Advice please - Wilier or better alternatives, too much choice!

[Marlaw]

I got back into cycling about a year ago and got a huge surprise in the way bikes had come on since I had last been in the saddle. I bought myself a Giant Defy 2 as a start point and it has been great as a re-introduction.

Right now I am doing about 80 miles a week on the road plus 5 hours or so on the Turbo when work/family dictates I cant get out and I have signed up for the London-Paris ride in June. Clearly I will be ramping up the training!

I want to up the spec on my bike and get a new one. I have around £1,800 to spend and my local bike shop is recommending a Wilier Izoard XP 105. I am testing it next week.

I am going to test others as well. Problem is, there is so much choice out there I am hoping for some advice to help me narrow down options.

Any advice folks?

 

[amaferanga]

£1800 quid for a bike with 105? Quite some premium for that Willier name on a generic Chinese/Taiwanese frame. I'd be expecting at least Ultegra or SRAM Force for that budget.

My recommendation - Planet X RT 57. I've had a Planet X Nanolight for a couple of years and think it's brilliant. The RT 57 is the replacement for the Nanolight frame and you can currently get a build with MOSTLY SRAM Red for £1599. I paid a but less for my Nanolight, but with upgrades to carbon bars and stem (and I swapped the FSA chainset for a SRAM Red chainset for a net cost of £20).

 

[Garz]

I wasn't too keen on the Wilier range. Agree that you should be getting more than 105 if you push it with them.

 

[PpPete]

OTH if you are happy with 105 that budget is very nearly enough to go titanium rather than carbon.
London-Paris is fair old distance - think about comfort as well as out & out performance.
Have a read of this page... I know it says touring at the top, but Section 1 has a lot of good advice about bike choice in general.

 

[Marlaw]

OTH if you are happy with 105 that budget is very nearly enough to go titanium rather than carbon.
London-Paris is fair old distance - think about comfort as well as out & out performance.
Have a read of this page... I know it says touring at the top, but Section 1 has a lot of good advice about bike choice in general.

Thanks for that. Food for thought as I hadn't yet considered a more Sportive type option. I will try out a few of those as well.

 

[Marlaw]

£1800 quid for a bike with 105? Quite some premium for that Willier name on a generic Chinese/Taiwanese frame. I'd be expecting at least Ultegra or SRAM Force for that budget.

My recommendation - Planet X RT 57. I've had a Planet X Nanolight for a couple of years and think it's brilliant. The RT 57 is the replacement for the Nanolight frame and you can currently get a build with MOSTLY SRAM Red for £1599. I paid a but less for my Nanolight, but with upgrades to carbon bars and stem (and I swapped the FSA chainset for a SRAM Red chainset for a net cost of £20).

Thanks, I will take a look at that

 

[Sittingduck]

For that kind of money I would be wanting more than 105. Having said that it IS a very good grouppo Paying for the Wilier brand, IMHO.

 

[dudigrinfeld]

I got back into cycling about a year ago and got a huge surprise in the way bikes had come on since I had last been in the saddle. I bought myself a Giant Defy 2 as a start point and it has been great as a re-introduction.

Right now I am doing about 80 miles a week on the road plus 5 hours or so on the Turbo when work/family dictates I cant get out and I have signed up for the London-Paris ride in June. Clearly I will be ramping up the training!

I want to up the spec on my bike and get a new one. I have around £1,800 to spend and my local bike shop is recommending a Wilier Izoard XP 105. I am testing it next week.

I am going to test others as well. Problem is, there is so much choice out there I am hoping for some advice to help me narrow down options.

Any advice folks?

don't buy from shop with this budget you can get high end bike, 2nd hand from eBay with Red or Dura Ace groupy. I ride wilier cento uno 2010 at the momment with full SRAM red and they are awesome. I won't spend money on new bike from shop which will make on my back double of the amount I pay, at least.

 

[Enw.nigel]

For £1800 have you considered the Focus Izalco Pro 4. The Izalco Pro 3 was voted bike of the year by Cycling Plus and the Pro 4 uses the same frame. The pro 4 comes with Ultegra. Sorry to widen the choice further.