Road bike, £400-450. Ideas?

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

RyanW

The abominable Bikeman
Location
Ashford, Kent
Road bike, £500-700. Ideas?

Ok so pay-day and last birthday i will get anything for at the end of this month (well 3rd of next to be precise).

I'm looking at replacing my current Ragleigh R100 (Sora + STI) 21 speed bike for something a bit more, well new.

Does anyone have anything in mind been looking at evans and they have some nice Fuji and a few trek for around there but they all seem to have 17 speed and some with DT shifters which are a big no-no (I fall off when trying to change, and have the scars to prove it)

I just want the bike, i have lock etc so that is my bike only budget.

Alternatively i would consider going second hand if i could get something far better, carbon / ultegra etc
 
OP
OP
RyanW

RyanW

The abominable Bikeman
Location
Ashford, Kent
Also...... I may be able to sell current bike to add to the total. depending on time etc. So (i think, correct me if im wrong) you could add 100-200 on top of that, if there is something to really tempt me.
 

Norm

Guest
Well, it'll be expected of me to say it but there's a few on here who have Specialized Secteur Sports which retail at £650, although you should be able to get that down to £600. Still got Sora shifters and front mech but with Tiagra on the rear.

The other one I was looking at when I got my Secteur was the Giant Defy range. Both Secteur and Defy are good road bikes, although they are probably aimed at longer distance comfort rather than being the ultimate in lightweight instruments of torture.

Second hand obviously depends what's around at the time that you are looking. A friend (Hotmetal on here) just got a lovely Giant carbon road bike for a figure which would, IIRC, fit into your plans. I can't remember the model name as I am always licking it when I see it and my eyes can't focus that closely. :smile:
 
OP
OP
RyanW

RyanW

The abominable Bikeman
Location
Ashford, Kent
carbon sounds nice........ I really dont think i will get that lucky, tiagra sora sounds good. i keep seeing 2300 on alot of the bikes but am i right in reading Shimano rate it lower then sora?
 

LizardEye

Well-Known Member
The Giant Defy 4 is around £475.

I have the 3 and it's nice - fast but stil fairly comfy.

The main differences between 3 and 4 are the derailleurs, ( sora vs 2300), the bottom bracket (external vs standard) and the fork ( carbon vs alloy).

Mine was 625 and I'm not convinced there's 150 quid difference between them.
 

thanos

Active Member
i got a secteur (the plain jane model) for a tad bit more than your upper limit (not full retail though), really pleased with the purchase, comfort and road handling. The upgrades the sport and elite offer must be great, but didnt want to spend too much on my first road bike so didnt go for it.

Bicycling magazine (June), had the Giant Defy 2 as its entry level choice, with the CAAD8 and Trek 1.5 as runners up (in mens - giant tcr with runners up specialized and trek again in fems).. regardless the price range of these bikes isnt what I consider entry level, but then again I may be too price conscious :laugh: 13k for a pinarello dogma..
Looking at your price range and drawing from the above Trek 1.1 sits at 475 retail, as is the Defy 4 (mentioned above).
 
OP
OP
RyanW

RyanW

The abominable Bikeman
Location
Ashford, Kent
This looks awsome (Spec wise)

http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/gary-fisher-ar-super-triple-road-bike-id53470.html

Turns out its collect in store and miles away
 

thanos

Active Member
retail price wise you wont get sora/tiagra for under 500 or 550 - unless you target used or the types of a ribble bike (oops the carrera vanquish is sort of there , but wouldnt pay that much for a carrera).

I assumed your price range (indicated in the title) is indicative of your budget.

At 600-700 I would not consider trek or giant (trek 1.5 starts at well over 700, as does the defy 2 - wouldnt compromise for less in these brands). Specialized / Cannondale / Focus and possibly Boardmans/Bianchi would be my focus - Then you have to take into account whether you like the looks and the ride.

again not a seasoned roadie, all of the above is based on recent research and personal criteria (didnt like the looks of the g.fisher - couldnt test ride it - so not a contender in my book - spec wise its great assuming you can fit in a 53 or other available size - at close to 600 id probably include bikes up to 650 and see what extras they offer - would also prefer local store than online bargain unless you know what youre after).
 

Norm

Guest
RyanW said:
Most of these come with 2300, wouldn't that be a downgrade on what i currently have?
If you are sticking to the £450 limit, then yes, you will possibly be looking at 2300 components which are below the Sora on your Raleigh. There's more to a bike than just the gear mechs, though. :smile:

I think that you will need to sell your current bike and add £200-ish to the total, as you suggest in your second post, to get yourself upgraded components as well as a "better" name.

The most important thing about any bike, though, way higher than the brand name or the components, is whether the bike fits and works for you. You can't tell that from Google. :smile: Call your local bike shop and see if they allow test rides... and, if they don't, call the next nearest. :angry:
 
OP
OP
RyanW

RyanW

The abominable Bikeman
Location
Ashford, Kent
Lol thanks for the advice Norm. My issue i guess is being a week or so without a bike! i guess i could cope, or even get a hack but even a hack round here is £50!

I suppose its just a case of get a budget and get the best i can. Saw a full dura-ace sell on the @bay for £300 today!
thanks for the advice.

Any more specific bikes would be awesome. i like to know what others have found and if there are any hidden gems. Thanks again
 

LizardEye

Well-Known Member
Merida do one for 450-475. They may not be well known but they
make all specialized frames and a few others. Have heard good reports about them. Their website lists dealers .
 
OP
OP
RyanW

RyanW

The abominable Bikeman
Location
Ashford, Kent
LizardEye said:
Merida do one for 450-475. They may not be well known but they
make all specialized frames and a few others. Have heard good reports about them. Their website lists dealers .

They have some stupidly sexy bikes. Is there any way to get prices without calling up?
 
Top Bottom