Road bike for around £750

[parkesy555]

Hi guys, new to the site. I bought a Mango Fixie at the beginning of the year and have kind of caught the cycling bug. I use it for general commuting from A to B but as it just has the one gear it's not much use for anything else. I'm still going to need a bike for commuting but next year it's going to be about 10km each way which may be a slight struggle for me on the fixie as I haven't cycled for long. I live in London so the roads are fairly flat in most places but I want to get into cycling a bit more and definitely up the distance I ride in my free time.

I'm looking to sell this bike and buy a road bike for around the £750 mark.

They're soon releasing a new road bike and to me it looks very good value for money. What are your opinions on the bike and do you have any other possible better suggestions?

http://www.mangobikes.co.uk/bikes/point-road-bikes/point-r-road-bike-r570-shimano-105

(I'd probably upgrade the Tyres & Wheel Set on their website too)

Thanks in advance.

 

[raleighnut]

 

[slowmotion]

You really ought to consider a Cinelli Experience Veloce...
http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b75s6p2932
If you can grab one at the Spa Cycles price you are getting an absolute bargain. I have the 2013 model with pretty much the same specification and it's great for commuting, very nippy in London traffic and a joy to ride for 50-80 mile runs. I don't know about riding at speed. Read some of the reviews you can find on Google. I borrowed a friend's bike for a spin round the block and was instantly smitten. Where are you in London?

 

[Rooster1]

The Mango looks sweet (excuse the pun)

 

[parkesy555]

Thank for your suggestion! How does the Campagnolo Veloce compare with the Shimano 105?

Currently in Shoreditch area but will be moving further east, hopefully to Stratford, in September-ish time.

 

[Goobs]

9.8KG ?
I'm surprised by that. Seems on the heavy side to me for a 105 bike.

 

[parkesy555]

That seems to be the only downside of the bike!

 

[vickster]

Planet X RT58 wth SRAM Rival 22, was £500 a few weeks ago, now £649 but they may have another special sale. Sub 9kg, reasonable wheels. A nice ride, I did 15 miles on mine last night

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXRT58ALRIV22/planet-x-rt-58-alloy-sram-rival-22-road-bike

 

[parkesy555]

I have been tempted by some of the Planet X bikes before! My only concern is that I don't know what the colour of the frames look like when I select them in the customise options.

Also, what does the SRAM Rival 22 ride like?

 

[Torvi]

yeah i just recently got planetx rt58 altho with 10sp sram apex (been late for sale, duh) it's a great and lightweight bike for the price and i can't spazm how good sram shifters are, they just feel like they are more "proper" than shimanos :P but many would dissagree with me

 

[Cyclist33]

"sram shifters ... just feel like they are more "proper" than shimanos..."

Eh?

 

[vickster]

"sram shifters ... just feel like they are more "proper" than shimanos..."

Eh?

God knows!!

 

[Torvi]

haha, see?

#edit

@Cyclist33 @vickster im all about minimalism and the way sram shifts also fills in, with shimano i have to whack whole lever to shift, with sram just a small click with paddle, it just fits into whole thing about road bikes, less unnecessary moves -> better.

 

[russ.will]

I have been tempted by some of the Planet X bikes before! My only concern is that I don't know what the colour of the frames look like when I select them in the customise options.

Also, what does the SRAM Rival 22 ride like?

I don't know if Page 6 of this thread will help - It rather depends on how well calibrated your monitor is, as to how accurate the colour rendition is - but the second from bottom picture shows how the sun really picks up the metallic fleck in the paint and perks up the colour, The black one is just black!

As for ride, very smooth, but it depends what you're used to. I came from a Charge Plug and it's way smoother than that and less twitchy with the 100mm steering stem. the Campag Khamsin (Fulcrum 7s in drag) have been tested with an almighty Fen pot-hole and are still running absolutely true. The one thing I note about the Mango is the close spacing of the top and bottom ratios on the rear cassette. On the RT-58, I never use the smaller front chain ring because of the wider range of rear ratios. Shifting is pure joy.

Russell

 

[vickster]

I have been tempted by some of the Planet X bikes before! My only concern is that I don't know what the colour of the frames look like when I select them in the customise options.

Also, what does the SRAM Rival 22 ride like?

It's great, better than Apex and Rival 10 which I have on other bikes. I can't ride Shimano hoods and brake, so all my geared bikes have SRAM