Hi guys, I am looking for some advice for a new road bike. My work uses the Evans Cycle to work scheme so I need to use it here. I have signed up for £1000, which is also my max budget.
It will be my first road bike. Last year I bought a sensibly priced Hybrid bike (the Pinnacle Neon One) as I wanted to make sure I would use it and couldn't justify buying an expensive bike (as to be honest, I wasn't sure I would use it). However this year I've fallen in love with cycling again. I commute 2-3 times a week, which is about 10miles each way and I completed the London to Paris bike ride. I really enjoyed the training for the L2P and was regularly riding 50+miles on the weekend. This year I want to join a cycle club for weekend long rides and the odd sportive. I'm looking for a fast bike, that's comfortable that does not need any upgrades for a few years. Being able to fit a rack for the odd bit of touring would be a bonus, but to be honest that looks like the sacrifice I will have to, and am willing, to make in order to tick all the other boxes.
I know the first piece of advice is 'get the one that feels and rides best for you' and I intend to, it's just that there is so much choice out there!
Last weekend I test rode 3 bikes; BMC Granfondo GF02, Specialised secteur sport disc c2 & the Cannondale Synapse 6 Tiagra. The cannondale and Specialised were quite similar and while they were 'nice', I wasn't blown away..but Oh My God, the BMC was absolutely stunning and I have been thinking about it all week.
Before committing to the BMC, I want to try and ride other similar bikes to this to get a true sense of how good the BMC actually was (maybe that was the only one that was set up right, or the right type of fit, etc). On my list of bikes to try are the following, but I would really appreciate any advice or suggestions on other bikes (stocked by Evans) that I should also consider.
Trek Madone 2.1
Cannondale CAAD8 105
Specialised Allez Sport
Thanks and sorry for the long message!
It will be my first road bike. Last year I bought a sensibly priced Hybrid bike (the Pinnacle Neon One) as I wanted to make sure I would use it and couldn't justify buying an expensive bike (as to be honest, I wasn't sure I would use it). However this year I've fallen in love with cycling again. I commute 2-3 times a week, which is about 10miles each way and I completed the London to Paris bike ride. I really enjoyed the training for the L2P and was regularly riding 50+miles on the weekend. This year I want to join a cycle club for weekend long rides and the odd sportive. I'm looking for a fast bike, that's comfortable that does not need any upgrades for a few years. Being able to fit a rack for the odd bit of touring would be a bonus, but to be honest that looks like the sacrifice I will have to, and am willing, to make in order to tick all the other boxes.
I know the first piece of advice is 'get the one that feels and rides best for you' and I intend to, it's just that there is so much choice out there!
Last weekend I test rode 3 bikes; BMC Granfondo GF02, Specialised secteur sport disc c2 & the Cannondale Synapse 6 Tiagra. The cannondale and Specialised were quite similar and while they were 'nice', I wasn't blown away..but Oh My God, the BMC was absolutely stunning and I have been thinking about it all week.
Before committing to the BMC, I want to try and ride other similar bikes to this to get a true sense of how good the BMC actually was (maybe that was the only one that was set up right, or the right type of fit, etc). On my list of bikes to try are the following, but I would really appreciate any advice or suggestions on other bikes (stocked by Evans) that I should also consider.
Trek Madone 2.1
Cannondale CAAD8 105
Specialised Allez Sport
Thanks and sorry for the long message!