I am seriously in need of psychological help! I’m in the lucky position of being able to spend up to £3k on a bike through cyclescheme as my shop has a consumer credit license. I was looking at blowing the lot on a Ti HT or an Orange 5, but I keep finding myself drawn to a high end road bike as road riding is much more accessible for me (don’t drive). I don’t want to inflict the sight of me in lycra on the locals and certainly will never shave my legs, but I just can’t shake the idea of joining with Darth Armstrong in worshipping at the altar of skinny wheels

Just spend it on crack instead.

Treat yourself to a decent MTB, then with the cash you’ve “saved” through the cycle scheme, get a half decent road bike (800ish should get you a nice one). If it’s your 1st one it won’t have to be full carbon etc to feel a lot different/more lively than an MTB.

You now it makes sense 😀

Although a 3k road bike is a lot of bike. I’d go for something classic like a Colnago master or a handbuilt steel, then it won’t be out of date in 2 weeks 🙄

I was looking at £2k for the road bike, and seeing if I could get a Cove Handjob frame as an “accessory”…. then I can still sell my Trance X frame

no need to spend more than £1500 on a road bike…

if you stopped calling it silly names you’d find it far easier to accept

🙂

I have to call it silly names or I will end up buying one!

More point in spending lots of money on a road bike IMO, it won’t be out of date in 20 minutes, unlike MTBs (even if it’s carbon), parts will last forever, it will last forever.

Get yourself a Trek Madone 5.2 and a Handjob, sorted.

Cheap road bikes are nasty to ride compared to expensive ones, as you’ve got the money, spend it.

I don’t like the feel of the 5.2…. I have a short body and long legs. I was looking at the Giant Defy Advanced 2….. tasty bit of kit that!

Have you taken a look at this months cycling plus magazine. They reviewed 37 road bikes from all sorts of manufacturers.

The Giant TCR advanced 3 came out tops. They said the Giant TCR was so comfortable that there was no need for the Defy although it was a very good bike.

I would also be in agreement with njee20 about the benefits of spending a fair amount on a road bike. You may not need to spend as much as £3k but those stock Ultegra equipped bikes at just over £2k like the 5.2 or equivalent Spesh etc are the minimium level I would be aiming at and then I would be looking to upgrade the wheels ASAP

I’ve not had a look at the mag yet, but read a bit of the review. Giant TCR does look good, but a little racy for me…. longer top tube and shorter head tube than the Defy, and Giant reckon 3/4 of people who buy a TCR would actually be better off with a Defy

I think unless you are proper racing hen £1k on a road bike is moe than enough!

ask yourself what am I going to use this bike for? We have the law of diminishing returns as regards money vs performance is play here!

Sportives, fitness, possibly a riding holiday if I can afford one. Looking at rides of 50-60 miles initially, building up to 100 or more as I get fitter. Plus I want the bike to look good enough to draw attention away from the sight of me in lycra!

thats a tall ask! 😉

I’d spend 600 on a specialized allez in the first instance. If you find that you absolutely love it, then get the dream machine in 2 years time. Better than blowing a load of cash then realising that road biking ain’t for you.

However, if you’re dead set, I’d get a planet x ti sportive if its possible to get it through your cycle scheme.

By the way…. where do road riders carry their bananas???

Shave your legs anyway.
3K will buy you anything, nip into Corleys or Twenty3c they’ll sort you out. If spending 3K on a bike does’nt bother you then no problem. If it does then a trial with a s/h bike might help.
If you want to ride 60 miles plus you don’t have to spend that much just to enable you to do so. And don’t feel you have to buy top end just because every man and his dog seems to riding Pinerellos or Cervellos around here, pop along to the Bowl on Tuesday or Thursday to watch the racers you won’t see much exotica there.

I’ll be getting the bike from my shop I’m afraid. I know I don’t have to spend all that money, but I like my bike bling. I figure £2k will buy me something I can use for a VERY long time and will let a fat git like me ride 60 miles a little easier, plus by doing it on cyclescheme I save about 40% bringing it close to Trek 1.9 price

Giant, Specialized and Trek don’t make road bikes

you’ve got to go De Rosa, Colnago, pinarello, to get a real feel for it

Yeah, overpriced and overweight for the money Italian brands trading on past glories are really the way to go. Why would you want a state of the art, value for money carbon bike made in the far east where the best skill, product development and technology can be found. It’s a mystery!

Giant, Specialized and Trek don’t make road bikes

you’ve got to go De Rosa, Colnago, pinarello, to get a real feel for it

Yes, Tom Boonen just won Paris-Roubaix on a ……………?

Do give over with the Italian heritage rubbish, it simply exposes your ignorance 😈

In my opinion, you need to see a specialist shop, talk to them, try a few and then make any decisions. I wouldn’t buy a £3k road bike anyway, more like £2k plus loads of coaching.

I’m old and fat and just did a metric century this afternoon on a slicked up Kona Jake – £650 of CX bike and a pair of cheap wheels. In just a shade under 4 hours. It was a blast.

Sure, if you’ve got the cash we all secretly like bling but I’d be tempted to see how much you ride one before spunking 2K on your first road bike.

Of course, on a superlight full carbon I’d have done under 3 hours instead….

If youre going to spend all the money on a road bike, get a de rosa. Just be warned that they are so beautiful it may take a lot of effort to stop looking at it and actually ride it (and god forbid, get it dirty).

Or, like someone else said, get a high end specialized allez, then blow the £2000-2200 on a mtb.

Giant, Specialized and Trek don’t make road bikes

you’ve got to go De Rosa, Colnago, pinarello, to get a real feel for it

Total, utter pish! But I’m up for a laugh, lets hear you try and justify that claim. Over to you…

“Yes, Tom Boonen just won Paris-Roubaix on a ……………?“

… custom built frame with Specialized stickers on

🙂

So does that mean that Rabobank and Astana are actually riding slicked up MTBs???

ladies, please

you’ll all realise soon enough that an italian frame with campag groupo is the only way to go, end of.

I’d go for something classic like a Colnago master or a handbuilt steel, then it won’t be out of date in 2 weeks

No, it will be out of date 10 years ago instead!

Don’t forget Lances Tour winning Trekolo’s.

those stock Ultegra equipped bikes at just over £2k like the 5.2 or equivalent Spesh etc are the minimium level I would be aiming at and then I would be looking to upgrade the wheels ASAP

Why?

as has been said you can everything you’ll ever want to do on a £600 road bike, from racing, time trials (just add aerobars), audax/sortives, club runs, training commuting. It might not be as quick as a £3000 bike or look as nice but it wont hold you back like a £600 MTB might in certain things. The you still have erm…… £2400 for a MTB and surely you can find a nice one for that price…or have I missed how this scheme works. If you’ve never done any road riding its a bit of a risk spluging £3000