Which Bike: Allez or Triban 3?

[Michael Connolly]

First road bike a specialized allez and cant express how great it was. I would recommend spending the little extra to get the 105 on it. Reason being the way to change gear is rather annoying on the standard allez and near impossible while in the drops. Its something which will bug you overtime. The triban has the same issue.
I wish I didnt sell it. Its like the girl you have and love it to bits and lose it. Then wonder what if.
f***, I had to punch a wall just to gain back my masculinity

Sorry for being a noob, but what is the issues with the gear changes? are they the ones which are on the brake leaver?

 

[Cycling Dan]

Sorry for being a noob, but what is the issues with the gear changes? are they the ones which are on the brake leaver?

Indeed me being a noob as well not knowing what they are called. Gearing up is fine as the brake lever does it however down its on the inside of the hood bar. Not too much a issue when your Riding on the hoods but its not as easy as with duel lever shifters. When on the drop bars it's near impossible to gear down .

 

[Michael Connolly]

Indeed me being a noob as well not knowing what they are called. Gearing up is fine as the brake lever does it however down its on the inside of the hood bar. Not too much a issue when your Riding on the hoods but its not as easy as with duel lever shifters. When on the drop bars it's near impossible to gear down .

Thanks, a quick google tells me the 105 is £400?! surely you must be referring to something else? http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/gsd/r...part=GSSHIM105S570010D&sub=conf_GS_SHR&bike=1

 

[Cycling Dan]

Thanks, a quick google tells me the 105 is £400?! surely you must be referring to something else? http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/gsd/r...part=GSSHIM105S570010D&sub=conf_GS_SHR&bike=1

Shimano Tiagra STI shifters is the ones on the elite allez which what I was thinking, I thought it was 105 on it but I was wrong. Tiagra shifters use the same dual lever mechanism as Shimano's top line shifters
Much better than the shifters on the standard allez. Also you will find with shimano tech drips down from the top into the lower prices shifters. Which is always a plus. Your choice a lot more expensive but tends to be worth it. However I don't know how Tiarga compares with the 105 but I suspect 105 is much better. A lot of specialised users on here maybe they can give more insight.

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

Is there any other way of checking if its stolen if the seller doesn't have hold of the purchase receipts? (Its 3 years old now so I wouldn't think it so obscure that they wouldn't have the receipts).

Check the frame number and head for your nearest concept store.. They can tell who the bike was sold to and registered to.

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

The Allez costs quite a lot more than the Triban. I have neither but know people who have both. On a value for money basis I would go for the Triban. I know at least one member on here who races on a Triban3. With the Allez you are undoubtedly paying a premium for the name. I am not saying it isn't a very good bike at it's price point, but the original red Triban 3 is without any real rival at it's price. It is snapping at the heels of the Allez but £200 quid less.

But then everyone says the wheels are made of chocolate on the Triban... The first thing everyone seems to do is upgrade them which brings it into the Allez price range in this case.

 

[vickster]

The basic Allez will come with a mixed brake lever / thumb button shift - 2300 gearing or pre 2013 Sora has this

Tiagra is brake lever / lever under the brake lever shifting - like the 105 and above - nothing wrong at all with Tiagra, people who have had both say there is little sifference - indeed 10 speed Tiagra is essentially the last gen of 105 - so not very different at all, maybe a little smoother and a little ligher but for a new rider, will be little discernible difference

Still very very unlikely to find a sound bike with Tiagra for under £300 now road cycling is so popular

The groupset may cost £400 to buy (plus fitting) but a 105 bike isn't £400 more than a Tiagra bike, although it may well be £400 more than the basic 2300 Allez - incremental increases. The higher up you go, the more the spare parts will cost, like a chain or cassette or shifter if you are unlucky enough to break one etc

To note - The red Triban comes with 2300 shifters - i.e. thumb button

 

[Phixion]

Yes 2013 Sora is like Tiagra, which IMO actually makes it a viable option (for me at least) because I absolutely hated the old Sora shifters,

 

[tiswas-steve]

I totally agree with the issue about changing gears on the drops being a bugger with thumb shifters but for me the Allez was a bike where I didn't have to upgrade at all even tho I was slowly falling in love with cycling. On the other side of the coin I bet most people who buy a Triban will want to change something a lot quicker. I do think tho that the reason why the Triban is so loved and admired by riders, is what someone else said earier in this thread, that it hasn't really got any competion in its price range. At the end of the day it's that old chestnut of buying new and have piece of mind of any issues with the bike or buying a decent 2nd hand bike that may be a bit scratched etc but better specs and frame.

 

[jonny jeez]

Allez is a lower spec to the triban, no carbon forks which whip out a fair bit of road rumble.

Take a look at a new merida 901 its about £500 and matches the triban i tink its a sora groupset as well.

 

[vickster]

Merlin have a sub £600 roadbike with carbon forks and Tiagra if we're increasing the OP's budget

 

[Arjimlad]

I would bear in mind the following : -
Buy new and even if you can sell it on easily, it will depreciate (possibly less true of the red Triban 3 than the white one)...
Buy used and look after it, and you are more likely to get what you paid for it on re-sale.

 

[aerobrain]

Allez is a lower spec to the triban, no carbon forks which whip out a fair bit of road rumble.

Take a look at a new merida 901 its about £500 and matches the triban i tink its a sora groupset as well.

Allez Elite has carbon fork

I've recently bought one and absolutely love it!! Very nice riding position and comfy to ride. Certainly got no regrets about choosing it.

 

[vickster]

The current model may do, but all previous ones?

 

[Michael Connolly]

Shimano Tiagra STI shifters is the ones on the elite allez which what I was thinking, I thought it was 105 on it but I was wrong. Tiagra shifters use the same dual lever mechanism as Shimano's top line shifters
Much better than the shifters on the standard allez. Also you will find with shimano tech drips down from the top into the lower prices shifters. Which is always a plus. Your choice a lot more expensive but tends to be worth it. However I don't know how Tiarga compares with the 105 but I suspect 105 is much better. A lot of specialised users on here maybe they can give more insight.

But the microshift function the same as the tiagra, so that's an advantage of the white triban 3 no?