Last time I was in the market for a bike, the people of this forum were extremely helpful, and pointed out lots of makes and such (one of which was the one I ended up with!). I need peoples' opinions and wider knowledge once more...
I'm looking to upgrade my road racer (currently on a Specialized Allez 2010, Sora). I would like to go down the carbon frame route - which is becoming increasingly more affordable. My budget is circa £1500, and very possibly can be stretched for the right bike.
I would be grateful for peoples' thoughts and opinions on various models that fit this. Value for money is obviously a starting point. The bikes I've looked at so far are various Pinarello bikes in clearance (I *love* Pinas...!) and the Boardman Team Carbon and the Trek Madone 3.1.
There are other bikes that I've found, though have had bad feedback about. For example, Ribble have their Bike Builder thing, which I specced up to an impressive price (the Ribble New Sportive Carbon Road Frame). But then I looked it up, to find someone's frame cracked within 3 days of getting the bike....! I know these things are rare (and severely unlucky), but it doesn't inspire confidence!
So within the criteria, I'm also looking at the quality of the carbon build. This is where research gets tricky, and it would be great to hear various thoughts and experiences.
I would also consider buying all components separately, building it myself (or getting my LBS to do it!) - so any thoughts on framesets would also be welcome.
I'm looking to upgrade my road racer (currently on a Specialized Allez 2010, Sora). I would like to go down the carbon frame route - which is becoming increasingly more affordable. My budget is circa £1500, and very possibly can be stretched for the right bike.
I would be grateful for peoples' thoughts and opinions on various models that fit this. Value for money is obviously a starting point. The bikes I've looked at so far are various Pinarello bikes in clearance (I *love* Pinas...!) and the Boardman Team Carbon and the Trek Madone 3.1.
There are other bikes that I've found, though have had bad feedback about. For example, Ribble have their Bike Builder thing, which I specced up to an impressive price (the Ribble New Sportive Carbon Road Frame). But then I looked it up, to find someone's frame cracked within 3 days of getting the bike....! I know these things are rare (and severely unlucky), but it doesn't inspire confidence!
So within the criteria, I'm also looking at the quality of the carbon build. This is where research gets tricky, and it would be great to hear various thoughts and experiences.
I would also consider buying all components separately, building it myself (or getting my LBS to do it!) - so any thoughts on framesets would also be welcome.