Carbon thing

[dhd.evans]

I've decided I want to move to a carbon roadie for sportives.

I am a massive fan of B'Twin bikes but want to get my best 'bang for buck' so to speak. I'd be comfortable spending about £2k on something.

Where to start?

 

[I like Skol]

I've decided I want to move to a carbon roadie for sportives.

Where to start?

Why carbon?

I do have a carbon bike, but it was bought purely on specification and features, the frame material was almost irrelevant. Just getting a carbon bike for carbon's sake seems to be a bit of a pointless aim, surely you want a bike that is comfortable, fast and light for riding a sportive, and these should be the factors that drive your search for a new bike. Simply specifying carbon guarantees none of these.

 

[vickster]

I've decided I want to move to a carbon roadie for sportives.

I am a massive fan of B'Twin bikes but want to get my best 'bang for buck' so to speak. I'd be comfortable spending about £2k on something.

Where to start?

Local bike shop
Or presumably there’s a carbon Btwin option?

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/ultra-920-cf-carbon-road-bike-ultegra-id_8402810.html
There’s also a cheaper one with 105 or you can have campag as an alternative to Ultegra

 

[DCLane]

Spend £1200-1500 on the best bike that fit you in terms of groupset/frame, etc. Then the rest on a decent set of wheels.

Stock wheels are usually pretty basic.

 

[adscrim]

Giant TCR advanced pro - you should managed to get the 2018 mechanical ultegra version for £2k due to 2019 bikes being released. I got one this summer (TCR Adv Pro 1) and it rides like a dream. Stock wheels are giant branded tubeless carbon clinchers - I believe the workings are actually DT Swiss.

I moved to this from a 2012 BMC SLR01 with 6870 ultegra Di2 and carbon tubulars and I prefer the Giant in every regard. It really is a fantastic bike for the money.

 

[Racing roadkill]

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/ultra-920-cf-carbon-road-bike-ultegra-id_8402810.html

most sensible sizes are out of stock on line, but stores might have some sensible sized ones.

 

[Drago]

Why carbon?

I do have a carbon bike, but it was bought purely on specification and features, the frame material was almost irrelevant. Just getting a carbon bike for carbon's sake seems to be a bit of a pointless aim, surely you want a bike that is comfortable, fast and light for riding a sportive, and these should be the factors that drive your search for a new bike. Simply specifying carbon guarantees none of these.

Indeed, and a lot of high quality alloy frames, the wonderful CAAD10 being but one, are lighter than much of the intermediate priced carbon anyway.

Write down a list of essentials, and a list of desirables. Use that to create a shortlist of 3 within you budget. Go ride them, and buy the one that rides the bestest, regardless of the frame material. If it happens to be carbon, great. If it doesn't, great.

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good afternoon,

I've decided I want to move to a carbon roadie for sportives.

Don't, really don't.

I am happy to post as a Luddite and nothing that I have tried has convinced me to change, I have a bike with a full carbon frame 16 spoke wheels and one with a 531 frame and 36 spoke wheels that is 6 pounds heavier.

The 531 has 52/42 chain rings and the carbon 50/34.

Depending upon how fit I am on the day the difference between the 52 or 50 chain ring outweighs everything else.

Some days 52*15 is a bit easy and 50*15 feels better, other days the reverse is true.

Novelty is great, the carbon bike has Di2, but the fun soon wears off and I prefer the steel bike.

Bye

Ian

 

[Cycleops]

You might find this interesting;

View: https://youtu.be/h3RG5dztrXM

 

[Drago]

Ye Gods, if I'm ever in front of a Judge please, please, please do not wheel out GCN to defend me.

 

[FishFright]

I've decided I want to move to a carbon roadie for sportives.

I am a massive fan of B'Twin bikes but want to get my best 'bang for buck' so to speak. I'd be comfortable spending about £2k on something.

Where to start?

By getting a test ride of the ones you like the look of then not asking about carbon bikes on here because 80% of the respondents are only interested in telling you that they would by something else entirely and one guy will tell you that anymore then £10 is a huge conspiracy.

 

[Cuchilo]

you wont go far wrong with a Giant TCR

 

[dhd.evans]

By getting a test ride of the ones you like the look of then not asking about carbon bikes on here because 80% of the respondents are only interested in telling you that they would by something else entirely and one guy will tell you that anymore then £10 is a huge conspiracy.

Amen.

Nah, i'm just wanting some opinions. I ride a B'Twin Ultra 700 which is Shimano 105 aluminium w/ carbon forks. I recently upgrade to Mavic Kysrium wheels and boy do they make a helluva difference to my ride. So going to start with Mavic Cosmic wheels and build it up from there...

 

[Drago]

you wont go far wrong with a Giant TCR

To be fair, performance per pound, it'd be hard to go wrong with any Giant from the last decade.

 

[Spiderweb]

Only size 54cm available, this Carbon Ultegra Disc Scott Addict is reduced from £2699 to £1349!
You also get a free Jacket apparently worth £170.
https://www.westbrookcycles.co.uk/scott-addict-10-disc-road-bike-2018-p329177

Edit - Extra 1% off via Quidco too.