Road bike advice

psalliss

psalliss

psalliss

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Joined
18 Oct 2002
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2,243
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lancaster
Looking for a new road bike and narrowed it down to these t I think

Ribble Gran Fondo Carb Road Frame M (52cm C-Top)
Ribble Gran Fondo Carb Road Forks 1 1/8" ITS
Ribble Headset Branded Ribble 1 1/8 Hidden (ITS) 45 x 45
Shimano Ultegra 6800 11 Spd Double Groupset
Shimano 6800 BB-R60 Cups (Ultegra 11Spd) Eng
Shimano Ultegra 11 Spd 6800 Brakes
Shimano 11 Spd Ultegra 6800 Cassette 11-32
Shimano 11 Spd 6800 Ultegra Chain
Shimano Ultegra Double 6800 11 Spd Chainset 172.5 34/50
Shimano Ultegra 6800 11Spd Dble Front Gear Braze-on
Shimano Ultegra 6800 11 Spd Rear Gear GS Medium
Shimano STI Levers Ultegra 6800 11Spd w/cables Double
Mavic Pr WTS Aksium S 23mm Red 9/10/11 Shim
Deda RHM 02 Bars Black 44cm
Deda Zero 2 Stem Black 100mm
ITM Headset Spacer Carbon 1 1/8" 10mm
Selle Italia X1 Saddle (BIKE) Black
CSN Carbon S.E. Seatpillar 31.6 400mm
No Tyres needed (WTS)
No Tubes needed (Tubulars/WT System)
Deda Cork Ribbon Handlebar Tape Black
No Pedals currently selected.
1
£1391.90 £1391.90 £1391.90
Or possibly campo Athena rather that ultegra

http://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/p/...5-road-bike-2014?source=webgains&siteid=54264
 
I'm a beginner in many ways. Got a cube now which is half way decent but is too big. Cycle to work most days which I'll use cube for and 2-3 times a week do 20 miles of wether decent. Don't do more as find it to uncomfortable due to bike size. I've had a bike fit and it'sas good as it wil get.

I've got Tiagra on cube so wanted a step up and ribble advised that 105 will be upgraded to 11 in near future so would regret getting 105 over ultegra which I would
 
Vonhelmet said:
Do you need 11 sprockets? Do you need the close ratios or that much headroom on the hills? Do you need the extra expense of 11 speed cassettes and chains?
Click to expand...

This argument has been going on since the days of fixed gear bikes. :p
Every time an extra gear is proposed, people ask if it's really needed.
 
touch said:
This argument has been going on since the days of fixed gear bikes. :p
Every time an extra gear is proposed, people ask if it's really needed.
Click to expand...

For me it def is. On the flat I'm fine but hills are where I struggle. From what ribble where saying and other shops most of shimano range is likely to go 11 anyway
 
touch said:
This argument has been going on since the days of fixed gear bikes. :p
Every time an extra gear is proposed, people ask if it's really needed.
Click to expand...

Sure, but perhaps the point is more about being on the bleeding edge of technology. Is 10 speed that much worse than 11 speed? No. Is it cheaper? Yes. It's about bang for buck. Most of us can't make much use of the extra bang anyway.
 
psalliss said:
For me it def is. On the flat I'm fine but hills are where I struggle. From what ribble where saying and other shops most of shimano range is likely to go 11 anyway
Click to expand...

It sounds like what you need is a different cassette on the back not an extra gear :) but planet x IMO has better offerings with 6800 ultegra if you're set on that . rt58 looks great.
 
Vonhelmet said:
Is 10 speed that much worse than 11 speed? No. Is it cheaper? Yes. It's about bang for buck.
Click to expand...

Is 10speed that much worse than 11speed? No. Is it cheaper? Yes.
Is 9speed that much worse than 10speed? No. Is it cheaper? Yes.
Is 8speed that much worse than 9speed? No. Is it cheaper? Yes.

If you use that logic, we'd all be riding singlespeeds.

If I was buying a new bike now, I would choose 11speed.
 
I wouldn't bother with such a huge rear cassette personally if you have a compact up front.

Maybe a 12-28 instead. 34/28 is still a low gear without the bigger gaps that a 11-32 will have.
 
touch said:
Is 10speed that much worse than 11speed? No. Is it cheaper? Yes.
Is 9speed that much worse than 10speed? No. Is it cheaper? Yes.
Is 8speed that much worse than 9speed? No. Is it cheaper? Yes.

If you use that logic, we'd all be riding singlespeeds.

If I was buying a new bike now, I would choose 11speed.
Click to expand...

It's about diminishing returns, is my point. And my logic wouldn't extend much further even if I wanted it to, because good luck finding cheap compatible seven, six, five speed parts these days. Besides, op has said he feels he needs an extra sprocket to get up the hills, but as grudas has said and extra sprocket isn't going to help him there. It sounds like the salesman is gunning for the op to buy the more expensive kit regardless of whether he needs it. Who'd have thought it.
 
It allows you to have a higher range of gears, or have closer spacing between the gears.

You could have a 5 speed with similar top/bottom gears, but the spacing between them would be huge and so you'd probably never be in the 'right' gear. The difference between 10 and 11 is obviously going to be a lot smaller, but can make the difference between feeling like you're in the right gear and not.

As vonhelmet says it's diminishing returns (imo in both directions). Would a casual cyclist really notice the difference day-to-day between a 10sp and 11sp cassette? I don't think so, on the condition they chose the correct gear range in the first place.

I haven't really noticed a huge advantage going to 10sp from 9sp.
 
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Yup. Diminishing returns definitely. The running costs of 10 speed over 9 are minimal but it's quite a jump to 11 speed.

Personally I'd just get 11 speed....... when it comes down to a more comparable price to 10 speed :p Until then, 10 speed all the way.
 
By the time you've worn a cassette or chain ring out if you buy now then 11 speed will have come down in price anyway.

Ultegra 6800 is a bargain, I'd go for it.
 
Certainly wouldn't go compact with a cassette that wide on the back, 28 would surely be enough? The 11 - 32 only gives you one extra gear past 28 at the end of the day.

As for 10 vs 11 speed, even with 11 speed (11-25) - double up front - i have single gear changes that can impact my cadence by +/- 10 rpm...

I would go for the 6800 all day long, its a great group set.
 
Vonhelmet said:
It's about diminishing returns, is my point. And my logic wouldn't extend much further even if I wanted it to, because good luck finding cheap compatible seven, six, five speed parts these days. Besides, op has said he feels he needs an extra sprocket to get up the hills, but as grudas has said and extra sprocket isn't going to help him there. It sounds like the salesman is gunning for the op to buy the more expensive kit regardless of whether he needs it. Who'd have thought it.
Click to expand...

thanks for all the advice. in all fairness to ribble i don't think they were trying to flog me more as they talked me out of more expensive stuff and found them pretty helpful

the actually gearing sizes aside my query is more around bike spec component wise themselves. i really like the cannondale but its quite a bit more cash and ribble seems very good value. a friend has three off them with his oldest i think being 10 plus years old and still in perfect condition.

ill have a look at planet x as well as i hadn't really looked at them to be honest.

if i get the ribble i will be getting ultegra in shimano range but also considering campag athena which is roughly same price.
 
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