Merida, Specialized, Giant?? That is the Question.

[Kevin Mitchell]

Hi all, I am currently looking into changing from my hybrid (Specialized Globe, with Slick tyres) to a road bike for purpose of commuting to work (20 miles daily) and possibly joining a local bike club once the bug grips me. I absolutley love riding my hybrid bike but am sick of road riders overtaking me effortlessly even though i manage to kick out a fair pace of around 18mph, I now have a thirst for a faster pace and to make the commute more efficient.

I have been doing a fair amount of reasearch online and have had a number of bikes suggested, I vaguely understand the difference between Shimano Sora V's Tiagra gear systems as well as 105 (maybe above my needs). I have managed to narrow down my choice to a couple of what look like great bikes but would like some advice before I take the plundge. My budget is under £800

1. Merida ride lite 91 - great looking bike, lightweight and a nice ride. Not sure about sora gear system and whether Merida is a trusted, reliable and respected brand. I was told that they are the 2nd biggest company on the market however not heard a great deal about them.

2. Specialized Allez elite 2012 - Nice looking bike, currently ride a specialized. Doo you pay lots for the name.

3. Giant TCR - Was told that you gte more bang for you buck but not sure how true this is.

4. Cannondale - ??? Help

5. Suggetions please.

Many thanks

Kev

 

[Dave7]

I'm ertainly no expert (going nuts trying to chose my own steed) but cube seem to offer a lot for the money.
I have been riding Tiagra for years with no problem and would suggest your money goes on a better frame & wheels rather than 105s as at our level we probably wont notice much difference (although they are supoosed to be lighter)
To me Specialized do charge a lot for the brand and £ for £ the spec's are much lower than Cube (the Specialized salesman tells me their frames are far better-but who knows??).
I have arranged test rides on both for this week.
Having said all that......have a look on the Ribble web-site as they definitely offer lots for the £ and you can chose all components to suit your budget.... with the problem being you cannot get test rides.

 

[Maylian]

Yeah I personally wouldn't recommend Specialized, I have a Spec hybrid and compared to my Cube hybrid it feels heavy, cumbersome and slow. However I believe when I bought my specialized they did advise that there is a "lifetime" guarantee on all their frames.

Like Dave7 said I would look at Cube Pelatons which should fall into your price range and good specs for the money, also I find that they aren't seen as often as Specialized's are. You may also want to look at Gaint Defy range which is again pretty good for your money. A couple of weeks ago I saw a fantastic deal on a BeOne bike, for approx £800 it was an alu frame/carbo forks with a full ultegra system and easton oversized wheels. If they had the frame size I would have snapped it up

 

[HLaB]

Kev, I know a few folks with Merida's and they seem like good reliable bikes and well specced for the money. At the end of the day though you are riding the bike and I'd go with the one that feels best to you, be it Merida, Spesh, Giant, or Cad. Oh and the list is pretty endless of good road bike: Cube, Canyon, Bianchi and Wilier to name a few.

 

[Tompinder]

I recently sold my Specialized Allez (nothing wrong with the bike, just wanted more). The bike was a dream, i enjoyed riding it all the time. Have you looked at any Felt bikes? I've heard good things about the F85 and they often offer good spec for the money. I would stay clear of the Sora system however as you'll soon get tired of moving up from the drops to the hoods just to change gear. My main piece of advice would have to be to test ride any bike you're considering to buy! You'd be amazed how different a bike can feel once you're on it and it'll make you more confident that the bike you've chosen is the right one.

 

[Fat B'stard]

Def agree about test riding, even sitting on different brands can tell you a lot. £800 quid is a lot of dosh to spend to get wrong. I also think that carbon forks can be a sales gimmick especially on lower end frames as they are very stiff and unforgiving. I've got a 20+ year old steel framed Ciocc and its a very sweet ride. If i go over potholes drains etc they absorb a lot of the shock and save my elbows and wrists. Something to think about.

If you trawl the t'interweb there is a piece on how much 1kg of weight actually equates to in speed and therefore time taken to travel a specific distance, based on being a above average rider its a lot less than you would think.

 

[Fat B'stard]

This is website i was on about

http://bikeraceinfo.com/tech/weight.html

 

[jonathanw]

I rode a Giant OCR, which is very similar to the TCR, for years and absolutely loved it. The new TCR's look great and there is a huge variety to suit any pocket (shallow or deep) from aluminium all the way to carbon. Go and have a test ride, you will not be disappointed. The compact road design makes sizing different, so you need to ride one. TCR have quite aggressive geometry and are true road bikes, there are alternatives with more relaxed geometry if it is comfort over long distance that you want.


Let us know what you go for in the end.

 

[Kevin Mitchell]

Wow, wasnt expecting such a fantastic response.. Thanks to everyone who took time to advise me on their opinions. I'll keep you posted on what I test ride.

 

[Sittingduck]

I believe Specialized are over priced - big time! Common as muck also (sorry all you Spesh owners).

Look for the Cube Streamer on the Chain Reaction Cycles site - about 60 quid over your budget but one hell of a spec for the £. Giants are great too and although I don't have much experience of Cannondales, I know their frames are among the best alu offerings, on the market. Although you are probably paying a bit of a premium for the name, although maybe not quite as much as with Spesh..?

p.s. I don't agree with the guy who said carbon forks are a gimmick on lower end bikes (not that I consider £800 particularly low end). Why would you want to ride over pot holes and such on a road bike anyway!?

 

[BSRU]

Strange, in Swindon I see loads of Giant bikes everywhere, a few Bianchi's but it is very rare to see a Specialized and normally they are mountain bikes.
When I bought my Specialized last year it was not overpriced, £900 for Secteur Comp, but just bought 2010 version instead of the full priced 2011 bike.

 

[2Loose]

Steel and Carbon forks are far far better than Ali forks. But as Steel is so rare\niche nowadays, Carbon forks are where it is at when road vibration needs to be killed (which is everywhere in Britain!)

Ali forks will shake your fillings out, Carbon or Steel is where it is at as far as comfort is concerned anyway.

 

[Kevin Mitchell]

Thanks everyone, i'm looking at bikes now, problem is there are just so many that look the dogs b***cks...Any recommendations?? Checked out the Cube, Giant and spesh range, all very nice.. think its time for a test ride/

 

[Tompinder]

If there's an Evans Cycles near you, it's worth popping into. I went in there and was surprised at how much help they offered. They will let you test ride any bike (providing you can fork out the 1p deposit!), if they don't have the bike in shop they'll order it in in your size and set up it up accordingly for you.