What do you get for that sort of money?

Does another couple of hundred quid make a serious difference?

I’m expecting there to be a gulf between real big brands and the online-only discounters (Planet-X at the like) but I need to visit a shop and get fitted out & test ride.

You’ll get a sora groupset, ally frame with carbon forks and a cheap set of wheels.

It’ll be something that’ll just keep going and going. Not fast, but still good enough to give you the bug.

TBH, for that money, get down to the shops.

For a couple hundred more, you’ll get probably a tiagra groupset, and a better set of wheels.

Sale bikes. I got a 2010 spesh reduced from 1400 to 899. Full 105. Carbon forks and stays.

I’ve a Scott cr1 pro i’d sell you for not much more and it’s mint.

Saleem – email me with details.

bianchi and giant both do bikes with tiagra/sora for around that price if you get last years.

Carbon forks nice alu frame.

details sent 54cm

Second hand for me at that budget. Should get something pretty nice with ultegra/105 or campag or SRAM equivelent for that much, with a basic carbon or tasty aluminium / alu & carbon stayed frame.

boardman race falls into this bracket with shimano sora on.
A bit more and you get sram apex and mavic askiums.
Boardman race

Check ebay for all the cycle to work scheme i used it once and i prefer my car so am selling my new bike ones 🙂

ive got a brand new giant defy 2 which was £800 new ,its the 2011 model,never used for sale

Quite a few stores seem to be doing deals on Specialized Allez bikes at the moment. Tredz and Specialized Concept stores are offering 17%. I’ve just bought an Allez Sport, full Sora groupset, alloy frame and carbon fork. Only done 20 miles on it so far, but it seems great.