Seems if you want to buy a frame then you either want a cheep winter training bike or £1500+ on the top of the range model (sometimes even beyond that, it’s the best they make, then they pick the lightest ones off the production line!).

How come there’s no Cannondale Super Six’s, Felt F4, Scott foil, etc, Ok there are frame only options but they’re £1800-£2500, compared to the lower models with less bling carbon fibres sellign complete bikes for £1400-£2000, where are the ~£700 frames?

Basically why is there very little competition for Planet-X from the big brands?

I think you can get some of the higher end giant frames for around £1.6k, and canyon do their top end frames (ridden by pros in the tdf etc.) for around the £1.3k mark.

Buying frame only is always quite pricey though.

That’s what i mean, there’s the top end £1600+ frames, then there’s kinesis etc doing cheep aluminum winter training frames, but none of the big boys sell their mid range frames. Surely there’s more markup on a frame only as they must sell the groupsets etc almost at cost on the full bikes?

I can’t be the only roadie who started 10 years ago with a wheel bike and now have a frame with nice bits on it (nicer than say a new £2k bike) but want’s soemthing new, without having to spend either £1600 on a frame, £2500 to get a better bike, or £1500 to sell all the bits?

Custom?

I’m in the same situation as you. Trying to decide whether to sell it and rebuy, or to just buy a new frame. Taking my time, hoping something pops up that is too good to say no to, but nothing so far.

because there is no market for it. Same as you can’t buy a middle of the road mainstream mtb frame

Cervelo S1 @ £800, and their RS @ £1200, two very nice frames

Have you seen these?

http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/frame-forks/frames-road/moser-frames/

or abot planet x bit…

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/pp/road-track-bike/Road-Bike-Frames/FRAR

Custom?

Never really seen the point, 30 years ago when everything was steel and it probably cost the same to make whatever you liked from whatever pipe you liked than make stock bikes it probably made sense. But these days is there much point to a custom steel frame beyond being unique for the sake of it? You can even buy a choice of tens (at least) of steel frames off the shelf, the days of being limited to your local builder are long gone. The Cannondale Super Six Evo is probably 1/3 of the weight of a custom steel frame, and the same price.

between their own brand frames and the Guerciotti one Planet X stock frames from £99 to £1500 in pretty much £100 increments

Far better idea to just bite the bullet and buy new. Technology moves on so quickly these days, so buy new to get the best stuff.

I’d also forget about the ‘bike for life’ thing unless you want to be riding the equivalent of an Austin Allegro in 10 years time.

You can get frames, I know MK Cycles in Bolton were ebaying a couple, but then you end up putting slightly worn kit on, bit like wearing old undies…

Why not consider a Condor? they’ve got this image of being really expensive, but they’re really not. Absolutely beautiful bikes for the money, and would be my choice over a cannondale/spesh/trek/generic alloy frames any day of the week.

Condor Potenza Frameset

http://www.condorcycles.com/2011-Range/9451-Condor-Acciaio-2011/flypage.tpl.html

I’m sure there’s a lot more out there. I’ll have a think…

Why are there very few mid-range road bike frames?

possibly, because ‘cheap’ frames are actually very good?

(what’s wrong with a planet X pro-carbon for £300?)

possibly, because we’ve been won over by the marketing, and consider a £140 aluminium frame as a ‘bit too cheap’…

Basically why is there very little competition for Planet-X from the big brands?

(i’m guessing again) because the big brands can’t compete? – their overheads must be much higher (pro teams, marketing, distribution, shop mark-up rates, etc.)

I guess not exactly a mainstream brand, but you can get frames from Van Nicholas from about £850.

Far better idea to just bite the bullet and buy new. Technology moves on so quickly these days, so buy new to get the best stuff.

I’d also forget about the ‘bike for life’ thing unless you want to be riding the equivalent of an Austin Allegro in 10 years time.

10 speed DA
Handbuilt wheels, stans rims, Ultremo ZX tyres
PX Forged brakes
FSA carbon chainset
Ritchey WCS bar stem, lizard skin DSP tape
Canyon VCLS post, Selle italia saddle

There’s really nothing on it that I’d immediately think to replace apart form the rather battered looking frame.

(what’s wrong with a planet X pro-carbon for £300?)

Nothing at all (well I’ve never ridden one, it might be horrible for all i know), but they’ve never really caught my imagination. Ditto Ribble. The closest I’ve seen/found to something fitting the bill is the Dolan Ares.

Thats probably decent

http://www.canyon.com/_en/roadbikes/bike.html?b=2529

Comes with a decent stem, post and forks

Custom built for not to much

http://www.brianrourke.co.uk/brian-rourke-road-race-frameset-pricelist-p-666.html?cPath=86

Cos people buying frame only are either looking to build a dream bike to their custom spec (hence the very top end frames) or are looking for a cheap winter hack which they’ll just bang any old part worn kit on.

Buying a mid range frame only is more expensive and more hassle than just buying a complete bike. You’re dealing with the Ford Mondeo market basically. In fact, if you want a decent mid range frame, buy a nice bike in the sales, strip it, sell the new components then put all your old kit on it. Or just retire what you’ve got into winter/hack duties and buy a new bike anyway… 😉