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I'm looking to get a new bike (to replace my Specialized Allez) and have narrowed the choice down to:
Boardman Road Team Carbon Bike (105 GS & brakes, Mavik Askium, FSA Gossamer Pro BB30 50/34) - http://bit.ly/PWftg4
Planet X RT-57 SRAM Rival (SRAM Rival GS, 105 brakes, FSA RD-60, FSA Gossamer Pro BB30) - http://bit.ly/12yfFIG
Giant Defy Composite 3 (Tiagra GS, Tektro TK-R540 brakes, DT Swiss Competition w/s ) - http://bit.ly/10u3D2e
Basso Loto 105 (105 g/s, Microtech Krium w/s, Microtech compact - http://bit.ly/11XImvE
The Giant is my LBS' offering at that price point, which obviously would be better to support, but I think the others are a lot more attractive (on paper at least). Would love to hear from anyone who has any of the above.
it looks like the Basso is sold exclusively through Wiggle so the 50% off is clearly a bit of a sales ploy. Nonetheless, it does look good!
Boardman Road Team Carbon Bike (105 GS & brakes, Mavik Askium, FSA Gossamer Pro BB30 50/34) - http://bit.ly/PWftg4
Planet X RT-57 SRAM Rival (SRAM Rival GS, 105 brakes, FSA RD-60, FSA Gossamer Pro BB30) - http://bit.ly/12yfFIG
Giant Defy Composite 3 (Tiagra GS, Tektro TK-R540 brakes, DT Swiss Competition w/s ) - http://bit.ly/10u3D2e
Basso Loto 105 (105 g/s, Microtech Krium w/s, Microtech compact - http://bit.ly/11XImvE
The Giant is my LBS' offering at that price point, which obviously would be better to support, but I think the others are a lot more attractive (on paper at least). Would love to hear from anyone who has any of the above.
it looks like the Basso is sold exclusively through Wiggle so the 50% off is clearly a bit of a sales ploy. Nonetheless, it does look good!
i`ve got one of these and very happy with it
http://www.twenty3c.co.uk/5365631/products/2013-Focus-Cayo-Evo-5-0-Road-Bik...
http://www.twenty3c.co.uk/5365631/products/2013-Focus-Cayo-Evo-5-0-Road-Bik...
In reply to FrankBooth: You'll find 100's of "which bike for around a grand" threads on BikeRadar, maybe worth a look. TBF I don't think you'll go far wrong with any of those, a good fit might be more important, personally I'd want 105 or Force but that wouldn't be a deal breaker. I haven't ridden any of them so can't really comment on each bike.
BTW if you join British Cycling (£28) you get 10% off at Halfords so you could get the Boardman for even less. Boardman and Giant always come out top in mag tests, and when you are looking for personal reviews 99% of people won't have ridden all those bikes and will nearly always say my bike is great and recommend what they have, so they aren't really that much use TBH.
My thinking would be that if you are an averagely proportioned person and are happy to do most of your own maintenance then buying online may save you some money or get you a better spec with a little more risk in getting the right size. If size is going to be harder to get right and you want the support from your LBS then basically, buy the Giant!
BTW if you join British Cycling (£28) you get 10% off at Halfords so you could get the Boardman for even less. Boardman and Giant always come out top in mag tests, and when you are looking for personal reviews 99% of people won't have ridden all those bikes and will nearly always say my bike is great and recommend what they have, so they aren't really that much use TBH.
My thinking would be that if you are an averagely proportioned person and are happy to do most of your own maintenance then buying online may save you some money or get you a better spec with a little more risk in getting the right size. If size is going to be harder to get right and you want the support from your LBS then basically, buy the Giant!
In reply to FrankBooth:
The Boardman looks the best spec. to me but it's difficult to tell at that price point what sort total weight each bike might be. I could easily be swayed towards any of the others if it was possible to see accurate weight charts and figure out what bits could be cheaply swapped out to make the best £/kg ratio.
Without knowing weights at least with the Boardman you get good quality Mavic wheels, good quality 105 bits and a frame that's likely to have been well designed.
The Boardman looks the best spec. to me but it's difficult to tell at that price point what sort total weight each bike might be. I could easily be swayed towards any of the others if it was possible to see accurate weight charts and figure out what bits could be cheaply swapped out to make the best £/kg ratio.
Without knowing weights at least with the Boardman you get good quality Mavic wheels, good quality 105 bits and a frame that's likely to have been well designed.
In reply to JLS: My experience of quite a few complete bikes is that you get a reasonable frame and groupset, but then they skimp on stuff like wheels, bars, stems etc. As you say the Boardman looks the best package and it gets great reviews.
I'm not sure what you'd get from Rose or Canyon at that price point but they might be worth a look, and they tend to have good quality wheels and finishing kit.
I'm not sure what you'd get from Rose or Canyon at that price point but they might be worth a look, and they tend to have good quality wheels and finishing kit.
In reply to andy: Aluminium, but great spec:
http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/bike/rose-pro-sl-3000/aid:664162
New 11 speed Ultegra, Aksium wheels etc.
£1500 gets you Carbon and Campag Athena 11 speed:
http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/bike/rose-carbon-pro-rs-3500/aid:605742
http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/bike/rose-pro-sl-3000/aid:664162
New 11 speed Ultegra, Aksium wheels etc.
£1500 gets you Carbon and Campag Athena 11 speed:
http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/bike/rose-carbon-pro-rs-3500/aid:605742
In reply to FrankBooth:
Consciously, I'd prefer to use my LBS, and failing that, Planet X (partially because they remind me of Alpkit!). The Boardman is very attractive at that price though, and Halfords are offering a further 10% off in-store at the moment, so although I'm not keen on Halfords per se, I might be voting with my head rather than my heart.
Consciously, I'd prefer to use my LBS, and failing that, Planet X (partially because they remind me of Alpkit!). The Boardman is very attractive at that price though, and Halfords are offering a further 10% off in-store at the moment, so although I'm not keen on Halfords per se, I might be voting with my head rather than my heart.
In reply to FrankBooth: Why not ask your LBS if they could upgrade the wheels - I did on one I bought. Although the groupset's a bit low-end as well, isn't it?
I think you're best with Boardman if you get an extra £100 off.
I think you're best with Boardman if you get an extra £100 off.
In reply to andy:
A bit more research shows that by joining British Cycling (£15) I get a further 10% off, which brings it down to £1053. Pretty unbeatable at that price, I think
> I think you're best with Boardman if you get an extra £100 off.
A bit more research shows that by joining British Cycling (£15) I get a further 10% off, which brings it down to £1053. Pretty unbeatable at that price, I think
In reply to FrankBooth:
I went with a Planet X RT-57 last year (though I got SRAM Force as standard with last year's model). I got it on sale towards the end of the year for a bit under a grand (can't remember exactly, I block out expensive toy purchases from my mind afterwards), and am very pleased with it. I very much like the lower riding position as compared to Specialized (the only other brand I've actually tried). I don't have experience with the other brands though, so can't offer an opinion as compared to those.
I did have to get some new wheels (though mine came with different wheels than this years I think). They were pretty heavy which seemed a shame on a light bike!
I went with a Planet X RT-57 last year (though I got SRAM Force as standard with last year's model). I got it on sale towards the end of the year for a bit under a grand (can't remember exactly, I block out expensive toy purchases from my mind afterwards), and am very pleased with it. I very much like the lower riding position as compared to Specialized (the only other brand I've actually tried). I don't have experience with the other brands though, so can't offer an opinion as compared to those.
I did have to get some new wheels (though mine came with different wheels than this years I think). They were pretty heavy which seemed a shame on a light bike!
In reply to FrankBooth: Quidco have 10% off and 3% cashback on bikes at Halfords at the moment.
In reply to FrankBooth:
I have a Planet-X, albeit alu frame, but got SRAM RED (shifters, front and rear mech, rest APEX) for £999 two years ago which seemed like outrageously good value.
It's a great bike, and I really like P-X.
I have a Planet-X, albeit alu frame, but got SRAM RED (shifters, front and rear mech, rest APEX) for £999 two years ago which seemed like outrageously good value.
It's a great bike, and I really like P-X.
In reply to FrankBooth:
Does anyone on here rate the ribble sportive 365?
A setup with 105 and reasonable other bits comes in at a nudge over £1000.
I have been looking at one myself.
Does anyone on here rate the ribble sportive 365?
A setup with 105 and reasonable other bits comes in at a nudge over £1000.
I have been looking at one myself.
In reply to gethin_allen:
It does look interesting, carbon with mudguard potential. The Dolan Dual is in a similar vein but about 300 quid more for a similar setup (does look fantastic though).
> (In reply to FrankBooth)
> Does anyone on here rate the ribble sportive 365?
> A setup with 105 and reasonable other bits comes in at a nudge over £1000.
> I have been looking at one myself.
> Does anyone on here rate the ribble sportive 365?
> A setup with 105 and reasonable other bits comes in at a nudge over £1000.
> I have been looking at one myself.
It does look interesting, carbon with mudguard potential. The Dolan Dual is in a similar vein but about 300 quid more for a similar setup (does look fantastic though).
In reply to FrankBooth:
Didn't I say that above?!
> (In reply to andy)
> [...]
>
> A bit more research shows that by joining British Cycling (£15) I get a further 10% off, which brings it down to £1053. Pretty unbeatable at that price, I think
> [...]
>
> A bit more research shows that by joining British Cycling (£15) I get a further 10% off, which brings it down to £1053. Pretty unbeatable at that price, I think
Didn't I say that above?!
In reply to gethin_allen:
I did look at Ribble, but didn't think the standard wheel were so good (on paper at least). Using the bike builder to pimp it up took it up to the £1300 ish mark, similar to the other ones I'd looked at.
Another consideration is the Moda Echo from Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operation:
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/moda-echo-13?bct=browse%2fbicycles...
Certainly good value for sub-£1000
> (In reply to FrankBooth)
> A setup with 105 and reasonable other bits comes in at a nudge over £1000.
> A setup with 105 and reasonable other bits comes in at a nudge over £1000.
I did look at Ribble, but didn't think the standard wheel were so good (on paper at least). Using the bike builder to pimp it up took it up to the £1300 ish mark, similar to the other ones I'd looked at.
Another consideration is the Moda Echo from Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operation:
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/moda-echo-13?bct=browse%2fbicycles...
Certainly good value for sub-£1000
In reply to Escher:
Sorry! Just realised the 'research' I'd done must have been to read your thread! Respect!
Sorry! Just realised the 'research' I'd done must have been to read your thread! Respect!
In reply to FrankBooth: No worries, TBH if you can get the Boardman for near a grand you'll be laughing, it's normally 1500, great frame, nearly full 105 and wheels you won't want/need to swap unlike pretty much all the other bikes here. Also the tyres are reasonable and it comes with a decent saddle (Fizik Arione - around £100 normally, most other bikes at this price come with a £20 disposable job) more items that you'll probably want to change on some of the other bikes here. Most importantly it always scores well in tests and is a well respected bike, can't go wrong.
Just check it over after the Halfords clowns have built it up for you!
Just check it over after the Halfords clowns have built it up for you!
In reply to gethin_allen:
I've just got a Ribble Sportive 365. Specc'd it with 105 & Fulcrum 5 wheels. I've only had it 3 weeks or so but have put 650 miles on it and I'm thrilled..
I have The Bowland Badass to do on it this weekend... 167 miles and 18,500ft climbing.. We'll see what it's like over loooong distances then..
Definitely a fast, all day comfy bike..
I've just got a Ribble Sportive 365. Specc'd it with 105 & Fulcrum 5 wheels. I've only had it 3 weeks or so but have put 650 miles on it and I'm thrilled..
I have The Bowland Badass to do on it this weekend... 167 miles and 18,500ft climbing.. We'll see what it's like over loooong distances then..
Definitely a fast, all day comfy bike..
In reply to FrankBooth:
Tell the LBS what you are going to buy and how much you are going to pay to another supplier, then give them a chance to make you an offer. If they don't, it's their tough luck, but at least you're giving them a decent break.
I always do this with camera gear, and you can be surprised how much a shop is willing to knock off a price to make a sale.
Tell the LBS what you are going to buy and how much you are going to pay to another supplier, then give them a chance to make you an offer. If they don't, it's their tough luck, but at least you're giving them a decent break.
I always do this with camera gear, and you can be surprised how much a shop is willing to knock off a price to make a sale.
In reply to m1ke_smith:
Interested to hear how you find it on a big ride - i've got one being built as my "bad weather bike" (I wanted a lighter bike with mudguards I'll ride all year round when the weather's crap than my winter bike) - and the Badass is my brother's club's event - he's forever trying to persuade us to do it, but unfortunately it's the same day as my club's event (White Rose Classic).
> (In reply to gethin_allen)
>
> I've just got a Ribble Sportive 365. Specc'd it with 105 & Fulcrum 5 wheels. I've only had it 3 weeks or so but have put 650 miles on it and I'm thrilled..
>
> I have The Bowland Badass to do on it this weekend... 167 miles and 18,500ft climbing.. We'll see what it's like over loooong distances then..
>
> Definitely a fast, all day comfy bike..
>
> I've just got a Ribble Sportive 365. Specc'd it with 105 & Fulcrum 5 wheels. I've only had it 3 weeks or so but have put 650 miles on it and I'm thrilled..
>
> I have The Bowland Badass to do on it this weekend... 167 miles and 18,500ft climbing.. We'll see what it's like over loooong distances then..
>
> Definitely a fast, all day comfy bike..
Interested to hear how you find it on a big ride - i've got one being built as my "bad weather bike" (I wanted a lighter bike with mudguards I'll ride all year round when the weather's crap than my winter bike) - and the Badass is my brother's club's event - he's forever trying to persuade us to do it, but unfortunately it's the same day as my club's event (White Rose Classic).
In reply to andy:
Quick report back. Completed the "Bowland Badass" yesterday on the Ribble Sportive 365. Bike performed great.. Comfy for every one of the 167 miles. I can't recommend it highly enough...
You'll be thrilled with yours.
Get yourself on the Badass next year. It's a beauty (in a horrible sort of way!) - my legs are in BITS today... haha
Quick report back. Completed the "Bowland Badass" yesterday on the Ribble Sportive 365. Bike performed great.. Comfy for every one of the 167 miles. I can't recommend it highly enough...
You'll be thrilled with yours.
Get yourself on the Badass next year. It's a beauty (in a horrible sort of way!) - my legs are in BITS today... haha
In reply to FrankBooth:
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s2p4024/SCOTT-SCALE-30-%282012%29
ok, so its 100 quid above your parameters but this bike is sweet!
I bought one a couple of months ago and love it. It is super-fast on uphills and have left my mate in a cloud of dust on every uphill we have done.
Good enough spec and nice wheels....maybe the forks are not the best but they are good enough imo.
Good luck!
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s2p4024/SCOTT-SCALE-30-%282012%29
ok, so its 100 quid above your parameters but this bike is sweet!
I bought one a couple of months ago and love it. It is super-fast on uphills and have left my mate in a cloud of dust on every uphill we have done.
Good enough spec and nice wheels....maybe the forks are not the best but they are good enough imo.
Good luck!
In reply to m1ke_smith:
Doubt it - WRC will be "Tour based" next year as it'll probably be the weekend before the Le Grand Depart, so not to be missed (and to be honest the BB doesn't really appeal, although don't tell my brother - it doesn't really have any logic to it as a route - just ride up every hill between the A59 and the M6!).
My 365 is ready for collection, so I'll probably give it a spin out tomorrow to let the legs recover from today's exertions.
> (In reply to andy)
>
> Get yourself on the Badass next year. It's a beauty (in a horrible sort of way!) - my legs are in BITS today... haha
> Get yourself on the Badass next year. It's a beauty (in a horrible sort of way!) - my legs are in BITS today... haha
Doubt it - WRC will be "Tour based" next year as it'll probably be the weekend before the Le Grand Depart, so not to be missed (and to be honest the BB doesn't really appeal, although don't tell my brother - it doesn't really have any logic to it as a route - just ride up every hill between the A59 and the M6!).
My 365 is ready for collection, so I'll probably give it a spin out tomorrow to let the legs recover from today's exertions.
In reply to andy:
> (In reply to m1ke_smith)
> [...]
>
> [...]
>
> ...(and to be honest the BB doesn't really appeal, although don't tell my brother - it doesn't really have any logic to it as a route - just ride up every hill between the A59 and the M6!)...
>
I can see why you'd think that, looking at the map it looks very contrived. But having also ridden it Saturday I have to say the route is amazing. Doesn't ride like it looks, doesn't feel like you are just climbing for the sake of it, doesn't feel like you are zig-zagging all over the place, actually feels like a seriously good continuous route on very, very quiet roads, a very worthwhile ride, not what it appears to be, and certainly not just about big numbers for the sake of it, I think it would surprise anyone who rode it. It's a work of genius! Agree with you about doing something Grand Depart based next year though. Who's your brother BTW?> [...]
>
> [...]
>
> ...(and to be honest the BB doesn't really appeal, although don't tell my brother - it doesn't really have any logic to it as a route - just ride up every hill between the A59 and the M6!)...
>
In reply to Escher:
Rick - one of the Garstang CC lot that dreamt it up. I've ridden all the roads in the BB - one of the best bits about riding with Skipton is that as well as being able to get up into the west and east Dales, and it's as easy to get over to Bowland and Pendle. Used to ride a lot with Ilkley (I have dual- membership!) but being that ten miles further east they seem to spend all their time going up and down Wharfedale.
Ilkley'll be doing a Grand Depart event, but I think there'll be something in Skipton as well, as the route comes through town on stage 1 and then through Bolton Abbey on stage 2.
> (In reply to andy)
> [...]Who's your brother BTW?
> [...]Who's your brother BTW?
Rick - one of the Garstang CC lot that dreamt it up. I've ridden all the roads in the BB - one of the best bits about riding with Skipton is that as well as being able to get up into the west and east Dales, and it's as easy to get over to Bowland and Pendle. Used to ride a lot with Ilkley (I have dual- membership!) but being that ten miles further east they seem to spend all their time going up and down Wharfedale.
Ilkley'll be doing a Grand Depart event, but I think there'll be something in Skipton as well, as the route comes through town on stage 1 and then through Bolton Abbey on stage 2.
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