Your Help Deciding Please

[graham jw]

After a lay off of about 20 years, I have began to enjoy cycling again. Mainly to keep fit/loose my spare tyre!

For the last couple of months I have been riding a very old rigid and heavy mountain bike fited with road tyres.

SWMBO has given me the all clear to buy a new bike!!

I have narrowed the choice down to as follows;

Giant 3.5 triple (Does it only come as a triple?) for about £470. Or they do the same bike without carbon fork for about £390. both available from my LBS. Or From Evans a Specialized Allez 16 for about £450. Available from Evans which is about 1 hour away from me.

Any thoughts, or recomendatrions on the above choices?

Thank you in advance.

 

[Piemaster]

Standard answer on here really, go try both of them and buy the one that you like and fits you the best. Both big manufacturers and decent brands.
Evans being a big national chain seems to get mixed opinions on their service on this board as it depends on the local staff they employ, but my daughters bike came from the York branch where they were very helpful. A healthy relationship with a good lbs can undoutably be a valuable thing.

If you want to get rid of the spare tire just carry on using the mtb and think of it as resistance training

 

[surfdude]

ive a giant defy 2 and love . if you try the giant check out the stem lenght as they seem abit long on all there bikes . i ve put a shorter one on mine and it makes a hugh differance . if you can get one with tiagra brakes leavers instead of sora i would go for that as well as i find it easy to change the gears with tiagra ones .

 

[BrumJim]

Standard answer on here really, go try both of them and buy the one that you like and fits you the best. Both big manufacturers and decent brands.
Evans being a big national chain seems to get mixed opinions on their service on this board as it depends on the local staff they employ, but my daughters bike came from the York branch where they were very helpful. A healthy relationship with a good lbs can undoutably be a valuable thing.

If you want to get rid of the spare tire just carry on using the mtb and think of it as resistance training

+1 Can't provide any more help than that, really.

 

[graham jw]

Just an update. Collected the Allez 16 yesterday evening. Been out on it tonight and I am over the moon with it. I personally thought it felt a bit more lively than the Defy.

One small thing though, when changing gears everything works as it should until a get to the middle of the cassette when it jumps between gears. Now obviously the bike shop I brought it from can sort this but, it is about an hour away from where I am. I would like to try and sort the problem myself. I can change tyres, mend punctures, adjust brakes, adjust the stops on the derailures etc. but gears are abit of a mistery to me. Any thoughts on what the problem might be?

 

[Gerry Attrick]

This should be of help:

http://bicycletutor.com/adjust-rear-derailleur/

 

[graham jw]

Thanks Gerry Attrick, the clip worked a treat. The cable tension needed adjusting.

All sorted now.

Thanks again.