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Looking for a carbon road bike around the 1K price point.Any suggestions? Ribble R872 or Sportive Racing have caught my eye...
new?
Ah...when I saw the title I assumed it was a typo...and it was.
You wouldn't get much for £100!
Oh Arse...Lol. Yes title is a typo. Should be £1000 and yes new.
Defy Zero. Rides better than cheap carbon. Doesn't have the same [s]golf club car park[/s] sportiviste bragging rights though, if that matters to you.
I have a the Defy 1 and its the comfiest road bike I've had, including carbon. Also takes guards for winter.
Though it doesn't have those new fangled disc stopping contraptions.
yes but you can lock up the wheel with a rim brake so nobody, nowhere, ever needs discs.
You clearly have no idea how utterly shite the rim brakes on a Defy are!
Why do people seem to think that locking the wheel is a good thing for a brake to do?
Do you realise what happens when you lose traction whilst cornering?
Braking is about finding the point JUST BEFORE the wheels lose traction, finding it fast, finding it in all conditions and not having that point move due to uncontrollable factors.
i.e. exactly what disc brakes do.
I'm kind of looking for something similar to the op but knowing absolutely shag all about road bikes/group sets etc how does this stack up for 1k? http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXSLPRIV22/planet-x-pro-carbon-sram-rival-22-road-bike
Any Ribble owners out there?
How are Kuota Kharma's rated. Just been to look at a 2nd hand Evo with China Carbon rims. Looks real nice imust admit but would it be harsh on a sportive of 60 miles + ?
Or a Canyon Ultimate CF SL 7?
[quote=shanta ]would it be harsh on a sportive of 60 miles + ?
Depends how wide your tyres are and how much air you put in them (far more than the difference between any road frames).
There's one Planet X Rt-58 left in large in their pick and mix. £400 leaving £600 for wheels, group set, cables and headset. The pick and mix includes the rest.
http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/ZXMAYPXRT58C/planet-x-rt-58-carbon-road-frameset-pick-n-mix-bundle
Orbea Avant @ cycle Surgery for £1099
They any good igm?
I have a Ribble R872 and love it.
Highly rate the frame and once you have it can then add better groupset etc as and when you want to.
Good to hear bookwyse, What groupset and wheels you go for and what is comfort like ?
That Orbea looks like a winner to me.
Seems to have the same frame as the higher end versions and 11-speed 105 is a great groupset, you even get a 105 chainset instead of FSA like a lot of brands offer.
Wheels won't be the best, but then they won't be on a PX or Ribble either.
Boardman.
Planet X bikes are nice. I have an RT 57 SRAM Rival. Hard to beat in value for a grand.
I've a Dolan L'Etape with sram rival - cost 1k about 18 months ago.
It's a great bike, geometry is a little racy for some so you have to watch the sizing. I'm 5'10 and have a 52cm, but should have bought the next size down 48cm which is tiny for my height. I run an 80mm stem on mine as a result to get the correct reach.
I've done around 2k miles in the last year or so including a Paris to Geneva trip last year. The frame and forks have been great. The standard wheels not so much - broke 3 spokes on the rear coming into Geneva... so they've been upgraded. I'd also probably go for the campagnolo version now as It's cheaper and the sram rival hasn't been all that reliable, needing lots of tweeting to get it to feel right.
On the plus side you get a great frame and fork.
I ordered mine with the Sora and basic wheels as it was done in the cycle to work scheme.
However it is now running with full Ultegra and either Mavic elite, Mavic R sys SL or Planet X carbpn rims.
Comfort wise I have done the Prydential Ride London, Etape Cycmru etc on it plus a few other 150+ rides without any problems. It is setup in quite an aggresive position with the carbon bars, seat post and seat so good bibs help prevent any chaffing.
If your in the Kent area and fancy looking and trying it out you are more than welcome to.
shanta - Member
They any good igm?
Tell you in a bit (ish). I'm building up an RT-58 to replace a Planet X Pro Carbon.
The ProC was a little low at the front for an old and inflexible type like me and at 16st a little flexible at the front with its 1 1/8 head tube. Otherwise a very decent frame - not the best but not the most expensive.
I've got the RT-58 which should sort those two issues but I haven't ridden it yet. It looks very nicely done and others seem to like it so it's looking hopeful. Be next weekend before the last bits I need arrive though.
Another vote for Planet X Pro Carbon
Sorry but it's that Orbea all day long. They actually design their bikes rather than pick a page from a factory catalogue, theyre a bike manufacturer with a presence in the pro peloton rather than a mail order old stock clearing house. 105 11spd is offensively good (better than my 10spd Ultegra even if didn't have the extra cog).
Trek have the Emonda with Tiagra group set for £1000 . Brand new frame this year , great reviews , big manufacturer and great back up . Lower spec group set than some others but most likely a better frame . All carbon frames are not created equal .
[quote=Ramsey Neil ]All carbon frames are not created equal .
Indeed. Some have more marketing than others.
Both of my kids have Planet X pro-carbons. They are really nice bikes, one has the SRAM Rival version and the other the Ultegra. not sure how they do it for £1K!!
My eldest upgraded his wheels to RS81s and it is a very nippy ride!
Sorry but it's that Orbea all day long. They actually design their bikes rather than pick a page from a factory catalogue, theyre a bike manufacturer with a presence in the pro peloton rather than a mail order old stock clearing house. 105 11spd is offensively good (better than my 10spd Ultegra even if didn't have the extra cog).
Yep, that does look a very good deal, subject to test ride of course.
As above, picking the cheapest crabon fribe frame from a Chinese catalogue and badging it up is easy, and cheap.
How are Orbea viewed as a manufacturer versus the big guys? (Coming from a roadie noob).
As crashtest said, they supply some decent pro teams. They won't make their own frames, but then not many brands do.
I would get one without hesitation.
They won't make their own frames, but then not many brands do.
I'd rather see someone design their own, and have someone else build them, than just buy whatever's going cheap in the Huong Feng Dung Wang factory catalogue! 😉
Orbea are an interesting bunch, doing some innovative things (Such as their headtube badge/cable guide set up). Not to my tastes, but I've known people who have loved theirs. Well worth a look. CS are doing those as a bit of a bargain, so worth seeing if there's a branch nearby.
Canyon Endurace CF 7.0 - £1099. Same frame as the £2300 Dura Ace version but with 11 speed 105.
Wheels are a bit heavy and dull, but you can upgrade those once you've got some miles in.
That Orbea is an excellent bike. Not a mainstream UK bike, but a real bike company with a pro-peleton presence.
Paul cycles are also selling TCR Advanced for £1099. This is a do it all race bike built around a frame that used to sell for more than the price of the bike. Tiagra groupset is no bad thing (but 105 11spd is a lot nicer) but the frame is outstanding.
Between the Orbea and the Giant sums up your choices; higher spec parts and a slightly lower spec frame, or vice versa. It's not an easy choice and you'd be happy with either.
I'm not a fan of Planet X. Ribble are a better choice, but for me, a signed up giant fanboi, i'd pick the Orbea.
Go on then, why are Ribble better than Planet X?
I'm not saying they aren't - just curious.
Might pop and look at the Orbea later..
Go on then, why are Ribble better than Planet X?
Disclaimer: I haven't ridden a PX - but reviews seem to say the basic model is a bit flexy (pro carbon?).
I've got a Ribble carbon bike and it's stiff, comfy enough and has nice sharp geometry despite being a "sportive" and winter bike.
It's also better than the basic carbon Boardman I used to have. But nowhere near as nice as a proper posh carbon frame.
For £1000 full bike I wouldn't touch carbon with a barge pole. ESPECIALLY a Boardman or a PX. I've seen some actual strength/stiffness/compliance test data and you're better off with a nice alloy frame at that price, believe me.
All carbon frames are not created equal
This. 1000 times this. Just because it's carbon doesn't automatically make it better/stiffer/lighter. Some of the cheap stuff it utter shite.
Hmmm. Read the flexiness stuff with a pinch of salt I reckon.
As I said I'm rebuilding my bike around a PX RT-58 frame and moving the PX ProC on. Now partly that is because the front end flexes a little with its narrow by carbon standards 1 1/8 steerer. But mainly it's because I want a slightly higher front end.
And at 16st I flex most stuff.
The ProC was certainly good enough to get me round the TdY sportive (142km, around 2500m ascent) albeit slowly but that's 16st on the ups and torrential rain on the downs.
The flex in the front end has never been bad enough to affect the handling, though occasionally the back end does skip about a little when breaking hard on a steep descent - nothing you can't control. Reviews mention BB flex when climbing. Once again I'm 16st and I can't detect anything particularly bad - yes it flexes so do most bikes when I get on them. Only dead BSO, more steel than Sheffield, bikes don't flex under me.
Nice Scott here for £1099 , 105 groupset and instock !
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m7b8s6p6158/SCOTT-SOLACE-30-COMPACT-2014
Read the flexiness stuff with a pinch of salt I reckon.
This was actual lab test data. if I recall correctly the PX was something like 43% more flexible laterally than the alloy frame it was tested against. I've chucked the printout away now, or I'd post it up on here.
Some really good info here guys. Cheers for your help so far
PP - I don't disbelieve you.
What does that mean in the real world though?
How stiff / flexible does a bike need to be? How much flex is desirable? How much force does a rider actually put through a frame and how many mm does that move the frame?
The other thing is that carbon can be allowed to flex a little more than aluminium because of fatigue limits. Other things being equal of course.
I can't help feeling the proof is how things feel on the ride, not in the lab. And yes I know that leaves you with a subjective proof - if such as thing exists.