Is it poncy of me not to want one of the main brands of bikes (trek, giant, etc) regardless of how good the review’s are?

I think i just like to see something different on the roads.

I’m looking at a new road bike as my current one got snapped in half at he weekend by a car (whilst I was on it but I faired a bit better) and all the reviews always have madones, defy, tcr at the top!

I’m the same, but I bought a tcr comp 1 as it was the best bike for me. Glad I did too as its really nice!

It’s poncy to want a road bike. HTH.

Trek have good warranty, most of the ‘big’ brands do.

There is nothing wrong with wanting something a little more Specialist – Colnago, Fondeiest, Pinarello etc. are all lovely!

all the reviews always have madones, defy, tcr at the top!

Possibly something to do with marketing budgets as well as them being good bikes I suspect.

I don’t think there’s anything necessarily wrong with wanting something a bit less common – as long as you don’t sneer mainstream brands and think having a less common bike somehow makes you superior (like some on here do).

Unusual you say?

Comrie Croft pump jump track by matt_outandabout, on Flickr

I’d actively avoid the big brands unless I was spending lots of money. The big brands have their own component divisions and, unless it’s top of the range, a bike will usually be made up of one or more own branded bits that, on examination, are of pretty poor quality and have little or no spares backup.

I’ve owned three Specialized bikes. Replacement cones weren’t available for the own-brand rear hub on my Rockhopper, meaning a replacement hub, the own-brand shock on my Stumpjumper FSR collapsed and every own-brand bit on my Roubaix had to be replaced either because it turned out to be junk (brakes had no stopping power) or died ahead of time with no spares (another Specialized rear hub). In replacing all this stuff, I’ve spent the small difference in price between a Specialized and a smaller brand who makes its bikes from off the shelf parts.

Look at Lapierre. No own branded junk on their bikes.

Lapierre, pinarello etc etc, aren’t small companies, they just aren’t big here like the big US brands.

Yes.

“Look at Lapierre. No own branded junk on their bikes”
eh?

apart from seatposts, front hubs, handlebars, stems, saddles, rear shocks
I guess there’ll be more, thats only a quick spec check off their website

spec lists dont include seatpost clamp, grips, QR skewers etc but I’d not be suprised if they were ‘own brand junk’ on lower models too

I think I must be guitly of brand snobery too though. Id like to think its more that Ive always gone frame only fpr a while, but I cant say niche doesn’t appeal

why not get a custom built ?

or off the peg from o’rourke,dolan, — i prefer steel so go for mercian– classic styles and top notch paint jobs

Look at Van Nicholas titanium bikes, I am after a road bike but will probably wait until next year now.

I have looked at Vitus, Colnago, Trek, Giant… Plus pretty much everything else and I always end up back on the fatbirds website looking at the Van Nicholas Apex for £1399..

Considered Carbon but titanium just looks so damn lovely…

i felt the same about the 4 big names, so i got a wilier Grandturismo which is lovely!

I’m the same … Im pleased i fell for a Dolan Ares

Why did u have to post the link Stox? They are great looking bikes..

Why did u have to post the link Stox? They are great looking bikes..

I’d have to agree with you there

You can’t help what you desire. Scratch that itch!

Nothing wrong with getting something a bit.uncommon, just don’t try and kid yourself that it’s better because of it or that people who have more common bikes are somehow inferior…

😉

I’m a bit of a mountain bike snob, but for some reason don’t have as much faith in smaller brands for a carbon road frame. Rightly or wrongly I’ve got more trust in the big r&d departments than the small ones, so I think they’re betterer.