What your thoughts on these bikes (new and 2nd hand bikes)

[biggs682]

Thanks for all your replies.
"What's the MTB, you say it's cheap and heavy but in the OP you say it was a half price bargain?" - It is a Be One Sport XL frame. For the price it was a good deal.
"how tall are you ?" - I'm 6' 4".

Unfortunately, the GT GTS Expert in XL is now sold out for £350.
What is the difference between Claris, Sora, and Tiagra? Is it just the smoothness of gear changing or is it tougher quality the higher up you go?

well thats another brand to add to the unknown list

nice selection there @vickster

 

[biggs682]

Oh well, if the difference say between a Tiagra and a Claris is 10 to 8 gears then Claris will be more than fine for me. I thought the difference was to do with the quality, strength, and smoothness - Tiagra being the better quality of the three. Being lazy here (by not researching) but what do Ultegra and 105 have to offer benefit wise? Thanks.

jump on a few bikes and try them and see if you can spot the difference

 

[dac]

I know you all will suggest to try them but I may not have that luxury, so which is the better deal (cost vs quality) of these bikes:

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m7b0s6p5458/CANNONDALE-SYNAPSE-ALLOY-CLARIS-2015

http://startcycles.co.uk/gt-2015-gts-expert-mens-road-bike-white-bygtm5gtsexwht.html

http://www.rutlandcycling.com/31441...60d5ee1d7b53554f92bf&referrer=affiliatewindow

I'm 6' 4" (with shoes on) and have a 35" inside leg. The CDale is 61cm frame whereas the other two are 58cm frame. I wonder if I would need a 61cm frame. The price difference between them is minimal. Saying this I did sit on a Defy 5 in Large (55.5cm) with stem up and it felt ok but the lbs guy did say an XL (which in the Defy range would be 58.5cm) would suit me better. Then again I hear different manufacturers sizes fit differently.

I have been scanning the 2nd market on a few sites and many people are asking for amounts not far off the cost of a brand new bike in a sale. For example, the above bikes are around £350 (sale price) and the 2nd hand equivalents will be selling for £250. I would only be cycling on roads to work - 18 miles round trip.

Thanks.

 

[biggs682]

I'm 6' 4" (with shoes on) and have a 35" inside leg. The CDale is 61cm frame whereas the other two are 58cm frame. I wonder if I would need a 61cm frame. The price difference between them is minimal. Saying this I did sit on a Defy 5 in Large (55.5cm) with stem up and it felt ok but the lbs guy did say an XL (which in the Defy range would be 58.5cm) would suit me better. Then again I hear different manufacturers sizes fit differently.

I have been scanning the 2nd market on a few sites and many people are asking for amounts not far off the cost of a brand new bike in a sale. For example, the above bikes are around £350 (sale price) and the 2nd hand equivalents will be selling for £250. I would only be cycling on roads to work - 18 miles round trip.

Thanks.

Here you go Ridley Crossbow Road / Cyclocross Bike Large Sized

 

[vickster]

You need to compare the geometries, ignore the size labels given by the manufacturers as there is no consistency

Are you looking for a more upright or racy bike. How's your flexibility and core?

Are you commuting in all weathers? Do you have to carry more than a phone and wallet? Clothes, shoes, laptop, tools? If so mudguard and pannier rack should be a consideration which may affect choice of bike. What width tyre do you favour etc. Another thing to think about

Components are often the last thing to look at on a commuter

 

[Milkfloat]

You may want to add a Giant Defy to your list - takes rack and guards and at 40% discount it is under £350

http://www.rutlandcycling.com/284978/products/2015-giant-defy-4-road-bike-white-black.aspx

 

[Hacienda71]

The Ribble will take guards easily and a rack if you need one. I would certainly check that on the ones you are looking at. Easy to fit standard guards make a big difference in the wet.

 

[smutchin]

I know you all will suggest to try them but I may not have that luxury, so which is the better deal (cost vs quality) of these bikes:

The one that fits best.

You'll find it much more fun to ride a bike that fits properly than one with a marginally better groupset. I would be very wary of the size 61 Cannondale for this reason. This is partly guesswork because it's hard to say without looking more closely at the numbers (both yours and the bike's) but size 58 sounds like a safer bet.

The Synapse is a great bike, though.

 

[outlash]

The one that fits best.

You'll find it much more fun to ride a bike that fits properly than one with a marginally better groupset. I would be very wary of the size 61 Cannondale for this reason. This is partly guesswork because it's hard to say without looking more closely at the numbers (both yours and the bike's) but size 58 sounds like a safer bet.

The Synapse is a great bike, though.

This.

I'm 6'3" without shoes on and both my Cannondales are 58's. Go through this: http://www.competitivecyclist.com/Store/catalog/fitCalculatorBike.jsp? Then see what size you need.

 

[dac]

Again, thanks for your replies.
I popped down the lbs and sat on a few bikes (but didn't ride them). For starters, of the Giant Defy 5 (or 4, sat on both) sizing the size XL is my size. Size Large was ok but XL is my size - no bigger than this though. I was sitting on road bikes but then sat on a Cyclocross. I feel the cyclocross is the route to go down. It had drop downs to pick up some speed on the road, flat top brake levers for going in and out of traffic. I also understand that it is easier to clean. I will only have one bike which shall be used all year round so I expect this will be the better bike for all seasons. Would you agree? If you do then I would imagine that most ppl only have one bike so why isn't the CX style bikes more popular? I see many bikes at my work (100 or so) and have not seen one CX.

Are you looking for a more upright or racy bike. How's your flexibility and core?

Are you commuting in all weathers? Do you have to carry more than a phone and wallet? Clothes, shoes, laptop, tools? If so mudguard and pannier rack should be a consideration which may affect choice of bike. What width tyre do you favour etc. Another thing to think about

I feel more comfortable upright, but I may come to like the racy posture. My core isnt the most flexible right now.
I will be commuting in all weather so for this reason it will need mud-guards, and yes I would like panniers to carry my work clothes in,
As for tyres, I think 28mm with small water displacement grooves on will give me most confidence. The cyclocross I sat on today had 28mm tyres with little nobbles and it looked fine, however when I have a quick look online I only see cyclocross bike with no smaller than 32mm tyres - maybe this cyclocross today had special tyres on.

Thanks.

 

[vickster]

A road bike is quicker on the road and can be as flexible for commuting as a CX especially if only ridden on roads But either will do the job admirably

What CX did you look at?

You can add cross levers to any road bike my steelie and my single speed both have these

 

[dac]

I'm glad you said that. Let's say I cycled miles on roads on a Giant Defy 5 and it took, say, 25 minutes. On the same roads, with the effort the a mtb took 40 mins. How long would you say a Claud Butler CX11 would take (same mileage, roads, and effort)? Just trying to gauge how much slower a CX would be?

What is your opinion of a Claud Butler CX11 as aN all season road bike? would it suit my needs and requirements? I could get a new one for £450.

 

[outlash]

I'm glad you said that. Let's say I cycled miles on roads on a Giant Defy 5 and it took, say, 25 minutes. On the same roads, with the effort the a mtb took 40 mins. How long would you say a Claud Butler CX11 would take (same mileage, roads, and effort)? Just trying to gauge how much slower a CX would be?

What is your opinion of a Claud Butler CX11 as aN all season road bike? would it suit my needs and requirements? I could get a new one for £450.

Way too many variables to give you a guesstimate, but it'd be pretty much the same as a road bike of the same sort of quality. TBH, if I had to keep only one bike out of the ones I currently own, it'd be my crosser. It's a road bike and a off-roader and it's been raced in CX races so it's done everything I've asked of it. Not sure about the Claud Butler, they don't have the same cache they used to have.

 

[mjr]

Let's say I cycled miles on roads on a Giant Defy 5 and it took, say, 25 minutes. On the same roads, with the effort the a mtb took 40 mins. How long would you say a Claud Butler CX11 would take (same mileage, roads, and effort)? Just trying to gauge how much slower a CX would be?

If you put similar tyres on them both, very little. As they could be so similar in riding position and so on, it depends on the rider more than the bike. http://road.cc/content/news/28400-doctor-claims-carbon-offers-no-benefit-over-steel and many similar results.

 

[smutchin]

I also understand that it is easier to clean.

Not sure why that would be. Where did you get this idea from?

why isn't the CX style bikes more popular?

But they are! Or were...

To pick one really popular example, the Specialized Tricross was marketed as a CX bike but was really more of an all-round workhorse, for exactly the kind of use you're interested in, but they don't make them any more. I suspect very few people used them for actual CX racing (true CX racing bikes won't have mounts for panniers or mudguards).

There are better options for commuters these days than those pseudo-CX bikes - the Tricross has effectively been replaced in the Specialized line-up by the superb Diverge, which is more what you'd call an 'adventure' or 'gravel' bike.

As for tyres, I think 28mm with small water displacement grooves on will give me most confidence. The cyclocross I sat on today had 28mm tyres with little nobbles and it looked fine, however when I have a quick look online I only see cyclocross bike with no smaller than 32mm tyres - maybe this cyclocross today had special tyres on.

Knobbly CX tyres are rubbish for riding on roads and I can personally vouch for this - my last off was purely due to lack of grip when riding with knobbly CX tyres on slippery tarmac. Slick tyres are much better. And by the way, those grooves are purely cosmetic and don't serve any useful purpose (the round contact patch of a bike tyre means water is adequately displaced).

As for size, that's up to you, but many people prefer 32mm for the superior comfort. And they won't necessarily be any slower than a narrower tyre. My all-time favourite commuting tyre is the Schwalbe Marathon Supreme in 32mm - fast rolling, very grippy and reasonably puncture-resistant.