What road bike - £600 budget

[Zippee]

My company has recently introduced a cycle to work scheme whereby I 'lease' a bike via gross salary over the course of a year and then buy it at the end for 5% of total cost. As a higher rate tax payer this equates to around a 40% saving so quite a good deal.
I only want to spend max of £600 and it must come from Evans so out of the following what would you recommend & why? It's been a long time since I rode/raced so I'm totally out of it when it comes to frames, groupsets etc but I want to get back into my cycling;

Specialized
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/al...

Fuji
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/fuji/newest-20...

Trek
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/trek/12-compac...

GT
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/gt/gtr-series-...

Bianchi
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/bianchi/via-ni...

Raleigh
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/raleigh/airlit...

[anonymous-user]

first thing to say is dont get stressed about gearing components. they all work well these days providing you afford them a little tlc every now and then and the more you pay is reflected in terms of lighter weight and more durable components recognising that there is a point whereby lightweight and durability cross then go off in different directions.

to be honest they are all very similar, set up by hte manufacturer to be competitive in the market so wil lall feature similar frame and fork material, similar groupsets (2300, sora, tiagra) and finishing components. the wheels will be the biggest difference between them, the better quality wheels being more durable. again, some tlc and they are all more than competant.

the raleigh looks like really good value, they get good reviews and have a more upright riding position so tend to be quite comfy over long rides/novice riders. the carbon fork would make the front end quite responsive too.
other than that the GT certainly looks the nicest and has a good wheelset.

they do vary in terms of gearing though, some are triple chainrings at the front, others are doubles, will this suit you riding intentions?
ultimately its about which one feels comfiest though, which has the best geomoetry to suit your body shape and which you like the look of

i wouldnt like to put them in order purely on spec as its largely irrelevant but if i had to....

Raleigh
GT
Trek
Spesh
Fuji
Bianchi

[bleesh]

I recently got a Specialized Allez Sport - but the triple - and within 3 weeks used it on a sponsored ride to Paris.
Nice and comfortable and no problems - even though I was a bit worried about how it would "react" to being hammered like that - so I did 400 miles before I went to "break it in"

Steve

[Gnarlybluesurf]

contango said:

Last month Evans were doing some good deals on '09 bikes, each branch cam look at the company wide stock list...You may get a £700-750 2009 bike for your £600 ?

I'm pretty sure if it's on the C2W scheme the RRP is the only thing that matters not the discounted price... At least that's what i've been told in store.

[anonymous-user]

as i said, make sure its comfy. there is a reason why three are always "as new" and "barey ridden" road ikes for sale in the usual secondhand classifieds....

the difference between a £600 and £750 road bike will be marginal, there will be no difference to frame or fork materiel so it will be the usual window dressing with 105 mechs/shifters or something...

[Marcellus]

As already said pretty much all of the bikes within a price range will be pretty similar in build and component quality. Yes the super technical made be able to feel the difference of the outer leading edge construction giving you less flex in a corner but you and I are unlikely to appreciate the nuances of it.

So, back to the question of how to choose which bike is for you..... shimples.... ride each one available and buy the one that feels the most comfortable.... not arse on seat but position, stretch, how your arms and hands feel on teh bars, how your back feels...... you might need to ride say 5 to 10 miles on each (or even further if they will allow).......

As for a recommendation I love Bianchi have owned 2 but absolutely hate the geometry and now ride a Scott... comfort is key!

[Zippee]

Thanks guys. I used to ride (many years ago) at national level for MTBs (Kona Hei Hei, Roberts Dogs bks & GT Psyclone) and also used road time trials (on a Dale R600) as training so I know how to fit a bike and find one thats comfortable.
My main trouble nowadays is not knowing what groupset is what, what components are high end or cr4p, what the build aquality is like on frames etc.

The Raleigh is looking quite tempting but when I used to ride they had a reputation for crapness. I really like the look of the GT and Trek but as mentioned if I can get some recommendations from those in the know it would be better, especially as Evans don't keep all of these bikes in stock at all stores for me to try.

[anonymous-user]

Raleigh have changed a fair bit since they were taken under the cyclelife umbrella. htey dont get a fair shout in comparison to the likes of specialized and trek but do make some quality bikes. i guess their problem is the range of bikes they produce and the markets they cater for. dont discount them on their past though.