3 Grand. Bike of a lifetime

[Winnershsaint]

It is highly likely within the next few months that I will be in a position to purchase a bike around the £3000 mark. It will be a road bike. It will be used for riding as fast as my 57 year old legs can muster and for the odd Sportive. It has to be able to go upwards as I intend to head for the Alps sometime soon. So far have been to Specialized Concept Store in Newbury and looked at Tarmac SL4, but also been elsewhere and seen a Storck Sentron, Cervelo R3 (with mechanical Ultegra) and a Ritte Bosberg. As the post title says it will be the one and only time this opportunity will be open to me so I'm really looking additional suggestions. Not into steel/retro or anything like that and have perused titanium but not a fan of anything that resembles a five bar gate. So it's looking like the best carbon frame, groupset, wheel combination I could get at the price point. BTW will never do it justice, but that's not the point.

 

[oldfatfool]

6.25 kg

 

[winjim]

British made custom carbon frame £2583

http://www.craddockcycles.co.uk

 

[Justinslow]

6 (six) Argos ventura cp50's that's nearly one for every day of the week!
Sorry, no idea but good luck and I hope you get something nice.

 

[vickster]

The one that makes you smile and go woot on the test ride

(As long as it's not black )

 

[Winnershsaint]

The one that makes you smile and go woot on the test ride

(As long as it's not black )

My Ridley Excalibur is black with lots of Lion of Flanders motifs on it so black doesn't bother unduly. Got a thing about bikes that are not necessarily mainstream. See very few Ridley's but really like the SL4 Tarmac Pro so open to opinions. That kind of draws me to the Ritte or something similar.

 

[Broadside]

It is highly likely within the next few months that I will be in a position to purchase a bike around the £3000 mark. It will be a road bike. It will be used for riding as fast as my 57 year old legs can muster and for the odd Sportive. It has to be able to go upwards as I intend to head for the Alps sometime soon. So far have been to Specialized Concept Store in Newbury and looked at Tarmac SL4, but also been elsewhere and seen a Storck Sentron, Cervelo R3 (with mechanical Ultegra) and a Ritte Bosberg. As the post title says it will be the one and only time this opportunity will be open to me so I'm really looking additional suggestions. Not into steel/retro or anything like that and have perused titanium but not a fan of anything that resembles a five bar gate. So it's looking like the best carbon frame, groupset, wheel combination I could get at the price point. BTW will never do it justice, but that's not the point.

I am a bit of a Tarmac fan as I have got one myself. An SL4 with some decent wheels will be a lovely bike, the stock wheels on my Tarmac weigh about 2kgs for the pair - I weighed them and thought the scales had gone wrong!!!

A friend of mine who is 58 bought a Cervelo R3 and put some nice Ksyrium wheels, it's a nice slightly understated bike and it is lovely and light. We recently rode down from Edinburgh to London over 5 days and both bikes were very comfortable for repeated long days.

 

[simon.r]

For me, a £3k bike would be Ti framed, carbon forked, with an Ultegra groupset. Depending on how much the frame cost I might look at DI2. I think it's very unlikely that I'd find an off the shelf bike that ticked all my boxes, so it would be self built.

 

[vickster]

See what condor, pearsons and the like offer?

Personally I would not buy a specilaized if wanting something different (nor trek nor giant nor Cannondale nor cube etc for that matter)

 

[derrick]

I would recommend riding the ones you like, when you get to that price bracket there is not a lot to chose between them, i love the way my Cervelo rides, My wife has recently bought an R3, and she will not get back on her other bikes. But i like the look of the Storck, never ridden one so can't comment on that one, what ever one you choose you will love it, nothing like a high end bit of carbon.

 

[youngoldbloke]

The one that makes you smile and go woot on the test ride

(As long as it's not matt black )

FTFY

 

[Cyclist33]

British made custom carbon frame £2583

http://www.craddockcycles.co.uk

Yeah for that money, go customised. At the very least, get the wheels handmade and blow £800 odd on them!

 

[StuAff]

Agreed the Craddock looks great VFM for a true custom carbon frame, also Nerve (co-founded by Mark Reilly of Enigma fame) are doing some very attractive looking frames for similar money. Either of those options would be well over £3k fully built up though. How about.... http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/FRVIMARS30/viner-maxima-rs-30-carbon-road-frame (very positive review in current ProCycling issue, I know a very happy owner of an older version).

 

[Fab Foodie]

For me, a £3k bike would be Ti framed, carbon forked, with an Ultegra groupset. Depending on how much the frame cost I might look at DI2. I think it's very unlikely that I'd find an off the shelf bike that ticked all my boxes, so it would be self built.

This, though I'd go for Reynolds 953 Stainless custom.
Then you can dream away with whatever colour scheme, components etc. exactly as you want. Why but 'yet another plastic bike from corporate' when you can buy something far more special and individual that'll last for ever and be just as much fun?

 

[Fab Foodie]

Personally I would not buy a specilaized if wanting something different (nor trek nor giant nor Cannondale nor cube etc for that matter)

This ^^^^^
In spades.