New road bike for £500? (Piccies added - Page 6)

[russ.will]

I've been using my Charge Plug 3 to keep a friend company on her Saturday training rides and we tend to average just under 15mph over 24 miles. When I do the same run by myself, I'm managing more like 16.5 mph, but I'm spending too much time, particularly in headwinds spinning like a Dervish in 2nd, when I could be pushing something a bit taller, but not quite as high as 3rd on the Sturmey Archer. In my head, extra gears would be worth another couple of mph, but even if not, it will make life a bit easier and help me jump up to having a crack at meeting up with some 'proper' road cycling friends.

I'll keep the Plug, as it's fine with the wife and child and for trips into town, pubs in the next villages, etc, but I'd like to add a a decent road bike to take things a bit more seriously. I've got too many expensive hobbies, so I'm sticking to £500. I'm happy to go second hand and don't think for one minute that a discounted 2013/14 bike is going to insult my manhood!

All suggestions welcome.

Thanks in advance,

Russell

 

[PhilDawson8270]

I got a Norco Valence A4 from Evans at £450, carbon forks and internal cables too, and I'm happy with it.

Only claris though, but not sure what you're after (I've just ordered a 105 groupset to replace mine)

 

[PaddyMcc]

You could get a Triban 500 and have change for shoes and pedals
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-500-se-road-bike-black-id_8306187.html

 

[MartinQ]

A few cubes, cannondale, scott (previous years) for under £500 at:
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m7b0s6p0/Road-Bikes/Racing-Road-Racing
^^^ The new decathlon - triban stuff is generally good at this price point

 

[Scotchlovingcylist]

My felt Z100 is a great bike, think it was £300 in the sale.
Claris or sora equipped at your budgetis what your looking at and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. Entry level wheelsets tend to be nothing special but from what I have read about charge bikes they tend to be heavy so you should notice a difference anyway.
Parts can always be upgraded as they wear out.

 

[bikeman66]

I've been using my Charge Plug 3 to keep a friend company on her Saturday training rides and we tend to average just under 15mph over 24 miles. When I do the same run by myself, I'm managing more like 16.5 mph, but I'm spending too much time, particularly in headwinds spinning like a Dervish in 2nd, when I could be pushing something a bit taller, but not quite as high as 3rd on the Sturmey Archer. In my head, extra gears would be worth another couple of mph, but even if not, it will make life a bit easier and help me jump up to having a crack at meeting up with some 'proper' road cycling friends.

I'll keep the Plug, as it's fine with the wife and child and for trips into town, pubs in the next villages, etc, but I'd like to add a a decent road bike to take things a bit more seriously. I've got too many expensive hobbies, so I'm sticking to £500. I'm happy to go second hand and don't think for one minute that a discounted 2013/14 bike is going to insult my manhood!

All suggestions welcome.

Thanks in advance,

Russell

I read quite a few reviews, both in magazines and online, before settling on a Felt F95 from Merlin Cycles. It got consistently good write-up's and I'm very pleased with it. The specification is pretty well on a par with a lot of other bikes at the price point and, in my opinion, is a great looking machine. Mine is a 2014 model which should have retailed at £600.00. I got it for £365.00 which is a steal for what you get.

Sure, bikes in this price bracket are only like to come with lower end groupsets (Shimano Sora in the case of the F95) but in all honesty, Shimano just don't make anything that doesn't work, so although perhaps the front gear shifter is slightly clunky, it all functions very well indeed. Personally, I would just use the gear that is on the bike already and just replace stuff for slightly better as it wears out. Everything on the Felt F95 functions perfectly, and that includes the FSA crankset, and the non-branded brake calipers.

If you can get an F95 for around £400 I think you'd be really pleased with it. It would also leave you with some cash for some clipless pedals and entry level shoes.

 

[bikeman66]

I got a Norco Valence A4 from Evans at £450, carbon forks and internal cables too, and I'm happy with it.

Only claris though, but not sure what you're after (I've just ordered a 105 groupset to replace mine)

You say "only Claris". Was it necessary to replace this group with 105 because the Claris didn't work properly??

 

[vickster]

There is the higher new decathlon 520 model with carbon fork and sora groupset for £450, almost enough to cover shoes and pedals as well within the budget

I doubt you'll find a new better bike in terms of components for the money

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-520-road-bike-sora-black-red-id_8322663.html

The issue with the end of line stuff is it tends to be the small or large sizes that are left, so if you're a standard 54 or 56cm frame (5'8 to 6ft approx with typical leg to torso proportions) you might struggle

Or there's always second hand

 

[PhilDawson8270]

You say "only Claris". Was it necessary to replace this group with 105 because the Claris didn't work properly??

No, but I was always looking for gears in between the claris on the flat which with 8 speed rear I just didn't have.

Plus I wanted to replaced the tektro brakes, and 105 is a very good price at the moment

 

[Rooster1]

Check out Merlin Cycles, they have there own brand of bikes which got great reviews.

£349.99 for size 53 ?, other sizes out of stock though.

http://www.merlincycles.com/merlin-performance-pr7-road-bike-73113.html

http://www.merlincycles.com/road-bikes-75267/

 

[BrumJim]

Argos Ventura CP50:
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3324518.htm

 

[russ.will]

Thanks for the input chaps. Some of those were already on the radar and others (Argos, Merlin, Decathalon) weren't. All were interesting, because it seems that this years £500 bikes aren't exactly a million miles behind last years discounted £7-800 in terms of spec, with group sets seeming to be the differentiating factor - maybe the occasional carbon fork at the expense of a group set level.

Looking at Merlin and Googling around seems to show some love for the Sensa Umbria Sora/Tiaga. The Tiaga is currently discounted to only £7 more than the Sora, so that would seem a no brainer, unless I'm missing something?

Cheers,

Russell

 

[vickster]

No carbon fork on the sensa. That would take it off any shortlist of mine

This at £550 looks a good deal http://www.wiggle.co.uk/verenti-belief-sr20-tiagra-2015/ (can get a few quid back through quidco)

Or how about an eastway. http://www.wiggle.co.uk/eastway-r30-tiagra-2015/

 

[Cyclist33]

What size are you? That ridley r6 El from merlin looks like a bargain at 499 for the 56 size...

 

[russ.will]

No carbon fork on the sensa. That would take it off any shortlist of mine

This at £550 looks a good deal http://www.wiggle.co.uk/verenti-belief-sr20-tiagra-2015/ (can get a few quid back through quidco)

Or how about an eastway. http://www.wiggle.co.uk/eastway-r30-tiagra-2015/

Interesting. I presume the carbon fork is a bit more compliant? I had wondered about that, but most of my riding is done on the relative billiard table of the misguided bus tow path.

I do rather like the clean, understated nature of the Verenti, but (and please correct me if I'm wrong) it seems to have less impressive wheels than the Sensa as it's particular compromise to fit something else into the budget?

Cheers,

Russell