Seeking advice on £800-£900 quick bike

[vickster]

Or not a bad £900 bike, there are some had £100 ones

 

[Cycleops]

Or not a bad £900 bike, there are some had £100 ones

True, but not in the Trek context.

 

[Wafer]

A lot of road bikes will have 2 front cogs for gearing, if you look at tech specs for a bike it might say something like 50-34. A lot of cx bikes will have slightly different gearing that's a bit narrower but as a lot of people are, like you, wanting them for general Road riding with a bit of track some come with the same 50-34 gearing. For flat areas I would expect both to be OK. Some Road bikes will still have a 'triple, 3 cogs, with a slightly wider range but not by loads.

Cannondale is a decent enough brand, I was going to get a caadx but would've taken too long for the local shop to get any so I got their synapse Road bike instead which is pretty popular on here and I've been happy with it. Weights vary a bit but I wouldn't get too hung up on that, if your adding panniers and things for commuting.....
Steel likely to be a bit heavier, but not necessarily at that price range, meant to soak up the buzz from the road more than alu though. If you go alu frame a carbon fork helps and should be included at these prices.
Many bikes will do the job so perfectly acceptable to pick based partly on looks

 

[EasyPeez]

You don't seem to have a clear idea of what are desirable features or properties for a bike.

Correct! I thought I was quite upfront about being uninformed?!
The guy at the Trek dealership and one at another LBS shop extolled the virtues of alu frames and the design of the back part of the frame on certain bikes (like the Domane and the Cube) as being more flexible and forgiving, making for a more comfortable ride. So when you said that stiffer steel frames offer more comfort I was just surprised and asking for more input on this as it seems to contradict what the dealers told me, but maybe it's just me being dim. I get the thing about stiff frames = less energy dissipated, but this is surely a different issue to comfort? Not doubting you, was just seeking clarification.

Remember to leave something for pump, good lock, helmet, plus a few other things you might need like clothing.

Thanks. I have most of that from my current set-up - good track pump plus compact pump, gloves, waterproofs, hi-vis etc. It's panniers and rack + helmet + bell I'll need.

If you are being encouraged to test ride the Treks, do so and any others that you can. Then make a decision, reviews and personal opinions can help but it's you who'll be riding it not us. Fwiw I have a genesis equilibrium (it is the 20 frame but self specified, the 10 would be in your budget approx at £999, might find tne 2014 model at less). It's a lovely looking thing and extremely comfortable, soaking up the buzz and bumps on rough surfaces, more so than both my Carbon roadbike and alu/carbon hybrid and single speed

Yes, I think you're right - I was naively expecting people to be able to tell me which were the best bikes from my list to I could test those and make a decision, but I guess maybe none is objectively better than the others, it all comes down to personal preferences. I'm definately going to trial the 2 Treks, and see if I can persuade the dealer to let me try the Raleigh as that is a great looking bike. I think I'm going to discount the Cubes and hope the Cannondale dealer has good stock in and is open to me having a test ride next week. If I'm not convinced by either of those 3 then a trip to Evans in York will be the order of the day, as they stock Cannondale and Specialized and def do test rides.
The Genesis looks great and their website says Evans York stock them but the Evans site has no mention of them. Will give them a ring and that'll be another good reason for a trip to York if they do stock them :-)

 

[Cycleops]

Thanks for your very frank reply. It must be difficult maneuvering your way through the slough of information hurled at you from bike shop staff. You have to remember their job is to move product and they have also been influenced by the hype from whatever brand they stock. If they detect you might not be too clued up on frame design they might try to bullshit you. The main and rear triangle have to be stiff otherwise the bike will feel very strange. The issue is how the frame transmits less than perfect surfaces through to you. Forks play a large part in this too. Some say steel forks will absorb uneven surfaces better, some advocate carbon as absorbing more road "buzz". If "comfort" is your goal then a suspension seat post might be the most effective solution. I have one on my hybrid and it's very effective. Hope this clarifies things a bit. I'm sure you'll get others putting in their two pennyworth too.

 

[EasyPeez]

a suspension seat post might be the most effective solution

Oh no, don't add more considerations to my conundrum!!

Seriously though, thanks for your advice, I realise that the dealers all have their own agenda, which is why forums like this, and the input of of experinced cyclists like yourself is so valuable to us newbies. Cheers :-)

 

[SteCenturion]

hi again @EasyPeez

I know you have recently discounted the Cubes, however for your £900 you can now bag a 2014 Cube Agree GTC with carbon frame & fork & Shimano 10 speed Tiagra for that money, see www.winstanleysbikes.com

I would suggest it will be significantly lighter than the Treks & most other options in a £ for £, or even lb for lb comparison.

It looks great in red & white & is very upgradeable over time should you ever feel the need.

Again this is 'personal preference' as I just like Cubes, you just seem to get far more bang for your buck with a Cube, or a Canyon.

How is the testing going ?

Ridden the Treks, Genesis yet ?

FWIW, those are two highly respected brands also, so either would do you proud.

 

[evo456]

Considerations:
- how heavy it's your current bike, you'll be surprised that some modern mtb with suspension can weigh less than a suspension hybrid.
-Decide whether drop bars it's for u.
- how fast do u want to go?

 

[smutchin]

Am trying not to let aesthetics should not cloud my vision though.

Definitely test ride the Domane, it's a damn good bike, but don't discount aesthetics entirely. What your bike looks like is important - to you, if no one else. You might convince yourself when buying that the ride quality outweighs aesthetic concerns, but if you aren't sold on its looks, you'll never truly love it.

I don't entirely trust anyone who says they don't care what their bike looks like.

 

[EasyPeez]

I know you have recently discounted the Cubes, however for your £900 you can now bag a 2014 Cube Agree GTC with carbon frame & fork & Shimano 10 speed Tiagra for that money

That does look excellent value for money. I doubt my local CUBE dealer could order that it with it being an old model. I had no idea full carbon frame bikes were available for under £1,000. Is there no catch? Is the Tiagra gearset generally held to be a fair step down from the Sora? I am tempted by that to be honest, but I still feel uneasy about ordering something I can't ride first.

A friend also mentioned Ribble at the weekend and I see they have full carbon frame road bikes coming in at under £700 but I can't find many people raving about them on here and I've never seen one in the flesh. One to avoid?

How is the testing going ?

Ridden the Treks, Genesis yet ?

Not well! Working full time+dark nights+busy weekends means I've gotten nowhere. I have a free half-day this Saturday though so am planning to test the Raleigh (i rang the shop and the owner said it would be fine, even though the guy I chatted to instore said not possible), the 2 Treks and, if they'll let me, one or two Cannondales. That's prob about as much as I can fit in in one morning, so if I'm not convinced by any of those I'll have to arrange an away-day in York.

I think a big part of my problem is that I'm quite tight when it comes to spending on myself, and a bit OCD. So really I want to test all the ones I've seen, plus all the ones you lot have recommended, before making a decision. But I appreciate that's never going to happen.

Definitely test ride the Domane, it's a damn good bike, but don't discount aesthetics entirely. What your bike looks like is important - to you, if no one else. You might convince yourself when buying that the ride quality outweighs aesthetic concerns, but if you aren't sold on its looks, you'll never truly love it.

I don't entirely trust anyone who says they don't care what their bike looks like.

Fair points, and on balance I think I was kidding myself if I ever thought I could discount aesthetics altogether. I'll let you know my thoughts on the Domane after the weekend.

I guess I need to think about warranties too as that's not something I've even looked at with most of these.

Thanks again for all your suggestions and advice, people :-)

 

[vickster]

That does look excellent value for money. I doubt my local CUBE dealer could order that it with it being an old model. I had no idea full carbon frame bikes were available for under £1,000. Is there no catch? Is the Tiagra gearset generally held to be a fair step down from the Sora? I am tempted by that to be honest, but I still feel uneasy about ordering something I can't ride first.

Tiagra is a step up from Sora not down - 10 speed as opposed to 9 speed, smoother shift, a bit lighter too, with more ergo hoods (I think)

 

[EasyPeez]

Thanks for putting me straight, Vickster :-)

 

[EasyPeez]

Carbon has the highest strength to weight ratio but it's out of your budget, except for forks

Judging by the Ribble and Cube models, that's not the case. I thought carbon frames were out of my budget too. Were you unaware of those models, or did you discount them as you don't rate them as worthy of being considered alongside the others listed? Cheers.

 

[EasyPeez]

Damn, looking again at the Genesis they do look lovely and seem well rated on here and well-specced. But just rang the 2 Evans near me and they only have a couple of models in that are well out of my range. Looks like I'd have a right old hike to get to a stockist that carries the Equilibriums and Croix de Fers in my price range :-(

 

[Cycleops]

The carbon framed bikes are last years models so they will come within your budget. If you want a bargain go for it, you'll have to be quick or they will get sold out. You'll get a lower spec groupset but that should be a problem.

Won't Evans get some of the Genesis models in for you to look at? Or maybe you could narrow it down to two and give a commitment you would go for one or the other.