What would you go for?

[JustJoe]

I have £1000 to spend on a road bike, I can get a full carbon Jamis Xenith Comp 2015 for £1000 but I don't know too much about Jamis bikes! Or I can get a 2015 Giant Defy 0 for £900.
I welcome any advice or opinions and I'm really struggling to decide! What would you spend the money on?

 

[Lone Wolf]

For some reason I don't trust carbon. Give me steel all the way. Tried carbon, but no likey - gut feeling. bad juju.

 

[Wafer]

I wouldn't go for either and would look at half a dozen other options instead, but that probably isn't helpful

 

[Racing roadkill]

It's a no brainer with those 2 as the choices. The Giant every day of the week.

 

[Kevoffthetee]

I have friends with both and they'll both say that theirs is best. Consider Felt bikes as I've never heard a bad report of them

 

[Cyclist33]

As someone who has both an alloy defy and a steel jamis road bike I would say both would be great to ride, as long as they are the right size for you. I saw that xenith and nearly veered away from the merlin carbon bike I bought, but it seemed to me more fun to have yet another brand.

You don't see too many jamises around the place at least not in the UK so that for me makes them desirable too.

 

[Cyclist33]

Assuming you're shopping at Evans, I note the xenith is now £1100, meanwhile this years quest elite (I have last years) is £960, fantastic bike made of good steel.

 

[andyfraser]

I have friends with both and they'll both say that theirs is best. Consider Felt bikes as I've never heard a bad report of them

You definitely won't hear a bad report from me about Felt! I love my F95.

 

[Kevoffthetee]

A genesis Volare 30?

 

[JustJoe]

Thanks for everyone's input on this, I'm new to all this and fine it all very confusing. Ultimately I just want to best road bike I can for my £1000 budget. The Cannondale 105 disc also looks pretty decent.
Yeah the Jamis is at Evans, however I was quoted when it was reduced to £1000 so the manager said he would honour that. I've heard some really good things about the Giant plus as its under a £1000 I will have some scope to purchase accessories. Just don't want to regret my purchase wishing I'd gone for a carbon bike a month down the line.

 

[MissyR]

If it was just between those 2 I'd personally go for the Jamis. Obviously this just my own opinion but I found the sizing a little more forgiving for my body type as I tried one of these out in the evans shop.

 

[Wafer]

Several happy owners of the Synapse 105 disc round here, me included. There's a whole load of good road bikes at the £1k mark though, due to the limit of the cycle2work scheme.
Not sure what the Jamis is, but the Defy and Synapse are the more relaxed geometries that are a bit more upright than other, racier, versions.

Most advice will be about going and sitting on a few and see what feels best. I understand Evans are pretty good about letting people test the bikes.

 

[SteCenturion]

Jamis are very well known & a U.S.A brand I believe, very big deal over the water.

I am deliberately avoiding proper advice & saying...

Buy the one that makes your heart go pumpety pump, just like when you know a girl is the one for you.

 

[Melv]

Thanks for everyone's input on this, I'm new to all this and fine it all very confusing. Ultimately I just want to best road bike I can for my £1000 budget. The Cannondale 105 disc also looks pretty decent.
Yeah the Jamis is at Evans, however I was quoted when it was reduced to £1000 so the manager said he would honour that. I've heard some really good things about the Giant plus as its under a £1000 I will have some scope to purchase accessories. Just don't want to regret my purchase wishing I'd gone for a carbon bike a month down the line.

I have a Cannondale Synapse 105 disc which I bought about six weeks ago. Absolutely fantastic bit of kit for the money