preferred-google-button
log in
register

Choosing a new Carbon bike £1500 ish

  • This topic has 12 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 7 years ago by Winky.
  • Creator
    Topic
  • June 7, 2019 at 4:57 pm #29725
    Winky

     

     

    Wanting to upgrade from my old Trek 1000

     

    Requirements are Carbon, at least Shimano 105, Disc brakes and ideally 28mm tyres  – sportive/ endurance type.

     

    Having gone around the bike shops locally (I want to try and buy local) its been pretty hard to go beyond a Giant Defy Advanced 2 which I could get for about £1560.

    Specialised Tarmac and Focus Izalco are a good few hundred more for the same spec (£1850 and 1950 respectively). Cannondale Carbon will be dearer again. 

    Looked at Canyon which is a bit dearer than the Giant from LBS, have considered Ribble and Planet X which for circa £1200-300 I could get the same spec as Giant.

    The only other bike which has really turned my head has been a Orbea Avant M30 which is specced how I want for £1699 which isn’t a bad price from another Lbs. I quite like the idea of it for the slight rarity value over the Giant.

    But all things considered (Giant’s warranty) is there a good reason not to get a Giant over all these others, can’t think of one apart from don’t think will ever fall in love with a Defy 2 but Avant M30 may feel a bit more love!

     

     

  • Creator
    Topic
Viewing 12 replies - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)
  • Author
    Replies
  • June 9, 2019 at 9:06 am #943233
    0
    Winky
    Joe Totale wrote:
    I must say, the Planet X Pro Carbon Evo with Force 22 hydro for £1,200 is a bargain. 

    I’m a big fan of Force 22, it’s basically Red but a touch heavier, it all functions the same. 

    The only thing that needs changing is the wire bead tyres and there’s £300 left to do that with. You’d then have a super fast and pretty damn light bike that’d happily thrash things twice the price. 

    Only issue is that it doesn’t have a sexy brand name on the downtube. 

     

    It does look good. Its just that it says Planet X and the spec is about the same as the others like for like. I need to give it serious thought though

    June 8, 2019 at 4:52 pm #943231
    0
    bobinski

     

     

    I was advised to get a defy for endurance paced riding. 55y of age, historic back problems. It was fine. Incident with a a car meant I needed a bike quickly and got a tcr disc. Different racey geometry but wow, what a difference. Nimble yet stable and a joy to ride. Also comfortable. Works for me even on a recent 130mile double devil ride. Unless you are sold on the upright ride of the defy I would have a look at the tcr 

    June 8, 2019 at 1:14 pm #943229
    0
    Anonymous

    I went down the route of

    I went down the route of buying direct from a team sponsor, specifically the UK distributor for the brand (KTM) and the bikes – some were built up with DA9000 & frames they had been designated for the team to use, these were the ‘leftovers’.

    I got a fully warranted frameset for £430 posted and they sold me a brand new DA front mech for £20 as well. I built it up from there with exactly what I wanted and though a few years ago (2013 machine bought in 2014) I managed to get full Dura Ace 9000 barring  very lightly used carbon FSA chainset, branded carbon wheels, new Ritchey Superlogic post, new Selle Italia carbon railed saddle and barely used top end Modolo carbon bars for a total of just over £1500.

    I’ve seen team sponsors and indeed bike shops sell their excess stock and display only bikes often on ebay with the same warranty as you’d get normally. There’s also the private option where someone has literally had a spin round the block or a couple of short rides and found cycling isn’t for them, those are when you can get bikes for silly low prices but obviously it’s difficult to transfer the warranty if at all. 

    As an example, there’s a Cinelli Superstar with 8020 hydraulics + uprated wheels for £1400 and a 100 miles on the clock on ebay right now. These are the kind of bargains you can find regularly, especially if they are a couple of seasons old. I saw last year a new ex-display Corratec full carbon bike with 10 speed 105, from a shop and it sold for £595 on a Buy it now but had been for sale several months.

    Luck finding something.

    June 8, 2019 at 1:12 pm #943227
    0
    Joe Totale

    I must say, the Planet X Pro

    I must say, the Planet X Pro Carbon Evo with Force 22 hydro for £1,200 is a bargain. 

    I’m a big fan of Force 22, it’s basically Red but a touch heavier, it all functions the same. 

    The only thing that needs changing is the wire bead tyres and there’s £300 left to do that with. You’d then have a super fast and pretty damn light bike that’d happily thrash things twice the price. 

    Only issue is that it doesn’t have a sexy brand name on the downtube. 

    June 8, 2019 at 12:01 pm #943225
    0
    Winky
    AlsoSomniloquism wrote:
    Just remember that “same spec” does not neccesarily mean same spec. I’m not sure on the year of the Giant for that price but the cranks and brakes will not be 105. Not saying that they are better or worse the the 105 specific items and sometimes it is because of BB spec for the bike but something to be aware of if you were looking to upgrade items. 

     

    Its a 2019 Giant. 

     

    Crankset is an FC-R510 and a Giants own cable to hydraulic brake (not a mech brake though)

     

    Orbea is a Shimano 105  R7000 and full shimano R7070 hydraulic disc

    June 8, 2019 at 11:51 am #943223
    0
    AlsoSomniloquism

    Just remember that “same spec

    Just remember that “same spec” does not neccesarily mean same spec. I’m not sure on the year of the Giant for that price but the cranks and brakes will not be 105. Not saying that they are better or worse the the 105 specific items and sometimes it is because of BB spec for the bike but something to be aware of if you were looking to upgrade items. 

    June 8, 2019 at 10:27 am #943221
    0
    BrokenBootneck
    joeegg wrote:
       How about something non carbon like a Cannondale Cad 12 disc. Never ridden one but the consensus is that its a great frameset. Wheels look a bit basic but they are usually at the top of the list for upgrades.

       I have 2 good quality carbon bikes and a higher end aluminium and i can detect very little difference in ride quality but the aluminium bike is a tad heavier. Also having had a bike with disc brakes ,105, for me,i can’t see the need for them. If you’re commuting every day in winter then maybe they have an advantage but for recreational rides i don’t see the advantage for the extra cost.

     

    i can second the non carbon option, I have the Cannondale optimo disc 105 with a set of hunt disc wheels brilliant ride with 28 tubeless. Keeps up on the club runs great  commuter and winter hack. Comfy as hell too and I’ve set many pbs on strava on the thing too, including some KOMs.

    June 8, 2019 at 9:40 am #943219
    0
    Winky

    Nothing against mail order.

    Nothing against mail order. Looked at the Canyon but I figured that the Giant Defy 2 which I may be able to get for £1550 and the Orbea Avant M30D which I may be able to get for about £1700 seemed the same value as that Canyon with the advantage of being looked after by LBS. 

     

    The only area I’m not so sure on is wheel comparisons. 

    June 8, 2019 at 9:37 am #943217
    0
    joeegg

       If you have nothing

       If you have nothing against mail order then Canyon have the Endurace CF SL disc at £1700 plus postage. Full 105 groupset,Aksium Elite disc wheels with 28mm tyres. Top spec for the money.

    June 8, 2019 at 9:26 am #943215
    0
    Winky

     

     

    Yes Cannondale is still a possibility. 

    A couple of reasons for disc brakes really – firstly the Giant Defy only comes with Discs and so I wanted to compare like for like, where I live is lots of dippy hills rather than out and out flat areas – and a lot of wet weather. No rim wear etc. 

    I dare say a Rim braked Orbea could be £200 -300 less

    June 8, 2019 at 8:51 am #943213
    0
    joeegg

       How about something non

       How about something non carbon like a Cannondale Cad 12 disc. Never ridden one but the consensus is that its a great frameset. Wheels look a bit basic but they are usually at the top of the list for upgrades.

       I have 2 good quality carbon bikes and a higher end aluminium and i can detect very little difference in ride quality but the aluminium bike is a tad heavier. Also having had a bike with disc brakes ,105, for me,i can’t see the need for them. If you’re commuting every day in winter then maybe they have an advantage but for recreational rides i don’t see the advantage for the extra cost.

    June 7, 2019 at 6:55 pm #943211
    0
    daveozzz

    I recently went through a
    I recently went through a similar process and ended up getting stuck on a Giant (TCR in my case – preferred its looks to the defy) for many of the reasons you mentioned – mostly value and lbs availability. I wasn’t really excited by the idea of a giant, but it just seemed the obvious choice. Very glad I got it so far though.
    So in answer to your question, obviously I can’t see a reason not to get one either..

  • Author
    Replies
Viewing 12 replies - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.