£2500 full build - recommendations?

alexisonfire

alexisonfire

alexisonfire

Soldato
Joined
8 Sep 2005
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Chichester
Hi guys, it's time to replace the current steed with something a little more serious and was hoping for some recommendations with a budget of around £2500. Full ultegra minimum and an aero frame would be preferably, but not if it compromises on weight as climbing performance is more important to me. £2500 budget would need to include a decent set of mid depth carbon clinchers (not interested in tubs).

I originally had my heart set on the allez sprint expert (i actually have one ordered) with a set of decent carbon wheels, but i have recently been second guessing my choice and questioning whether such an aggressive bike would be suitable for every day. I'm starting to think doing 80-100 miles on what is essentially a crit bike could be rather unpleasant.

At the weekend i rode a specialized tarmac elite, and was left rather underwhelmed. I didn't particularly like the handling (it felt twitchy) and it didn't really feel much stiffer than several Ali frames i've tried.

I then tested a Trek emonda SL 6 pro and was blown away. While it's slightly out of budget at £2700, it does seem very good value considering its such a high end frame, full ultegra and comes with very well reviewed metron 40's. I loved it so much i was standing at the till, bike in one hand and wallet in the other. My sensible side prevailed and i walked out knowing there were a few other bikes i wanted to try first.

I have a Giant propel advanced pro 2 booked out all day saturday and am very interested to see how it performs compared to the emonda.

My question to you (at last), what else should i be looking at? I've considered the emonda ALR with a decent wheel set, and although i'm really not sold on the look of the bike, its very hard to ignore the reviews of the CAAD12 that are being slapped in my face left, right and centre.

Thoughts?
 
I wouldn't dismiss aero bikes as not being able to climb well, you haven't specifically but I've a feeling might be mislead.

I know (others might not) that the proportion of time on your rides that you spend actually climbing is not high so wouldn't be too hasty to prioritise this if I were you. Of your last two typical rides, roughly 1/4 which includes terrain undulation in addition to specific climb segments.

1hr:56m @ 29:44 climbing
1hr44m @ 25:36 climbing

Agreed with SDK you can't knock Canyons value though might find it tricky to actually test one prior to purchase though I sent Max a link to a day Canyon were holding not far from you. If you visited them at the LBS 2017 you'd have got 5% off and free shipping & extra bits and pieces.

The other option to consider is sourcing the frameset you like best either new or lightly used and then self/custom build and have something unique :cool:
 
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BennyC said:
I wouldn't dismiss aero bikes as not being able to climb well, you haven't specifically but I've a feeling might be mislead.

I know (others might not) that the proportion of time on your rides that you spend actually climbing is not high so wouldn't be too hasty to prioritise this if I were you. Of your last two typical rides, roughly 1/4 which includes terrain undulation in addition to specific climb segments.

1hr:56m @ 29:44 climbing
1hr44m @ 25:36 climbing

Agreed with SDK you can't knock Canyons value though might find it tricky to actually test one prior to purchase though I sent Max a link to a day Canyon were holding not far from you. If you visited them at the LBS 2017 you'd have got 5% off and free shipping & extra bits and pieces.

The other option to consider is sourcing the frameset you like best either new or lightly used and then self/custom build and have something unique :cool:
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Agreed completely with the aero/weight thing... i was even going to amend my post to clarify what i meant. I was getting more at the point that i would sway more towards a 7kg race bike than a 8.5-9kg aero bike, but if i could have a midway choice of say a high 7's aero bike, i would be more swayed towards that than a 7kg race bike!

I do like canyons, and i get they are excellent value, but I'm not sure they are for me. I got a phone call from my LBS today that the Allez sprint has arrived and its ready for me to collect. Because of how rare they are and i might regret giving up the chance of getting my hands on one i think i will still go down and give it a test ride...decisions decisions!
 
I really wouldn't obsess massively with the weight of the bike. Take it into consideration of course but feedback, comfort, handling and aesthetics are probably as/more important to me :o

Just like that of a deep section wheelset it is not that crucial for it to be the lightest perform well, as has been proven.
 
So i took the Specialized Allez Sprint Expert for a ride and while it was a great bike, it wasn't for me. The geo felt super aggressive and the ride was very harsh, which i guess makes sense, as before anything, its a crit bike. It just wouldn't have been suitable as an all round bike. I then took a Trek Emonda ALR 6 out for a ride and while i couldn't fault the actual bike, i just didn't gel with it. As a stock, £1600 bike i really don't think it can be beaten, amazing spec and feel for the money. I just didn't feel it was a frame i wanted to invest into.

As i said i above, i had a ride booked in for a Giant Propel Advanced Pro 2 and from the instant i got on the bike, it felt special. I was so in love with it i almost bought it there and then, but as this was before riding the Trek and Specialized, i walked away. Using this is a base of what i wanted, i couldn't find anything close for the money (that i could ride before buying). I also got to ride a £8500 top spec Specialized S-works Venge Vias Disc and what it made me realise was how good the Propel was for £2600. While the Propel was missing all the bells and whistles (etap, integrated PM etc) the overall feel of the bikes felt very similar.

Anyway, order made on the Propel, hopefully pick it up early next week!
 
alexisonfire said:
So i took the Specialized Allez Sprint Expert for a ride and while it was a great bike, it wasn't for me. The geo felt super aggressive and the ride was very harsh, which i guess makes sense, as before anything, its a crit bike. It just wouldn't have been suitable as an all round bike. I then took a Trek Emonda ALR 6 out for a ride and while i couldn't fault the actual bike, i just didn't gel with it. As a stock, £1600 bike i really don't think it can be beaten, amazing spec and feel for the money. I just didn't feel it was a frame i wanted to invest into.

As i said i above, i had a ride booked in for a Giant Propel Advanced Pro 2 and from the instant i got on the bike, it felt special. I was so in love with it i almost bought it there and then, but as this was before riding the Trek and Specialized, i walked away. Using this is a base of what i wanted, i couldn't find anything close for the money (that i could ride before buying). I also got to ride a £8500 top spec Specialized S-works Venge Vias Disc and what it made me realise was how good the Propel was for £2600. While the Propel was missing all the bells and whistles (etap, integrated PM etc) the overall feel of the bikes felt very similar.

Anyway, order made on the Propel, hopefully pick it up early next week!
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I must say, I find the Propel looks great. Did you notice the 'aero' benefits of the bike?
 
MM-Seat said:
I must say, I find the Propel looks great. Did you notice the 'aero' benefits of the bike?
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Absolutely. I'm generally sitting around 19-21mph average on the Cannondale with undulating flats , but also pushing pretty hard. I was regularly getting 24-26mph average on the two times i've test ridden the Propel. The thing just flies over 20mph compared to my CAAD. A friend i always ride with came with me on the test ride and jokingly said i couldn't buy the bike as he couldn't keep up anymore :p
 
A large proportion of that advantage will be due to the fact it is lighter, stiffer and has deep section rims with arguably better hubs than what's on your dale currently :) that said I would still expect it to be notably faster having equated for this :cool:

Glad you finally made a decision :p ;)
 
A larger portion of that advantage will be adrenaline and excitement over pushing hard on a new bike. 25% more is a lot to attribute to the aero advantage of a propel in a world of marginal gains. Enjoy the new ride though, they are a great looking frame :)
 
BennyC said:
A large proportion of that advantage will be due to the fact it is lighter, stiffer and has deep section rims with arguably better hubs than what's on your dale currently :) that said I would still expect it to be notably faster having equated for this :cool:

Glad you finally made a decision :p ;)
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It's taken me long enough! This thread suggests 2 weeks but in reality i've been looking for 5 months :p Decided i really liked the bike and i needed to stop putting it off waiting for something better to come along!

iguanoid said:
A larger portion of that advantage will be adrenaline and excitement over pushing hard on a new bike. 25% more is a lot to attribute to the aero advantage of a propel in a world of marginal gains. Enjoy the new ride though, they are a great looking frame :)
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As Ben has said above, there was quite a large weight saving of 2.5-3kg from the Propel to the CAAD...not to mention its a cross bike, so its about as aerodynamic as a brick :D
 
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