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Need help choosing my first bike for £1000

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  • July 5, 2014 at 10:12 pm #21838
    archernjk

    I’m going to be doing my cycle to work scheme. And am happy to use the full £1000 for a bike. This will be my second bike, the first being a £110 muddy fox from sports direct. It got me for A too B without any issues. But I have really enjoyed using it and enjoyed cycling around. So I am going to try and get the most bike I can for the £1000. I’ve been into my local shop, and read a few reviews and currently looking at the Whyte Dorset. Reviews seem pretty good, and it seems perfect for the everyday commuter to work and back, even in bad weather and occasionally maybe a longer ride. So my question is, is this a decent choice for the £1000 mark, or am I missing a trick, and there’s a much better option for the same price. I’ve spoken to a few friends that know their stuff and they’ve said that it’s the better choice when comparing it too the Cube Peloton Race Road, and the HOY Sa Calobra .003 2014.

    I understand a little about bikes, and can see the two others come with the shimano 105, but even so my friends said the whyte would be the better option. And the guys in the shop said the Whyte would probably be the bette option over the HOY.

    On paper, they seem extremely similar. There the same price point. Similar frames. Similar forks. Just the Whyte comes with disks, which could be a benefit for the wet weather in England.

    Any opinions or help? Would the Whyte be a sensible choice? I wouldn’t be wasting money or loosing out lots?

    Hopefully someone can help. I’ve been reading a lot, but there aren’t many similar questions or comparisons. Hopefully someone can see the specs and reassure me the Whyte is just as good, and a sensible option.

    Nick

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  • July 7, 2014 at 12:31 pm #802505
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    parksey

    You’ve probably seen it
    You’ve probably seen it already, but the Whyte was reviewed favourably on here just a few months back:

    http://road.cc/content/review/110792-whyte-dorset-commuterroad-bike

    To be honest, you won’t go far wrong with any bike around the grand mark, all the major players produce capable road bikes at that price purely because of the popularity of cycle to work schemes.

    As stated above, don’t overthink it either, you’ll just get bogged down looking at the minutiae of differences between the bikes. For the vast majority of cyclists out there, they’ll make bugger all difference in every day riding, particularly when compared to a £110 Muddy Fox – no offence 😉

    Just make sure you get some test rides in and go with the one *you* enjoy riding the most.

    Oh, and don’t get hung up about the need for mounting points for racks and mudguards either. Plenty commute without either (me included), racks only become relevant if you carry loads any particular distance and mudguards, well, if it’s wet out you’re gonna get wet anyway, mudguards or not.

    July 7, 2014 at 11:58 am #802503
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    adrianoconnor

    You should probably get the
    You should probably get the Dorset, it’ll be a great bike and you’ll love riding it. The switch from MTB to road is just fantastic – I did the same thing about a year ago and I haven’t looked back.

    If you start looking at too many options, it all gets a bit overwhelming and you’ll never be happy with the choice you made. This will probably happen anyway. For example, now that I know how much I love riding my road bike, I wish I’d spent more and gone for a decent frame, with Ultegra or Chorus groupset. Them’s the breaks 🙂

    Anyway, if you do want an additional choice to mull over, how about this… for commuting and general comfort over longer distances, Genesis bikes are about as highly rated as they come. See here, for example: http://www.ukbikesdepot.com/m16b185s6p11844/2014_GENESIS_Equilibrium_20_Steel_Road_Bike/RS_GB/34486?gclid=CObWzamQs78CFUsUwwodWZcApQ (I don’t know anything about that site, they just came up in the Google results). That frame is steel, so not the lightest*, but much smoother than aluminium or carbon, and should last a lifetime.

    In my ideal shed, I think I’d have a Genesis steel frame like that one in the link for the commute (with mud-guards that don’t rub and get right on my nerves, unlike the Crud RoadRacers I have on my current bike), and a Wilier GTR for proper rides (that don’t start or end at work, or involve snow or ice). Oh, and maybe a cyclocross bike too 🙂

    * though that site says 9.4KG for the bike, which compares well to any sub-£1000 aluminium framed bike.

    July 7, 2014 at 10:30 am #802501
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    Charliegr555

    Halfords are good british
    Halfords are good british cycling and flash sales will let you get the pro carbon and a few accessories for your £1000 so you can get full 105 and a garmin

    Also depending on where you are depends on the Halfors eg there are two in Ipswich the one in town is near enough perfect stay clear of the other 😉

    July 7, 2014 at 1:16 am #802499
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    MuddyPete

    Planet X and Cotic have road
    Planet X and Cotic have road bikes on the C2W, which seem reasonable value. Ridgeback & Dawes have understated tourers that may be of interest. Or keep the MF for ‘work’ and buy another for ‘play’.
    Mudguards, bottle cages & rack mounts are essential for commuting.
    Mechanical disc brakes on a road bike are a bit of a stop-gap: you may want to wait until next year when Shimano’s RS685 hydraulics hit the shops and give them a try before deciding.
    Are the guys in the shop biased, if they can’t supply the Hoy?
    Don’t buy anything expensive unless you have somewhere ultra-secure to leave it at each end of your commute.
    Whatever you go for, make sure you test ride it first. They all seem comfortable in the shop.

    July 6, 2014 at 10:18 pm #802497
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    dunnoh

    I’ve never heard of the
    I’ve never heard of the Dorset before. Read the review and the only thing that looks pony is the Mega Exo Bottom Bracket. Utter rubbish. Expect to replace every 2000 miles at least if commuting in all weathers.Dunno about the Hoy but the Cube is a great bike but different to the Dorset in that it doesn’t take mudguards.

    If commuting, get one that easily takes mudguards. My bike doesn’t and its a pain.

    July 6, 2014 at 4:52 pm #802495
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    mini123lol

    If on the cycle2work scheme
    If on the cycle2work scheme halfords board man team carbon fits your budget. Just have the bike checked over as some halfords stores are known for unsafe builds (I had no issues with my bike from them though 🙂 )

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