3k on a bike - small time specialist or major manufacturer?

[PpPete]

+1 for Enigma....especially now the frames are all made in UK and custom sizing is not a whole lot extra.
but for 3K I'd be looking at one of their Titanium offerings.

 

[beancounter]

For about your budget I'm just finishing building a Merckx LXM carbon frame with Ultegra / Dura Ace groupset and Easton EA50 wheelset. It's a really nice bike and a bit different.

For something really special I think you'll need to push your budget a bit further. My LBS is just building me a Colnago C50 strada with Centaur carbon groupset and Easton EA90SLX wheelset. It's going to be really special I think, but at £4k it jolly well ought to be.

bc

 

[Bloke]

Just came across these this morning:

Bottecchia. There's a shop in the west of Ireland stocking them. And they're the new equipment for the Acqua Sapone team instead of De Rosa's. They look smashing, and are priced very very well - the frame sets are 500 to 700 quid cheaper than the Basso. I wonder how they compare?

This is the SP9

and this is the Mille, which is more expensive, and seemingly a lot lighter - the sp9 is quoted at 1.2kg, while the mille is 0.870!

 

[Young Un]

For about your budget I'm just finishing building a Merckx LXM carbon frame with Ultegra / Dura Ace groupset and Easton EA50 wheelset. It's a really nice bike and a bit different.

For something really special I think you'll need to push your budget a bit further. My LBS is just building me a Colnago C50 strada with Centaur carbon groupset and Easton EA90SLX wheelset. It's going to be really special I think, but at £4k it jolly well ought to be.

bc

Sorry to hi-jack, but which shop are you getting your Colnago from?

Cheers
Steve

 

[beancounter]

Sorry to hi-jack, but which shop are you getting your Colnago from?

Cheers
Steve

Twenty3c in Stony Stratford (Milton Keynes).

http://www.twenty3c.co.uk/

bc

 

[Young Un]

Twenty3c in Stony Stratford (Milton Keynes).

http://www.twenty3c.co.uk/

bc

Ahh ok, just I know we have a frame sat upstairs at www.echelon-cycles.co.uk awaiting picking up, just wondering if it was you.

Steve

 

[redjedi]

Ahh ok, just I know we have a frame sat upstairs at www.echelon-cycles.co.uk awaiting picking up, just wondering if it was you.

Steve

That would be mine. If you could just drop it off for me


For £3k I would probably go a titanium frame, or maybe a Bianchi Infinito

Excuse me while I clean the saliva off my keyboard

 

[Bloke]

Mmm that Bianchi is nice alright.

It's a right pain not to be able to see and feel and throw a leg over these bikes in real life. None of the shops here stock much high end stuff, it's all special order. So when buying a lesser known quantity it's more of a leap of faith

-There's a guy offering me a specialized tarmac SL3 (2010) used but only very very lightly used, with decent mavic wheelset and largely dura-ace groupset (Ultegra crank), for 2400 pounds.

That's about 2750 euro - bearing in mind that I priced a new frameset only at 2300 euro last week (and decided that I couldn't afford it).

-Deal or no deal??

 

[Mista Preston]

Mmm that Bianchi is nice alright.

It's a right pain not to be able to see and feel and throw a leg over these bikes in real life. None of the shops here stock much high end stuff, it's all special order. So when buying a lesser known quantity it's more of a leap of faith

-There's a guy offering me a specialized tarmac SL3 (2010) used but only very very lightly used, with decent mavic wheelset and largely dura-ace groupset (Ultegra crank), for 2400 pounds.

That's about 2750 euro - bearing in mind that I priced a new frameset only at 2300 euro last week (and decided that I couldn't afford it).

-Deal or no deal??

sounds like a deal to me as long as its the right size?....have you considered Cervelo

 

[redjedi]

Mmm that Bianchi is nice alright.

It's a right pain not to be able to see and feel and throw a leg over these bikes in real life. None of the shops here stock much high end stuff, it's all special order. So when buying a lesser known quantity it's more of a leap of faith

-There's a guy offering me a specialized tarmac SL3 (2010) used but only very very lightly used, with decent mavic wheelset and largely dura-ace groupset (Ultegra crank), for 2400 pounds.

That's about 2750 euro - bearing in mind that I priced a new frameset only at 2300 euro last week (and decided that I couldn't afford it).

-Deal or no deal??

Where are you Bloke?

If you're spending £3k on a bike, it might be worth putting a little bit of it towards a few days trying different brands out.
Take a cheap flight somewhere where you can get access to a good selection of shops e.g. London. Then arrange a few test rides even if it's just on the nearest model.

 

[77spud]

recently bought the bianchi infinito 2010. it's my first road bike so i have nothing to compare it to but it is an unbelievable ride; it's quick and comfortable. it also looks stunning

 

[Bloke]

Where are you Bloke?

If you're spending £3k on a bike, it might be worth putting a little bit of it towards a few days trying different brands out.
Take a cheap flight somewhere where you can get access to a good selection of shops e.g. London. Then arrange a few test rides even if it's just on the nearest model.

I'm in Dublin. -THere's definitely no substitiute for seeing a bike in the "flesh", running your hands along the tubing, hefting the weight of it in your hand etc. My mate who has been consistently bigging up the Giant TCR's in particular, showed me his new TCR SL that he's just forked out for - you just can't judge bikes from a side-on press pic. It really is a fantastic piece of exotica when it's parked in your living room.

I've a bit of time now. I'm off to the States for a week now and the again for two weeks in march. I won't be in a position to lug a bike box home but I could definitely do some window shopping if I get a chance.

I'll keep y'all posted