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hughw wrote:
It’s worth giving Rose a look if you’re happy with the direct from germany model.
I bought one of these a few months ago: https://www.rosebikes.co.uk/bike/rose-xeon-cdx-3100-di2-disc/aid:820865 , with discs and di2, so it ticks both those boxes. I was lucky to get one for a bit less because of the exchange rate, but it’s sat at £2,750 ish atm, which is less than the giant you’re looking at
I was over in the Alps last week, and it was quite refreshing to see how open minded the Europeans are when it comes to buying bikes. Around 30 bikes parked at the top of Colombiere, and no more than a couple of any make. Very different to the flock mentality in the UK.part_robot wrote:
Regarding Griff500’s remark above:
Wind tunnel studies have shown that using drops is not as aero as using the hoods but lowering your back such that your forearms are parallel to the ground. Using the drops increases frontal area due to exposing more of your arms to the flow.
I can see this developing into a my data is better than your data thing, so here goes:
CdA measurements by Cycling Power Labs:
Tops .408
Hoods .325
Drops .307
Aero bars .268Rider is 80% of drag. Drop
Rider is 80% of drag. Drop your bars as low as you can, or are comfortable with, and use the drops at speed (it’s amazing how many people ride hoods all the time), also keep your head low. One of my bikes has a relaxed setup, with the bars 7cm higher than the other which is aggressively set up. There is a massive difference in effort above 20 mph, or into wind.Like most things in life,
Like most things in life, what suits one doesn’t suit all. In my case I sometimes find the pad isn’t wide enough, (not that I’m exactly a fatty), but Altura Progel Peleton work well for me. Having discovered them, I just keep buying more of the same rather than risk something else! A quick google and you will find a number of the usual online suspects selling them within your budget. they are not 3/4.
allanj wrote:
The saddle snapped off as she lunged for the line- it would seem a little churlish to penaise her for that as I’m imagine your saddle falling off would be a bit of a distraction that would outdo any potential benefit in terms of less weight!
Fair comment. As I said. I was looking at it from an F1 viewpoint, where churlish penalties are commonplace.allanj wrote:
The saddle snapped off as she lunged for the line- it would seem a little churlish to penaise her for that as I’m imagine your saddle falling off would be a bit of a distraction that would outdo any potential benefit in terms of less weight!
Fair comment. As I said. I was looking at it from an F1 viewpoint, where churlish penalties are commonplace.Could be: a wheel bearing that needs replacing. Bearings can last for a long time but when they go, they wear out very quickly. This might be a duffer. The LBS guy might be saying that because it is a wear item it isn’t a thing they would normally replace at the 6 weeks service or fix under warranty.I would strongly disagree. Ask them to try test riding it with another front wheel and if is doesn’t rub then, there’s your answer.
Not true. Poor spoke tension would also disappear if they swapped the front wheel.
Bottom line is any bike shop should be able to diagnose such a straightforward problem. And no bike shop should say “there’s nothing we can do” just because the problem is not warranty related. If there is a non warranty problem with the bike, I would expect it to be highlighted, and a quote to be provided.
Yes some good answers above ,
Yes some good answers above , but either way, the LBS is guilty! If it is a matter of incorrect wheel fit, why did they not check the wheel release before diagnosing flex. If it is wheel flex, why can they not figure out for themselves how to check spoke tension. Frankly, the “not much we can do” response on a bike costing 4 figures, js just not good enough.
For a second hand bike at
For a second hand bike at this sort of price, you really are in a buyers market. ebay for example is awash with good entry level bikes, typically hydroformed aluminium, ~10Kg, Claris or Sora gears with very low mileage. Lots of folks approaching middle age, putting it on a bit around their waistlines, decide to get fit again, rush out and spend £600 on a Trek Series One or bottom end Giant Defy for example (both good bikes). In 90% of cases, the bikes end up lying at the back of the garage unused, until the next garage clearout when they are put on ebay at half price.
The other 10% incidentally, put a load of miles on their alloy bike, get hooked, and go out and upgrade to carbon, either relegating the alloy to wet weather, or selling it to put money towards the carbon. If you don’t fancy ebay, (I wouldn’t buy without seeing) ask round your local cyclists and I am sure somebody will have something decent in their garage. (For example I have a beautiful 2 year old, 1500 mile Trek Series One in my garage which I loved riding, but is unused since my Addict arrived, and although I tell myself I am saving it for rainy days, if somebody showed up at my door with a wad of cash, I would probably be tempted.)
Then apologies again, I
Then apologies again, I wrongly assumed you were UK based. You don’t say where you live, but it is still worth checking whether dealers have offers on. As I said, most of the major manufacturers are currently releasing their 2017 models, and 2016 old stock prices are dropping as a result. Too many people in the UK don’t want “last year’s model”.
Also, if budget is an issue bear in mind something a dealer told me a while ago. Moving to an 11 speed groupset from a 8/9 speed groupset, is like moving from a family car to a sports car in terms of running costs. The thinner, lighter, chains for example wear quicker, and if not replaced soon enough, the chain will start to eat the cassette. Now there have been plenty of threads on here about how long a chain should last, with claims ranging from 8oo miles to 3000 miles, so no need to repeat, but 1500 miles would be a reasonable average. It depends on lots of things, how often you lube, what type of lube, what type of weather, how much dust do you ride through etc. The point here being, somebody selling a bike is unlikely to have changed the chain recently, so you might want to assume a new chain and cassette in your budget. Also examine the cables for signs of wear and freedom of movement.
JL, in case you found my
JL, in case you found my previous answer unhelpful (in which case I apologise), you might want to have a look at what is available in the sales at the moment. For example a brand new Emonda in 105 spec can be had for £1100, with full backup, full Trek warranty, and no doubt a proper bike fitting. With 2017 models now launched, I am sure there will be good deals from all brands including the ubiquitous Giant. To me, the bikes you quoted look expensive, and peted76’s asking price for a much better Ultegra spec would support that view. And there are few things in this World as nice as a shiny new, unridden, bike.
Update: Going price for 2016 Defy Adv 2 wearing 105, £1039 – choose your dealer, full warranty, full fitting. Why buy somebody else’s cast off for £100 less!
Correct me if I am wrong, but
Correct me if I am wrong, but are you not comparing a full race bike with an endurance bike? Totally different geometries and in this case totally different gearing? Should you not first decide what style of bike you want based on the type of riding you want to do and then choose between different endurance or different race models as appropriate, or is your only prerequisite that the bike has Giant written on the side? (I know it is sacrilege to say this on this site, but other manufacturers are available!)Like somebody else said, “it
Like somebody else said, “it depends”, but in my experience, after tyres, geometry/setup makes a big difference. Much more so than weight. I have 2 race bikes with near identical geometry frames, both on slicks, one bike alloy with fairly relaxed setup, the other carbon, 3Kg lighter and aggressive setup, with the bars about 3 inches lower than the alloy bike. Living in Scotland, my rides are hilly and windy, and I too average around 18mph, with on average, 1mph (5%) difference between the carbon and alloy bikes. I’m a bit of a data geek, and scrutinise and compare every segment (need to get out more!). Much as we all like to brag about how our lightweight bikes “fly up the hills”, the biggest time gain with the carbon bike is on the flat, and into wind. Cycling into the wind it is noticeably easier on the carbon bike due to its setup, just as on any bike it is noticeably easier on the drops than the hoods. So I could have achieved most of that 5% gain by dropping the bars on my alloy bike (saving £2.5k in the process)
Back to that “it depends” thing. If your commute is on the flat at a fairly steady 18mph, then you might not notice much difference. If it is hilly and the 18mph average is actually a 10-30mph range, then you will definitely notice a difference at speed.
Whether you actually want to commute into a city with aggressive head down attitude? Well that’s another question.
Perky, to get a list of
Perky, to get a list of likely contenders, it is worth visiting the manufacturers websites. Stand over height is one of the key dimensions every manufacturer worth his salt will have on the geometry section of the bike data. Start with the Boardman which you know is a little tight, and use this as the benchmark against which to compare others. Narrow it down to 3 or 4, then visit some LBS’s which stock those models.You have typed your message
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