Easy to get confused by expert cyclists.

[Profpointy]

£1500 should get a genuinely very nice bike, and more than that you are into diminishing returns and / or bling. There's nothing wrong with paying more and if I ever get another bike it'll likely be a bespoke lugged frame beauty for a good bit more, but I'd still say £1500 is around the sweet cost/niceness/quality/value.

The most important thing is that it's the right type of bike for your envisaged purpose, fittness level and above all, size.
Are you pretty fit and intend to race or do fast day-day rides - then a "road" bike maybe what you want. Want to commute, carry a bit of luggage / go shopping / go up steep hills, then maybe an "audax" bike or light tourer would be better. Doesn't look much different from the "road" bike but will have lower gears for hills, mudguards, and a pannier rack, and is arguably the near perfect all-rounder bike

Mountain bikes are another thing again

For what it's worth I reckon "entry level" is maybe £400 for a brand new bike. Less than that it has a fair chance of simply being crap

 

[Milkfloat]

Journalist ≠ Expert. Today's cycling journalist is likely to be a freelance kid writing from home simply rehashing marketing materials from the importers. They are just as likely to be putting together an article for the Grocer Magazine as they are a Cycling one.

 

[vickster]

Nope, I don't buy complete bikes off the peg any more as they don't have the spec or bits I want!

 

[Teamfixed]

I cant help feeling we are losing our way with this whole "new bike" thing. £1500? well if that does not get you something decent enough to get a lot of enjoyment out of cycling then I'm going to eat my Brooks

 

[Donger]

In all walks of life "experts" will try to convince you to spend three times as much as you need for the ultimate bit of kit. Be it bikes, golf clubs, ski-wear or Jeremy Clarkson telling you not to settle for anything less than Bugatti Veyron. Ignore them all and get whatever bike will do whatever it is you want from it. £1,500 is more than enough to find yourself a great bike, whatever type you are looking for.

 

[Smokin Joe]

£1500 will buy you a bike that would have been under a Tour de France winner two decades ago. Cycling magazine and online reviews are aimed at the "It's the latest fashion so I must be in on it" type of cyclist, well heeled with plenty of disposable income and little or no understanding of bicycles. It's all image or nothing.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

People writing for magazines will peddle their sponsor's wares.

It might even be acceptable if they actually pedalled the wares before emitting their guff.

 

[Baldy]

I have three bikes, I'd still get change out of £1500 for all of them.
Just remember your EX is a has been.
A SPERT is a drip under pressure.

 

[Dag Hammar]

Many years ago I had an interest in HiFi equipment and regularly forked out for What Hi Fi magazine. In fairness I did enjoy reading them and sorting out which item(s) might be a good buy for me.
Then the penny dropped. I realised that the producers of these magazines whether it be for HiFi, cars, bikes or whatever are in the business of printing and selling a magazine. The publishers are not a charitable organisation, they are a business like any other.
Once that perspective was in my head I still gathered as much info as I could before making any sizeable purchases but sifted through the info and then made my own mind up.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

£1500 will buy you a bike that would have been under a Tour de France winner two decades ago.

Not sure he’s after a 20 year old bike.

 

[Teamfixed]

If I was going to buy a complete new bike I would save money on the groupset.... even to the point of bottom end as I think the only difference is quality of finish. I have different Campag stuff on different bikes and its clear they have all dropped out of the same manufacturing mold. Id spend the most on wheels in the middle price wise would be the frame. Other stuff like bars are irrelevant/personal taste.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

How many of us here have bought a bike with a higher end group set, only to “down grade” the drive train as things get replaced?

 

[vickster]

New bikes are daftly expensive at the moment, pure lack of supply and high demand. A £1500 spec today was probably £1000-1200 2-3 years ago (it may have been last year's colour scheme as good discounts could be had)

 

[ianrauk]

How many of us here have bought a bike with a higher end group set, only to “down grade” the drive train as things get replaced?

I originally built up my commute/touring bike with all Ultegra. Slowly but surely it's being swapped to 105.

 

[fossyant]

How many of us here have bought a bike with a higher end group set, only to “down grade” the drive train as things get replaced?

Don't be silly. Still got the same groupsets on my old road bikes. The old MTB got some XT bits over the years, and the full suspension's just had a few 'better' bits fitted !

Strickly speaking, you've only got cassettes, chains, chainrings that need replacing.