Which one for around £630ish

[DamienCBR]

So after spending a lot of time reading this week i have come up with two bikes i really like the look of. I have put three of the poll to see what the general feeling is. Which one should i go for and why? Weekend and evening rides of around 15 miles minimum and in the summer 2 commutes per week of 30 mile round trip.
Obviously the Trek has a lot of Bontrager approved items, are these any better.
Cheers
D

[Roman]

Voted Trek but Scott Speedster just as nice & cheaper. I find the Allez too tall at the front for me and the GT just plain doesn't look as good to me.

[anonymous-user]

trek own bontrager and i am sure specialzed have a part in the wheel company Alex so.....

much of a muchness really but i think the GT road range is vastly under rated and the frames are better than pretty much everything else in the price range.

dont get hung up on spec like shifters etc, they all work fine from Sora upwards, if it has tiagra on it somewhere, a compromise has been made elsewhere. bike companies know that the first thing a punter looks for is the recognisable like rear mech and shifters so they "upgrade" these first.

[Zippee]

I've just been through pretty much the same dilema though at the £800 mark. I looked at the Trek 1.5, Allez Elite & Fuji Roubaix and after trying them all chose the Allez. It was by far and away the most comfortable, had a great wheelset and full tiagra rather than mix and match.
My advice would be to try all 3 as they are all slightly different. Personally it you can get tiagra shifters go for those as I hate the Sora thumb downshifter.

[DamienCBR]

Thanks for the comments and votes guys. You know what it is like when you are looking, you carry on looking and find something else that catches you eye.....

Cannondale CAAD8 Sora Triple.

It has been suggested to me that this has a far superior frame.

D

[Zippee]

To be honest around that price there really won't be a huge amount of difference in frame quality, just geometery.

Out of interest why are you going for a triple? On a road bike IMHO they're just added weight and I reckon you'll never find yourself using the inner ring.

[DamienCBR]

Zippee said:

To be honest around that price there really won't be a huge amount of difference in frame quality, just geometery.

Out of interest why are you going for a triple? On a road bike IMHO they're just added weight and I reckon you'll never find yourself using the inner ring.

Coming from a mountain bike is seems the sensible choice. Also if i do commute there is a serious hill that i will have to get up. The extra chain ring wont add that much weight anyway.
D

[Lost my mojo]

What about the defy 3 and the boardman comp. I went to halfords to look at the comp and came out with a team
http://www.boardmanbikes.com/road/road_comp.html

[Zippee]

Lost my mojo said:

What about the defy 3 and the boardman comp. I went to halfords to look at the comp and came out with a team
http://www.boardmanbikes.com/road/road_comp.html

I really wanted a Boardman as I've heard great things about them but Evans don't sell them. Had to buy from there due to the ride to work scheme, £1000 voucher plus an extra 10% for accesories until the end of the month will cost me about £550 over the year.

[aberdeeneuan]

Giant defy is a cracking bike in that price bracket, they get a really good write up. I test rode one and really liked it, but ended up spending more for a carbon frame. Look for a compact over a triple, just about the same spread of gears as a triple.

[Matthew_Eames]

Firstly I would try and move above sora....it works fine, however the thumb paddle shifting is a pain in the arse and cannot be done from the drops, making Tiagra a much better option.

Secondly I would also question the need for a triple, you just dont need them with modern compact's and the range of gearing unless you live in the alps. It adds weight and increases the Q factor...SRAM have the right idea in trying to kill it off with their new 11-32 cassette for those who need the low gearing.

Finally ride each of the bikes, or at least sit on them to get an idea on whats right for you.....it's crucial

Is there no room for any extra in the budget? there is a nice bianchi for £750 with campag on it that's very cool....£100 now would be well spent if you get into it (it will hold off the desire to upgrade for a short while). I'm not sure on the offical stance, but perhaps there could be some discout offered, or a benefit in kind via free accessories to bring the price down slightly. (though you might hate the look of the bike....it's personal choice)

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

[aberdeeneuan]

Matthew_Eames said:

Finally ride each of the bikes, or at least sit on them to get an idea on whats right for you.....it's crucial

this really is the key. Don't buy a road bike just on spec, you really need to check the fit. If you don't get the right fit you'll find it uncomfortable and you just won't ride it. For example, I love the bianchi bikes, but they just didn't fit me. Try and find a local bike shop where you can test ride the bikes, not just round the block but a decent ride. Decent bike shops will encourage this, they won't want to sell you a bike that's wrong for you.

[DamienCBR]

I went to Geoff Wyles Cycles in Strood kent yesterday, had a good chat with the guy in there and managed to sit on a couple of bikes. I am about 5'9" so tried the Allez in a 54cm and 56cm, it appeared the 54cm was better for me as my arms were not stretching. I also tried a 55cm Bianchi which i really liked.

The search continues. I am having a chat with a neighbour tonight to ask his advice, he has several road bikes and commutes each day.

Now need to get my head round Campag.....
D