Viewing 33 posts - 1 through 33 (of 33 total)
  • Hill climbing road bikes for £1000 to £1200
  • Random
    Free Member

    Yes, you’ve guessed, it’s a Bike4Work question!
    However, I am specifically biased here – I would like the optimum bike in this price range for climbing steep hills. I doubt this is a Bike4Work target market so hoping the mountain bias of STW folk can help me here…
    Many thanks in advance.

    neilsonwheels
    Free Member

    Good set of lungs and a pair of legs to match will get you up most things. Failing that something as light a possible and maybe a compact but to be honest I have not found a climb in England long enough to justify a compact. A 53/39 with a 11-28 out back will get you up most thing on this fair isle.

    andrewh
    Free Member

    Are you trying to use the bike to work scheme to fund the purchase of a proper hill climb bike or are you just after a comuter which is OK on the steep bits?

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    Random
    Free Member

    Ah, the old man-up response!
    For the past 9 years I’ve been running 52/39 with 13/26 cassette on a heavy xenon-spec road bike I think I was sold a dud at the time. Nevertheless, there are 7 exits from my valley – one is downhill, the other six have me out of the saddle and always have done (all single or double-chevroned on OS maps) so I have accepted my limitations and would like to embrace a more professional higher cadence approach even if that does sink me into compacts or even triples (would the brown paper bag over my head impede my breathing much?!)

    Random
    Free Member

    Bike4Work will free-up said old bike for commuting I.e. the scheme values still apply. The commute is quite hilly at my end so would need to compare both bikes once bought but primary aim is to get something better for local hills.

    TiRed
    Full Member

    A compact 50/36 and a 12-28 cassette will see you climb just about anything. In fact I dropped to a 12-25. Light wheels are nice too, but you won’t be seeing many on your whole-bike budget I’m afraid.

    I have not found a climb in England long enough to justify a compact

    True for the first climb, but when you’ve done 70 miles and 5000m of climbing already?

    jonba
    Free Member

    It is about weight so keep a close eye on that. My recommendation would be to keep a close eye on the component weight if you can. Frames, cranks, wheels and other big components are expensive to replace. However, you can drop plenty of weight with lighter tubes, tyres, post, saddle, cassette for a few hundred pounds.

    As a competitive hill climber (couple of regional podiums, 51st in nationals) I’d recommend a compact. Get gears to suit you, not fashion. However, most of the guys I was racing with had light bikes but nothing dedicated to the climb, just took cages, computers off and put the hours in doing hill repeats and tough rides.

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    I doubt there’ll be any stand-out bike, I’d get something light/stiff, Cannondale would be my choice.

    I run a triple over a compact – means you don’t have a silly small middle ring and the granny is useful when riding with a non-cyclist, or perhaps at the end of a long ride.

    oldgit
    Free Member

    Something will have to give at that price. I can’t imagine anything in that range will have light wheels.
    My immediate reaction to this post was to think high specced aluminium bikes? To avoid cheap heavy flexy carbon.

    mattsccm
    Free Member

    neilson
    I am impressed. 25% hills have me on the inner ring of a triple.
    Its not length but angle

    RoganJosh
    Free Member

    Cannondale caad10 105, bargain at pauls cycles. Only just over a grand.

    Any money spare buy some lightweight wheels. You won’t regret it. Frame is amazing. Don’t think you need a hill climbing specific bike, just not a bike that’s going to make it hard for you!

    mattsccm
    Free Member

    Sorry , that wasn’t meant to sound sarcastic or anything.

    TiRed
    Full Member

    CAAD10 would be my choice too. But the wheels aren’t light. A CAAD8 and a lighter set of wheels may be a cheaper option. Teen1’s CAAD8 with my Kysrium Elite wheels is a very light fast bike indeed. Both come with a compact chainset and are very stiff bikes for climbing. CAAD10 has an all carbon fork, CAAD8 has an alloy steerer. CAAD8 has a longer steerer tube so you can slam the stem and still be comfortable, and mudguard eyes if that is important for you. They have the same geometry.

    So CAAD10 and used wheelset.

    CaptJon
    Free Member

    Get a triple.

    no_eyed_deer
    Free Member

    Or a horse

    warton
    Free Member

    surely a fixie is whats needed here?

    53×14 FTW.

    toxicsoks
    Free Member

    +1 for CAAD 10. I’ve got Kysrium Equipes on mine with 50/34 and 12/28 – gets an old duffer like me up and over most hills with little problem.

    Algore
    Free Member

    Another vote for the CAAD 10. Really great bike and despite the stiffness it’s very comfy for rides under 5hours.
    Sell the wheels before you’ve even used them to get max value and get some new lightweight wheels. Classic wheels rather than deep section. Or even consider a hand built set, they’ll be comfier over rough lanes or better in high winds which you get in big hills.
    Slam the stem.

    trickydisco
    Free Member

    There’s a pretty handy hill climb rider in Bristol that rides fixed quite a lot. he used a bob jackson vigorelli

    Combined weight of him and bike is 71kg!

    iolo
    Free Member

    If it concerns you so much re negotiate your day rate.
    I can see the conversation.
    You- I need an extra £6 a day for lunch
    Boss-@@@ck off. I’ll get someone to work for the agreed rate signed for at the start of their work.

    Oh yes. Good luck.

    ceepers
    Full Member

    I have a caad8 with 50/34 and 11-28 and shimano rs880 wheels. Pretty happy going up the big hills around here and nearby exmoor. That said I did honister pass on it with the cheap stock wheels and a 12-26 on the back so it does climb pretty well! Mine is the £700 sora version and I think it’s been good value. Wheels were £200 on eBay.

    funkrodent
    Full Member

    What size are you? If a large fits you would struggle to get much better than the Giant Defy Composite 1 for your money. The Defy has been bike of the year in numerous magazines over the past 3-4 years, so it’s an excellent platform. Ultegra gearing. DT Swiss wheels disguised as Giant (again very highly rated, particularly compared to the rubbish you usually get specced at this price point – see Cannondale and their Maddux wheels). Can’t really go wrong tbh

    http://www.pedalon.co.uk/acatalog/giant-defy-composite-1.html

    Alternatively if you are short of dosh/not a Large, you could try the Composite 2, only real compromise is some 105 mixed in, slightly lower grade wheels (but still excellent at this price point) and Tektro brakes.

    http://www.rutlandcycling.com/155056/products/giant-tcr-composite-2-2013-road-bike—black-red.aspx?origin=pla?kwd=&gclid=CIKNkoWZy7oCFSbHtAodKVQAnA

    Agree with posters above re the Cannondale CAAD10 and 8 (have owned an 8 and ridden a 10), but would say that they are surplied with tosh, flexy wheels with virtually no resale value and they aren’t as comfortable as the Defy over long distances (though the Defy is as quick as the CAAD8 and probably the 10).

    andrewh
    Free Member

    Combined weight of him and bike is 71kg!

    Combined weight of me and my full-suss is less than that 😀

    ceepers
    Full Member

    Mate has the giant linked to above. He loves it and said its very comfy to ride. Improved his climbing over his older heavier ally bike too!

    t_i_m
    Free Member

    The PlanetX carbon bikes are excellent for about a grand.
    As for gears: compact with 28 on the back will be ok for the uk.
    If you’re planning on going to the alps etc then go for the SRAM climbing kit.
    If you prefer to sit and spin up climbs then follow the above.
    Most road bikes are over geared for most weekend, non-competitive riders.

    mcboo
    Free Member

    They’ve only got 58s left, think Wiggle do them too…..Felt F5. Nice carbon frame, 105 group, upgrade the wheels when you are ready. 30% off, £1150.

    http://www.sigmasport.co.uk/item/Felt/F5-Road-Bike-2013/1OND?wmp=481

    Random
    Free Member

    Thanks all for your suggestions – if I can get a 2012 or 2013 CAAD 10 when my voucher comes through that would work well. I’d probably try the wheels through the winter, if they let the bike down I could transfer them to my crumby old to-be-commuter bike because they are still probably better than the ones there and buy new ones next summer.

    Combined weight of him and bike is 71kg!

    With his bike, I’d be 65kg 😛

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    I don’t think many, if any, retailers will sell sale price bikes on biie to work.

    mathewshotbolt
    Free Member

    I was about to say the same thing. Cycle to work doesn’t usually go with sale bikes.

    surely a more important thing is fit? a felt f5 is a lovely bike but if you have long legs then theres no point.

    shedbrewed
    Free Member

    trickydisco – Member

    There’s a pretty handy hill climb rider in Bristol that rides fixed quite a lot. he used a bob jackson vigorelli

    Combined weight of him and bike is 71kg!

    He came along to our end-of-season club climb and trounced us all, think he came in 11s quicker than me. Was on a geared cervelo though running carbon planet x tub wheels. Nice bloke.

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    How does a F5 not fit someone with long legs?

    mathewshotbolt
    Free Member

    as it has a tiny head tube.

    generally speaking if you have longer legs (and a shorter torso) then a small headtube won’t be as ideal as say the z5 frameset.

    ahwiles
    Free Member

    i felt* i’d missed the beat of this thread, but since it’s been resurrected, i’ll chip in…

    cynic-al – Member

    How does a F5 not fit someone with long legs?

    well, that particular F5 is only a 58cm, which is, not to point too fine a point on it, for a short-ar53.

    (speaking as a man with long legs)

    (*see what i did there?)

    and yes, what MHB said, longer headtubes on big frames please!

Viewing 33 posts - 1 through 33 (of 33 total)

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