Forum menu
There are some new Triban road bikes coming out in April it seems. I fancy one of them. Firstly there's the Triban 500 which is basically the same as previous Triban 5, Carbon fork, Sora groupset bits (hopefully latest/2014) for £450. Then there's the Triban 500SE which is the same fork and frame but with lower spec bits from Microshift for £370.
I'm tempted by the 500 with Sora for £450 as if I went for the 500SE I can see me upgrading bits shortly....but then again maybe the 500SE is the way forward as it will be perfectly usable, and can upgrade with 'better than Sora' bits when things wear....depends really if Sora is ok(ish)?
Decathlon may offer a reduction in price on the current Triban 5 (currently £430) when the new ones are out, which would be tempting.
Also what else is there from other manufacturers for Triban 500 (£450) money?
In true STW fashion I'll recommend what i've got!!
Bought a Triban 5 in Jan, very impressed with it. I don't know anything about road bikes really but it seems very well made, specc'd and looks great. I'd rather have a compact chainset than a triple but no biggy really.
[img][url= http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2285/12968943524_e35557f9b2_o.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/55623703@N05/12968943524/ ]Untitled[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/55623703@N05/ ]Adam Branston[/url], on Flickr[/img]
The lights and reflectors came on the bike. Rear lights not bad actually, for free anyway.
I have the old 3 in red and a mate has the 5. Really like them both. The 3 has weak wheels and a shocking saddle but decent overall for the cash. IMO you get a lot for your money at decathlon and as long as you don't "need" a brand on your frame you'll do just fine with the 5 either old or new.
Have a look at merlin cycles, both their own brand and sensa range.
Merlin maven - full sora groupset, carbon fork for £400
http://www.merlincycles.com/merlin-maven-road-bike-55803.html
Merlin maltR - full tiagra 10sp £500
http://www.merlincycles.com/merlin-malt-r-road-bike-2013-60087.html
Sensa umbira - carbon fork, sora 3x9 for £509
http://www.merlincycles.com/sensa-umbria-sora-special-57913.html
Sensa prima special - ally fork, shimano 24 sp for £424
http://www.merlincycles.com/sensa-prima-special-57921.html
Sora will be fine.
I've been riding on 2300 gears for the last 2 years/4000 miles. They've been flawless. Adjusted the rear derrailiuer cable once after a couple of weeks and that's it. Ridden all through two winters with only occasional cleaning and everything is still working fine.
They change gears whenever I want - I've never thought "the gears on this bike are shit"
Sora is the next step up, so you should be good
The Merlin ones look good, only problem is I can't go and sit on them for sizing. I think I'm going to need a 58-60cm frame. I'm 183cm tall and my MTBs are Large/19" frames
There is a Cycling Active review of the 500SE, which on the whole is very positive, apart from a bit in the author's conclusion.
"And this is why (weight of 10.6kg) the B'Twin is not a giant killer. It'll take on and beat many bikes twice or three times the price, but ultimately , those are still lower-priced bikes"
Almost as if he doesn't want to admit how good it actually is...
[url= http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXRT58ALUTIA/planet-x-rt-58-alloy-shimano-tiagra-road-bike ]Planet X RT-58[/url] is going to be my next purchase, I've been comparing for ages.
The Merlin Malt R is fantastic value for money. I looked at one last year when I was considering buying a Ridley from them. The Ridley didn't fit me too well, and I didn't try a Malt R as it was slightly over my budget at the time at £600, and had an even longer ETT length than the Ridley that was too large for me.
I've also tried the red Triban 3, and the Triban 5. I ended up buying the Triban 3 as it was my first road bike, and I wasn't sure if I would like it. As someone else said the wheels on the Triban 3 have a poor reputation, but I thought the wheels fitted to the 5 were the same? This may put you off, but the warranty from Decathlon is first rate so they will replace parts for you should you need it.
The Triban 5 was definitely nicer to ride, but I figured by the time I had replaced the wheels I could have bought a better bike from the start, so bought the 3 with the intention of replacing the wheels when the hubs fail.
If I were you I would strongly consider the Malt R, here's a link to the geometry for it
It has a better groupset, and is 10 speed so much more future proof. If you end up replacing the wheels on a Triban 5 it would have cost you more than the Malt R, and it will have a lower spec group set.
The Planet X looks nice but is out of my price bracket. Anything from Halfords or Evans Cycles worth a look?
EDIT:
Thanks Drewd, will look at the Malt as an option, although I'm not keen on its looks!
Got the previous Traiban 5 (white painted)and it's hard to fault*. The new one has the new Sora group and is £50 cheaper. Utter bargain.
* The wheels are strong/heavy enough for CX but round and sturdy and the tyres are pretty awful but an easy upgrade.
Few others I've seen about:
[url= http://www.cyclesurgery.com/pws/UniqueProductKey.ice?ProductID=CGIA0777WS&gclid=CODknbX-_rwCFQcTwwodylYAyQ&gclsrc=aw.ds ]Giant Defy 4[/url]
[url= http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/revolution-continental-13?bct=browse%2fbicycles%2froad-bikes ]Revolution Continental '13[/url]
Triban 5 still looks good though!
My wife's got an older Triban 3 it's with the carbon fork and Shimano Sora, it's an awesome little bike for the money!
I have the old, red Triban 3. I like it, though it's the only road bike I've ever had, so I'm hardly qualified. Gets used for commuting mainly, and a few road miles in the summer. My main gripe is the levers, you can't shift up from the drops (rear), and they're 8 speed so if I want to upgrade, I'll have to change everything. Everyone says the tyres are crap too, though I can't say I've noticed. Overall, great value little run-around.
Beware though, they can be an absolute swine to get mudguards to fit properly. I have never endured such trauma.
My TriBan3. Picked up frame & forks cheap. Bought the rest SH off here. RS30 wheels make a big difference.
8.7kg on the scales. First modern road bike I've had, so don't have anything to compare it to. I don't ride it much, but it feels fast after the MTB. Cost about £270 all told. Frame is Italian apparently.
[url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7291/9704058382_6ccce4b0d0_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/takisawa2/9704058382/ ]IMAG1680[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/takisawa2/ ]pten2106[/url], on Flickr
My old man has the 5, the red one with Sora kit and I think it is cracking for the money. The wheels are not as bad as made out, they're heavy but they've stayed true under my fathers considerable bulk and lack of finesse. The tyres were the only thing we swapped, they cracked within a weeks or 2, but a pair of tyres from my spares pile sorted it out a treat.
I really can't think of a better value road bike.
I got a Rec Triban 3 back in August and its my first road bike but I think its great. I didn't want to spend a lot of money as I didn't know if I'd like the riding position so got one of these.
It's been a good bike. I've probably done only a few hundred miles, but it seems comfy enough and I did one ride of 67 miles without getting off and walking like John Wayne.
I have changed the tyres after an incident with a roundabout and the bike going from under me leaving me sat in the road, but the wheels seem ok but, to be honest, as long as they go round I wouldn't know any difference.
Regarding the mudguards, yeah its tight. I mangaged to get these to fit without much grief
http://www.merlincycles.com/sks-chromoplastic-mudguards-700c-road-55368.html
But I had the rear tyre catching on the guard where it meets the chainstay bridge so just warmed it up with a lighter and pushed it away with a spoon to give a couple of mm clearance. Like I said, its tight with the guards, so tight the rear skewer has to come out completely when taking the rear wheel off else it won't clear the tabs.
Had mine for about 3 years now, it was a "Sport 2" instead of Triban, but AFAIK it's basically the same model - carbon fork, Sora gears, etc.
I'm very happy with it, and would certainly recommend it to anyone who wants a bike at that price. I paid 550€ for it.
The wheels are a bit heavy, but they run straight and do the job. I have since changed them to Aksiums, but that was only because I wanted something a bit lighter (rather than any real problem).
Should also say I've done a 200km Pyrenean sportive twice with it, and it's been fine.
My wife has a Triban 3 (red/sora), like others, bought to see if she enjoyed road riding, she loves it! It's been going for 15 months and over 1.5k miles, the rear wheels had the bearings replaced once and there on the way out again but apart from a couple of gear tweeks, it's been great.
On the lookout for some decent second hand wheels to replace the originals and if I can't find any PX are knocking Shimano R501's out for £60.
Looking good for a Triban 5/500 then. Although do I get the full Sora spec one for £450 or the lesser spec SE for £370, with Microshift etc?
Although do I get the full Sora spec one for £450 or the lesser spec SE for £370, with Microshift etc?
For that difference in price I'd go full spec - Sora's guaranteed to work well together, there's no guarantee how smooth it will be with a mix. Probably be fine, but...