Road Cycling Essentials

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touch said:
Well what are you doing back in this thread then?
You're not welcome here anymore :p


We should start a hybrid/cyclocross thread. I still havnt posted about my cyclocross adventure from last weekend because the roadies wont like the chunky tyres and the mtbers wont like the drop bars :(
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Cyclocross; winter training for roadies who don't have second homes in Tenerife or Majorca. It's more than welcome here.
 
Mine is halfway between. It's built for the event which is trails and paths, but nothing too extreme. I'm using track hubs, so single speed and fixed at the back so I can run it fixed on the road.

Ultimately it'll be my winter bike if it gets snowy or icy :p
 
Went out for the first time on my clip ins today. **** me it took some getting used to. Fell twice in quite a public area due to failing to clip in second foot. After that I got used to but its so easy to forget you're clipped in. Managed 16 miles of near enough up hill all the way. Feeling good but also shattered lol. Time to work on fitness!
 
Deiwos said:
Went out for the first time on my clip ins today. **** me it took some getting used to. Fell twice in quite a public area due to failing to clip in second foot. After that I got used to but its so easy to forget you're clipped in. Managed 16 miles of near enough up hill all the way. Feeling good but also shattered lol. Time to work on fitness!
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Falling off from not clipping in? That's the opposite to most poeple's troubles :D

I've only fallen off my SPDs once and that was on my MTB, it was fairly pathetic though... I did come very close to knocking over my dad's motorbike though once. Glad that didn't happen...
 
PardonTheWait said:
Falling off from not clipping in? That's the opposite to most poeple's troubles :D

I've only fallen off my SPDs once and that was on my MTB, it was fairly pathetic though... I did come very close to knocking over my dad's motorbike though once. Glad that didn't happen...
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I know right? I was clipped in with one and then I was concentrating on clipping in to the other and before I realised I had no momentum and was toppling over, obviously forgetting to unclip in the process. Got the hang of it by the end but annoying to start with!
 
I'm trying to weigh up whether a substantial difference in price is worth it to get a bike
with 105...

There's a 2011 CAAD8 Tiagra I can get for £765 (on finance which limited where I can get it from a little) which is a great price imo. If I want the 105 one, it'll have to be next year's one which will be £1000 or £1050!

There are a couple I've seen around with 105 at £8-900 but not many, lots are really drying up at this time of year as well. I don't know how much difference 105 will make to me but Tiagra being the end of the road so to speak with it being 9 speed is a bit of a concern. Then I think maybe I've convinced myself 105 is 'necessary' for no good reason, I'm only a beginner and won't be racing, just training.
 
willhub said:
They still make CAAD8's?

Seems abit pricey for a CAAD8 also I got a CAAD9 with 105 groupset for £900
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It's the CAAD9 they don't make anymore :p

There's an 8 and a 10 now.

What I was looking at first of all was the Synapse with 105 which was £1000 but now £900, but there's no 54s and no CAAD8 105s in 54 left.

Without an extended ride to work it out, I don't know if I should be after a more relaxed geometry (like the synapse, giant defy, felt Z series) or a racier one. Just sitting on them in showrooms I can't tell. As far as I know I can go for a ride on this CAAD if I want, but a few laps round the block isn't going to give me any insight.

I do however want to get it from somewhere where I can sit on it to make sure it fits.

A lot of the real end of year bargains have gone now where they've run out, and most companies will be upping prices next year, so if I can find something suitable from this year I'll grab it, but if I can't, I'll get a 2012 bike.


Saundie said:
Get it with Tiagra, ride it until you destroy the groupset, then replace it all with 105 stuff?
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That's one way I'm leaning, it's a good frame so worth putting 105 on a later date, and £800 is still a lot to spend on a bike. The other half of me says well sod it if I'm spending £800 I may as well spend £1000.

The other option is just ride my bike until it actually lets me down, and in the meantime keep my eye out for bargains.

My bike's poo though!
 
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PardonTheWait said:
That's one way I'm leaning, it's a good frame so worth putting 105 on a later date, and £800 is still a lot to spend on a bike. The other half of me says well sod it if I'm spending £800 I may as well spend £1000.

The other option is just ride my bike until it actually lets me down, and in the meantime keep my eye out for bargains.

My bike's poo though!
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Sure, 105 is better than Tiagra, but what you really have to decide is whether it's worth the extra cost. I'm sure many people would insist on going for the 105, as the perception is that it's vastly superior to Tiagra. If you're going to use the bike a lot then perhaps you can justify it in that way? I've had to talk myself out of buying a new bike this year as I end up in a similar situation to you each time. I don't really want to spend the £2k it'd cost to get exactly what I want, but at the same time I know I'll wish I had if I compromise and get something cheaper.

What's wrong with your existing bike anyway? Is it simply that you've grown bored of it?
 
Saundie said:
Sure, 105 is better than Tiagra, but what you really have to decide is whether it's worth the extra cost. I'm sure many people would insist on going for the 105, as the perception is that it's vastly superior to Tiagra. If you're going to use the bike a lot then perhaps you can justify it in that way? I've had to talk myself out of buying a new bike this year as I end up in a similar situation to you each time. I don't really want to spend the £2k it'd cost to get exactly what I want, but at the same time I know I'll wish I had if I compromise and get something cheaper.

What's wrong with your existing bike anyway? Is it simply that you've grown bored of it?
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I intend to use the bike a lot, but we're only talking 50-70 miles a week for fitness/weight loss with my friends and on my own. I'd like 105 but looking at prices this CAAD8 is just quite a good deal.

There are other bikes about but not at places where I can see them and sit on them. I'm a bit weary of buying blind at this money.

My bike is a cheap thing that a mate got hold of for me through his old work, so I could see if I like it and intended to ride 'properly'. I definitely do an the bugs bitten so I want a nice bike :)
 
I'd rather spend the extra £££'s on some better wheels over 105 vs Tiagra because a set of lighter and stiffer wheels will actually improve your speed ;)
 
Really confused now! Do I settle for Tiagra, do I insist on only buying a bike I've actually sat on, or do I go with online and save a little money, and have more choice.. more choice being the thing that's currently doing my head in!

Looking at Ribbles as well now and you can't really argue with the pricing. A friend has a stealth and loves it.
 
Well I've got a '11 CAAD 8 Tiagra and I can assure you it's been excellent! I've just upgraded the wheels but other than that it's been brilliant. Also the black and white paint scheme looks better than the 105 version...:rolleyes: :D
 
How many people here have bike insurance? I'm part of British Cycling so I'm covered for third party liability insurance, however I don't have anything to cover damage to my bike if no third party was involved. My home insurance policy unfortunately does not cover anything above £700 without having to get specialist bike insurance with them. Can't decide who to get my bike insurance with!
 
PardonTheWait said:
It's the CAAD9 they don't make anymore :p

There's an 8 and a 10 now.

What I was looking at first of all was the Synapse with 105 which was £1000 but now £900, but there's no 54s and no CAAD8 105s in 54 left.

Without an extended ride to work it out, I don't know if I should be after a more relaxed geometry (like the synapse, giant defy, felt Z series) or a racier one. Just sitting on them in showrooms I can't tell. As far as I know I can go for a ride on this CAAD if I want, but a few laps round the block isn't going to give me any insight.

I do however want to get it from somewhere where I can sit on it to make sure it fits.

A lot of the real end of year bargains have gone now where they've run out, and most companies will be upping prices next year, so if I can find something suitable from this year I'll grab it, but if I can't, I'll get a 2012 bike.




That's one way I'm leaning, it's a good frame so worth putting 105 on a later date, and £800 is still a lot to spend on a bike. The other half of me says well sod it if I'm spending £800 I may as well spend £1000.

The other option is just ride my bike until it actually lets me down, and in the meantime keep my eye out for bargains.

My bike's poo though!
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I ride a 56 caad 8 sora and find it fine for doing around 30 miles a day on. I did just snap a spoke in the crap wheels though :(.

The caad 8 105 has a better frame as it has BB30 rather than a normal threaded BB. We still have a 54cm caad 8 105 lying in a box somewhere at the moment and that would be £850 buying it straight up or £1000 @ 0% finance.

The Caad 8 has a 2cm taller head tube compared to the caad 10/super six so it isn't as racey as you may think.
 
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