Spec me a road bike.

Nick1881

Nick1881

Nick1881

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Joined
4 Feb 2007
Posts
9,848
Location
Nuneaton, UK
So I have decided I really want a road bike for this year, I have never had a road bike before.

A few years ago I bought a Scott Sub 30 hybrid bike, I really enjoyed riding it but wanted more speed. I only really rode it for spring, summer and autumn for one year, it then got retired to the shed and eventually sold on.

It does worry me that I will do the same again, give up once the bad weather starts coming in so I'm really not sure what to spend. Do I go all out and spend around £1000 and hope I carry it on, or should I spend half of that and just mess about?

I still have my Shimano shoes I bought for my old bike.

I want something fast but also some comfort, I'm 32 this year and having not rode for years and never rode seriously I'm worried how much I can handle lol.

So far I have looked in the local Trek centre, they recommended the Domane 2 Series and said they would measure me up and set the bike up for me and let me ride it on the trainer.

I also looked at the Boardman Road Team Carbon in Halfords just now.

Am I mad to be looking at bikes this expensive? I'm not really sure what all the spec means so I don't know what I want/need.

Also I have seen Giant Defy 1 highly recommended.

Any advice or suggestions would be great, I feel drawn to the bikes around £1000 with fancy carbon forks or frames but will it all be wasted on me?

Thanks
 
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Does your work place have any cycle to work scheme? It's better doing that where possible. (£1000 bike becomes around £700, saving on tax/NI).

If I were in your position, I'd head down to Evans or your local bike shop to have a look / test ride on the bikes. Go with e.g. Fuji Sportif 1.5 or 1.3, lower end of your budget that offers you carbon fork and decent components (<~£500). When you get really into cycling again, then you can have this bike down as your Winter trainer whilst having money available to get a new, lighter, faster bike next year.

If you don't cycle as much as you'd hoped, you have a bike available for fair weather that don't break the bank.
 
If you're worried about spending too much, get something from decathlon or go second hand.

And get a turbo trainer for the winter months.

And don't worry about having not cycled for years. I'm 31 and I started again last year after not riding at all for 5 years or so and now I'm doing about 250 miles a month.
 
My work has a cycle to work scheme but we have to choose it as part of our benefits package for the year which is totally rubbish, the way they put it was like buying your own bike in full and I did this in November, no chance to change it now even if I wanted to.

There are a couple of local bike shops so I might go have a look. How can I tell if a bike will be more comfortable? (More relaxed geometry?) The Trek centre will probably let me ride some on their trainer so I can get a feel of what they are like.

Halfords had a Carrera half price down from £600 to £300, that's a very appealing amount to spend, but I'm the kind of person that would rather spend more and buy quality and I can't stop dreaming about carbon frames and 105 lol.
 
You can only tell if a bike is comfortable when you actually ride it - obviously with the right size fitting.

I personally isn't used to a sportier Specialized Allez shape, had to 'hunch' over forward more. Got a more 'endurance' shape ones. Both I wouldn't have known the difference till I test ride. Evans good for that as I just needed an ID, pay £50 deposit and I went riding around the parking area for an hour.

Someone asked a similar question here
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18501363

The Triban 3 seems to be widely talked about for round about the £300-£400 range. Might be a good one to go for as a first road bike ride. Road bikes are definitely different sitting than hybrid bikes, so much quicker off the mark.
 
Nick1881 said:
Halfords had a Carrera half price down from £600 to £300, that's a very appealing amount to spend, but I'm the kind of person that would rather spend more and buy quality and I can't stop dreaming about carbon frames and 105 lol.
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Don't buy a Carrera. They're too expensive for what you get. The Zelos is overpriced rubbish. The Virtuoso is overpriced and has a steel fork. The TdF shuttles around pricewise like crazy, depending on what they're trying to shift, and isn't a good buy at the best of times, and even at it's lowest regular price - £300 - is beaten by Decathlon's entry level Triban 3 bike.
 
Thanks, I'll give Carrera a miss then.

I think I'd rather buy something locally, I'll have a look in the bike shops in Coventry and see what they have.

Is the Boardman Road Team Carbon more race than endurance? If so I will knock it off the list too.

The nearest Evans is Birmingham or Milton Keynes, could take a drive down at the weekend.
 
Hi Nick (long time no speak...) Does your bike have to have 105? I've just purchased the Allez elite and the Tiagra really impressed me.

I did test ride the Secteur Elite which was much more relaxed then the Allez elite . I really liked the bike, if they would have had one in my size on the day I would have bought it (I'm very impatient). It has carbon forks, and a trick bit called Zertz - which is supposed to iron out the vibrations.
 
Nick1881 said:
My work has a cycle to work scheme but we have to choose it as part of our benefits package for the year which is totally rubbish, the way they put it was like buying your own bike in full and I did this in November, no chance to change it now even if I wanted to.
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Are you sure about that? The option automatically opens up for us once a year however if you contact your HR and fill out a form they can open the scheme up at any time of the year. I did it with my last bike a few years ago and I'm in the process of doing it again now.

Dave

Edit: Just properly read your post like I should have done before I originally replied; Are you saying you already did the cycle to work scheme this year?
 
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I haven't done the cycle scheme before so will give HR a call.

I went and had a look at a few bikes today, looked at Trek again and they seem to be more expensive in comparison to others for the same spec.

My LBS does Focus and showed me a few different options including a full carbon bike for £1350, if I can do the cycle to work scheme then I could maybe get this.
 
Cycle to work scheme goes up to £1000 only. But then if you do get cycle to work, then there are shops like Evans, Merlin Cycles and Planet X to choose from.

My supervisor went with the Planet X SRAM Full Carbon. £999 + £60 this additional charge on top of CTW due to them loosing a certain % per bike they sell. Apparently that's the best Carbon bike he's found for under £1000 and allowed CTW.

I still think staying with a beginner bike first, if you do fall and damage the bike, it's not a precious Carbon one yet. My aim is to get good on my Fuji, it'll be then be down graded to my Winter/Wet/Commute bike and then get a fast carbon as my n+1 bike.
 
Nick1881 said:
I haven't done the cycle scheme before so will give HR a call.

I went and had a look at a few bikes today, looked at Trek again and they seem to be more expensive in comparison to others for the same spec.

My LBS does Focus and showed me a few different options including a full carbon bike for £1350, if I can do the cycle to work scheme then I could maybe get this.
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Only if he will let you top up, which some retailers won't (since I don't think they are supposed to under the scheme rules). Vouchers are limited to £1,000. Since your company is essentially lending you the cash they would need a consumer credit licence in order to lend you a higher amount.
 
I can get the C2W scheme, have a voucher for £1000 on the way, the local bike shop said they would let me top it up so should be all good.

I'm going to Evans tomorrow to have a look there too.
 
[DOD]Asprilla;24065829 said:
Only if he will let you top up, which some retailers won't (since I don't think they are supposed to under the scheme rules). Vouchers are limited to £1,000. Since your company is essentially lending you the cash they would need a consumer credit licence in order to lend you a higher amount.
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Indeed. They can lend more, but they need a licence.
 
Nick1881 said:
I can get the C2W scheme, have a voucher for £1000 on the way, the local bike shop said they would let me top it up so should be all good.

I'm going to Evans tomorrow to have a look there too.
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Nice!
Check their website, there are a few brands on 20+% reduction and topped off with £50 or £100 accessories voucher. They however don't allow top up so limited to £1000 bike.
 
I went to Evans yesterday and they guy said I can top up, he showed me the Cannondale Synapse 5 and the Jamis Xenith Comp full carbon.

Once I get the voucher I can go back and test ride a few.
 
I'm still waiting for my voucher.

Been to a bike shop near to my work today, very much liking the Giant Defy 0 and Defy Composite 2.

The Defy 0 is £1200 aluminium frame and Ultegra gear
The Defy Composite 2 is £1400 carbon frame but SRAM Apex.

Still can't decide if I should go for the Carbon frame or the better gear set.
 
Ouch, very expensive to be honest for a first bike with some 'umms and ahhs' to start with.

Planet X Carbon bike... SRAM Rival £999 delivered (+£65? due to using cycle scheme)
http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/CBPXSLPRIV13/planet_x_pro_carbon_sram_rival_road_bike

Sensa Romagna... Choose between 105/Ultegra and upgrading to better wheels ~£900-£1100 depending on upgrades (+£65 due to cycle scheme)
http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-sh...ikes/sensa-romagna-custom-road-bike-2013.html

Downside, unless you're living near either store or willing to travel, you have to get and adjust the bike yourself to make it 'fit comfortably' (assuming right size). Plus, have you confirmed those Giant bikes are ok to be purchased under Cycle schemes? +£100ish, they seem to close a blind eye, over that, shared ownership becomes an issue.

And don't worry aboutt he voucher, it takes blooming ages. I'm still waiting for mine and that was submitted back on the 19th March. It waits for your company to approve and pay for the voucher before it's released to you.

Edit: £840 for this Alu + Ultegra, plus money for accessories like pedals, shoes e.t.c.
http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-sh...oad-bikes/drossiger-rra24-road-bike-2012.html
 
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