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March 31, 2013 at 9:50 am #18368
skitza
Ok guys background 44 years old and reasonable fitness level in the w.sussex area,i started for health reasons to spend more road time on my bike (mtb with smooth tyres) last year and its become a bit of an obsession! I have 10 or 11 routes from 10 to 46 miles which i alternate and i aim to do 75 miles pw.
So the old Carrera is falling apart and im looking enviously at the streamlined sexy road bikes whizzing past me every week and i want one! Now look in Cycling weekly or various sites and there are hundreds if not thousands of recs/types/varieties of road bike the mind boggles!
I am looking for something reliable in the £800-£1000 bracket so recs please ! e-bay or new? bike fitting first? One that has caught my eye is a Ribble R872 but after 3 months of research im going around in circles so all help advice gratefully received! -
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thanks chaps, Giant Defy test
thanks chaps, Giant Defy test tomoz ,i’ll report my findings 🙂
jova54
If you’re still looking agree
If you’re still looking agree with Hargroves in Chichester, daughter’s boyfriend got a 2013 Roubaix Sport for £800, list £1500, because it was an ex-demo model.
If you’re nearer Surrey then Beyond Mountain Bikes at Smithbrook Kilns just outside Cranleigh is worth a visit.The spec above has carbon
The spec above has carbon forks, the Giant website lists aluxx. If they are carbon, then should be fine, alu ones tend to be chattery I gather. Can’t say for myself, never had alu forks.When you ride it, give it a proper thrash. Get out the saddle and hammer it, push hard into corners, and if you can find some rough road surfaces chuck it at them. Basically ride it harder than you normally would, because you’ve got a limited time to test it. And if anything is wrong, walk away. Don’t buy it if you’re not 100% happy. There are lots of other bikes out there.
I tested a bunch of ‘superbikes’ a couple of years back, and found a nice little circuit, near the river in York which had cobbles, a tight bend rising up a slope, and a downhill chicane. Couple of laps of that gave lots of feedback.
I don’t know what shops are near you or who does demos/test rides so I can’t point you at anything specific. If the Giant isn’t right then you might find it helpful to just ride lots of different bikes, rather than targetting particular ones. Evans can be useful, since they carry a lot of stock, and there’s lots of independent shops around London who could be helpful with a demo ride. See if Halfords will let you ride anything. I know, but they have a wide range of bikes, including some pearls. If they let you, then take out a range of bikes and get some benchmarks above and below your budget. You’ll find lots of bad bikes there as well as some good ones, so you’ll be able to compare. And if they’ll let you ride a Pinarello then give it a go, even though it’s out of budget. Riding a bike doesn’t mean you have to buy it 🙂 Honest. You can give it back. Though you might want to trade the wife/car/house/children for it.
Looool i test it this week
Looool i test it this week prob Tuesday and im sure he said the forks were carbon?! but your right i dont think i can wait any more 🙂 I need to get clipped in and start falling over at round a bouts and traffic lights apparently 🙂skitza wrote:
Looking at theskitza wrote:
Looking at the spec of the Giant Defy above are there issues?no and yes 😐
One school of thought is to buy the best frame you can get with cheaper components, and then as they components wear out you can upgrade over time, ending up with a pretty good build over time. So cassette, chain, maybe crankset, wheels are all things you’ll look to replace over time.
The other school of thought says buy a Planet X or a Ribble, with Dura Ace at bargain prices, but a shall we say inexpensive frame. Trouble with that approach is the frame isn’t the bit that wears out, and over time you buy Ultegra or 105 level bits to replace worn out DA and end up with an average bike. Ok that’s maybe a bit canted, but I’m strongly in the former camp.
With the Giant, the frame is aluminium, which Giant are pretty decent at working with, but the components are a right mix, with non series cranks, ok brakes, alu fork, which is probably not ideal, and own brand wheels. GIant aren’t known as a wheel supplier, but that doesn’t mean they’re bad. The bits you want to spend money on, the derailleurs and shifters are all 105 though, which is widely held as bullet proof. So it’s a decent platform if the frame rides well.
Have you ridden it yet? If so, did you like it and did it fit? If so, buy it. NOW, stop procrastinating and get out there! Then start saving for upgrades 😀
bashthebox lol i think you
bashthebox lol i think you are right 😀robdaykin great advice thanks so going on from your comment ‘Trek, Specialized and Giant all do decent bikes but protect their luxury products by using the full range of component levels from bleeding edge to ‘they still sell those?’ There can be bargains, but rarely at full price.’
Looking at the spec of the Giant Defy above are there issues?bashthebox
Also, start saving for your
Also, start saving for your next bike NOW. It’s inevitable.The best selling bike sub
The best selling bike sub £1000 in the UK is probably the Boardman Team Carbon. And it appears regularly second hand in good nick because a lot of those purchases are Cycle To Work, and the owner is buying another bike on the scheme or has barely used the bike before giving up again, or is upgrading having caught the bug. It’s a very good bike with very good components due to the buying power Boardman have through their bulk buying. Never in the sales though.
The other value brand where you get a lot of bang for buck is Canyon (sell direct, no shops, no overhead).
Decathlon (Bt’win), Ribble and Planet X sell a lot of bikes, and do some good deals. There are a lot of club riders on those brands.
Trek, Specialized and Giant all do decent bikes but protect their luxury products by using the full range of component levels from bleeding edge to ‘they still sell those?’ There can be bargains, but rarely at full price.
And in between there are hundreds of others. Including Raleigh, who after years in the dark are starting to make a comeback, and are actually worth a look.In terms of advice:
Get a bike fit.
Try before you buy. Ride it and see how it rides.
Bargains can be had. Wiggle have year round sales, other companies do clearances towards the end of the summer to make room for the new models.
You may well find Aluminium frames to be heavy, dull, uncomfortable things. There’s a reason some Alu frames now have large sections of carbon inserted and carbon forks. Carbon frames can be overly stiff or stupidly flexy or just right, and without trying you’ll not know if a reviewer’s benchmark of ‘ride all day’ is anywhere near yours. I personally would never buy Carbon second hand because you don’t know if it has been crashed and has hidden cracks which will reduce it’s useful life. Steel is making a comeback, and will last, and ride comfortably. Ti is just expensive, and can be terrible when manufacturers try to aim for a lower price point.
Buying secondhand can be a minefield with a big market for stolen bikes and parts. There are bargains and good deals around, but be careful and try to see receipts or engage the seller in conversation (or online discussion via ebay questions) and see if they know anything about the bike or even cycling.
Cultivate an LBS for parts, servicing, advice and friendship even. The good ones won’t leave you feeling obliged to buy a whole bike from them, they’ll understand the market and offer you a good deal if they can, or tell you about a good deal elsewhere if they can’t. In turn you will find yourself supporting them more. I’ve had 2 like that up north, but I’ve yet to find one down here of that calibre. Though I’m doing almost all my own maintenance now, so I’m not looking hard.
Scott speedsters quite sexy
Scott speedsters quite sexy too! My grand is burning a hole in my pocket! :”(Yeah, I do see your dilemma.
Yeah, I do see your dilemma. My first proper bike was bought without much knowledge at all – and a year down the line I wanted something quite different. In many ways it’s worth getting something quite cheap and throwaway as your first bike, because believe me – you’ll be getting another within a year of getting into this hobby. Best to acknowledge the fact that your first bike won’t quite be right for you, and just get something that’s fun to ride without being expensive.
I appreciate this isn’t helping you much in terms of specifics. Perhaps look for a second hand Boardman team or something, just to get you going?bashthebox wrote:You can get
bashthebox wrote:You can get much, much more if you’re prepared to buy second hand. It’s more difficult if you’re new to road cycling and aren’t quite sure what you’re looking for though…As frame of reference, here’s what I’ve bought second hand:
1980s Neil Orrell steel bike with modern(ish) campag daytona groupset. Heavy, but pretty. £375.
Planet-X SL Pro carbon bike with full Dura Ace. £899.
Trek 5400 carbon bike with Ultegra and Dura Ace. £500.Even with cycle scheme, and even accounting for the need to get a decent service and maybe replace a component – there’s nothing new that can get close to that sort of value. … but brand new shiny is undeniably lovely.
Im sure it is but i need to be living next door to someone knowledgable (like yourself!) cos a lot of it is gobbledy gook to me 🙂 Even if i was buying a decent bike on paper i wouldnt have a scooby what to look for when i actually saw it! No point in buying a great bike if its been hammered in submission and i just dont have that knowledge as yet.
For the techies here are the
For the techies here are the specs:Group : COMPONENTS
handlebar // Giant Connect
stem // Giant Connect
seatpost // Giant Connect Composite
saddle // Giant Defy saddle
pedals // N/A
Group : DRIVETRAIN
shifters // Shimano 105
frontderailleur // Shimano 105
rearderailleur // Shimano 105
brakes // Tektro TK-R540 w/ cartridge pads
brakelevers // Shimano 105
cassette // Shimano Tiagra 12×28, 10s
chain // KMC X10L
crankset // Shimano FC-R565 – 50×34
Group : FRAME
sizes // S, M, M/L, L, XL
colors // White/Black/Red
frame // ALUXX SL-Grade Aluminium
fork // Advanced-Grade Composite, Alloy OverDrive Steerer
shock // N/A
Group : WHEELS
bottombracket // Shimano Integrated
rims // Giant P-R2
hubs // Giant Sealed Bearings 24/28h
spokes // Sapim Race 14/15g
tires // Giant P-R3, 700x23c
extras // N/AYou can get much, much more
You can get much, much more if you’re prepared to buy second hand. It’s more difficult if you’re new to road cycling and aren’t quite sure what you’re looking for though…As frame of reference, here’s what I’ve bought second hand:
1980s Neil Orrell steel bike with modern(ish) campag daytona groupset. Heavy, but pretty. £375.
Planet-X SL Pro carbon bike with full Dura Ace. £899.
Trek 5400 carbon bike with Ultegra and Dura Ace. £500.Even with cycle scheme, and even accounting for the need to get a decent service and maybe replace a component – there’s nothing new that can get close to that sort of value. … but brand new shiny is undeniably lovely.
Hows about a Giant Defy 1
Hows about a Giant Defy 1 learned cycling posters? Looks nice get a nice spec for 1K (and i can test ride it for an hour next week!) 🙂Raleigh
Good point.
Try and buy
Good point.Try and buy British.
You’ll love the bike more.
And AL.
That was my call btw.
AND.
You could easily spec SRAM Rival or full 105 on a £1k bike.
Don’t want to be faffing with much less tbh.
Not worth it.
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