First Road Bike – Help Narrowing Down

Fit matters way more on road bikes imo/e ap you barely move around when riding, unlike mtb.

aP Lower end DT and Mavic wheelsets are made in Giants production facilities.And a suprisingly large number of other frames/components (including the 3.5frame!!!).

Ok – doesn’t surprise me, however that doesn’t mean that Giant owns DT Swiss surely?

Try the Giant TCR before you exclude it.
I got an Advanced1 and find it superb. Long rides and long climbs it really does perform.
Really noticed it since riding the winter Ragley cragvale.
Never realised just how big a difference a couple pounds and a great frame made!

Thanks for all your thoughts, its really difficult to narrow things down as most of my buying decision is based on looks alone which is a dangerous and probably costly approach.
Im going to have a busy week trying to get on as many bikes as I can. Im getting the impression that the Trek is coming out as a strong all rounder. (not forgetting the TCR too).
Does the Trek have a way better frame than say the Giant or Cube to justify the price vs Groupset choice.

Then I like the look of the Specialized Roubaix Elite, but thats £1800 with 105 spec, is the cost in the brand or frame.

Id be interested in the stock weights of the Giant, Trek & Specialized?

I ride a carbon TCR and have done for a few years. Its quite low and stretched out, and if thats racy then so be it.
I ride it for recreation, no racing, and its great.

As for bikefit, biggest scam ever. Complete waste of money. Things have definitely moved on from sizing bikes by seeing if your nuts clear the toptube, but its not ‘science’. Everyone should ride a bike that is the right size, but it really does not need a session of measuring and changing parts to find a perfect bike.

If i were buying a new bike today, it would be a carbon canyon in pink fwiw

Does the Trek have a way better frame than say the Giant or Cube to justify the price vs Groupset choice.

Of all the bikes you’ve chosen for your shortlist, the Giant will have the best frame for definite. Giant, as has been stated already, makes half the frames in the world for other manufacturers anyway, but they always reserve the latest and best technologies for their own frames. The Defy is a lovely bike, I’ve got a cheap ally version and it rides way better than the price would suggest, and a whole lot better than many more expensive road bikes I’ve ridden. Can only imagine that the same in Carbon, with lighter wheels and a better groupset, would be magnificent to ride!

Steve – as you might have seen from my road bike thread I am having similar thoughts on a road bike at this cost level. I have narrowed my choice down to the Trek Madone 3.5 and the Roubaix Elite. The Spesh is £200 more than the Trek with pretty much the same spec (Although the Trek does have a bit of Ultegra on it). I do have a suspicion that the Spesh will be more comfy for me, being used to a cx bike. Anyway, I’m going to get test rides on them both and then decide. I do prefer the look of the Spesh though…

I initially thought I would want a road bike with relaxed geometry but my boardman is considered quite racy and I like it a lot

the fun is in going fast, so might as well have something as fast as poss, eh?

Stevo – what about Cannondale Synapse Carbon 105 ? I was just looking at it there on Evans site – pretty similar to the Roubaix

Of all the bikes you’ve chosen for your shortlist, the Giant will have the best frame for definite. Giant, as has been stated already, makes half the frames in the world for other manufacturers anyway, but they always reserve the latest and best technologies for their own frames.

Thats seems to make a lot of sense.

I have narrowed my choice down to the Trek Madone 3.5 and the Roubaix Elite. The Spesh is £200 more than the Trek with pretty much the same spec

Im with you on the Spesh looks. A colleague at work has the 2011 Spesh Roubaix so a test ride on that wont be a problem. Others have a Spesh Allez and a Cannondale Synapse so a couple to compare.

Cant see where the extra £200 pounds comes from on the specialized.
Carbon Synapse looks nice but spec’s low, which brings me back to the ‘what are you actually paying for?’ thought.

Another vote for getting measured properly and getting the bike that most closely fits that.

FWIW, I’ve only heard good stuff about the Canyon’s, and the spec is killer for the price.

BadlyWiredDog – Member
Why d’ya need to spend so much on a first road bike? Seems daft. Merry Christmas

Pah, I heard your new wheels were worth nearly that much 😉

I initially thought I would want a road bike with relaxed geometry but my boardman is considered quite racy and I like it a lot

the fun is in going fast, so might as well have something as fast as poss, eh?Ive had a look at the Boardman’s and was pretty impressed close up. Need to get on one though this week.

Does the Trek have a way better frame than say the Giant or Cube to justify the price

Giant no.
Cube yes.

Though if you pop onto the Cube website, they’ll tell you loads about the design process. The way they manufacture their frames, how the carbon is laid up and for what reason it is done so…….not.

Most Road/Race/Dropbar bikes have high gearing, poor brakes and steep head angles. They therefore do not go up steep hills very easily or stop very well, and they feel very nervous going downhill.
They ARE good at effortlessly getting 25MPH or more on the flat.

Unless you live in Lincolnshire…..Save your money.

You’d have to look online but I think the Spesh Roubaix used to have a more relaxed headangle and no toe overlap, and might feel more secure descending.

Treks are generaly more staid and feel more secure than some others.

Kinesis might be worth a look, nobody’s mentioned them yet. Tend to be a bit of a harsh ride but fairly sorted bikes…I’ve got a Crosslite which I’m pleased with and I’ve ridden a Racelite.

Ignore the next suggestion….do not discout Raliegh for value Carbon Road bikes, a mate has a £1300 one and is well pleased, another bloke I know had an Ultegra equipped similar model and was well pleased (does currently have a warranty issue though) and I recently rode their “Avanti”?????? £3,500 model which felt pretty good to me.

Most Road/Race/Dropbar bikes have high gearing, poor brakes and steep head angles. They therefore do not go up steep hills very easily or stop very well, and they feel very nervous going downhill.
They ARE good at effortlessly getting 25MPH or more on the flat.

What is a steep hill? rode up a 1:4 last week without to much problem. that with a bottom gear of 39×26, as for the brakes well there isn’t exactly much rubber in contact with the ground, so lots of power is pointless. As for the geometry if you enjoy riding a barge fine, but a decent road bike needs to be thought through corners rather than muscled through. the downhill nervousness is as much the low wheel weight as anything else in my opinion, what i would add is light, tall and fast descents are a horrible combination!

I know it’s Christmas and all that, and I don’t want to argue…but.

Most Road/Race/Dropbar bikes have high gearing, poor brakes and steep head angles. They therefore do not go up steep hills very easily or stop very well, and they feel very nervous going downhill.
They ARE good at effortlessly getting 25MPH or more on the flat.

Surely deserves a WTF?

Surely deserves a WTF?

EXACTLY what I was thinking when I just read it… 😕

Surely a good road bike has to be good at going up, down and along, not just one of the three? Granted, 99% of the performance is due to the rider, not the bike, but even the 1% difference it makes, the bike has got to be good at going up, down and along…

They get better and better all the time, you won’t be disappointed whatever you get.
Most have compact gear set ups and will get you up anything.
Modern dual pivot brakes are more than capable of stopping you.
Steep angles will get you to the top of things easier.
Newer generation frames are super stiff up front and rail round corners and are blindingly controlable on the steepest of descents.

Most Road/Race/Dropbar bikes have high gearing, poor brakes and steep head angles. They therefore do not go up steep hills very easily or stop very well, and they feel very nervous going downhill.

I would also like to add a WTF to this.

Haven’t read all of the above but a few contributions:
1. Consider spending less (c£1k for your first bike, see how you get on with road riding and in a year, sell it and upgrade. Road bikes take a lot less of a battering than an MTB and you’ve a good chance of it holding most of it’s value.
2. It’ll make you stronger on your MTB
3. Def consider getting a proper fit. Sitting down, not moving, and pounding out the miles means fit is far more important than it is on an MTB and will keep you from injuring yourself
4. Consider riding with a local club, you’ll learn a lot more about bikes, and will get fitter and a better bike handler
5. Definitely test ride as many as you can to find a brand that suits you. Much easier to get a sense of a road bike round the carpark than you will for an MTB

Enjoy, it;s all riding bikes!

my 2p:

look at the geo of the bikes. You’ll find a Defy is much more “relaxed” (sportif) geometry compared to say a madone.

in reference to the bikes you’ve posted, the Cube is good value, but you’ll certainly need a size up in one, they have very short top tubes size for size compared to say, a trek/specialized/giant.

If it was me, i’d be looking at the madone or a TCR for a balance of kit vs quality and go for a bike fit. I was riding a 54cm with a 110mm stem, and hated riding it. it was only after paying £140 for a bike fit at my local specialized concept store that i found my “ape index” was 6ft 2, considering that i’m 5ft10 this means i’ve got epically long arms and the reason the bike handled so badly was the fact the weight distribution was too far back. The bike fit corrected my knee over measurement so corrected all my pedalling dynamics, then they wound the stem out to 130mm. I actually really like the way the bike handles now and enjoy riding it and have done maybe 2500miles since then on it.

I did also test ride a few 56cm Specialized Tarmacs – longer top tube meant i needed a 110mm stem to achieve the same riding position, however i didn’t like the handling balance as much as the 54cm with a 130mm

Haven’t read all of the above but a few contributions:
1. Consider spending less (c£1k for your first bike, see how you get on with road riding and in a year, sell it and upgrade. Road bikes take a lot less of a battering than an MTB and you’ve a good chance of it holding most of it’s value.
2. It’ll make you stronger on your MTB
3. Def consider getting a proper fit. Sitting down, not moving, and pounding out the miles means fit is far more important than it is on an MTB and will keep you from injuring yourself
4. Consider riding with a local club, you’ll learn a lot more about bikes, and will get fitter and a better bike handler
5. Definitely test ride as many as you can to find a brand that suits you. Much easier to get a sense of a road bike round the carpark than you will for an MTB

Enjoy, it;s all riding bikes! I must admit Im a bit skepticle about being able to discern a bikes characteristics easily and quickly in a car park while mr salesman is tapping his finger, and my other half is clock watching haha 🙂 Well I’ll soon see….

Not looked in to it but I can imagine a bike fitting is of great benefit. I have spent the last 2 years faffing with my setup, shifting seat height, bars etc. Being measured and an optimal position suggested would be welcomed, if not only to keep niggling knee ache at bay.

its literally the best £140 i’ve spent on anything cycling related.

Its particularly useful if you have an underlying knee problem – you’ll get a full cleat positioning as part of the setup, and with a BG fit they checked all of my body geometry, made sure my legs are the same length and parallel, flexibility indexing and generally a bit of an MOT. They observed my left knee was kicking outwards on the down stroke and fitted a vargus wedge to my left shoe to correct it

it was only after paying £140 for a bike fit at my local specialized concept store

Thats pretty steep aint it. How long was the process?

They ARE good at effortlessly getting 25MPH or more on the flat.

PMSL
OMG
WTF

If or when I can average 25MPH on the flat I’ll check to see if my HRM tells me how effortless it was and what a lazy son of a bitch I am.

Getting fitted? Nah. Life’s too short. Just get out and ride!

Thats pretty steep aint it. How long was the process?

about 4 hours. Other local places were £180-200.

and as for lifes too short…i thought the same as you, built the bike and went out and rode, and hated ever second of it. Literally getting fitted changed my entire opinion of road riding.

My fitting was free with the bike purchase, but £100+ sounds about right if you were just paying for it without committing to buying a bike from the shop.
By all means get out and ride without one, i did (you can do a rough self fitting by feel and looking at where the front hub is in relation to your bars etc.) but i was suprised just how different, and better, my position is post fitting.
If you’re coming from mtb/bmx then you will probably have a tendency to want to sit too upright, which is fine to start with but it’s nice to at least have a good position to aim at even if its not comfortable/familiar to start off with.

Oh, and buy a red one, they are faster 😀

There’s a lot of shit floating around this thread!

Of all the bikes you’ve chosen for your shortlist, the Giant will have the best frame for definite.

That’s a WTF. As are the ridiculous comments about not being able to ride steep hills. Billyboy: genuine question… What do you think would be better downhill? Do you think Cancellara would be quicker with some 2.3″ tyres and 180mm disc rotors?!

Not sure I would pay £100+ just to have somebody to tell me what size frame they think I need.
Its down to your prefference not theirs after all. Best just try the size up & down from one you had in mind ..
I ride a medium TCR and i am 2inches shorter than a guy who rides a small TCR .. He told me says i am riding the wrong size – where as after trying a small, i swear he must be riding the wrong size..

Brakes on a roadbike will never compare to a mtb …for obvious reasons!
But climbing on a roadbike is good, and descending is superb ..really cannot see how anybody says differently??
As for not spending too much on a first roadbike… I would say, spend as much as you can afford.

Not sure I would pay £100+ just to have somebody to tell me what size frame they think I need.
Its down to your prefference not theirs after all. Best just try the size up & down from one you had in mind

theres actually quite a lot more to it than just measuring you and then going “yeah you should ride a 56cm” coz on paper, i “should” ride a 56cm, but i don’t i ride a 54cm with a longer stem. Bike fitting is all about getting comfortable in a position on the bike which is relative to how flexible you are, and not trashing your back/knees etc in the process.

Most Road/Race/Dropbar bikes have high gearing, poor brakes and steep head angles. They therefore do not go up steep hills very easily or stop very well, and they feel very nervous going downhill.
They ARE good at effortlessly getting 25MPH or more on the flat.

Unless you live in Lincolnshire…..Save your money.

You’d have to look online but I think the Spesh Roubaix used to have a more relaxed headangle and no toe overlap, and might feel more secure descending.

Treks are generaly more staid and feel more secure than some others.

Kinesis might be worth a look, nobody’s mentioned them yet. Tend to be a bit of a harsh ride but fairly sorted bikes…I’ve got a Crosslite which I’m pleased with and I’ve ridden a Racelite.

Ignore the next suggestion….do not discout Raliegh for value Carbon Road bikes, a mate has a £1300 one and is well pleased, another bloke I know had an Ultegra equipped similar model and was well pleased (does currently have a warranty issue though) and I recently rode their “Avanti”?????? £3,500 model which felt pretty good to me.

Brilliant ! I just laughed out loud, this is probably the most ridiculous thing i have ever read, chapeau sir, you are a legend !

I ride a Giant TCR advanced, awesome machine, just about to get ready for a ride in fact, this post will keep me smiling as i struggle up those hills on my high geared, steep head angled, poor descending bike………. 😆

The Spesh Roubaix Elite is £400 off at Dales Cycles at the moment….

Partners daughter has had a Planet X Sl for about six months and loves it.
Stupidly light, fun to ride and great value.

I like Ribble too, they used to do free bike fitting for their frames in Preston, worth a look.

There’s a lot of shit floating around this thread!
Of all the bikes you’ve chosen for your shortlist, the Giant will have the best frame for definite.
That’s a WTF. As are the ridiculous comments about not being able to ride steep hills. Billyboy: genuine question… What do you think would be better downhill? Do you think Cancellara would be quicker with some 2.3″ tyres and 180mm disc rotors?!

Can you elaborate on the Giant frame point here? A lot of members are suggesting that the TCR is definitely one to try. Surely that must reflect that Giant make some good frames!

BadlyWiredDog – Member
Why d’ya need to spend so much on a first road bike? Seems daft. Merry Christmas

Pah, I heard your new wheels were worth nearly that much

I guess I’m just a little envious. When I bought my first road bike a few years back, it cost me 350 quid – Giant OCR2 second – because at the time I’d never really ridden a road bike and I didn’t know whether I’d enjoy it or not and it seemed to make sense to buy something entry level to start with, and then, if I found I liked road-biking and once I had a better idea of what worked for me, invest in something a bit nicer.

Which is what I did. And I enjoyed riding the OCR and, if anything, its shortcomings, helped me when it came to working out what I really wanted to buy when I upgraded.

I’ve known a fair few keen mountain bikers who’ve tried road riding and hated it.

I guess if 1600 quid or so isn’t a lot of dosh to you, then you might as well splash out on something nice, but I do think you’d have a better idea of what that might be if you actually got some experience on an entry-level bike.

Here’s the thing, once you’re used to a super-fast, super-slick tarmac burner, yes, entry level bikes do feel a little sluggish, but if you’re straight off a mountain bike, you won’t know that, you’ll think any half-decent road bike is a rocket-ship, full stop…

Anyway, wheels matter, always invest in wheels 🙂

£1600 is a lot to spend on a bike and its not a small thing to me.
I guess thats why Im asking peoples opinions and experiences so I get in the right ball park of characteristics and the like.

Riding the bikes is definitely good advice but knowing which chosen few those should be is another 🙂

My wife is reading this and agrees it is a lot of money!!!! 🙁

how tall are you?

Have you considered buying a 2nd hand frame and building it up? if so, depending how big you are i might be able to help you out.

An Elf-like 5,7 A build isnt something Im really after on this occasion. What did you have on offer?