[Closed] Recommend a Road Bike

Fairlight are worth a look. Strael takes 32mm and the Secan is the more gravel orientated.
I’m looking at getting the Strael as a birthday present to myself later in the year. I already have a disc brake bike that takes 32mm tyres, it’s Uber comfortable as well, but it’s a tad dull looking.

The latest cannondales (supersix, systemsix) will take big tires upto 30mm. They are £££ though, and I've not seen many discounts so £2.5k ony gets you 105, albeit with a very highly refined frame, and the systemsix looks fast just sat in the shop!

Not sure why you'd look beyond this - https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/defy-advanced-1-2020

Well under budget. Providing it fits, and you have a good Giant LBS, crack on!

Cannondale Synapse takes up to 32mm. 2.5k gets you Dura-ace in last years model! (at Sport Pursuit)

Cube Attain series might take real world tyre measurements of 32mm, for example Continental 700x28 GP4000S IIs come out at ~31.6mm IIRC and they fit my one fine.

https://www.paulscycles.co.uk/1591/products/cube-attain-gtc-sl-disc-carbon-road-bike-2019-blackgrey.aspx is £1519, would leave plenty of cash to do a nice wheel upgrade if you were keen.

Attain geo is odd, as I've said before, I ride the 2016 Attain GTC Pro Disc in 58cm despite only being ~178cm tall and having a short cycling (not trouser) inseam of ~83cm.
https://www.cube.eu/en/2019/bikes/road/road-cyclocross/attain/cube-attain-gtc-sl-disc-carbonngrey-2019/

Have a look at the Focus Paralane. The Ultegra model will be within your budget.

Also check out the Cannondale Synapse DuraAce that Wheelbase are selling for £2.5k. Absolute steal at that price.

I’ve been shopping for similar recently. Think real world tyre width around 30 would suffice preferably tubeless. So thinking 28mm GP5000TLs.

Anyway had a Canyon Ultimate disc on order great prices on these compared to Specialized/Cannondale. Got fed up waiting for Canyon so ordered Giant TCR advanced Pro disc last night. 2019 model so heavily discounted to match Canyon prices. Lifetime warranty on frame to original purchaser v Canyons limited one. Will take 28mm tyres.

Can’t see me wanting to run wider than 30 on the road.

I’d have a look at Start Cycles if you like Cannondales

Don't discount the other brands. I have a Specialized Roubaix that's a joy to ride and i'm loving the Future Shock.

Don’t discount the other brands. I have a Specialized Roubaix that’s a joy to ride and i’m loving the Future Shock.

Not discounting them, just I am already aware of them.

Domane. Brilliant bikes.

I'd get a Roubaix if I was in the market, have a Future shock on my Diverge and its great.

Domane. Brilliant bikes.

Couldn't agree more, so good I've got two of the buggers

Another Domane rider here, so in usual STW fashion I'll recommend what I have! But that Giant posted above looks lush. And there's a Giant dealer 3 miles from me.....

I have a Domane, it’s very comfortable if that is what you’re after. But they are heavy and expensive in relative terms.
It’s a very stable nice bike, but I just find it a bit dull.
Mine is my winter bike, sees a fair bit of mileage on rough roads, with 32mm tyres it’s very very comfortable.
The newer version is even heavier and appears to be even less value for money.
9.9kgs for the Domane Sl5, (105 hydraulic disc) selling at £2450. Ultegra model is 9.3kgs and £3200. To get a 8.5kg Domane you need to be spending £6500. Weight isn’t everything, but 10kgs is a fair amount of weight for a modern road bike.

Hi

You have a bad weather disc bike. Buy a rim brake supper light road bike before they stop making them. Cannondale Supper 6 hm new or 2nd hand easily down to 6 kg few a few mod, newer ones up to 28 mm tubeless.
Enjoy.

Cube agree c:62, full ultegra, disc brakes, carbon bars and carbon seat post. 2019 models are going for £2k down from £2.5k. 28mm tyres 8.1kg.

You have a bad weather disc bike. Buy a rim brake supper light road bike before they stop making them. Cannondale Supper 6 hm new or 2nd hand easily down to 6 kg few a few mod, newer ones up to 28 mm tubeless.

But soon there will be limited choice in wheelsets for rim brakes.

I cant get past the weird cable routing by the stem on a Giant defy, so that's out.

I really liked the Madone, but its 2k for a tiagra equipped bike! add the extra weight, and the lack of road feedback and that's out too.
Current top of the list is this Scott. Well within budget, decent weight, can get it down a little les with some choice upgrades.

https://www.hargrovescycles.co.uk/35827/products/2020-scott-addict-20-disc-road-bike-in-grey.aspx

Is it just me that gets annoyed by - some amazing frame sets mentioned above, perfectly good group sets, most come with £100 wheels!

I had same with my supersix. Lovely frame, ultegra kit, basic navic wheels. The bike felt pretty disappointing to start. When I eventually saved up and splashed a other £800 on wheels it made a huge difference!

To OP - choose on frame and wheels, other components have much less effect. But it's hard to find a decent set up like that in shops.

Some are drooling over the CAAD13 Disc, it might take 32mm tyres according to https://road.cc/content/review/269731-cannondale-caad13-disc-105-2020

These days it's not just cheap wheels that bike manufacturers are often skimping out on, watch out for the sneaky switch to https://bike.shimano.com/en-US/product/component/shimano/FC-RS510.html cranksets.

Well specced for the cash and takes 32mm...

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/vitus-zenium-crs-road-bike-ultegra-2020/

Wheels will be better than a lot of the bigger brands sacrificial offerings, they are under 1,600g apparently.

Well specced for the cash and takes 32mm…
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/vitus-zenium-crs-road-bike-ultegra-2020/
Wheels will be better than a lot of the bigger brands sacrificial offerings, they are under 1,600g apparently.

I was looking at that last night. Quite a low front end by all accounts. Not sure I am flexible enough for that any more (at my age)

Looks like it could be higher than that Addict from the geometry.

It is their "sportive" model, the Vitesse is the racey one - which is more comparable to an Addict.

If you're the right size this looks like a bargain

https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/radon-spire-disc-9.0-799732

carbon, ultegra, 7.8Kg, 28 GP5000s

I've had a Giant Defy for a few years, think it's a great bike but haven't ridden any other road ones. Just took it out for a test ride, felt it would do the job. Worked out fine.

Thinking of changing this year - going to throw a leg over a Ribble SL disc or the Sonder Colibri Ti.

Timely thread, as I’m looking at the same price point.

Seems to be a choice of (i) 105 hydro and spend the cash saved on a better wheel set, or (ii) Ultegra Di2 but put up with average wheels for a year or two.

I have a 6yr old Defy carbon which is still ok, so want to make sure new bike is a noticeable step up

Option (iii) is obviously spend £1k on new wheels and £1k on Ultegra Di2 for the current bike.

£380 will get you a great set of disc wheels. Might not be aero or deep dish but will be a huge improvement over stock wheels. Nice and light, which on most disc brake bikes, will be very welcome.
I’m going for a £3.5k Strael with Di2. It won’t be any faster than my Domane or lighter, but it will sure as heck look better.
I’ve got 40mm deep wheels on the Domane, they’re just for show. Not particularly light or aero, but they look better than the shallow rims. It has 105, which to be fair has been absolute faultless. I have Di2 on my good weather bike, also very good, not £1000 better, but I do prefer it.
On a wheels perspective, I’ve had all sorts over the years, ranging from standard that came on a cheap bike through to £2k 50mm Carbon wheels. I’ve personally found such little performance between a £500 set of wheels and a similar set that are a grand more expensive. But there’s a huge difference between a £500 set and the ones that come on a cheap bike.
Ric, I’m the worst person to give advice as I’m regularly getting a new bike, but I’d recommend a test ride. From approx 6 years ago, I’m guessing you have a rim brake Defy. You may find the braking much better, along with the ability to run 32mm tyres gives huge confidence in the wet or on descents, also you may have been limited to a 28 cassette, whereas now lots of endurance bikes come with a 30 or a 32 as standard.
I don’t think I’d upgrade such an old frame, but then I’m a bit of an idiot and like new shiney bikes.

I'd recommend taking a look at some of the Ribble offerings if you can get over the brand snobs.

I'd got one of the Endurance ones as a winter bike, seriously considering a carbon disk one for the summer. Ultegra for 1800 quid seems a decent price.

This one maybe for you? Ribble CGR

I would get a Trek Emonda SL5 disc and upgrade the wheels

I was looking for same thing a few weeks ago and went for the Cannondale Synapse Dura Ace as mentioned above, £2.5k from Wheelbase. I swapped the tyres to Conti GP5000TL 32mm as soon as it landed.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Went with the Scott Addict in the end. Figured its a good balance between frame compnonents with enough cash left over to upgrade the wheelset. I really liked the look of the Madone and the Roubaix but the extra gadgets in the frame boost the price up at the expense of the groupset.
I have been down the comfort above all else route before and didn't like it. I bought a steel framed bike with 28mm tyres. It did such a good job of smoothing out the road surface that it was as dull as ditchwater to ride. I need some feedback from the road.
Arrives next weekend, so looking forward to swinging a leg over it. Never owned a Scott before, which was also a factor in the choice.