Road Cycling Essentials

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divaboy said:
So I've narrowed my bike search down for £2000 which one would you choose?

http://www.rutlandcycling.com/281204/products/trek-emonda-sl5-2015-mens-road-bike.aspx

http://www.rutlandcycling.com/281210/products/trek-emonda-s6-2015-road-bike.aspx

http://www.cervelo.com/en/bikes/r-series/r2.html

I'm edging towards the SL5 but cant make my mind up on the colour ...

Cervelo I've ridden before but it didn't quite do it for me and slightly worried by all the BB part of the frame developing the squeak of death ...

Thoughts ?
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No disc brakes = no sale :p

I'm not sure what serious feedback I can offer as my bikes have tended to be in the 1000-1300 range. That said, as much as the frame and everything else is important, a 105 groupset on a 2k bike feels very wrong to me. The 11 speed 105 is obviously a step up from the 10 speed but still... I would feel a bit ripped off getting anything less than 11 speed ultegra on a bike that cost me 2k+.
 
FrenchTart said:
No disc brakes = no sale :p

I'm not sure what serious feedback I can offer as my bikes have tended to be in the 1000-1300 range. That said, as much as the frame and everything else is important, a 105 groupset on a 2k bike feels very wrong to me. The 11 speed 105 is obviously a step up from the 10 speed but still... I would feel a bit ripped off getting anything less than 11 speed ultegra on a bike that cost me 2k+.
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You can get a lower grade carbon version with Ultegra on http://www.rutlandcycling.com/281210/products/trek-emonda-s6-2015-road-bike.aspx

But worried my old bike was a £2k bike with 105 on it and it rode great. I did get it for £1.4K but concerned I'd be disappointed with a lower spec frame.I basically bought my old bike blind/no knowledge and got lucky.
I know I can give it a quick ride out but you never really get the feel for a bike until you have a had a good few rides on it :confused:

Saytan said:
I'd count the cervelo out purely on the basis that a £2k bike should never be one that "doesn't quite do it for you"
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Agreed , in some ways wish I could buy my old bike again but Orbea have changed the frames again and I don't likey :(

Searching the internet for a 2014 Orbea Orca 105 in a 57 inch frame in black and yellow is a no go.
 
divaboy said:
So I've narrowed my bike search down for £2000 which one would you choose?

http://www.rutlandcycling.com/281204/products/trek-emonda-sl5-2015-mens-road-bike.aspx

http://www.rutlandcycling.com/281210/products/trek-emonda-s6-2015-road-bike.aspx

http://www.cervelo.com/en/bikes/r-series/r2.html

I'm edging towards the SL5 but cant make my mind up on the colour ...

Cervelo I've ridden before but it didn't quite do it for me and slightly worried by all the BB part of the frame developing the squeak of death ...

Thoughts ?
Click to expand...

Personally I wouldn't buy a Trek. Not that they are bad bikes but as a brand they don't do it for me.

What about this

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/specialized-venge-elite-14

or this

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/cervelo-s2-105?bct=browse/bicycles/road-bikes
 
divaboy said:
You can get a lower grade carbon version with Ultegra on http://www.rutlandcycling.com/281210/products/trek-emonda-s6-2015-road-bike.aspx

But worried my old bike was a £2k bike with 105 on it and it rode great. I did get it for £1.4K but concerned I'd be disappointed with a lower spec frame.I basically bought my old bike blind/no knowledge and got lucky.
I know I can give it a quick ride out but you never really get the feel for a bike until you have a had a good few rides on it :confused:
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Yeah, I can imagine it's really tough. I have kind of bought blind a few times and every time I felt more and more "hmm" about doing it. I think the next bike I buy I will really struggle to part with the cash as I will start to catch up with the amount you're spending and I'll want to be absolutely sure that I can appreciate the difference in expenditure.

As someone that is extremely extremely anal about shifting and someone that rides quite a few miles I'd say that 105 can do the job as long as you can be bothered re-adjusting it regularly (I find I have to every ~300 miles - though that is 5700 105). If you enjoyed riding on it before then there's not really a need to upgrade from it, but I definitely wouldn't fall into the trap of thinking that you will like the way a frame feels just because it is expensive.
 
Calpol said:
Personally I wouldn't buy a Trek. Not that they are bad bikes but as a brand they don't do it for me.

What about this

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/specialized-venge-elite-14


or this

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/cervelo-s2-105?bct=browse/bicycles/road-bikes
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I hate the feel of specialized frames and I don't really fancy an aero frame great looking bikes but not the type of bikes i'm after. Thanks for the suggestions though.

FrenchTart said:
Yeah, I can imagine it's really tough. I have kind of bought blind a few times and every time I felt more and more "hmm" about doing it. I think the next bike I buy I will really struggle to part with the cash as I will start to catch up with the amount you're spending and I'll want to be absolutely sure that I can appreciate the difference in expenditure.

As someone that is extremely extremely anal about shifting and someone that rides quite a few miles I'd say that 105 can do the job as long as you can be bothered re-adjusting it regularly (I find I have to every ~300 miles - though that is 5700 105). If you enjoyed riding on it before then there's not really a need to upgrade from it, but I definitely wouldn't fall into the trap of thinking that you will like the way a frame feels just because it is expensive.
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Totally agree with everything you have said above but I've ridden a few other bikes including Planet X carbon pro , Specialized Roubaix and a Canyon and none of them did it for me. Guess I'll have to bite the bullet at some point.

One thing I am happy with is that 105 is a good enough groupset for me even if it wasn't £500 more for ultegra on the same frame seems stupid. I reckon you could sell the 105 and buy ultegra and still have cash in the pocket.
 
divaboy said:
Totally agree with everything you have said above but I've ridden a few other bikes including Planet X carbon pro , Specialized Roubaix and a Canyon and none of them did it for me. Guess I'll have to bite the bullet at some point.

One thing I am happy with is that 105 is a good enough groupset for me even if it wasn't £500 more for ultegra on the same frame seems stupid. I reckon you could sell the 105 and buy ultegra and still have cash in the pocket.
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Yeah, I was actually wondering about that. The prices charged for groupsets are really weird and I'm sure there's some amount of gouging going on :/

If you already know the frames/builds you like and the groupsets you like it sounds like you are in a better position to comment than I have ever been when buying a bike :) How do you deal with the wheels side of things btw? Do you have something specific in mind you will upgrade to or...?
 
FrenchTart said:
It's certainly weightier than everything else listed there but isn't it also cheaper?

I'd love a SRAM Red setup personally. And also not to have to carry all my spare bike bits + lock + water which all add up to way more than my groupset :)
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Woah, 5800 is cheap!

it weighs in and costs similar to campage veloce, although that's a 10sp group

It's not a lot cheaper than SRAM Apex....
 
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FrenchTart said:
Yeah, I was actually wondering about that. The prices charged for groupsets are really weird and I'm sure there's some amount of gouging going on :/

If you already know the frames/builds you like and the groupsets you like it sounds like you are in a better position to comment than I have ever been when buying a bike :) How do you deal with the wheels side of things btw? Do you have something specific in mind you will upgrade to or...?
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Wheels aren't an issue got some handbuilt Hope hub with H plus Son rims.

Expensive but really are amazing , someone on here recommended them to me instead of some Mavic Carbon wheels. really grateful for that advice.

Grudas no interest what soever in a chinese carbon build.
 
So my wife came home this evening to find me replacing my shifters in the kitchen, tools on every surface, old parts and cables all over the floor. "I can't believe you're doing this in here!" she said. I don't know why she was do incredulous; she's known me 13 years, and it sounds like exactly the sort of thing I'd do.
 
I won a place on the Chain Reaction Cycles Tour of Britain VIP ride in Brighton. From what I can gather it's basically riding the last part of the stage 7 route before the race gets there, around 30 miles of it. I'm not sure I'll go though as it's a 400 mile round trip - a long way to go to ride 30 odd miles for a free jersey!
 
Vonhelmet said:
So my wife came home this evening to find me replacing my shifters in the kitchen, tools on every surface, old parts and cables all over the floor. "I can't believe you're doing this in here!" she said. I don't know why she was do incredulous; she's known me 13 years, and it sounds like exactly the sort of thing I'd do.
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Brilliant post :p
 
And fitted :D

UDIKYL5.jpg.png


Ordered a new frame for my mountain bike too, will attempt to swap all the parts over when it arrives as a project. I'll undoubtedly have to take it to the LBS at some point though!
 
divaboy said:
Wheels aren't an issue got some handbuilt Hope hub with H plus Son rims.

Expensive but really are amazing , someone on here recommended them to me instead of some Mavic Carbon wheels. really grateful for that advice.

Grudas no interest what soever in a chinese carbon build.
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If you already have decent wheels I would look at the Westbrook deal for Scott foil 15 with full ultegra 6870 di2 for 1399.

http://www.westbrookcycles.co.uk/sc...th-ultegra-6800-11-speed-di2-groupset-p237560
 
FrenchTart said:
It's certainly weightier than everything else listed there but isn't it also cheaper?

I'd love a SRAM Red setup personally. And also not to have to carry all my spare bike bits + lock + water which all add up to way more than my groupset :)
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Despite the weight advantage though, I'd never go with an SRAM gruppo- the double tap shifting feels so unrefined after using Shimano stuff...
 
mrham4321 said:
Despite the weight advantage though, I'd never go with an SRAM gruppo- the double tap shifting feels so unrefined after using Shimano stuff...
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I hear mixed reports on it - some people seem to love it and some hate it, it's real marmite stuff. I'm considering it for my next bike (in like 2 years lol) but I think I'll want to test ride a bike with sram first. I think a mate of mine has a bike with sram on it, though he may have sold it...

I think asprilla uses sram, not sure there are many other users on here? For that matter I imagine campagnolo is even rarer.
 
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