£5k budget - Which Focus would you buy?

[Kermit power]

Needless to say, being a bloke, I would end up going a little over budget on my spending, so let's say I'm going to spend £5,299 on a Focus.

As with all these things, I have a choice between buying new - getting that nice, happy feeling that nobody else has sat in the seat before you - or buying used, and getting maybe a bit more for your money, but knowing that someone else spent the last few years rubbing their arse over that seat.

So, which would you go for???

Something used....



A 2009 Focus 1.8 diesel (which is admittedly a repaired Cat C) on Autotrader for £5,299.


Or something new???



A 2011 Focus Izalco Team Katusha on Wiggle for £5,299.99

In seriousness, who on earth would pay over £5k for a bike which isn't even a custom fit to them?

[Spitfire2]

Speak nicely to the receivers - might be in with a chance of one of these.

[Kermit power]

Spitfire2 said:

Speak nicely to the receivers - might be in with a chance of one of these.

[okgo]

Get down to Richmond park tomorrow morning and you'll see a LOT of people who have spent that and more. 5k to some people is chump change.

[3216]

Kermit power said:

In seriousness, who on earth would pay over £5k for a bike which isn't even a custom fit to them?

The majority of people do not need a custom fit frame. Unless you are abnormally tall or short, or just strangely proportioned, an off-the-peg frame will work perfectly well.

[anonymous-user]

3216 said:

Kermit power said:

In seriousness, who on earth would pay over £5k for a bike which isn't even a custom fit to them?

The majority of people do not need a custom fit frame. Unless you are abnormally tall or short, or just strangely proportioned, an off-the-peg frame will work perfectly well.

wot ee said.

you should be able to get a near perfect fit using stem length and seat position, you may need to test a 172.5/175 crank too but even the pros tend to use off the shelf frames, logistically the teams cant carry round lots of spare custom fit bikes for each rider.

[robsti]

okgo said:

Get down to Richmond park tomorrow morning and you'll see a LOT of people who have spent that and more. 5k to some people is chump change.

And 99% of these people could be on a £600 bike and it would make no difference!

[Kermit power]

pablo said:

3216 said:

Kermit power said:

In seriousness, who on earth would pay over £5k for a bike which isn't even a custom fit to them?

The majority of people do not need a custom fit frame. Unless you are abnormally tall or short, or just strangely proportioned, an off-the-peg frame will work perfectly well.

wot ee said.

you should be able to get a near perfect fit using stem length and seat position, you may need to test a 172.5/175 crank too but even the pros tend to use off the shelf frames, logistically the teams cant carry round lots of spare custom fit bikes for each rider.

I hadn't really thought of it like that before. So are custom frames just a vanity thing then?

Even so, I can't see how a £5k pushbike can be worth it! I can see how spending a grand gets you hugely more than £200, but what does £5k get you over and above your grand?

[NitroNick]

Funnily enough I'm looking for a new bike and was considering that very bike yesterday.
The main problem I see though is the wheels, 85mm deep section wheels would be like a kite in cross winds, so you are going to need another set of shallower wheels: which means you will end up spending far more that the 6k.
I know a guy who races on a > 10k road bike, is it any better than a 3k road bike?... marginally but he can afford it so more power to him.
http://www.wheelbase.co.uk/product_16158.htm

[okgo]

robsti said:

And 99% of these people could be on a £600 bike and it would make no difference!

Yep. I was sprinting at 40 mph today on a £1500 bike. Still nobody got close.