Sittingduck
Legendary Member
- Location
- Somewhere flat
It's mostly all a load of cobblers anyway - just get anything that fits and you like the look of. Getting out on the road and enjoying the Summer is more important that agonising over what to get 
Best bike for around the £1k mark
- Thread starter Part time cyclist
- Start date
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deptfordmarmoset
Full time tea drinker
- Location
- Armonmy Way
I've never ridden one but they certainly look very good to me - they have a kind of understated styling which says ride me. To me, of course.
On the OP's 1K bike theme, I recently bought a Planet-X pro carbon (I think it was £9,999 in its advertised basic price) which I'm really enjoying riding. I've no idea how it will hold up as I've only done 500 miles on it so far (though I did manage to ride it into an oncoming car but rider and bike came out of it remarkably well). It's pretty light, faster than I am, has a wide range of gears (chosen at no extra cost by me because I'm a very weak climber). Service was good and prompt and, though I did have to readjust the indexing, it was well set up when the bike arrived. So, I'd say Planet-X are worth a look. As I didn't go up to Rotherham to try one out first, there was always a bit of risk involved. Worthwhile so far though....
deptfordmarmoset
Full time tea drinker
- Location
- Armonmy Way
Oops, comma incompetence! £999.99 I meant....
DaveyM
Über Member
- Location
- Northumberland
Only asking (not yet ready for a 'proper' road bike myself) but does anyone have any experience with Ribble cycles. Some of these seem well spec'd and less than the grand mark
Sorry for hijacking OP
Sorry for hijacking OP
I am another one who can't quite believe how Specialized get away with charging as much as they do, but they do seem to have a (fanatically) loyal customer base, so they're doing something right. Even if it's just the marketing department earning their keep 
@OP mail order bargains from Canyon, Rose or Ribble
@OP mail order bargains from Canyon, Rose or Ribble
Mr Haematocrit
msg me on kik for android
- Location
- Out of the saddle
I am another one who can't quite believe how Specialized get away with charging as much as they do, but they do seem to have a (fanatically) loyal customer base, so they're doing something right. Even if it's just the marketing department earning their keep
Totally agree with you and I am one of those who remains fanatically loyal but I would not buy a Specialized bike on specification alone.
When I had warranty issues with a bike, I called specialized who called me back that day to arrange collection, they offered to loan me a bike and they upgraded components not covered by the warranty to ensure total satisfaction from me before returning the bike. Two days later they called to check if I was happy or had any further issues.
Likewise when Specialized had a recent fork recall on certain bikes, they handed all customers a £100 voucher for the inconvenience of having the bike checked no matter if the forks needed replacing or not.... By contrast when Willier had a fork recall on the Triestina Izoard XP they gave the customer no voucher, gift or anything for the inconvenience of taking ythe bike back to the dealer.
I know a fella who purchased a bike from a European retailer with no store representation in the UK and it was a really great bike and a bargain at the price he paid, however when he experienced issues having them addressed was a complete nightmare, rather than them offering to collect the bike and inspect, it was down to him to prove the issue existed and was not caused by insufficient care or neglect. He was responsible for shipping of the bike back to them. Emails were ignored, promises to call him back were not met, and he had to continuously chase them to even confirm things such as they have received the bike.... The result was his dream bike became a nightmare experience.
Many bikes which seem to be more cost effective do not have a solid warranty or manufacturer which is willing to stand behind the products, or support the consumer and Specialized seem to do this from my experience and although I can't quite believe how Specialized get away with charging as much as they do. I equally can not quite believe how other bike brands get away with treating their customer base like they do.
I can see that this would add value for some.
I have a Specialized, a Cube, a Kinesis, a Canyon, a Pace and a Bianchi. I have not had the misfortune of breaking a frame, and I do all my own work on my bikes, so I don't set much store by the customer service and lifetime frame warranties that Specialized and Trek offer. From that perspective, none of the above brands have been better or worse than each other.
In terms of performance, my best two frames are the Kinesis and the Canyon. The Pace is a bit of a miracle bike too.
Ultimately, we all have to make our choices based on where we see the value I guess.
Kestevan
Last of the Summer Winos
- Location
- Holmfirth.
With Regards to Ribble, I think the actual kit itself is very good for the price. However you take a big chance on the level of customer support you'll receive. Personally I vowed never to do business with them again...
I've got a Planet X RT57 and think at the price there's nothing much comes close to Planet X. However..... I knew exactly what I wanted and matched the geometry/size against an existing road bike I was happy with. This for me removed most of the uncertainty of the fit.
For a first road bike, I'd strongly recommend a proper test, or at the very least sitting on the bikes. When I first moved to a road bike I tried a Specialized and found that it just didn't suit me...... a Felt was OK but not ideal, and the Trek I eventually bought just felt right from word one. I wouldn't have known any of this without input from the LBS and an opportunity to sit take all the bikes for a quick spin.
I've got a Planet X RT57 and think at the price there's nothing much comes close to Planet X. However..... I knew exactly what I wanted and matched the geometry/size against an existing road bike I was happy with. This for me removed most of the uncertainty of the fit.
For a first road bike, I'd strongly recommend a proper test, or at the very least sitting on the bikes. When I first moved to a road bike I tried a Specialized and found that it just didn't suit me...... a Felt was OK but not ideal, and the Trek I eventually bought just felt right from word one. I wouldn't have known any of this without input from the LBS and an opportunity to sit take all the bikes for a quick spin.
Peter Armstrong
Über Member
Cube Cube Cube Cube
