11,538
    Change of plan, was set on the Revenio 3, but then realised it had naff all clearance for mudguards, and after reading up on cycling in Mauritius, realised a CX bike would prove more flexible, so...

    Quite chuffed with this one - managed to persuade my gf to send her 2011 Tri Cross Sport to Mauritius, which means there will be a void to fill here.

    Just bagged a cracking replacement, last 52cm frame from Evans, and as I get a 10% discount for work, nabbed it for *£759 - mostly 105 5800 11sp groupset, well apart from the RS685 shifters and hydraulic brakes that is!
    Thinking the groupset with those brakes would cost around £500 plus alone.

    *Also using a £60 voucher they gave me for the last bike I bought off them that had some damage.

    Not the lightest, but for a winter bike, wearing mudguards and towing a child trailer from time to time, it fits the bill rather nicely I think. Had a few hairy moments getting the tri cross to slow down in time when trailered up, so some extra braking ability will be gratefully accepted.

    Still available in a 58:
    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/fuji/sportif-11-le-2015-road-bike-ec108532
    fuji-sportif-11-le-2015-road-bike.jpg

    Not massively gorgeous, but can soon make it a bit more high viz/nice looking with some automotive vinyl if she wants, for next to nothing.
    Will likely buy some 25mm Durano Plus tyres to replace those fitted, and send these out with the Tri Cross.

    http://road.cc/content/review/147424-fuji-sportif-11-ltd-road-bike
    Felt F70 05 (Turbo)
    Marin Palisades Trail 91 and 06
    Scott CR1 SL 12
    Cannondale Synapse Adventure 15 & 16 Di2
    Scott Foil 18