Hi all
Have around 2k to spend on a new race bike. Have been looking at the Cube GTC and Lapierre alu thingy. Anyone got any ideas on other choices?
I'd also be interested in seeing pics just to get inspired - a month until my bonus turns up and I'm getting excited.
Cheers
For £2000 it's gotta be one of these from eBay with some nice kit:
That one comes to 20lbs, probably take it to some of the flatter, or wetter courses. Or... this is my main race bike for this season:
Spoilt for choice!
Both lovely - I'm thinking the Fuel is probably a little more than my budget though!
Have you ridden the ebay special yet? It looks pretty good for the price
go on then... 
Yep, been out a couple of times on it, very impressive. It's lighter, more comfortable and far cheaper than my last foray into hardtails, an S-Works carbon.
My only reservation is how long it will last, but I've yet to see a single report of any problems. You could get some SIDs, an XT groupset and some light wheels if you shop carefully, that'd be a 23lb bike probably!
Giant is lovely
Njee20 - I'm thinking my next one will be carbon of some sort - seems like a cheap way to get into it. Definately one for the list
While I'm thinking about it, what length races are you doing njee? I'm down for the MSG series this summer for the hour long ones - I'm wondering if there's much benefit to going FS
oh, the giant comes in at 23lbs... but i can shave another lb off by changing the seat, seatpost and handlebars =) It is carbon btw... Im thinking of upgrading it at the end of the year, getting the new xtc advanced frame, it looks lovely!
With cullen-bay. Had to make a few tweeks for racing. Longer stem and stiffer forks
While I'm thinking about it, what length races are you doing njee?
Bit of everything. Mainly Expert level XC, so c2hrs, but also doing some off road triathlons which are more likely to be an hour or so, and some 12 and 24 hour races, probably in a team this year.
FS for me is more about the efficiency than the comfort. On a rough course you can just sit in the saddle and turn the pedals over, on a hardtail you have to keep moving in and out of the saddle, I generally find it slower.
Funny thing is XC race bikes are such light bikes, yet racing is brutal as you just steam into and over everything. Those Fof forks just bottomed out under race pressure. Now it runs Marzochis that I like because the ATA switch graduates from lock out to full squish and everything in between.
Well well within budget, could probably buy two.
But you also tolerate a lack of comfort for racing, bouncing off stuff is par for the course!
The newer Giant's do look nice, their top ones with all the blue bits for 2010 look great!
Rocky Mountain Vertex 70, Say no more. 
Sorry didnt really read your original post.
firstly- the cube reaction gtc is a superb bike- ive seen and tried one of my friends' ones.
secondly- they have already sold out of them in most places, and i believe cube have run out of them...
they still have some in stock at crc, get one while you can, they wont last long, and once they're gone they've gone.
I would go for the cube over the Lapierre any day, the cube is a lovely carbon frame, and will be faster (the only draw back of the gtc race is the SRAM)
Heavy wheels, reckon you could still go lighter in budget, and that's where it really matters.
yeah, upgrading the wheels to something lighter would be an advantage- but the flip side is that the stock bike comes with Shimano XT, Rockshox SID race forks and a Carbon frame... wheels are 1800grams and should be the first place to upgrade if you can...
Mine doesn't really compare to any of yours but its all I can afford on a paper round budget and birthday money, 
Would like to make it a bit lighter but I am on a pretty tight budget
Still reckon you could go lighter/better specced on an eBay frame!
Back of a fag packet maths I reckon you could go XT/XTR with some £400 wheels and a SID fork for under £2000.
tootin- im 15, and built my bike up through my wages!!
how do u get that sort of money, I scrape £15 a week for an hour every day
Do you get a guarantee with the e-bay frame?
If not, it may be worth buying a cube/giant over the e-bay frame, even if the frame is the same (or better)!
If so then go for the e-bay one... built with Stans 355 on pro3 hubs built with XTR kit... simples..
Mines just for 1 hour races , I do more cross.
Most popular bike on my local scene is the Anthem.
tootin- I was quite lucky to get a job in my LBS aged 14... a month after i started I bought that XTC carbon frame for 300... built it up over time, this is its second year racing 
cullen do you work for square wheels?
I did the same as C-B, started working in the LBS when I was 13, then was doing full time in the school hols from 14, did facilitate having some incredibly nice bikes at a young age!
You don't get a written warranty, but they say they're keen to help with any problems. They're very popular on Weight Weenies and I don't know of anyone who's actually had any problems.
I'd go for something lighter than the Pro 3s personally for racing! Or maybe do that and get some tarty finishing kit to drop the weight.
i couldnt afford a lighter than 1500g set of wheels this year njee! hah.
and nonk- I aint saying nought.... how did you know, and who are you?
i looked at your fine blog in your profile.
i worked as a rep a few years back and used to make the epic trip up to see square wheels, probably some of the nicest folks i met in the trade.
bet its a nice place to graft.
It's a fantastic place to work! 
That's lucky, as it's several hundred miles from anywhere
Any excuse to show off mine -
Nice guys there. When I did the 1st Puffer I went up with a Giant dealer, they were big into them. I always fancied Cube but dealers are a bit thin on the ground down here.
Squarewheels still do all levels of giant and cube...
Nice....
Bar ends, love em but they cause chaos on the first bend. 
Whereabouts are you Oldgit?
Nowt wrong with bar ends, I'm still getting used to the riser bar on my bikes, reckon I may go back to flats/bar ends on the hardtail at least!
This is my rigid SS, another matching one on the way which will be a front suspended geared bike. There are a couple excess in the first batch arriving next week if anyone's interested.
I admire the spec on that, particularly the DV46s, but I think it's a hideous bike!
Oldgit is fairly local to me Nick.
ooh harsh 
hey up sam did you ride 10 around kiry last year?
njee20 - Member
I admire the spec on that, particularly the DV46s, but I think it's a hideous bike
each to their own, I wasn't super enthused about the no name carbon to be honest 
lucky we all have different needs/tastes really.
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