Road bikes should be bought with the heart not a spec sheet.. You need to look at it and want to ride it.
The Planet X sizing guide is pretty good and if you go there they'll do a basic "sling a leg over it on a turbo" sizing for not (ask nicely).
By mail order, ring first and ask about swapping stems; they've been very nice about that with me.
That said when I got my first road bike I got a medium Planet X, which was great until my back settled into a road position over a few months.
I sold it on and got a large - one of the current Ultegra ones (brake callipers and chainset are not Ultegra - R565 instead which seems to be just below 105. The crank arms are not hollow and may get changed, but the brakes are fine).
Note that th OnOne / PX sizing seems pretty consistent - if you're a large on one bike, you're a large on all (my experience over 4 or 5 different frames from them).
What happened?
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/i-want-my-seatpost-to-fit-better-to-prolong-the-life-of
Road bikes should be bought with the heart not a spec sheet.. You need to look at it and want to ride it.
You'd end up with a mountain bike if you did that.
Just ditched my alloy/carbon GT roadie after three years and 6500miles.
Replaced it with a Ribble Grand Fondo with full Campag groupset for a grand.
The Ribble is leagues ahead in terms of comfort, weight, acceleration, handling. Much much nicer bike. Would definitely recommend the Ribble. I'm told it's made in the same factory as some of the De Rosa frames. The Planet X is essentially and old Trek frame.
Judging frame size by seat tube is misleading. I'm 5'10 and ride a 52cm frame. It's a Lapierre, has a virtual TT of 550mm making it longer than my previous 54cm Orbea, or the 55cm Bianchi I borrowed.
Verentis in Wiggle are apparently re-badged Ridleys and there's a few cheap, 105 for less than a grand going up to Dura Ace at 1500 😯
I've got a Ribble Gran Fondo, and while good value for money its definitely not "low end"! made in Italy by dedacciai the quality and ride are superb. I've got decent light deep rim wheels on and its bloody quick too. Would totally recomend
Review here
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/road/product/review-ribble-gran-fondo-210-39756
Caad8 or a caad10. Carbon frames in that price point are carbon because they're carbon, not carbon because of the performance benefits. I've had a few carbon bikes, best bike I've ever owned or ridden has been an alloy cannondale caad10 (albeit with a nice build)
made in Italy by dedacciai
made in the same factory as some of the De Rosa frames
The Planet X is essentially and old Trek frame.
hehe... keep them coming.
I heard Planet-X frames are made in a factory built on an ancient Indian burial ground.
Also, they are part owned by the NSA and every time you ride one, it steals your thoughts.
Someone's just ridden past on a PX.
It looked nice.
I'm waiting for a sausage & bacon barm. No sauce.
Updates later.
No sauce.
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I have a planet X RT-57 I bought last xmas. Its the SRAM Rival (mainly) for £999. At thet point, it was full customisable (stem, bar width, crank length, saddle etc) although that option doesnt seem available now.
Planet X frames are NOT old frames from someone else, they are designed by that chap above me^^. Mine looks good, handles well, and is very, very light. The only change I made was swapping the Tektro pads for KoolStop ones.
they are designed by that chap above me^^
I'm surprised Tommy Lee Jones has the time tbh....
blimey, it's not just thoughts they steal - Rusty's lost his [i][b]soul[/b][/i]I'm waiting for a sausage & bacon barm. [u]No sauce[/u].
I looked at the Planet X bikes when buying, they are nice bikes at a very competitive price point.
Unfortunately their sizing range means even the small is too big for me.
That's why I'm on a 44cm MEKK, and I've had to reduce the stem length on that.
It was very nice.
It was a take away barm.
You just don't know what you'll end up with, saucewise, on a TAB.
And I'm not a gambling man.
That's why I'm on a 44cm MEKK, and I've had to reduce the stem length on that.
I think i've seen someone on your bike:
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So my bike has ended up in Scotland???
Hartlepool, by the look of it.
You fancy a ride next weekend?
No sauce.
Currently sat here with a sore foot and not able to ride, so not sure if it will be ok by then - its been 3 months now and not getting better. Think an x-ray might be a good idea :/
No worries.
Drop us a line if you're fixed.
Hope you're better soon matey.
I bought a Ribble R872 frame & fork to tide me over till 2014 Canyons get released.
The problem now is that because I'm loving the R872 so much I just struggling to justify spending out on a Canyon.
Mine weighs in at 16.7lb with a mix of SRAM Force, ultegra and other leftovers from the spares box.
About this comfort thing, is it really true or not? Is it noticeable to the extent that you would specifically target a 'low end' carbon bike vs. a higher end Alloy bike? OK, i've only got one ride on the carbon Planet X bike I rented on holiday, but I certainly didn't think that it was more comfortable than my C'dale CAAD8 - it had the edge on performance (but it also had better wheels and top spec SRAM Red groupset). You still felt every blemish and texture of the road surface as I do on my CAAD8. Maybe on a more expensive bike you might feel something, especially a 'Roubaix' bike, but is it really going to be that noticeable? In terms of comfort I would have thought the overriding thing would be the bike geometry e.g. a full out race bike geometry vs. a bike with geometry designed for the 'Sportive' rider.
i can clip along at 23mph without trying
You are Bradley Wiggins and I claim my £5.
Well, ive no experience of like-for-like but my 'budget' MEKK frame and fork certainly smooth the road out markedly over my aluminium Boardman flat barred road bike, but that could be down to the better wheels on the MEKK over the Boardman.
All i can say is ive noticed the difference.
Al - i can when sat behind my mate anyway!:)
To be honest, id never really believed the hype about drafting etc. so the ride out on Thursday night was a revelation to me as to how fast you can go when someone else is doing the work!
OK, the road had a lot to do with it (Littleborough to Hebden Bridge av. 20.9mph)
