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Bike advice please

by alanw56
Wed, Jun 19, 2019 15:00
18

Hello, I made up earlier decision after forum advice to get Orro Terra Gravel Hydro model in green which I really like, but...

they are no longer up for sale in my size. I asked all retailers who sell this bike and nobody has got them in green in medium in 2019 spec.

I found two ex display models and that is it. I can get a different colour without any problem, but one shop told me that I should not buy a bike with hydraulic brakes, because 

quote

Unfortunately our experience is that road conditions, salt and oils, are very distractive on disc brakes. I see many hydro failures on road bikes - the manufacturers and their many on-line influencers will have you believe otherwise but mechanics see these failures all the time.

Cable disc provide the benefits of discs in wet weather or when carrying loads but don't have the modulation of hydro. however, the callipers are tough and are not effected by the salt and oils.

Unquote

Some shops told me that there are better value for money bikes than Orro Terra Gravel Hydro, but did not want to say which ones. Some actually said which one(with my budget no more than £1500):

Tifosi Cavazzo 2019 Commuter Model for £1599 including mudguards and pedals(this one is over the budget, but listed to advise you, which bike I was suggested to buy instead of the Orro)

https://www.tifosicycles.co.uk/shop/bikes/cavazzo2019/

Orbea H 30 D 2019 for £1499

https://www.orbea.com/gb-en/bicycles/road/terra/cat/terra-h30-d-19

Cinelli Semper Disc Tiagra for £1499

http://www.chickencyclekit.co.uk/show_product.php?cat=1&p=11886

Forme Monyash 1 for £1325

https://formebikes.co.uk/monyash-1-for1941-forme-road-bike-config.html

Orro Terra Gravel Hydro 2019(shop has got green TRP version and would make all changes to match 2019 version(7000 groupset)) for £1500

https://www.orrobikes.com/shop/terra-gravel-105-hydro

I can get green in medium Orro Terra Gravel Hydro 2018(with 5800 groupset instead of 7000) for £1050(ex display)

I do not know, if it is worth spending more money on 7000 group rather than older one, as I am not an expert, but would like to have bike for years rather than one or two seasons.

I also found Jamis Renegade Elite 2018 for £1350 on Ebay:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143299559005?ul_noapp=true

Is it worth buying this bike?

I have no idea which bike would be better value for money. I wanted bright coloured frame, but I gave up and decided to go for value for money. I want my all day in the saddle with most trips on the road as comfortable as possible with best possible spec within the budget, so I would not have to worry. I plan to get a second set of wheels, so I could have one for road oriented and one for gravel. To be honest I do not care about brands and etc., but visiting few shops made me thinking that I am to prone to believe in anything, what salesperson tells me, so decided to ask you all.  Bike must have mudguards and rear pannier rack mounts. I do not like to cycle with rucksack, so bikes without mounts are non-starter bikes. I thought about touring bike, but decided not to consider them, because I do not put that much weight on the bike to purchase such bike and they are much heavier and cycling in horizontal rain and headwind to or after work is no fun too.

I really do not know, what to think about this comment about hydraulic brakes. I studied so many comments here on road.cc and did not find anything like this. I would like to feel much safer on the road, when wet, but do not want to spend hundreds of pounds next year to find out that my brakes need complete replacement.

Can you advise me, which one from above would be best value for money and if sugguest any other bikes? I checked LBS in my area and they do not have any of above in their shops, so will have to buy online and see it for the first time once arrives.

Thanks in advance!

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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18 comments

Avatar
CXR94Di2 | 4 years ago
0 likes

I like the Orbea from your list

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ktache | 4 years ago
1 like

Alan, probably right, there is a very little choice with cars isn't there, and no options when you finally choose a model from a manufacturer. 

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alanw56 | 4 years ago
0 likes

I realised that it is easier for me to buy a car than a new bike. Too many to choose from and it is difficult to compare them in full depth for an ordinary cyclist. Each shop tries to convince that different bike will be  better value for money for my needs and I am confused and that is why I decided to ask for advice on this forum. 

Avatar
Mungecrundle | 4 years ago
0 likes

I think the OP got it right first time. General idea about what he needs the bike to do, how much he wants to spend and most importantly what colour he likes.

After that it's a bunfight of personal prejudices over brake type and drivetrain which will send any normal person into a confusion of choices and paranoia about buying the wrong thing.

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alanw56 | 4 years ago
0 likes

I asked Planet X too, because they are good value for money. They could only offer me London Road version only, if I want more than one chainring. I never had a bike with SRAM shifters either, so a bit scared to try something new.

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Joe Totale replied to alanw56 | 4 years ago
0 likes

alanw56 wrote:

I asked Planet X too, because they are good value for money. They could only offer me London Road version only, if I want more than one chainring. I never had a bike with SRAM shifters either, so a bit scared to try something new.

SRAM is absolutely fine, I prefer it to Shimano as it isolates the gear shifting from the brake lever. It may be my sausage fingers but with Shimano sometimes I'll tag the rear brake when downshifting on the cassette. It'll take you 5 minutes tops to get used to SRAM.  

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Drinfinity | 4 years ago
0 likes

Planet X Space Chicken? Hydro brakes, mounts, significantly cheaper than Ribble for the same spec. 

 

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alanw56 | 4 years ago
1 like

Bike shop that tried to put me off from hydro brakes did not have Orro with TRP mech brakes nor hydro version. I will shop around and upgrade my current bike too. Thank you for advice.

I still need the second bike, so I could send over abroad, so I would not have to pay Ryanair/Easyjet each time for taking it, which I did over the past two years. 

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CXR94Di2 | 4 years ago
0 likes

Never heard such bullsh!t from retailer re hydraulic brakes.

 

The Boardman ADV8.9 has all the features and is £300 cheaper

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Joe Totale | 4 years ago
0 likes

By any chance did this shop have a mechanical disc brake bike to sell to you?

Buy a rim brake bike or a hydro disc bike. Don't touch a mechanical disc bike with a barge pole.

With your current bike upgrade the Tektro brakes to the latest 105/Ultegra ones and change the cables if you haven't done that in a while, that'll make a world of difference.

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Diesel Engine | 4 years ago
1 like

Had rim brakes for a few years, then got a specialized tricross mechanical disc (BB5) for a winter bike.  Good bike, disc brakes were good, but fiddly and required perfect alignment and maintaining.  Upgraded to mechanical BB7 brakes as they were more adjustable and slightly better, but still not really better than rim brakes I felt. 

But then 3 years ago I bought a GT grade for winter with hydro brakes and have never looked back since.  Night and day difference to mechanical discs, power, modulation, and maintenance free, almost.  As a result I quickly upgraded my summer bike to a Ribble Gran Fondo hydro disc as well. 

As a 100kg 6ft 5in rider the brakes have to work harder than most, yet the Ribble coped with Haute Route Ventoux and stopping power on the descents was commented on as better than others around me with rim brakes, despite my weight. It took 50-100km a week for 2 years summer riding with honestly zero adjustments on the riblle before I felt they were a bit spongy and changed the pads and bled the oil, perfect. 

Only downside is noise can be an issue.  My GT grade is very noisy in winter, maybe it's the rain / crap on the roads, or maybe the bike, or maybe the metallic pads, I can't decide, so beware of that (I use squeal out which is great but only lasts a few weeks i find).  The metallic pads do last but in the end I always switch them due to noise/contamination before they ever wear out on the winter bike.  But it could be the GT grade that is just noisy.

Anyway, despite the winter noise, I'd not go back to rim brakes, and I would definitely never consider buying mechanical disc brakes over hydro.  In three years riding on discs I've never experienced or heard about the problem the shop mentioned to you.

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alanw56 | 4 years ago
0 likes

I have Tektro caliper brakes with 105 shifters and that is the reason why I want to have better brakes on my next bike. 

Can you advise me which from above or any other bike that would be value for money or none of them?

 

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Miller | 4 years ago
0 likes

Modern hydro brakes are better brakes than any other type. Argue all you like about home maintenance, squealing, weight, whatever, but you get more modulation and power with full hydro than any other solution.

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alanw56 | 4 years ago
0 likes

Hi Canyon told me that this one is out of stock, therefore they could not give me alternative options.

 

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joeegg | 4 years ago
0 likes

Canyon Grail SL7, £1449 plus post.

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alanw56 | 4 years ago
0 likes

V brakes on my hybrid are by a mile better than my rim brakes on my road bike, despite I gave bike to two different lbs to check and adjust and also tried three different brake pads two and when wet I have no confidence to cycle faster or cycle at my usual pace(15-16mph). That is why I thought about a new bike with hydro brakes rather than rim ones. Ribble can deliver their CGR in mid of July. I checked also Canyon and those bikes Canyon proposed me, were well over the budget.

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BehindTheBikesheds replied to alanw56 | 4 years ago
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alanw56 wrote:

V brakes on my hybrid are by a mile better than my rim brakes on my road bike, despite I gave bike to two different lbs to check and adjust and also tried three different brake pads two and when wet I have no confidence to cycle faster or cycle at my usual pace(15-16mph). That is why I thought about a new bike with hydro brakes rather than rim ones. Ribble can deliver their CGR in mid of July. I checked also Canyon and those bikes Canyon proposed me, were well over the budget.

Went out Sunday and lent my Raleigh Titanium to a forum friend visiting from Aus. It was heavy rain at times, bike had 6800 rim brakes, I asked him how they were compared to his hydraulics on his single speed MTB, his response was there was more than enough braking even coming down the 12% descents.

Learning how much braking you need using any brake type is massively important, it sounds like you need more understanding/instruction, relying on outright power is not going to end well. Stopping distances are affected massively more by thinking time and tyre/road interface than the mechanical differences between brake types.

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joeegg | 4 years ago
0 likes

If you're happy buying on line then there's more bike for your money from the likes of Canyon,Rose,Ribble,Merlin,etc.

   My two pennies worth on discs brakes is that i didn't get on with them ( Shimano 105's ).Rapid pad wear combined with a hard to get rid of shrieking noise. I was having to constantly clean the pads and rotor.I had never had this problem with mountain bikes so put it down to the muck on the road. They are ultimately more powerful but how much force do you want to put through a skinny tyre in the wet.

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