Drooper Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Any of you more experienced guy able to give me advice? I'm lookingto upgrade my road bike, but I'm by swamped by the choices out there and the variety of prices. I only took the sport up 15 months ago and did pedal for Scotland and another similar charity ride this year. I'm looking to push on a bit (I've entered the Kinross Sportive, and will try the Etape in 2014), but nothing too dramatic (I'm 53 so there's a limit to how much I can improve I think). The bike I inherited is a Carrera from Halfords (costs about £400 new). I hear a lot about carbon being best, but others tell me its not as straightforward as that. Reading a recent edition of Cycling Plus, it seems you can get a "good" bike, certainly one that would be better than what I've got for about £700 or so. Would I find much benefit from spending more? I'm think of getting a Boardman from Halfords - I've heard they are good value, and buying there would be convenient in terms of ongoing maintenance etc. My work doesn't do cycle to work unfortunately. Any thoughts? Boardman bikes get good write-ups, but Halfords are shite for maintenance. I wouldn't go near them. £700 will get you a very decent bike, but look out for last year's models (2012 - oddly enough), as you can pick up bargains at this time of the year. Good luck. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fanny paddery Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Did 30 miles on Sunday, got about 2 miles from home, went round a corner a bit too quick and was met with the road covered in wet leaves. Que me decking it but going to ground in the riding position, getting a chain in 1 leg, a pedal in the other and a brake handle jabbed into a hand. Wednesday lunchtime and my legs are still aching. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifespud Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Any of you more experienced guy able to give me advice? I'm lookingto upgrade my road bike, but I'm by swamped by the choices out there and the variety of prices. I only took the sport up 15 months ago and did pedal for Scotland and another similar charity ride this year. I'm looking to push on a bit (I've entered the Kinross Sportive, and will try the Etape in 2014), but nothing too dramatic (I'm 53 so there's a limit to how much I can improve I think). The bike I inherited is a Carrera from Halfords (costs about £400 new). I hear a lot about carbon being best, but others tell me its not as straightforward as that. Reading a recent edition of Cycling Plus, it seems you can get a "good" bike, certainly one that would be better than what I've got for about £700 or so. Would I find much benefit from spending more? I'm think of getting a Boardman from Halfords - I've heard they are good value, and buying there would be convenient in terms of ongoing maintenance etc. My work doesn't do cycle to work unfortunately. Any thoughts? Buying bikes is pretty bloody confusing. At the end of the day it's all about the engine. I'm not absolutely sure how much difference there is between a £400 and a £700 bike - obviously a good bit - I always want the bike I can't afford. Wheels are massively important and the problem with most off the peg bikes is the wheels tend to be entry level. Any weight saving on things that go round is basically worth twice any bits that remain stationary (like the frame) because of rotational inertia. I changed my wheels to Mavic Ksyrium Elites this year and was stunned by the difference. I'd have a look on ebay - definitely some bargains to be had there - well I know lots of folk who have got a bargain, or so they say but I don't seem to as lucky. Boardman bikes look fine to me, Focus come highly recommended - I have one of those. It's a carbon but I'm liking what I'm seeing and reading about titanium particularly for scottish roads. Specialized, Cube, Felt, Giant - the list is endless. You probably want Shimano 105 gears and brakes as a minimum if you can afford it. Check out Wiggle/Evans/Chain Reactions for bargains (they give 28 day demos providing you don't knacker them) although nowadays I like to support my local bike shop (LBS for short) most of whom will give you a reasonable deal if you ask. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drooper Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Did 30 miles on Sunday, got about 2 miles from home, went round a corner a bit too quick and was met with the road covered in wet leaves. Que me decking it but going to ground in the riding position, getting a chain in 1 leg, a pedal in the other and a brake handle jabbed into a hand. Wednesday lunchtime and my legs are still aching. Ouch! I see you are from Dumbarton - my neck of the woods. Do you cycle about here regularly? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drooper Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 (edited) Buying bikes is pretty bloody confusing. At the end of the day it's all about the engine. I'm not absolutely sure how much difference there is between a £400 and a £700 bike - obviously a good bit - I always want the bike I can't afford. Wheels are massively important and the problem with most off the peg bikes is the wheels tend to be entry level. Any weight saving on things that go round is basically worth twice any bits that remain stationary (like the frame) because of rotational inertia. I changed my wheels to Mavic Ksyrium Elites this year and was stunned by the difference. I'd have a look on ebay - definitely some bargains to be had there - well I know lots of folk who have got a bargain, or so they say but I don't seem to as lucky. Boardman bikes look fine to me, Focus come highly recommended - I have one of those. It's a carbon but I'm liking what I'm seeing and reading about titanium particularly for scottish roads. Specialized, Cube, Felt, Giant - the list is endless. You probably want Shimano 105 gears and brakes as a minimum if you can afford it. Check out Wiggle/Evans/Chain Reactions for bargains (they give 28 day demos providing you don't knacker them) although nowadays I like to support my local bike shop (LBS for short) most of whom will give you a reasonable deal if you ask. Good advice there. I think 105 would be pushing it for a new model (2013) on the £700 budget, but you could pick something up in 2012 spec with a full 105 groupset by shopping around. Funnily enough, like you, titanium is turning my head. I had decided I was taking the plunge to carbon with my next bike purchase (better half permitting.... ), but titanium appeals. More forgiving than alloy, like steel, but more durable than carbon in many respects. All that said, I'm not sure that I can justify buying a new bike next year as I had intended. I'll only have had my Cube for two years, and, if I'm being honest, it more than meets my requirements. The biggest issue I have is that I would prefer to have a dedicated 'winter' bike, and keep my best bike good for the other seasons. As the song goes, however, you can't always get what you want.... Edited November 14, 2012 by Drooper 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 (edited) Boardman bikes get good write-ups, but Halfords are shite for maintenance. I wouldn't go near them. £700 will get you a very decent bike, but look out for last year's models (2012 - oddly enough), as you can pick up bargains at this time of the year. Good luck. I bought a carrera for £300 new from Halfords in march,it had a couple of wee issues with it in the beginning,but halfords sorted it out without any problems.I find some of the prices for road bikes are way beyond your average Joe,and do the bikes for ,say,£700 plus really make that much difference to how much faster you can go from A to B for the same amount of physical effort you put into riding a cheaper bike.? Edit-can't spell Edited November 14, 2012 by keptie 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fanny paddery Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Ouch! I see you are from Dumbarton - my neck of the woods. Do you cycle about here regularly? I live in Glasgow in the west end now. Do most of my cyling just now using the cycle path down to Loch Lomond, however thinking abouut branching out a bit and heading up to Killern etc 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifespud Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 I bought a carrera for £300 new from Halfords in march,it had a couple of wee issues with it in the beginning,but halfords sorted it out without any problems.I find some of the prices for road bikes are way beyond your average Joe,and do the bikes for ,say,£700 plus really make that much difference to how much faster you can go from A to B for the same amount of physical effort you put into riding a cheaper bike.? Edit-can't spell Indeed. I could easily (well not that easily!) drop 5kg in weight - far outweighing the weight saving even a £5k bike could give me over my current set up. It's a bit crude but a good dump before you go out could have the same effect as spending 1500 on a bike. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rank Badjin Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 My son is selling a Giant OCR 105 winter road bike. It has an aluminium frame, carbon forks, and the groupset has been upgraded from Sora to 105. Chainset is a compact 50/34 and includes Shimano 105 pedals. Has 105 flightdeck levers,105 front and rear mechs,105 casette with 11-28 cogs.A pair of SKS raceblade mudguards is included. Bike has just been serviced by LBS. If interested, PM me. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broon-loon Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 Depends what you want to spend but it's worth considering a Titanium frame. An incredibly smooth ride in comparison to carbon. There's a make called Sabbath I've had a look at before and was fairly impressed. http://www.sabbathbi...bikes/september Funnily enough, like you, titanium is turning my head. I had decided I was taking the plunge to carbon with my next bike purchase (better half permitting.... ), but titanium appeals. More forgiving than alloy, like steel, but more durable than carbon in many respects. A few years ago I looked at Sabbath bikes ( they used to be called Sundays) and they are lovely bits of kit.... The guy in the shop showed me how springy the frame was (difficult to explain how he did) but it was amazing how much it flexed. He had one that was a tourer, mudguards etc, it was second hand, however I liked a different model (silk road..??), but it was too expensive for me to justify... I ended up buying a hard tail Orange p7 pro MTB, which I use for more for touring because it's is very adaptable. In hindsight I should have gone for the Sabbath... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drooper Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 (edited) A few years ago I looked at Sabbath bikes ( they used to be called Sundays) and they are lovely bits of kit.... The guy in the shop showed me how springy the frame was (difficult to explain how he did) but it was amazing how much it flexed. He had one that was a tourer, mudguards etc, it was second hand, however I liked a different model (silk road..??), but it was too expensive for me to justify... I ended up buying a hard tail Orange p7 pro MTB, which I use for more for touring because it's is very adaptable. In hindsight I should have gone for the Sabbath... Planet X have got a fantastic offer on a Van Nicholas titanium bike with SRAM Force groupset. The frame retails around £700, while the groupset is similar. Add wheels, saddle, seatpost etc., and £1499 is a cracking deal: http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/CBVNEUROS/van_nicholas_euros_sram_force_titanium_road_bike Now, if only I had a spare £1500.... ETA: the bikes weighs in a paltry 7.6kg! Edited November 15, 2012 by Drooper 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifespud Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 Planet X have got a fantastic offer on a Van Nicholas titanium bike with SRAM Force groupset. The frame retails around £700, while the groupset is similar. Add wheels, saddle, seatpost etc., and £1499 is a cracking deal: http://www.planet-x-...anium_road_bike Now, if only I had a spare £1500.... ETA: the bikes weighs in a paltry 7.6kg! Mmmmm. Drool, drool. I've never used Sram gears - what are our thoughts? Slightly changing the subject I have been attending a couple of spinning classes per week. That's a tough gig - looking around my fellow class mates I hope they have a defibrillator on site. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fanny paddery Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 Slightly changing the subject I have been attending a couple of spinning classes per week. That's a tough gig - looking around my fellow class mates I hope they have a defibrillator on site. I really enjoy the spin classes but they are only as tough as you make them, would be good if the bikes were all computerised and everyone was on the same resistance, now that would seperate the men from the boys! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busta Nut Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 Spin classes. as in at the gym? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fanny paddery Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 Spin classes. as in at the gym? yip on a proper spin bike though http://www.spinning.com/en/spinner_bikes 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
well fan for life Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 Mmmmm. Drool, drool. I've never used Sram gears - what are our thoughts? Slightly changing the subject I have been attending a couple of spinning classes per week. That's a tough gig - looking around my fellow class mates I hope they have a defibrillator on site. Dunno if I'd get along with SRAM straight away, only having the one lever to control up and down shifting could only lead to confusion and mis-shifting. I'm happy with Shimano, seems a more sensible system. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drooper Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 Mmmmm. Drool, drool. I've never used Sram gears - what are our thoughts? Like you, I've never used them, my bike is all Shimano. A colleague at work bought a SRAM equipped carbon bike from Planet-X and did say that it took a bit of getting used to, but he seems happy with the quality and smoothness of shifting etc. I suppose it is just a case of adapting. I also bought a largely Shimano-specific tool set last year that set me back about £130, though I'm not sure if that alone is reason for me to avoid SRAM and Campag 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifespud Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 Like you, I've never used them, my bike is all Shimano. A colleague at work bought a SRAM equipped carbon bike from Planet-X and did say that it took a bit of getting used to, but he seems happy with the quality and smoothness of shifting etc. I suppose it is just a case of adapting. I also bought a largely Shimano-specific tool set last year that set me back about £130, though I'm not sure if that alone is reason for me to avoid SRAM and Campag I agree on the single levers although those I know who have them tell me it's the way to go. They seem to have more options wrt cassettes which I like. Other than that I see no reason to change from Shimano especially if I manage to aspire to Di2. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drooper Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 (edited) I agree on the single levers although those I know who have them tell me it's the way to go. They seem to have more options wrt cassettes which I like. Other than that I see no reason to change from Shimano especially if I manage to aspire to Di2. I'd like to try a bike set up with both SRAM and Campag. I like the look of Campag brake hoods - they look more ergonomic and comfortable that Shimano, which are a bit bulky when, like me, you've got smaller hands. The new Campag electronic shifters seem to get well reviewed, and I don't doubt that SRAM won't be far behind in developing their own version. Wiggle had a bike on sale recently - a full carbon machine with Di2. The cost of the bike was £1700. I can imagine some people might have been tempted to buy it for the groupset alone (to transfer to another frame) and then to sell off the decent component parts or use them to build up another bike. ETA: link to Wiggle sale bike (price is actually £1800, but still much cheapness for a Di2 equipped beastie!): Prorace Deamon Titan Edited November 15, 2012 by Drooper 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
well fan for life Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 Dunno if anyone else has looked at the velodrome accreditation. I'm giving serious thought to doing this in the new year. I'd love a shot of battering round a velodrome. Click 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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