Cycling Plus Bike of the Year 2015 (contains spoilers!)

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Melvil

Guest
So...bought Cycling Plus today and browsed through their bike of the year.

VERY surprised to see they awarded it to BMC. Good on 'em though, they do make good (though I always thought quite unrelentingly harsh - proves what I know) bikes. Also it seems that disc brakes are here to stay.

Anyone else read the mag and have any thoughts?
 

cyberknight

As long as I breathe, I attack.
Its a pity there reviews wee not on a like for like price basis rather than 1500 - 2500 range as its a big difference in price points , every year the price creeps up more and more .
I had a conversation via email with the editor a couple of years ago as the mag is aimed at the office working mamil , i challenged him to do some articles for shift working cyclists with more physical activities outlining the challenges we face regards sleep , nutrition , training etc but i think it was a bit to far off their main focus .
I do still subscribe to the mag mainly for the free windproof and something to read at work :smile:
 

Colnago Master

Active Member
I think I grew out of cycling plus after about a year. Learned to take their group tests with a pinch of salt. As I buy campagnolo almost all bikes are of no interest to me. Compared to Cyclist and Rouleur magazines it feels mediocre.
 

SteCenturion

I am your Father
I have to agree with @cyberknight on this one.

The mag dropped through the other day & as is usual I read the BOTY supplement almost immediately.

The comparisons do need to be on a price equal basis, or near as damn it..

Maybe have a £500, £1k, £2k BOTY...
still I enjoyed it & also subscribe to Cyclist & now Bikes Etc also, having dumped Cycle Active after relieving the publishers of a pair of Schwalbe Durano's.
 
I bought the mag, have only read the boty supplement so far
I'm still going to go for a cannondale synapse as I see it still up there near the best bikes
I'm just not sure about disk brakes though, shame they insist on them on a lot of bikes
 
the synapse 105 I want only seems to come with disk brakes
just the extra weight really
 

vickster

Legendary Member
the synapse 105 I want only seems to come with disk brakes
just the extra weight really
But better stopping and less knackering of rims for a few grams

Is it the alloy or carbon you want? If alloy, a deal here on older model

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m7b0s6p4332/CANNONDALE-SYNAPSE-ALLOY-105-2012

No discs on these either, and they have others including Ultegra depending on budget

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m7b0s6p5237/CANNONDALE-SYNAPSE-CARBON-105-2013

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m7b0s6p5763/CANNONDALE-Synapse-Carbon-105-5-2015
 
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jowwy

Can't spell, Can't Punctuate....Sue Me
the synapse 105 I want only seems to come with disk brakes
just the extra weight really
The weight difference is negligable.......dual pivot caliper replaced with disc caliper....so only difference is the weight of the rotor
 

StuAff

Silencing his legs regularly
Location
Portsmouth
Whenever I buy a new bike, it'll almost certainly have discs. No rim wear ever, consistent stopping in all conditions, wheel changes no more complicated- if not simpler- than with callipers. Bigger tyre clearances.

As for the OP: I have zero issues with the bike selections C+ made or the eventual winner. Lots of people, including plenty of people on here, can, would and do spend that kind of money on a new bike. It would be in my spending bracket for one. They made it quite clear that there were no bad bikes there, every single one was at least very good if not excellent for both performance and VFM. £2500 too much? Well, the £1500 ones were all pretty good too. The Viner Mitus for one. £1599 with full Chorus group? The Cervelo R2, a Paris-Roubaix winning frame with 105 for £2k. The Focus Izalco Ergoride, full Ultegra, £1700....The BMC was not the most expensive bike there, but it did have exactly the same frame as their top-level version (which would be racing if the UCI allowed discs). The same issue of C+ also had a test of £1000 bikes and a test of £300 bikes. They cover folders, hybrids, Moultons, the occasional feature on recumbents…The BOTY doesn't feature them because trying to compare a Brompton with a Trek Domane with a flat-bar Ridgeback (say) would be ridiculous. You don't use a sledgehammer when you want a screwdriver.....It would be equally unfair to compare a Trek Emonda SLR10 (£11k) with a bike 1/10th of the price. £1500-2500 is a reasonable spread of price and most buyers would find something suitable there, or have an idea what to expect from a higher or lower model from the same ranges.
 
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Big Dave laaa

Biking Ninja
Location
Flintshire
I was almost tempted to buy a disc braked bike this time around but my traditional brain wouldn't allow it. The leap to carbon was as far as it would allow but discs on a road bike was a step too far. They do make perfect sense though for lots of reasons.
 
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