Taking the plunge - a new bike has been ordered

It's been a while and many brands and models have been considered but I have finally lashed out for a new bike.

Of the major choices I was swayed by the Revolution brand at Edinburgh Bicycle Co-Operative and their road/sportive models. This was based on my successful purchase of a single speed from them last year.

Good alloy/carbon mix and a decent £700 price point put them on my list. One of the other favourites was the full carbon Decathlon Facet 2. This bike is the 2007 Ag2R team frameset and comes with Shimano euqipment for under £1000.

Amazing value if like me you can handle to snooty looks from people who see you on a BTwin frame.

I have had a Decathlon bike before and it was sturdy and resiliant. In fact it is still being used a commute bike in Amsterdam!

But I was finally swayed to Rose. They are a German brand I didn't know too much about but my research revealed they were well respected on the Continent.

The Alloy/Carbon machine comes with Easton wheels and Sram components, but what really stood out was the fact I could configure the bike to my exact specifications and upgrade key components like the touch points.

Click here for a link to my new baby, you can also click on "configure" to pimp it yourself.

Delivery will be a few more weeks (boo!!) but I will keep you posted through the blog.