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Looking for a new bike
I currently have a Btwin Triban 500 which has been good bike for me over the last 12 months but looking to get a new one and looking at spending between £500 and £800.
Two bikes that I like the look of are the:
Raleigh Criterium 2017 Road Bike for £500.00
and the Specialized Allez E5 2017 Road Bike for £575
also looking at the Sports version's of both bikes.
Is there a big difference in the Claris, Soro and Tiagra group sets? Or is it best to go for the entry bike and then upgrade parts as they wear out?
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
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7 comments
Is it this one you ordered ? http://www.specializedconceptstore.co.uk/product/5080/2017-allez-e5-sport/
I remember reading a review for the E5 (this one i think http://www.specializedconceptstore.co.uk/product/5063/2017-allez-e5/) it came out as superb for the money.
Hope you enjoy it, will have to swing a leg over one.
Nowt wrong with the new 9 speed Sora STIs, big step up from the old incarnation.
Hope it gives you great service, the allez frame isn't anything spectacular but should do a job for most and at £575 you can't go too far wrong. I saw someone selling a twice used on rollers Giant Contend for £390!
there's absolutely no need to go out and spend a heap of money for something half decent and wouldn't look out of place in any club run/triathlon or the like.
Nice choice.
O.K after looking at what is on offer and what I intend to use the bike for I have settled for the Specalized Allez E5 Sport and have ordered today, hopefully collecting this weekend.
Tiagra is pretty good, in terms of reliability and looks it's well ahead of Sora and not far off of 105.
Whatever bike you buy my advice is to scroll through your local bike shopsan the internet and try and buy a 2016 model. You'll get more bang for your buck. And the difference with a 2017 model will be minimal (but with a hefty discount).
Tiagra for me too. Purchased my latest bike with Tiagra and has been faultless. A word of caution, many bikes are sold with just some Tiagra components, rather than the full group set, so do your research.
Looking at it from purely the groupset point of view I would deffo go for Tiagra if I had the choice.
I have Claris on 1 bike & 105 on another & the difference is huge not just in terms of the number of gears but also in how smooth the shifting is.
Rightly or wrongly I always try to go for the best frame & groupset possible & possibly upgrade the bits & pieces at a later date.