More road bike help

[Freds Dad]

As I'm completely new to road biking I've trawled the interweb for information and read countless reviews and got myself completely bamboozled.
I have had to give up running because of my dodgy knee and cycling has been recommended. I will hopefully be going out in the spring / summer evenings and sometime at weekends but mainly want to cycle to stay fit. At my age I can't really see myself racing along.

Anyway after speaking to my local bike shop the very helpful man recommend this
http://www.peakcyclesport.com/m1b0s6p419/FOCUS-Culebro-SL-2-0-2014
or this
http://www.peakcyclesport.com/m1b0s6p44/SCOTT-Speedster-20-2013

Do any of you good people own either of these and if so can you advise. They both seem to get good reviews and I will be buying through the cycle to work scheme when I am fit to get back to work.
If of course there are better bikes out there then please let me know.

Thanks

 

[Peteaud]

Better bike depends on who you ask.

Of the 2 i like the scott but not a massive amount between the 2 to be honest.

 

[vickster]

If it's hilly where you are and you have a dodgy knee (replacement?), perhaps look to get a triple chainset which will give you some more gears for the hilly bits

 

[MikeW-71]

Define "better". Both those bikes are good so it really depends which one fits you best.

Compact chainsets on both, which is good, but I would recommend using a 11-28 cassette or even a 12-30 to begin with at least if you have some steep hills. It will make them more manageable. The shop should be able to sort that for you if you are buying from them.

 

[Giant-Churchy]

What about a Giant Defy 1 2014 £999 or Buckingham cycles doing them for £899 I have just got one and its great for a beginner. I love mine..!

 

[Cyclist33]

Of the two I like the look of the Focus plus it's 100 quid cheaper... Focus do put a lot of thought into the styling, much nicer than the generic blacks and whites of so many other brands.

 

[the_mikey]

I like the Scott more than the focus, but there's not much between them. If you choose the focus you have £100 saved that you can put towards a new wheelset and tyres, the single most effective upgrade you can easily achieve.

 

[Freds Dad]

Thanks everyone for the replies so far.
I've only had knee surgery to repair ligaments and cartridge so not the dreaded replacement. I don't understand the 11-28 and 12/30 that Mike W 71 refers to but will do some research and asking at the shop.

I will also need pedals, shoes and clothing so will have to search for advice on this. This biking lark can get very complicated but this site is great for information.

The bikes I have mentioned above seem to be the same price in all shops. Do they have prices set by manufacturers or are they know to haggle?

 

[vickster]

You'll find 2014 prices are pretty set and especially if buying a current model on c2w you'll likely pay rrp as the retailers have to pay a fee when they sell on c2w. If you can find a retailer who will see you an older model on c2w, some do, some don't, then you can get a better spec potentially for your money

Otherwise, you'll find the shops may offer you the discounts on accessories for the bike, like bottle cage, computer, mudguards etc

 

[Hacienda71]

I am pretty sure that Andy at Peak does a bike fit and I would ask him to include that in the price of the bike. It will pay dividends with your ride comfort particularly in the knee area.

 

[Freds Dad]

I spoke to Greg at Peak who will do me a fit included in the price of the bike.

He has shown me a 2013 version on the Scott bike I mentioned in my opening post and tells me the only difference with the 2014 is the colour as 2013 was a black bike and 2014 is white. Do manufacturers just change the colour and claim it as this years model?

 

[vickster]

Yes, often. The actual frame and components don't typically change. Cheaper to change the colour and charge a premium. In fact sometimes the componentry gets lower and prices stay the same. This seems to happen with Specialized especially but I think also Boardman

 

[SteCenturion]

Hi @FredsDad.

1st thing is your in good hands at Peakcyclesport.

Greg pulled out all the stops to find me a deleted & very specific set of wheels & then managed to get me a significant discount - chapeu to him.

I can heartily recommend Peak to all.

I actually prefer the Focus as I feel it will offer more in the way of bang for $.

Cassette ratio's 11-28/12-30 etc.
Basically are just that - Ratio's, so the bigger the spread between numbers the wider the ratio.

A compact chainset will do you no harm if the cassette has enough spread.

Regards kit -
Here are some sites I have regularly used & have had good service from.

Wiggle.co.uk
Chainreactioncycles.co.uk
Probikekit.com
Evanscycles.co.uk
Ribblecycles.co.uk

I tend towards buying the best I can afford at the time & often use the 'biggest discount' filter when browsing.

Again - last seasons colours/items will get you the best deals.

Good padded shorts/bib shorts/tights are probably the single most important item of clothing -
Closely followed by a top quality rain jacket.

Hope this helps a little.