£1000 road bike budget(used)

[avecReynolds531]

Looking for a nice summer only road bike.
As some of you may know I have a Boardman ADV 8.8 fitted with road tyres at present,although it’s not a pure road bike it is my first drop bar bike and I have enjoyed using it.

I have made a post about Giant TCR advance previously, as I’ve always fancied one, however some replies suggest I should maybe look to something a little less aggressive and slightly more comfortable, like the Defy?

I should also add I do not race etc, it’s purely for fitness/hobby cycling.

I would like disc brakes,preferably hydraulic although I am open to rim brakes for the right bike,and a minimum shimano 105 groupset, I would be buying 2nd hand also.

Would appreciate any suggestions/ebay/gumtree links etc of alternate options to consider within my budget.

Thanks.

LFGSS classifieds often have beautiful bikes with quality specifications: https://www.lfgss.com/microcosms/548/

 

[icowden]

Looking for a nice summer only road bike.
Would appreciate any suggestions/ebay/gumtree links etc of alternate options to consider within my budget.

Fraz - it's worth considering that many bike shops will offer 0% financing over a couple of years which might extend your budget if you want something more fancy. My ride was 2.5k but I paid that at just under £160 a month for 18 months.

 

[Kajjal]

Fraz - it's worth considering that many bike shops will offer 0% financing over a couple of years which might extend your budget if you want something more fancy. My ride was 2.5k but I paid that at just under £160 a month for 18 months.

Also they will often let you put as much down as you want up front which reduces the monthly payments as well as trading in existing bikes.

 

[Peter Salt]

Fraz - it's worth considering that many bike shops will offer 0% financing over a couple of years which might extend your budget if you want something more fancy. My ride was 2.5k but I paid that at just under £160 a month for 18 months.

Well... That escalated quickly.

@fraz101, sometime ago you were looking at 1k options, now it's 1.5k and now you're considering finance to increase your budget even more. My advice would be: Don't go down that rabbit hole and try not to wind yourself up.

If you're looking for a more 'relaxed' frame and you're still fixed on a Giant (I'm assuming you are as that's 80% of what you're linking ) then get a used defy. Somewhere near you so you can properly inspect it before buying.

Again, you can just get the frame, swap over what you have on the Boardman - you'll end up spending £200 and not £1200 and have a 2kg lighter bike then now. See how that feels, put in a few miles and if you feel you're hungry for more then get better wheels, still want more - then improve components.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Perhaps controversially, I suggest that disc brakes are entirely superfluous on a road bike.

I agree with others suggestions that Giant are a good brand for value.

Their website reveals this with 105 and well within budget. I'd happily ride it.

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/contend-sl-1

There's a disc version just on budget if you want to waste your money making it look ugly.

Doubtless other brands have similar offerings. Shockingly, I suggest there's little in it between brands at a similar price point. Choose instead by preferred colour scheme.

Decathlon always seem to have excellent value, worth taking a look there.

 

[fraz101]

Well... That escalated quickly.

@fraz101, sometime ago you were looking at 1k options, now it's 1.5k and now you're considering finance to increase your budget even more. My advice would be: Don't go down that rabbit hole and try not to wind yourself up.

If you're looking for a more 'relaxed' frame and you're still fixed on a Giant (I'm assuming you are as that's 80% of what you're linking ) then get a used defy. Somewhere near you so you can properly inspect it before buying.

Again, you can just get the frame, swap over what you have on the Boardman - you'll end up spending £200 and not £1200 and have a 2kg lighter bike then now. See how that feels, put in a few miles and if you feel you're hungry for more then get better wheels, still want more - then improve components.

No finance for me friend.
Thanks for the reply though.

And no decisions have been made or money spent!
Im still at the weighing up options ! I’m absolutely not an impulse purchaser.
Regards

 

[Kingfisher101]

I'd just ride what you have got.

 

[Twilkes]

Perhaps controversially, I suggest that disc brakes are entirely superfluous on a road bike.

Having trashed more than one wheel commuting on rim brakes through the winter, I don't trust myself to keep my pads or rims clean throughout the year, and disc brakes mean I just have to replace a cheap rotor every once in a while, rather than sourcing and setting up a whole wheel. Maybe because the discs are always well off the ground and out of any spray path, whereas rims get right down into the muck, the pads and rotors don't seem to wear anywhere nearly as fast or as grittily.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Having trashed more than one wheel commuting on rim brakes through the winter,

Op:

"Looking for a nice summer only road bike"

 

[Alex321]

Perhaps controversially, I suggest that disc brakes are entirely superfluous on a road bike.

I would disagree, and the OP obviously would also.

I agree with others suggestions that Giant are a good brand for value.

Their website reveals this with 105 and well within budget. I'd happily ride it.

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/contend-sl-1

You might, the OP wouldn't because they have explicitly stated they want disc brakes.

Suggesting something that doesn't have them isn't going to help.

There's a disc version just on budget if you want to waste your money making it look ugly.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

I've never understood why some people find the look of disc brakes ugly, but clearly some do, and that is perfectly reasonable personal taste..

Doubtless other brands have similar offerings. Shockingly, I suggest there's little in it between brands at a similar price point. Choose instead by preferred colour scheme.

Decathlon always seem to have excellent value, worth taking a look there.

They are good value, but so are the Boardman bikes similar to the one he has.

I think you are probably right that there isn't all that much to choose between brands, though you will usually get better value from direct sales (such as Ribble or Planet X or Canyon) because there is no middle man taking a cut of the profits. Or with companies doing decent quality own-brand for similar reason.

 

[vickster]

He does say he’s open to rim brakes 🤷‍♀️

 

[roubaixtuesday]

they have explicitly stated they want disc brakes.

Suggesting something that doesn't have them isn't going to help.

What they wrote

I am open to rim brakes for the right bike

 

[Alex321]

What they wrote

I am open to rim brakes for the right bike

He does say he’s open to rim brakes 🤷‍♀️

Oops. Missed that.

Fair enough.

Personally, I still think disc brakes are well worth it even on a "summer" road bike - though even summer round here gets pretty wet at times.

 

[Twilkes]

Op:

"Looking for a nice summer only road bike"

I was responding to your generic comment.

 

[T4tomo]

Looking for a nice summer only road bike.

Perhaps controversially, I suggest that disc brakes are entirely superfluous on a road bike.

Nothing controversial about that given the above.

If it rains in the summer, take the winter bike out and leave the pretty rim braked steed in the shed. A set of rims last a heck of a long time for summer only leisure riding.

All year round commuting or gravel bikes etc then its a different story.