Outdoor sports retailer GO Outdoors first started producing road bikes under the Calibre brand name in 2014. Starting out with three aluminium bikes, the range has since expanded to include endurance-orientated and carbon-fibre-framed bikes as well.
Prices range from £349 for the Calibre Rivelin and Loxley up to £899 for the Calibre Nibiru 2.0. Prices are higher if you don’t have a GO Outdoors discount card, but being as it only costs a fiver, we’re assuming that you’d make the investment.
GO Outdoors also sells bikes by other manufacturers, including Raleigh, Viking and Orbea, but for the purposes of this guide we’re just going to look at its own Calibre offering.
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Calibre Nibiru 2.0 — £899
The range-topping 8kg Nibiru 2.0 comes with a Shimano 105 11-speed groupset with a compact 50/34T RS500 chainset and an 11-28t cassette. You get Shimano RS11 wheels together with Continental Ultrasport 25mm tyres. As with the Nibiru 1.0, handlebars, stem and seatpost are all Ritchey and there’s the same Selle Royal Seta saddle. The downside? It’s now only available in a 56cm frame.
Calibre Nibiru 1.0 — £599
Far and away the cheapest carbon fibre bike anywhere, the Nibiru 1.0 comes with a Shimano Sora 9-speed groupset, with a 50/34 chainset and an 11-32 cassette, so it has a wide gear range for the hills. It’s hung with a good selection of brand-name parts including Mavic wheel rims and Ritchey bar, stem and seatpost. The only catch is that it’s only available in limited sizes: 53, 56 and 59cm.
Stat — £469
In effect a more-subdued-looking version of the Rivelin 2.0, the Stat also has a double-butted aluminium frame and Shimano Tiagra components. Only sizes 52 and 54cm are available.
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Calibre Rivelin — £299
GO Outdoors initially dabbled in sub-£300 road bikes, but the entry-level bike is now this very well-specced sportive bike. The hydroformed aluminium frame is hung with Shimano’s eight-speed Claris groupset, which is decent entry-level stuff. The fork has carbon fibre blades, the Schwalbe Lugano tyres are a sensible 25mm width and there’s a decent gear range from the 50/34 FSA chainset.
Calibre Loxley — £299
The women’s version of the Rivelin actually has a frame with women-specific geometry that’s different from the men’s bike, which is almost unheard-of at this price. The stem is also shorter for a given bike size, catering to women’s general preference for a more upright position.
Calibre Lost Lad — £299.50
The Lost Lad is a new endurance model with disc brakes, and Shimano’s Claris components. As well as the different brakes, there’s a bit more room in the frame than the Rivelin, so you could fit fatter tyres than the stock 25mm Schwalbe Luganos to improve comfort and roadholding. There’s room for mudguards too, so as well as its main billing as a countryside explorer, the Lost Lad would make a good fast commuter.
Calibre Lost Lass — £299
The women’s version of the Lost Lad, the Lost Lass has the same spec, but with a female-specific geometry.
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Calibre Rivelin 2.0 — £552.49
Arguably the best value proposition in the Calibre range, the Rivelin 2.0 benefits from an upgrade to butted tubing that’s thinner-walled in the middle to reduce weight, and Shimano’s excellent midrange 10-speed Tiagra groupset.
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6 thoughts on “GO Outdoors road bikes – get to know the value-for-money Calibre range”
all of them look amazing
all of them look amazing value
Agreed, but with the
Agreed, but with the exception of the Lost Lass I am not convinced about the paint jobs. They are bit like the Voodoo range at Halfords, also great value but a lot them look radioactive.
The new Reading shop has sent
The new Reading shop has sent me a 15% discount voucher and says purchasing the Go Outdoors card will be free, not sure if they’ve sent that voucher/leaflet thing to all locals or whatever?
The Nibiru frame is actually the old MEKK Poggio 1.6 (2014? which I’ve got), so lookup those reviews if you’re looking. Better finishing kit though IMHO.
Bargains all around, probably
Bargains all around, probably get the Nibiru 1.0 and upgrade some stuff over a year or two.
Ordered a Calibre Bossnut
Ordered a Calibre Bossnut online. Paid for it. They cancelled the order – no contact, no explanation. Called them, emailed them multiple times. EVERY time I phoned they said “we’ll call you back”. NOT ONCE did they return a call. Great value bikes, SHITE shop. Sad. Spent my £1000 at another shop that had some idea about customer service.
Yours for £412-
Yours for £412-