B'Twin Facet 5 Black - Road Bike

[Andrew_Culture]

I've been studying carbon bikes in the £1500(ish) range, based on the fact that I might find out I'm owed a few thousand by someone I've never met.

Most of the nice matt black carbon bikes around the £1500 mark come equipped with Shimano 105, but I've just spotted the B'Twin Facet 5 comes with Ultegra.

Lookie - http://www.decathlon.co.uk/facet-5-black-road-bike-id_8203212.html

The 7.5kg weight also looks very appealing.

Does anyone have any experience of this bike? It seems like quite a lot of nice kit for the money.

 

[Rob3rt]

No experience of them but have seen them in person though. Usually I love matte black (own one) angular bikes (like the Shiv TT, TMR01, Time Machine etc) but it is not so nice in person. The downtube is hugely wide (quite frankly, wide enough to be an aero hindrance) and some of the frame shapes are very clumsy looking. Not elegant at all.

 

[ianrauk]

It's a good spec but I am with Robert here... damn ugly frame.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Cheers, so far nothing has beaten the Ribble R872 that Pedrosanchezo built! But sadly (for him) I mean his exact bike

 

[Rob3rt]

One of my club mates rides a Ribble Stealth with SRAM Force and PX AL30 wheels, it looks very nice!

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I've not ridden one but I've seen one in the local Decathlon - I thought it was actually quite a striking bike. Maybe it looks better in the flesh.

 

[Rob3rt]

I've not ridden one but I've seen one in the local Decathlon - I thought it was actually quite a striking bike. Maybe it looks better in the flesh.

My opinion was having seen it in the flesh, it looks bad, both aesthetically and design wise. but that is just my opinion.

 

[MrGrumpy]

That Ribble build looks the dogs danglies however I suspect that you would also have to look and be the real deal to go about on that! Last thing you want is to be seen on that in your lycra looking like a 10Ib bag of spuds in a 5Ib bag and blowing out your rear end at the slightest incline, if you catch my drift

PS I`m just jealous as I do not have the mula to buy such exotic bikes

 

[Rob3rt]

That Ribble build looks the dogs danglies however I suspect that you would also have to look and be the real deal to go about on that! Last thing you want is to be seen on that in your lycra looking like a 10Ib bag of spuds in a 5Ib bag and blowing out your rear end at the slightest incline, if you catch my drift

PS I`m just jealous as I do not have the mula to buy such exotic bikes

Sounds like the majority of riders on a sportive tbh! At least they are having fun I guess.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

That Ribble build looks the dogs danglies however I suspect that you would also have to look and be the real deal to go about on that! Last thing you want is to be seen on that in your lycra looking like a 10Ib bag of spuds in a 5Ib bag and blowing out your rear end at the slightest incline, if you catch my drift

PS I`m just jealous as I do not have the mula to buy such exotic bikes

Oh no, I don't have to start worry about looking good do I? Total lost cause!

 

[Kestevan]

Planet X. RT 57. Or RT 58


Both look better than the triban or the ribble
And you don't have to take the chance on dealing with the clowns at ribble either.

 

[smokeysmoo]

My opinion was having seen it in the flesh, it looks bad, both aesthetically and design wise, but that is just my opinion.

Nah it's not, having seen it myself I concur

 

[Rob3rt]

Planet X. RT 57. Or RT 58


Both look better than the triban or the ribble
And you don't have to take the chance on dealing with the clowns at ribble either.

Just the clowns at PX instead. Well clowns is not accurate, they don't have enough character to qualify as clowns at PX.

 

[Typhon]

I've been looking at bikes in the same price range a lot lately but was put off by the triple on the bike in the OP .If you want Ultegra cheaply you can get Wiggle's Verernti with rotor 3d chainset for £1320 (with british cycling membership discount) Though it weighs just over 8kg according to cycling plus

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/verenti-insight-ultegra-2013/

I am put off by buying a bike on line though so I am probably going to buy a Boardman SLR 9.0 from my LBS. It weighs in at 7.1kg and has sram force, Mavic Ksyrium Equipe wheels and a ritchey pro finishing kit. It's the bottom of the range but the frame is the same throughout so it's good quality and I can always upgrade components later. At £2000 it's more than I wanted to spend but I would rather buy from my LBS and it's pretty good spec for the money I think.

 

[Sittingduck]

I wouldn't get too hung up on the difference of 105 vs Ultegra, imho. It will be minimal weight benefit and some bling factor but the shifting and mechanics are pretty much the same. Get a bike with a good frame and decent wheels & tyres, with 105 over an Ultegra specced B:Twin. Not to say that there is anything wrong with Decathon bikes... not at the lower end of the market anyway. At this price point, you have some great options! Canyon, Rose, Cannondale, PX(?), maybe even a Spesh (if that's how you roll).