Hi all, newbie here, need your help choose my first serious bike.
First of all, I haven't been 'frequently' on a bike for around 7 years, but I'm looking into getting a bike for a possibly a short commute from my house to the Reading station (though for some reason I was told it's not safe to park it there even underground!) and mostly for exercising on weekends. My budget is around £600. I went to the local
Decathlon, and I honestly loved the Triban 500. The other bikes I'm interested in are namely:
Specialized Allez Sport C2 2014:
www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/allez-sport-c2-2014-road-bike-ec052507
Specialized Secteur Sport X3 2014:
www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/secteur-sport-x3-2014-road-bike-ec053049
Cannondale Synapse 6 Tiagra 2014:
www.evanscycles.com/products/cannondale/synapse-6-tiagra-2014-road-bike-ec054417
Norco Valence A3:
www.evanscycles.com/products/norco/valence-a3-2015-road-bike-ec072596
I was also thinking of the Cannondale CAAD8 7 Sora 2014 and CAAD8 6 Tiagra 2014, but I understood they have a more racy geometry, and I'm looking for something a bit more comfortable.
As this is basically my entry level road bike, I would like it to last me quite some time without needing upgrades until I really get into cycling. Would anyone kindly explain to me what is the advantage of one spec over the other in terms of frame, gearing, and shimano brakes, and which one you would recommend I choose? B'Twin seem to have a great circle of fans and riders, but whenever I asked outside the B'Twin circle almost everyone chose Cannondale, although I would prefer the Specialised's upright frame over the Cannondale's.
I didn't find any Specialized with Tiagra in my budget. But is the Tiagra really worth the diff in price between the Secteur or Allez and the Synapse? If so, why don't I just get the B'Twin Alur 700 with 105 gearing for cheaper (£599 currently at Decathlon, discounted to make way for the newer model)?!
Any suggestion is much appreciated. Thanks
Update: Somebody on the Triban forum told me to wait for the Triban 540:
www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-540-road-bike-black-id_8331275.html