I’m in the market for a new bike that will be used for long distance sportives. Budget is around £2K. I’m hopeless on hills so a triple chainset is needed (doing Fred Whitton and L’Etape), or maybe a compact with a cassette going out to about 30.

Obvious candidate, and current favourite, is the Specialized Roubaix. I’m wondering about others though. Canyon seem to produce great value bikes, and there’s the Trek Madone and a few other possibles.

Wondered if anyone out there has any other thoughts or recommendations? Ta.

If you can find a Cube GTC Agree, then go for it. Happy to let you have a shottie on mine, but size might be a problem 😉

Look 566. Mine is magical.
I also know someone with a never-ridden 2011 with SRAM Rival & Fulcrum Racing 5s for sale at around your price point….

Latest Cycling Plus has big review of road bikes in the £1500 – £2000 price bracket – you might want to take a look.

Pop down the shop and buy a copy of Cycling +. There a round up of the top sub 2k bikes for 2012 with some good explanations of how the rides vary. I’m keeping it and buying one of those in the January sales next year.

Agree with the above, that Cube looks awesome, but so does the giant, trek & focus….

Tifosi CK2 comes in under budget and should meet your needs. Also its not one of the ususal suspects.

the spesh roubaix elite looks pretty good – especially if you can get some pedals or shoes etc thrown in with a bit of bartering! of course, it’d be better with better wheels, but that can happen later.

i’d suggest that i compact with a 28 cassette should do you ok – i did the raid alpine last year on that bottom gear, over some long and steep grades. while i did use the lowest gear for long periods, it was fine. a lower gear if fitted would probably have ended up getting used, but would likely just have prolonged the affair!

i’m no whippet either – well over 80kg!

final thought – if you are prepared to shop around and do the build yourself you can get a little more. i built my cervelo RS with full ultegra, krysium elites, carbon bars and seatpost for £2230.

Have one of these.
very comfy for longer rides and good vfm
Dolan ADX

Just a personal view but having spent thousands on bikes off the peg that didn’t fit properly I’d look at spending some of your money on a decent bike fit session.

Have a look at this Canyon, you can spec it with a compact or triple chainset (no shame in that) plus an 11-28 cassette and have money left over for the bike fit

http://www.canyon.com/_uk/roadbikes/bike.html?b=2508

I would agree with that. Every bike I have is built to my spec spec by me. Off the peg gets you so far but having it built for what you want to do with it and to fit you is far better.

Scott CR1 Pro 2011 – seriously good value and top performance. I love mine.

kenny – your new bike is set up on the turbo here for you to try.

See you soon…. 🙂

I went through similar process recently :

here

ended up with Giant Defy Composite 1

Ribble do some fantastic carbon Sportives – worth a rummage through their website

Go and try some as fit is probably more important than marketing descriptions.

Racing bikes are comfortable if they fit you. My Cayo is supposed to be stiff and uncomfortable but is lovely to ride. I’ve lost count of the number of 100+ mile rides. It’s been fine for 150miles – 9 hours in the saddle.

A compact with a 27 on the back has a lowest gear of 34:27 which is 1.26″ a triple with the same cassette would be 30:27 so 1.11″. No that much lower but a bit heavier.

Thanks for all the replies. In answer to some of them……

Druidh, I may well take you up on the offer though, as you say, I think size would be the problem.

The idea of buying a frame and getting everything built round it is very appealing, but I was under the impression most manufacturers only sell their top end frames as frame only. Also, when I’ve done rough pricing and compared it to off-the-peg bikes it works out quite pricy. Canyon, for example, sell bikes that are so well specced and at such prices you wonder if it’s legal!!

I agree re fit and will probably use the Tri Centre in Edinburgh whom I’m told have a great fitting service. I do get lower back problems on longer rides, though am looking into pilates or yoga to try and help that.

Mark, would that be a Cube by any chance?

The other recommendations I will definitely all have a look at. Cheers.

yuh huh.

fitting – we have/used the same system as the Tri Centre. Stopped using it due to it being rather inconsistent. TEST RIDES are the answer.

Planet X?

I can thoroughly reccomend the Giant Defy Advanced.Comfortable yet still fast and nimble handling.

A bit racier than the likes of the Roubaix.

The problem with test rides though Mark is (at least in my case) any problems with lower back pain don’t tend to show up until about four hours into a ride.