I would really appreciate some help. My purchase of a Colnago is going a bit whoopsie due to sizing issues.
I have to organise a new road bike within the next 7 days. I have an important event coming up and I really need to get back into training.
I have £1500. I’m 5’9″. I prefer a shorter top tube and a longer stem.
CAAD 10 with 105 groupset. 54cm?
Willier Izoard in medium? Bottom of the range Campagnolo though.
Planet X carbon bike within my budget?
BMC Streetracer in Medium?
Is cheap carbon as good as or better than good aluminium? Caad 10 frame gets good reviews.
Anything else?
I have today off work to supposedly ride my new bike but sadly, I don’t yet have one.
Your help would be very helpful

cervelo s1 frame (can be had under £1000) have a google one of the best ali race frames!

theres a few on fleabay at the mo

sorry I thought you said frame only

izoard would be my choice, but then an 105 specced caad10 at that money would be hard to ignore and leave you room to upgrade wheels

are you a serial upgrader? if so buy the one with the best frame as you’ll end up changing the rest. If you’re the type that doesn’t chop and change bits then get the best all round package

ribble stealth full carbon with ultrega for £1500 pretty much on the nose

I would say the caad will be up among the best ali frames available.

same old – planet x with top groupsets or well known brands with lower groupsets.

I went px a year back but I’m now looking for a top ali frame to swap over

CAAD 10 in Liquigas colours. Less than £1300. I’m hovering over the buy button. I hadn’t thought of Ribble, thank you.
Izoard is lovely but the groupset worries me. No longer a serial upgrader. I have to go through an intermediary if I want money for stuff and she doesn’t understand my need for new stuff.
Cevelo would have beem snapped up if it was a full bike but thanks anyway.
Are you not getting on with the Planet X frame sefton?

Canyon and Rose get good writeups too, similar quality alu frames to the cannondale and better groupsets.

Are you not getting on with the Planet X frame sefton?

yeah it’s not put a foot wrong – I have an itch though 😉

Can you go £20 over budget? Cannondale CAAD10 Ultegra, £1520:-

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m7b65s6p3683

Or CAAD10 105 for £1040:-

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m7b65s6p3682

CAAD10’s are very weill regarded.

CP! I could hug you! I have another question. What Shimano compatible road wheels for £400’ish?
CAAD 10 – 105 from Paul’s Cycles and some nice wheels.

def cannondale

Unless you’re really sure of geometry and dimensions from experience on other bikes, beware of buying any road bike that you haven’t ‘sat on’ to size yourself up.

I’d use your day off to go to some actual shops…?

You could do much worse than some RS80’s. Use the dales RS10’s for training, and then the 80’s for events etc.. The 80’s use a very very light rim, so although the all up weight isn’t as light as some (although they are pretty light in themselves), they ride very light.

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/WPSHRS80CA/shimano_rs80_c24_carbon_wheelset_(pair)

or, if you fancy something a bit aero, and can stretch the budget a little:-

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/WBPX60CCLHBPC/planet_x_60mm_carbon_clincher_wheelset_handbuilt_by_paul_curran

I actually meant to link the the 50mm PX wheels:-

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/WBPX52CCLHBPC/planet_x_52mm_carbon_clincher_wheelset_hand_built_by_paul_curran

rs80’s all the way 😉

Similar situation a month ago, actually placed an order for the canyon al 9.0 but ended up cancelling as 3 weeks to delivery turned into 15 weeks.

Currently got an order in at rose for the carbon pro rs 4400. Started off at base price of £1600 (I think). Then I got carried away with their wonderful configurator thingy and ended up with a £2200 build…. upgrade the wheels to cosmic carbones for an extra £350 made sense as I was already looking to buy a second set of wheels from planetx.

Was told it is a 5 week wait, so should be with me next week!!!

Fuuny one this Monksie- I’m in the exact same position and had looked at the same machines.

CAAD10 (2011) from Pauls and keep the rest of the money for RS80’s
or the Ribble 7005/Deda EM2 with 105 and nice wheels and you’re laughing.

Id probably get the cannondale or a top specced Planet X (RT57 or the older nanolight)

If you are getting a colnago, its worth noting the CAAD will probably have the best resale value if you decide to sell it. Planet X’s also seem to sell for a reasonable amount 2nd hand, not sure about the ribbles though

I purchased a Canyon ultimate cf 9 about 3 weeks ago. I have done about 500 miles already and I am soooo pleased with it.
I’m 5’8″ and got a 52 and its spot on. Measure yourself up according to their PPS program. They will change stems and with of handle bar.

My old bike was a CADD5 in a 52 so I could compare geometry. The new bike is way more comfy that the old (which is OK)

Anyway consider Canyon as a serious option. The Giant Defy was my fallback choice so I would look at that.

Take close note on all the specs of the Bikes. The canyon & Giant were FULL ultegra not just bits of the groupset with rest being made up to cut costs.

definitely the CAAD. decent ali vs cheap carbon FTW.

CADD 10 everytime – utterly brilliant…

And for what it’s worth I much prefer Ultegra to 105 and once you’ve saved a little look for some new wheels (RS80/Soul S2.0/Ksyrium)

can you get caad 10 frame only?

Why not try this old fashioned idea. Go to a bike shop and try out the Cannondale/Willier/BMC. See which one fits you best and rides the best.

The ‘dale always gets fanastic reviews for handling, which would be the most important issue to me, after fit. You can always upgrade components later.

Hi Got a CAAD 10 with 105 at the end of last year (£970) from Wheel base. Great bike, it rides as well as a full carbon frame IMO. They also hold their value better if you do sell later. I’m 5′ 8″ and its a good fit.
Good luck.
Andy

Andy- what size frame did you get? I’m the same height as you.

Well, I’m annoyed now. Just chased up Rose to see how my order is doing, guess what, shipping date now expected to be 19th June subject to various caveats…. for an order placed on 12th April with an expected 5 week turnaround.

This is the reason I cancelled the Canyon. Appears to be significantly difficult for me to hand over cash for a road bike…. looks like I should have placed an order sometime last year to actually have a bike on the road for this summer….. grrr….

The Wilier. I love mine.

I’ve got the older Izoard, not the XP, I like it, but I think it was near twice the price of the newer one.

sefton – Member
can you get caad 10 frame only?

Sadly not…

I’ve been looking for one myself.

Thinking of buying the 105 equipped one and flogging it all bar the frame…

I got a 54cm, works well for me. Whereabouts are you-happy to let you have a ride?
Andy

Regarding the Planet X, I’m 5’7 and I’ve had a medium RT-57 since January, fits well and I love it. I’d reckon a medium might be too small at 5’9.

If I had roughly £1500 to spend on a road bike right now, I’d get this…

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m7b0s6p3604

The Cannondale CAAD10 is known to be about the best aluminium frame out there, but Giant are world leaders in Carbon, and that is one serious bit of kit for £1549!

Or there’s also the 105 equipped Cannondale Super Six for £1439…

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m7b0s6p3685

http://www.dolan-bikes.com/road-bikes 🙂

Thanks again everyone. I’ve bought a 54cm Cannondale Super Six 105 from Paul’s Cycles.

Good choice, I don’t think you’ll regret that one.

I’d still have gone for the Giant I linked to at £110 more, slightly better frame and wheels IMO, otherwise nothing in it really. I think if you’d got the CAAD10, nice as they are, you’d probably have ended up thinking “what if I’d got the carbon bike instead”, whereas with the Super Six you know even though it was a £400 premium over the CAAD10, it’ll probably be a better platform to upgrade on in future.

I had a phone call from Paul’s Cycles this morning. No more of the Supersix 2011 105’s left…..would I be happy to take the 2012 model (upgraded wheels from uber cheap Shimano to mavic Askium) for the same price?
MINT!