I’m having a bit of a nightmare deciding what road bike to purchase on the Cyclescheme and wondered if the STW hove kind could help.

I had set my heart on a Planet-X but having spent some time talking to friends and being a newbie to road bikes I decided that buying from an LBS is worth doing even if the spec I will get is not quite as good. This has left me with 3 options:

1. Buy a Trek 2.1 from a proper little LBS I know well that offers a fitting service as part of the price.

2. Buy a Cube Peleton from a well known chain who are not as local but the spec is better for the same price.

3. Bit of a long shot as I know that Cyclescheme does cost the LBS money but try and persuade LBS that they want to do a £1100 bike for £1000, possibly by agreeing to buy other kit with them at the same time.

Please help!

Does your LBS do interest free finance?
They might agree to to do a discounted bike (or at least give you some free kit) if you go at it that way.

If not depends how much you value getting it somewhere local. Although getting a free bike fit might well be enough to make it worth it as some of the little adjustments they can do might make a real difference!

Don’t rule out bike comfort either – sit on the cube and the trek and have a ride if you can, worth sacrificing a few things spec wise (can be upgraded later if you want) if the bike is more comfortable for you!

Lunge, you down south by any chance? A guy in the office is having exactly the same debate over those two bikes but I prefer the Cube from Hargroves. Having spoken to several shops the price they give for the bike will be that price but the best they have been able to do it throw in some accessories. I’m not sold on the whole fitting service for my level of riding but know what works for me in temrs of frame sizing. I don’t really want the hassle of paying extra for a new stem, spacers, post, saddle etc to get it to fit me aboslutely perfect… but I’m just tight.

Taff, in the midlands so it is not me. The fitting appeals as I am a novice with roadbikes and the shop have said they will swap stems and seatposts for free.

go for the planet x. the whole package will be so much better value IMHO. The wheels, upgraded groupset etc. You can fiddle with stem length for peanuts when it arrives if you get the size generally right.

I bought a look frame off a mate based on him saying, its a bit too big for me but will probably fit you. it fits perfectly because bikes have adjustable seats and stems are about 20 quid.

The trek 2.1 has the usefulness that it will take proper mudguards for the winter as it is not close clearance..

I know this as the giy I ride with got one – same price as my Cannondale CAAD 8.. http://www.tritoncycles.co.uk/m14b0s6p7676/CANNONDALE_CAAD_8_Tiagra_%282011%29

good deals around e.g.
http://www.tritoncycles.co.uk/m14b0s6p7673/CANNONDALE_CAAD_10_105_%282011%29

I found the cannondale a better fit than a trek despite geo being the ‘same’

the £1100 bike is an Orbea Aqua T105, anyone got any experience with this by any chance?

3. Bit of a long shot as I know that Cyclescheme does cost the LBS money but try and persuade LBS that they want to do a £1100 bike for £1000, possibly by agreeing to buy other kit with them at the same time.
Extremely unlikely – out of the £1000 voucher they only get £900. I wouldn’t bother trying this unless you’re willing to pay to top it up.

schmiken, It is very much a long shot but one I will take. I’m hoping to offer to buy a pair of shoes and some pedals on top to sweeten the deal.

What, so you want them to effectively knock £200 of the price, for a shoe/pedal sale. I doubt that’s worth it for them?

TheDoctor, they get to sell a bike, get some turnover and I suspect a bit of profit though I don’t know the profit margins on road bikes so am not sure how much. Like I said, it is a long shot and I suspect I will get told to go away but I am a firm beliver that if you don’t ask you dont get.

I negotiate for anything more than £100 and see no harm in asking the question, they can and most likely will tell me to go away.

my colleague went halves on the listed saving on a Giant road bike at Winstanleys with a cyclescheme voucher.

+1 for looking at Planet X, I’ve had an SL Pro for the last few years and it’s a really nice bike.

The also have a replacement for the Nano coming out in the next few weeks, had a look & feel last week, very nice, very light, would be worth seeing what they come in at.

Cube Agree Pro Triple on Chain Reaction.Nearly a full integra groupset,FSA kit,mavic wheels.Less than a grand.

Joeegg, very interesting but it falls in to the same problems as the Planet-X in that I would like to buy from an LBS.

Got the orbea acqua, first road bike so no comparisons but did load of research (as did a roady mate who didn’t want me to buy the boardman!) And this topped the chart. Got a 2010 for under 900 on the scheme and there are still some about you should see on Google.
Great bike. As I got a full 1000 the shop I got it from (Epic cycles) upgraded the wheels to mavic aksium at cost.

Tried a couple of Orbeas before I decided to get a new mountain bike (will probably get a road bike next year tho) the build quality was fantastic and even though it seemed to have exactly the same geometry as some far racier bikes it was much more comfortable, hope you enjoy it!

Guessing 2 is from CRC 😉

I went for a Trek 2.1 in your position.

I figured that having a road bike that I knew fitted was important. More important than if I got a carbon frame.

It’s a nice bike. I still want a carbon frame though.

Lunge, also went for a trek 2.1 also on the C2W scheme. Got it at the end of August, and trek had reduced the price down from £1075 to £900 as end of year stock levels were a tad too high. I know my local LBS , speeds still have a few of the 2011 models in stock ( red / black / white frame) if that helps.

Mic, appriciate the lead, unfortunately whilst some shops do have 2011 bikes on sale they don’t have them in stupidly big sizes which is what I need.