£1000 budget

[egor110]

I have a £1000 to spend on a new bike , my current bike is a oreba asphalt road with 105 mech.

I'm 85 kg and live with the quantock hills on my doorstep and exmoor easily near enough to cycle to.

Do i get the lightest bike possible within my budget :

rose pro sl200 8.3 kg
merlin fuse105 8.6 kg
boardman team carbon 8.7 kg
trek amonda alr4 8.8 kg

pros it's lighter so climbing should be a bit easier , cons there maybe a bit fragile with all 13 stone of me on top.

or do i go for a heavier more robust bike

whyte dorset 10.02 kg
pinnacle arkose 3 10.22 kg
gt grade alloy 10.05 kg
raleigh mustang elite 10.5 kg

pros they have hydraulic braking , there more robust so should be more reliable , cons there heavier and it's hilly round here.

I k on the whole i'd rank reliability above weight saving but would the road bikes actually that fragile ?

[Black can man]

I have a Rose & it really is lovely.

Long wat for the build is the only thing.

10 weeks mine took.

I'm a lot heavier than you are sir & my Rose takes my weight with ease.

[pembo]

13 stone is definitely not too heavy for those carbon bikes.

I ride a Planex X pro carbon at the same weight and have been known to take it down trails and through farmers fields in the past.

[battered]

You aren't going to break a road bike unless you start jumping it at trail centres and weigh 16st plus.

Get the bike that's best to ride, for you. This may ne lighter, or not.

[egor110]

In my head I think the x bikes would be more rugged and reliable and i like the idea of hydraulic brakes but part of me thinks maybe its overkill and I'm going to be hauling around a heavier bike than I need to.

[battered]

I like hydraulic discs and I'd have them on all my MTBs (alredy do), any tourers (not yet), commuters (no) and year-round bikes. For road use in the summer when you brake little and usually on dry rims I think rim brakes are OK. The simplicity is good, low weight, the disadvantage is you will wear out rims eventually. Set aside 10k miles.

[Vorix]

I have the Merlin Fuse 105 and am really pleased with it. I'm 90Kg+ (at the moment!) and have no issues feeling the bike is going to give way. I'll admit I bought based on recommendations and I don't have many reference points for what a 'better' bike would feel like but I've been going out as often as possible to make the most of the current good weather and am enjoying every moment. I have replaced the saddle with Charge Spoon and that has improved comfort but the original may be fine for you. Only bummer is that I dropped it yesterday and bent the rear mech hanger but called Merlin and they are sending a replacement.

[SixPotBelly]

Depends on what surfaces you think you'll want to ride on. Tarmac only? First list. Tarmac plus unmade tracks and the road less travelled? The second list. Not so much for the hydro brakes (lovely as they are) but for the larger tyres and clearances.

OK, perhaps that's over simplifying it a bit, but it's a start.

[BoRED S2upid]

Ive seen very good reviews for Rose as a sub £1000 bike but you can't try before you buy which could be an issue?

[egor110]

SixPotBelly said:

Depends on what surfaces you think you'll want to ride on. Tarmac only? First list. Tarmac plus unmade tracks and the road less travelled? The second list. Not so much for the hydro brakes (lovely as they are) but for the larger tyres and clearances.

OK, perhaps that's over simplifying it a bit, but it's a start.

pot holed tarmac and speed bumps pretty much.

the bike will be used in winter as well as summer and for sportives so i'd rank comfort ahead of pretty much everything else.

[Fluffsri]

Out of your heavier range only one has the HYD disc brake and its TRP system which is great(GT). I ride my CX bike all year round and have 2 sets of wheels. Im in Hants and Dorset and we do have some hills around me and some crap road surfaces. I had the mechanical disc(BB5) and its OK but crap on long rides as I found I was always adjusting the non moving side. The TRPs are great. Id go Rose or GT.

[egor110]

Fluffsri said:

Out of your heavier range only one has the HYD disc brake and its TRP system which is great(GT). I ride my CX bike all year round and have 2 sets of wheels. Im in Hants and Dorset and we do have some hills around me and some crap road surfaces. I had the mechanical disc(BB5) and its OK but crap on long rides as I found I was always adjusting the non moving side. The TRPs are great. Id go Rose or GT.

Re the brakes , are you sure?

Arkose 3 = shimanno br-785

Whyte dorset = trp

raleigh mustang elite = trp

[Mad March Taffy]

The Boardman is now down to £800....

[Fluffsri]

egor110 said:

Fluffsri said:

Out of your heavier range only one has the HYD disc brake and its TRP system which is great(GT). I ride my CX bike all year round and have 2 sets of wheels. Im in Hants and Dorset and we do have some hills around me and some crap road surfaces. I had the mechanical disc(BB5) and its OK but crap on long rides as I found I was always adjusting the non moving side. The TRPs are great. Id go Rose or GT.

Re the brakes , are you sure?

Arkose 3 = shimanno br-785

Whyte dorset = trp

raleigh mustang elite = trp

Take it back then, I looked on google images and noticed all cables, must be last years. Have to see what it looks like to see if its worth buying lol.

[Black can man]

Mad March Taffy said:

The Boardman is now down to £800....

So with a british cycling membership you could get it for £720.00

Bargainsville

I'd still but the Rose though.

[egor110]

swerni said:

OP how tall are you?

5'8

[egor110]

So the general opinion then is get the lightest road bike i can , provided it rides nice.

[Black can man]

Just buy a bike you like the look of, you gotta want to ride it .

You can always upgrade & add when the addiction starts.

[mikees]

Where are you? I've a few I can let you try out. Bucks way.

[egor110]

mikees said:

Where are you? I've a few I can let you try out. Bucks way.

Somerset , i've got some decent shops down here to test them.