Road bike up to £1600

I’m looking at a new road bike to replace my Raleigh SP Carbon Comp – carbon frame & forks with 105 shifters & mechs, FSA cranks and Tektro brakes. If I’m honest it’s a bit small for me.

My budget isn’t massive – £1600 so I’m drawing up a short list, as it stands this is it:

Giant TCR Composite, full 11spd Ultegra, non series shimano brakes and Giant own brand wheels & finishing kit. Externally routed cables. £1599

Specialized Tarmac SL4 Sport, 105 shifters and mechs, FSA cranks and Specialized Axis brakes, wheels & finishing kit. Internally routed cables£1599

Planet X RT57, full 11spd Ultegra again with a choice of wheels, RS61’s takes it to £1350 all in.

What are the opinions on the above bikes? Before anyone suggests it, I don’t want a Giant Defy and as it’s on Bike2Work it has to be from a shop and not an online retailer such as Canyon.

Mekk poggio with ultegra after a discount

Ribble R872 .. spec it up to your limit.

CAAD10

The 872 is nigh on £100 to begin with, add a decent gruppo & whelks and the budget is shot

Don’t want alloy

Alf’s have their Xmas sale starting soon and there are a few carbon 105 spec bikes in the sale list under you maximum.

I’ve noticed those Russ, I’ve had a look already.

Just trying to figure out if the Spesh or Giant frames are worth the extra cash / drop in component level

Ribble R872 with ..

105 gearing and ultegra wheels £1380

or Campag Athena Blk 11sp with fulcrum 5 wheels .. £1435

Of those, the TCR.

£1399 and 7.65kg:

http://www.canyon.com/_en/roadbikes/bike.html?b=3239

No alloy? Madness!

The hype machine wins again…

And your Al suggestion, al?

/\

I’m none the wiser…

My mates had a CAAD10 and they’re not exactly very forgiving in his opinion

nammynake – Member
£1399 and 7.65kg:
http://www.canyon.com/_en/roadbikes/bike.html?b=3239

Hmm

steve_b77 – Member
……it has to be from a shop and not an online retailer such as Canyon.

Caad10, simple

Planet x and a really nice set of wheels and some pimp finishing kit with the left overs would be my choice if I couldn’t consider a canyon.

Planet X Ti Pro Road Sram Rival

Any of them will be ok.

2POC – Member
Caad10, simple

Looking 2 posts up, even simpler 🙄

Any of the above. Out of interest, why don’t you want a Giant Defy? I have both TCR and Defy and there is very little difference between them. Determine what top tube length fits, how high you like the bars and pick accordingly.

For alloy – CAAD10 is the only real choice.

To be honest I just don’t like how they look and my current bike is low’ish at the front so that doesn’t bother me.

My CAAD10 is only a little less comfortable than my Roubaix.

my current bike is low’ish at the front

with or without spacers?

If you ride a slammed stem, I’d pick the TCR or CAAD10. If not, I’d pick the Defy. In fact I’d probably pick on colour as my saddle drop is “only” 8 cm. Roubaix and Synapse have much higher front ends than the Defy – which is a race bike with what was fairly standard geometry a few years ago.

Whatever you choose, based on today’s race, avoid white.

Evans have got the 2013 Trek Domane 4.5 for £1600 at the moment, reduced from £2100. I bought one a few months ago and I love it

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/trek/domane-45-compact-2013-road-bike-ec041050

Have we ever answered the question about the best way to get value in a bike? Is it better to:-
a) frame with R&D (Specialized/Trek) with a compromise in componentry to reach a price point?
b) an open mould frame (Planet-X/Ribble) with a more desirable level of componentry.
c) direct from Taiwan frame home built with a choice of components.

Can you feel the difference between 105 and Ultegra?
Can you feel the difference between a “developed” frame and on open mould?

a) frame with R&D every time

Tiagra shifts nicer than 6700 Ultegra. I can’t imagine that 105 is very different. From a shifting perspective, internal cabling was a backwards step for Shimano (and I was a campag fan).

I’ve not ridden anything other than high end carbon to compare.

Get the best wheels you can afford as first upgrade.

It’s what I’m trying to establish.

I can get a very well specced Planet X for considerably less than the same spec giant, and far less than the equivalent Spesh.

Granted the frame may not have as good a finish and it may not have the ‘extensive’ R&D behind it, but will I actually be able to tell?

Component wise, I very much doubt that I will be able to tell much of a difference between 105 & Ultegra, but I can tell the difference between heavy & lighter wheels and crap & not crap tyres, all of which are easy to change for a relatively small addition after the initial purchase.

Now I’ve looked at the RT57 today, sat on it & had a spin on the turbo. It feels like a nice bike, finish is more that good enough for me – it’ll get ridden year round so it’s not a ‘Sunday best’ machine and the price can’t be beaten afaik on a walk in, sit down & spec the gearing you want etc, try it out and walk away shop.

I’m tempted to agree Steve, from what I can tell in a shop, the likes of Planet-X seem good enough for me. I can’t tell any difference in the shop but I do wonder if that might be the case after 100 miles in the saddle.

Well my mate has a Bataglan (or however it’s spelt) from them and finds it far more comfortable that his ‘venerable’ CAAD10.

My mate with a madone 4. Something certainly doesn’t wax lyrical about how awesome the frame is and conversely my mates with a Ribble and a Kuota don’t say they rubbish either.

Now, if you could only get them to switch bikes around and review honestly, that would be great.

I wouldn’t spend this amount without a test ride.

Chance would be a fine thing, ones 5’8″ and the other is 6’1″

I must admit, when I was looking, I was surprised at the number of shops that thought a road bike on a turbo counts as a test ride.

To be fair, I’ve never done more than a quick ride round a car park when buying a bike

Most people seem to think that fit on a road bike is far more critical than it is on a mountain bike.

This is true, but I’ve been riding on the road for 5 years and know what feels comfy and let’se ride 100 miles with no complaints, so if a bike feels right simple adjustments are easy

I’d also look at throwing felt in the mix iv owned a few of there bikes and the frame build detail is very good as is there back up.
I’d be looking at the best frame and wheels work from there realisticley ultegra is more than enough for meer mortals most are happy with 105

For £1500 i’d have the Titanium Planet-X….its a thing of beauty.

I had just over a grand to spend recently and went with Ribble, got an Aluminium Ultralite and its far more compliant and comfortable than the Spesh Allez it replaced, its running 105 groupset which is noticeably better than the ‘Sora’ stuff on the Specialized.

I’m sure i’ll scratch the carbon itch at some point but for now i’m very happy.
Giant road bikes get good reviews at the moment, as do Cannondales….the Cannondale SuperSix is supposedly based on the Liquigas race team geometry if you want things racy…and Giant’s carbon Defy bikes get good reviews for comfort and a more relaxed geometry if you dont want the head down-bum up position.

Enjoy, its a nice position to be in!…if you shop around £1600 gets a lot of bike.