What does a pricier bike get you?

[Zakalwe]

Buy a speedo first.

I prefer to wear longer bibs in winter personally.

 

[Noodley]

There are several potential differences - frame/fork material, groupset, wheels being probably the most obvious/important. Over the years I have come to the conclusion that there is a "right for you" combination, which involves working out what mixture of varying factors in relation to the main component parts will meet your own specific requirements. And then, once you have worked this out, you then need to work out if the current "right for you" combination will still be "right for you" next year or the year after...and whether you can go ahead and purchase the current "right for you" combination in the knowledge that you have an understanding partner, or are free from the influence of a partner/likely to be free from the influence of a partner by the time you decide that the next "right for you" combination comes around*

*the thought process usually starts after 9 months...

 

[black'n'yellow]

The idea of a Trek that 'never goes wrong' sounds really tempting.

not to mention unlikely....

 

[Broadside]

Sensible man. I doubt many cyclists can tell the difference between the different components - ie Sora vs Tiagra vs 105

I know I certainly can't

The difference from Sora to Tiagra is huge in terms of refinement, very noticeable for anyone that has used both for some decent miles. The jump from Tiagra to 105 is much less significant, given the choice Tiagra would be my minimum spec level. I have never used Ultegra upwards but I imagine it is diminishing returns after Shimano 105.

With all of that said Shimano 2300 and Sora all work just fine they are just a bit more clunky.

 

[Herbie]

I was thinking my next bike will be a road bike, but don't know if I should go for something like a Trek 1.2 or just a Halfords generic road bike. What does the extra £400 in cost get you?

a lighter wallet

 

[Cycleops]

. Would definitely pay for build quality though.

That is in essence what you get when you pay more. Nobody ever regrets buying quality. Ask the man with the Rolls Royce.

 

[cyberknight]

I ride a Halford's bike. A Carrera Virtuoso. It's a pretty good entry-level road bike, but if you spend more, you'll get something lighter with better kit. I would always say buy the best bike you can afford, but if you can only afford <£400, then a Carrera is as good as any.

..

I use the same for commuting, apart from being faster to accelerate and a bit lighter for climbing theres not much in it for average speed compared to my boardman which cost over twice as much.The boardman has better wheels ,carbon fork and better gears but i enjoy riding both bikes

A pricier bike will come with better components. But pricier components mean that replacing consumables costs more as well.

Since you're posting in commuting* I feel that the cheaper end of mid range will be better for the pocket.

The chains and cassettes on my 8 speed bike are cheaper than the ones on my 9 speed one.

* commuting, especially in winter, is much tougher on bikes than weekend Leisure rides.

+1 .
cassette for my commuter can be had for less than £20 , for the weekender i have seen them at least double .
Also i believe the 10 speed stuff tends not to last as long anyway .

I own a 1-5 trek that i use for my winter training and winter club rides,i have had the bike about 4 years from new its faultless,hard club rides every weekend right through the winter mixing it up with the 4grand bikes no problem.Money well spent its the cheapest by a long way of the bikes i own but fun wise its well up the list,if i were you i would buy the trek mate you will have miles of happy cycling

Same goes for the virtuoso, i have done many club runs at my current level and i keep up just fine compared to guys with similar super bikes .Its the legs and lungs that make the most difference .

If your looking for an entry level road bike then look at the triban 3 from decathlon, for £300 your getting a bike that would cost twice as much with a brand name and it gets rave reviews on here and in the cycling press.
TBH most bikes in a price bracket are much of a muchness and its just down to finding the one that suits you and your budget .Some people will say how great treks,spesh`s, giant`s etc are but they are all good bike`s.

 

[Jdratcliffe]

The difference from Sora to Tiagra is huge in terms of refinement, very noticeable for anyone that has used both for some decent miles. The jump from Tiagra to 105 is much less significant, given the choice Tiagra would be my minimum spec level. I have never used Ultegra upwards but I imagine it is diminishing returns after Shimano 105.

With all of that said Shimano 2300 and Sora all work just fine they are just a bit more clunky.

+1 agree haven't riden sora but have used tiagra on my last bike and 105 on my current bike and tbh i cannot really tell the difference but i did test ride sora before picking the bike with tiagra and i found clunky and that i didnt get on at all well with the thumb shift so my advise would be test ride both/all three and find out but i personally like dmoarn wouldnt go below tiagra

 

[simon.r]

+1 agree haven't riden sora but have used tiagra on my last bike and 105 on my current bike and tbh i cannot really tell the difference but i did test ride sora before picking the bike with tiagra and i found clunky and that i didnt get on at all well with the thumb shift so my advise would be test ride both/all three and find out but i personally like dmoarn wouldnt go below tiagra

+2. I'm very disappointed with the Sora on my new bike - it's very agricultural. I'd definitely go up a groupset or two if I was buying again.

 

[cyberknight]

+2. I'm very disappointed with the Sora on my new bike - it's very agricultural. I'd definitely go up a groupset or two if I was buying again.

Very odd, my 2300 is very sweet shifting and i can even shift under load maybe it could just be a bit of tweaking needed?
Anyway the OP is looking an entry level bike and we don`t know the budget , at the end of the day 2300/sora work fine and its better to get a good frame rather than worrying about sora thumb button ergonomics especially as sora will have a lever shift like tiagra on 2013 models .

 

[Robwiz]

Unless you're looking to make marginal performance gains in competition, a lot of the spec upgrades are about street cred and 'looking the part'. The weight saving gains from choosing higher spec components (or more expensive, lighter frames) can be achieved at a far lower cash outlay, for most of us, by losing a few inches off the waist line.

Basic groupsets can be a bit clunky and harder to adjust for good running but Shimano 2300 and Sora work well enough for most leisure riders.

Halfords and Decathlon sell own-brand bikes, which means that there's no middle man (importer) taking a margin and no expensive race team to sponsor (which is all paid for in the price of Trek, Specialized, Cannondale, etc). So Carrera and B'Twin are particularly good value for money. In fact, I was told that Decathlon makes virtually no profit on its bikes but on the accessories sold with them.

 

[Norm]

Simple - a pricier bike gets you a better selection of partners.

 

[Kookas]

Budget is anything up to £1000, since I'm 16 and once I get a job that would just be disposable income. But of course it'd be better to have something cheaper if it can work just as good, since the main reason for buying a road bike is I'm commuting at least 16 miles every week day and it's all on road, so an MTB has nothing but disadvantages especially up hill. So really, any road bike would probably be a major improvement. The Triban 3 looks like a good buy, especially at £300. I could always save up some money after I get that an go for something higher end later on, but I guess right now the key is to buy something that isn't a bit of a chore to commute with.

 

[Cyclist33]

For sure. I think that right now I'm mostly worried about lower quality parts wearing faster or cheaper bikes being more prone to breakages. The idea of a Trek that 'never goes wrong' sounds really tempting.

in terms of gears, the cheaper parts tend to be more durable actually, being less race tuned and less sensitive to stresses and the riding environment.

 

[Robwiz]

The Triban 3 looks like a good buy, especially at £300. I could always save up some money after I get that an go for something higher end later on, but I guess right now the key is to buy something that isn't a bit of a chore to commute with.

A good way to go. Upgrades when you can afford them would be lighter wheels (Fulcrum Racing 5s or Mavic Ksyriums) and a better saddle (if you don't get on well with the stock saddle). Start off with Crud Roadracer Mk2s for commuting. Probably worth fitting Marathon Plus tyres for commuting use too.