i’m a novice to the tarmac world. which of these is preferable, or any alternatives to suggest?

http://www.formbycycles.co.uk/product/9270/Giant_TCR_Composite_2_Compact_Road_Bike_2011

http://www.noahsark.co.uk/specialized-roubaix-elite-sl2-2011-p-6700.html?sessid=or85vt9smmunr566sjtoj1c826

The Giant, the cable routing on that Specialized is an utter disgrace

(IANAroadie)
giant is a RACE bike, roubaix is bit more easy going I think
I bet both are great

easy going sounds ideal, really. want something i can just sit on and happily ride for hours.

What’s disgraceful about the Specialized cable routing?

Spesh.

They’ve moulded a very nice top tube profile and then chosen to cut costs and run the cable straight across the gap, it looks cheap and ruins what is by all other measures a very good bike in style that someone wrote above. It was fixed in later models I believe
.

Gasps*

OMG that Is an utter disgrace. I’m amazed they’ve sold any.

*not really

i could probably live with the cable routing, but sort of wish it hadn’t been pointed out!

Sorry 😯

i could probably live with the cable routing, but sort of wish it hadn’t been pointed out!

Don’t zoom in on the Giant on an iPad then like I just did. Guess what? (not quite as obvious though)

as an alternative you could get a ribble sportive with full 105 groupset for c£200 less than the specialized

personally wouldn’t have the giant because of the pressfit bottom bracket,
I like giants but i can’t see how pressfit on a bb is a good idea

and i’ve just looked at the specs on the spesh and they go with a “1 1/8″ to 1 3/8″ headtube”, why????

so I wouldn’t have either 🙂
I likes things standard I does

If you’re looking for audax type of bike I’ve been hankering for one of these
http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Tifosi-CK7-Audax-Classic-Veloce-2011-Road-Bike_31313.htm

I can’t rate the Roubaix highly enough, did LEJOG on one last year – 90 miles a day for 10 days, supremely comfortable, still a quick bike and when you are sat in the saddle, you can’t see the cables.
The Ribble is a good shout, just still a little less relaxed ride.

However, there is a new boy in the playground, getting some fantastic reviews.
MEKK Poggio 2G 105

In our local shop at £999, they are a new brand, but as soon as the 4G Primo with Ui2 is out, for £2,500 I’m a getting me one of those….!!!!

Wow…a gap under the cable 🙄

The Giant. Stiffness with comfort is their big thing.

Never liked the bits of cut up lilo Specialized stick in their frames.

i’m leaning towards the spesh, tbh. though the other contenders both look tempting in their own way!

I’ve got an older version of the roubaix, not been tempted to get anything else, perfectly good bike.

I have no experience of Giant but have a 2009 Roubaix. I like the frameset and the zertz do make long days on dodgy English roads bearable. But Specialized have used some shockingly poor components on that bike to keep the cost down.

The rear hub is a cup and cone model that dies after not many miles. I have a Roubaix and a mate has a Secteur with those wheels and freehub bearings have failed in under 1000 miles. The freehub then needs replacing and it’s cheaper to replace the whole hub with a 105.

The brakes are awful. There’s far more leverage in 105 brakes, so much so that you have to shorten the cable outer to accommodate the much longer arms.

Gingerbloke, I’ve literally just been reading about the Mekk. Where is the shop doing them at £999?

Edit: never mind, loads online at that price. Looks good.

Ye thats spesh is awful looking with that cable botch job.

if i buy one of these bikes, i’m probably going to be a bit too short of cash at first to get roadie pedals and shoes. will people point at, laugh at and hate me if i use my xtr spds and mtb shoes…? 😳

If you are an mtb’er looking for a comfy mile muncher then the speccy would be my choice, and if you live anywhere with good climbing the compact and 11-28 could well be a bonus. The giant would be a bit more lively and fun imho, but a bit less comfy on the long haul if the road is not your usual thing.

The giant Defy is their longer less sharp handling mileage machine, I have a Defy Advanced, the full carbon job with DT Swiss Tricon tubeless wheels and have done some centuries on it no problems where previous less forgiving frames had my back and wrists aching. I love mine.

Giant

£1k on your first road bike? Mental.

Get a second hand carrera or something of ebay to see if you like it/get an idea of sizing/fiddle with stuff without worrying about breaking it.

Mine cost me £150 and all I’ve done to it is change handlebars/stem and add mudguards, may not crabon loveliness or clad in some shiny groupset but I love it and will upgrade as things die.

But each to his own!

If it helps at all, I bought a TCR composite 2 as a first road bike over a month ago. It is a bloody dream to ride! It took a little getting used to, but I’m already putting in big rides in the peaks and planning longer and longer routes.
The only things changed have been the stock brake pads, which were scarily bad, and the bar tape following an off on some tram tracks 😕

As a side note, why the hell do manufacturers put white bar tape on bikes? Beige after two rides I tell thee…

B_L, that does help – thanks for the input. in the end i’ve gone for the spesh. got it ordered, very excited!

how soon do i need to shave my legs?

A few years ago Cannondale and Trek jointly held the crown of the ‘least desireable bike’. Now Spesh has the crown. The Roubaix in particular has very little going for in, in terms of desireability.

All IMO of course.

i don’t really know what that means, as i’m not sure i want anyone else to “desire” it anyway… 😕

flatboy – I went through similar debate a few months ago and went for the Giant Defy – more comfy geometry for road newbies – will post up link in a mo.

here

and here

cheers, but i have actually ordered the spesh this morning!

I’d get this if its the right size:

http://www.chevincycles.com/m49b0s371p7868/-TREK-Madone-4-5-C-2011

cheers, but i have actually ordered the spesh this morning!

Thats handy, you can hang your washing from the gawping top tube cable 😆

I’ve had a Roubaix Expert SL1 (which i think was the first model with the cranked rear stays with Zertz in) since 2007, & can’t recommend it highly enough, even now i’m amazed by how comfy it is on crappy west yorks roads. Constant clunking potholes & waiting for the inevitible pinch flat or big thump though the arse end which just never happens.

You’ll not be disappointed, I know a fair few people who are chuffed to bits with their Roubaixs.

excellent, can’t wait! 🙂

ok, so annoyingly there was a stock error with the spesh and they don’t have it my size after all. they’ve offered me the 2012 roubaix compact for the same price, which seems pretty tempting.

however, then i spotted this… http://planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/YBCL153103/planet_x_rt_57_sram_fforce_road_bike_extra_large_black_with_red

thoughts? 🙂

someone help me – i don’t have much time!

Relax fella; there are remarkably few lemons out there, so just get the one that you like the groupset and the look of.