The greatest dilemma in the world...

[Dan_h]

About a month ago I found out I was being made redundant, cue much stressing and panicking about finding a new job. Fortunately I now have a new job lined up to start the week after next. This leaves me with 2 things...

(1) A week and a bit to do lots of cycling (hope the weather stays like this).
(2) Enough redundancy money left over to replace my Littlewoods Special bike (which after costing about £200 and having done over 5k miles is looking a bit tired!).

So my dilemma is what bike to buy. My current bike is this...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vittesse-Sp...sr_1_1?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1332520002&sr=1-1

So pretty much anything will be a huge step up. The problem I am finding is that I look at bikes in the local shops and I kind of like all of them, I think I would be happy with any one of them! I have also sat on a few and gone up and down the road and they all feel so different to what I am used to that I find it hard to know which to choose. I have the following list drawn up at various prices that are roughly within budget...

Fuji Newest 1.0
Cannondale CAAD 8 Sora
Cannondale Synapse Sora
Felt F85
Bianchi Via Nerone 7 Sora
felt Z85
Fuji Roubaix 2.0

To be honest the last two are a little over budget, but not so much that wine and chocolates wont calm the other half enough that she overlooks that ;-)

If anyone has any experience of any of these, positive or negative that would be very cool. I think this is one dilemma I am going to enjoy resolving!

 

[biggs682]

good luck with new job and a tough decision there is it wise spending a lot of money this early in to new job , the way things are at the moment

 

[Dave 123]

Nice one Dan! It's great when you come out ahead with a bit of spare cash. Whichever bike you go for make sure you have fun on it.

 

[Scoosh]

Great news about the new job !

Does the new job come with a Cycle to Work option ?

 

[Dan_h]

Thanks Guys. No the new job does not have a cycle to work option so I will have to splash out for a new bike. I wont be commuting on it anyway as it involves a bit of travelling and turning up on a clients site in sweaty lycra may not work so well. As for the wisdom of spending out on the new bike when just starting a new job I prefer to think of it as investing in my continued health and fitness, something that you can't really put a price on! Hmmmmm... come to think of it I may put it to my other half like that

 

[jonathanw]

Fab news on the new job

I would echo the sentiment that whatever bike you choose......enjoy it

My tuppence would be for the Bianchi. My road bike is the same geometry as the via nirone, but in Carbon (Infinito, and with shimano and minimal bianchi celesta green). I tried the nirone in the shop and for a test ride and loved it. Relaxed geometry, great feel.

All those are good bikes....enjoy the test rides

 

[Scilly Suffolk]

Have you looked in For Sale? Big Tam's selling a tasty looking Z85 for £700.

 

[vickster]

If BigTam's is too small at 54cm, Dryburgh cycles have the 2011 F85 for £670 in 56cm/58cm

http://www.dryburghcycles.co.uk/products/F85-Felt-Road-Bike-2011.html

Or a Bianchi?

http://www.dryburghcycles.co.uk/products/2011-Bianchi-TIAGRA-C2C-Via-Nirone-7-Alu-9sp-Road-Bike.html

(Sora) http://www.dryburghcycles.co.uk/products/2011-Bianchi-SORA-C2C-Via-Nirone-7-Alu-9sp-Road-Bike.html

Or something else a bit different with a more relaxed geometry

http://www.dryburghcycles.co.uk/products/Ridley-EOS-Road-Bicycle-2011.html

 

[jonathanw]

If BigTam's is too small at 54cm, Dryburgh cycles have the 2011 F85 for £670 in 56cm/58cm

http://www.dryburghcycles.co.uk/products/F85-Felt-Road-Bike-2011.html

Or a Bianchi?

http://www.dryburghcycles.co.uk/products/2011-Bianchi-TIAGRA-C2C-Via-Nirone-7-Alu-9sp-Road-Bike.html

(Sora) http://www.dryburghcycles.co.uk/products/2011-Bianchi-SORA-C2C-Via-Nirone-7-Alu-9sp-Road-Bike.html

Or something else a bit different with a more relaxed geometry

http://www.dryburghcycles.co.uk/products/Ridley-EOS-Road-Bicycle-2011.html

Well, well.My local bike shop and where I got my Infinito - good prices I see

 

[400bhp]

Apologies for dampening the thread, but wouldn't you be better off holding on to the spare cash whilst you settle in to the new job?

 

[Dan_h]

Apologies for dampening the thread, but wouldn't you be better off holding on to the spare cash whilst you settle in to the new job?

Thanks for the thought and I know where you are coming from. The budget I have set allows for plenty to be left over to carry us through if there were to be any problems. By the time I have made up my mind what to buy I will probably have retired anyway