What Road Bike: budget £800
Discussion
I'm moving from a hybrid to a full on road bike.
Doing the London to Paris 24 next year and ideally would get a carbon frame but understand that may be out of budget.
So, any recommendations for a road bike at this sort of price.
I am not averse to a Boardman, although the service / staff in Halfords put me off rather than than any brand snobbery.
Thanks
Doing the London to Paris 24 next year and ideally would get a carbon frame but understand that may be out of budget.
So, any recommendations for a road bike at this sort of price.
I am not averse to a Boardman, although the service / staff in Halfords put me off rather than than any brand snobbery.
Thanks
You'll certainly get a good bike for the budget if you buy carefully. You might get carbon if the right bike comes up in a sale, but don't discount aluminium. I'd suggest you should also consider something like the Cannondale CAAD range.
You don't say whether you've ridden any current road bikes? The most important thing is to get something that fits, and to have a riding position that you can live with. Even on road bikes of the same size, you can get a big range of riding positions. Something like the Specialized Secteur (the aluminium version of the Roubaix) is very upright for a road bike- it's likely to be a similar position to a hybrid. On the other hand the Specialized Allez (aluminium equivalent of the Tarmac) is a more typical head-down road position- in theory it will be faster, but not if you can't work effectively in that position. Of course you can adjust the position a bit by changing position (a different stem will allow you to change the bar position for example) but it's easier and cheaper to get this right at the beginning. A decent bike shop will change out certain components- within reason- for other stuff that they have lying around, and will do so for free if you are actually buying the bike.
Agree with the Halfords point. Boardman is a pretty good brand- and the new high end bikes will improve the prospects. It's wrong to generalise about the level of service and knowledge- it will depend on 2 or 3 staff members who happen to work there, and you could be lucky in a Halfords branch, just as you could be unlucky in an Evans one. On balance though Halfords isn't mainly focused on bikes and you'll probably get more knowledge somewhere more specialist. I've found bike shops to be quite hit and miss. Usually the places that really have a lot of knowledge won't be pushy and snobby.
This place is too far away from you to be local, but have a look at the website to see the high end Boardman point as well as the sort of special offers you can get from a more specialist place. http://www.echelon-cycles.co.uk/index.html. Find yourself a local equivalent and ride some bikes. You might get a carbon bike on special offer in end of range sales- from now to February is a great time to buy as shops shift their 2011 stock- but it's far more important to get something that suits your needs.
You also need to have some thought about the other components, chiefly how you get on with the brake and gear change levers. You can't afford to be too choosy, but this price point will cover everything from bottom to mid range components, depending on where the money is spent. A good place will guide you through the process, and give you advice without being pushy.
Depending on your mechanical skills, it's definitely worth having a good relationship with a bike shop
Will you be keeping your hybrid as well? Full on road bikes are great fun, but you need to consider whether you want to use slightly bigger tyres for winter and comfort (some of mine will barely take 25mm tyres). You can add SKS race blades or crudcatchers to almost any bike, but it may seriously reduce your tyre options.
Good luck, and let us know how you get on!
You don't say whether you've ridden any current road bikes? The most important thing is to get something that fits, and to have a riding position that you can live with. Even on road bikes of the same size, you can get a big range of riding positions. Something like the Specialized Secteur (the aluminium version of the Roubaix) is very upright for a road bike- it's likely to be a similar position to a hybrid. On the other hand the Specialized Allez (aluminium equivalent of the Tarmac) is a more typical head-down road position- in theory it will be faster, but not if you can't work effectively in that position. Of course you can adjust the position a bit by changing position (a different stem will allow you to change the bar position for example) but it's easier and cheaper to get this right at the beginning. A decent bike shop will change out certain components- within reason- for other stuff that they have lying around, and will do so for free if you are actually buying the bike.
Agree with the Halfords point. Boardman is a pretty good brand- and the new high end bikes will improve the prospects. It's wrong to generalise about the level of service and knowledge- it will depend on 2 or 3 staff members who happen to work there, and you could be lucky in a Halfords branch, just as you could be unlucky in an Evans one. On balance though Halfords isn't mainly focused on bikes and you'll probably get more knowledge somewhere more specialist. I've found bike shops to be quite hit and miss. Usually the places that really have a lot of knowledge won't be pushy and snobby.
This place is too far away from you to be local, but have a look at the website to see the high end Boardman point as well as the sort of special offers you can get from a more specialist place. http://www.echelon-cycles.co.uk/index.html. Find yourself a local equivalent and ride some bikes. You might get a carbon bike on special offer in end of range sales- from now to February is a great time to buy as shops shift their 2011 stock- but it's far more important to get something that suits your needs.
You also need to have some thought about the other components, chiefly how you get on with the brake and gear change levers. You can't afford to be too choosy, but this price point will cover everything from bottom to mid range components, depending on where the money is spent. A good place will guide you through the process, and give you advice without being pushy.
Depending on your mechanical skills, it's definitely worth having a good relationship with a bike shop
Will you be keeping your hybrid as well? Full on road bikes are great fun, but you need to consider whether you want to use slightly bigger tyres for winter and comfort (some of mine will barely take 25mm tyres). You can add SKS race blades or crudcatchers to almost any bike, but it may seriously reduce your tyre options.
Good luck, and let us know how you get on!
Thanks for that advice, really useful. I'd seen the Allez on line and was going to try in store.
I'm really lucky in that there are three local bike shops very close to me.
One is a cycle courier mecca though and only stocks £2k fixies and is very snobby.
One (www.mycycle.org) is tremendously helpful and is where I bought my current Bianchi Cameleonte from. More than happy to chat over a cup of in house coffee. It was the bloke in there who advised me to look at Evans / Cycle Surgery for their 2011 sale bikes as they just couldn't compete due to only stocking what they could sell.
The third, where I just came from is somewhere in between a local and a chain. It has the size (about 100 bikes in stock) but doesn't discount. Only about 8 of those were road bikes the rest were hybrids, upright old lady bikes and BMX.
They had one Specialized in there but I didn't really have time for a test. Think I'll hit an Evans or a Cycle Surgery if I get chance.
Unfortunately I won't be able to keep the Bianchi, it's a space thing really. We live in a flat and since I had my Charge Plug nicked from the balcony / landing last year I haven't dare leave a bike outside. And my wife already hates having one bike in the hallway so two would be a no no. So if anyone wants a Bianchi in great condition, recently serviced and probably been ridden for less than 200 miles for only £400 let me know.
I'm really lucky in that there are three local bike shops very close to me.
One is a cycle courier mecca though and only stocks £2k fixies and is very snobby.
One (www.mycycle.org) is tremendously helpful and is where I bought my current Bianchi Cameleonte from. More than happy to chat over a cup of in house coffee. It was the bloke in there who advised me to look at Evans / Cycle Surgery for their 2011 sale bikes as they just couldn't compete due to only stocking what they could sell.
The third, where I just came from is somewhere in between a local and a chain. It has the size (about 100 bikes in stock) but doesn't discount. Only about 8 of those were road bikes the rest were hybrids, upright old lady bikes and BMX.
They had one Specialized in there but I didn't really have time for a test. Think I'll hit an Evans or a Cycle Surgery if I get chance.
Unfortunately I won't be able to keep the Bianchi, it's a space thing really. We live in a flat and since I had my Charge Plug nicked from the balcony / landing last year I haven't dare leave a bike outside. And my wife already hates having one bike in the hallway so two would be a no no. So if anyone wants a Bianchi in great condition, recently serviced and probably been ridden for less than 200 miles for only £400 let me know.
FWIW I think an Allez would be a good all round choice. I've never ridden one, but there are quite a few in the club and it consistently gets good reviews. My final piece of advice would be to think about your gearing needs.
Road bikes typically come with three options: triple (three front chainrings like a touring or mountain bike; widest range, but adds weight and can be more complicated to keep set up, and arguably has a more beardy image), compact (two chainrings at the front, usually 50:34; good all round compromise), or standard double (usually 52:39 or 53:39 front; almost always used for pro racing, but suitability for amateurs depends on your fitness and the sort of terrain you'll be covering.)
You can also get considerable variation in the rear cassette. 12:25 is common giving a reasonable balance between overall range, and close ratios, and this will work well for most people on a compact or triple, but may be difficult for long steep climbs depending on your fitness. People sometimes worry that 50x12 (top ratio with 50:34 and 12:25) will leave them with too low a top gear, but pro sprinters can rarely turn anything bigger than 53x12 and personally I'd worry more about having enough low ratios to get through a a long and hard ride.
Once again, nobody can give you advice about what's right for you until you try it- and you can always change all of this later. None of this stuff lasts forever- especially the rear cassette- and your needs may be different a couple of years down the line. But it's going to be cheaper, better and easier if you get stuff now that fits your likely needs over the next year or so.
Road bikes typically come with three options: triple (three front chainrings like a touring or mountain bike; widest range, but adds weight and can be more complicated to keep set up, and arguably has a more beardy image), compact (two chainrings at the front, usually 50:34; good all round compromise), or standard double (usually 52:39 or 53:39 front; almost always used for pro racing, but suitability for amateurs depends on your fitness and the sort of terrain you'll be covering.)
You can also get considerable variation in the rear cassette. 12:25 is common giving a reasonable balance between overall range, and close ratios, and this will work well for most people on a compact or triple, but may be difficult for long steep climbs depending on your fitness. People sometimes worry that 50x12 (top ratio with 50:34 and 12:25) will leave them with too low a top gear, but pro sprinters can rarely turn anything bigger than 53x12 and personally I'd worry more about having enough low ratios to get through a a long and hard ride.
Once again, nobody can give you advice about what's right for you until you try it- and you can always change all of this later. None of this stuff lasts forever- especially the rear cassette- and your needs may be different a couple of years down the line. But it's going to be cheaper, better and easier if you get stuff now that fits your likely needs over the next year or so.
Mail order outfits like Ribble (or Planet X or PedalForce) would give more bike for the money- certainly at list prices. If you are confident about what you need and are able to specify what you want first time it's a good way to go. But if you haven't ridden similar bikes to compare against, there's no substitute for the test ride and advice at an actual bike shop- and that's even before you consider the possibility of end of year run-out deals.
just some points.
1/ you can buy boardman bikes online from the halfords website, buy it boxed and you take it home and throw the few bits that arent attached together yourself. no halfords employee needs to touch it, as other have said though, some halfords employees are good, others are not... as for the bikes, they are exceptional and embarass far more expensive bikes in terms of spec and ride
2/ if you want a brand you "know", like trek, specialised ot giant, you wont get value for money.
3/ dont be lazy, measure your body, do some research on geometry, use online bike size calculators. the one on the canyon website is very good. if you spend enough time you can work out what size you need and then just tweak the saddle position and bar height to get it perfect.
4/ you do NOT need to sit on the bike before you buy it to determine if it will fit so do not rule out online shops. ribble offer fantastic value for money, take the stealth frame which when badged as a de rosa 838 is twice the price and gets pawed by all the snobs with a fetish for italian sounding frames. ribble's alu frames are excellent and this one will have perfect geometry suitable for long hours in the saddle. upgrade it to tiagra throughout and fulcrum 7s and its still under £800. Fulcrums 7s are great wheels and standard fit on bikes costing twice this price. tiagra is perfectly reliable and a quality groupset. groupsets are getting better in recent years as technology trickles down the range. 2012 tiagra will be light years ahead of 2010 tiagra as an example. Ribble are one of the top three online bike shops in the country in terms of orders, of course they will be busy and some people have had bad experiences but surely a visit to the shop is worth a day and the cost of a tank of petrol given you are spending £800?
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/bikebuilder.asp?acti...
5/ if you want value for money, look at the less well known brands like KHS, Jamis or this
http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/rose-pro-sl-200... which is utterly incredible value for money. 7005 alu frame, carbon fork, 105 groupset including brakes and a proper set of Easton wheels for £850! i bet no one else can beat that!!!
1/ you can buy boardman bikes online from the halfords website, buy it boxed and you take it home and throw the few bits that arent attached together yourself. no halfords employee needs to touch it, as other have said though, some halfords employees are good, others are not... as for the bikes, they are exceptional and embarass far more expensive bikes in terms of spec and ride
2/ if you want a brand you "know", like trek, specialised ot giant, you wont get value for money.
3/ dont be lazy, measure your body, do some research on geometry, use online bike size calculators. the one on the canyon website is very good. if you spend enough time you can work out what size you need and then just tweak the saddle position and bar height to get it perfect.
4/ you do NOT need to sit on the bike before you buy it to determine if it will fit so do not rule out online shops. ribble offer fantastic value for money, take the stealth frame which when badged as a de rosa 838 is twice the price and gets pawed by all the snobs with a fetish for italian sounding frames. ribble's alu frames are excellent and this one will have perfect geometry suitable for long hours in the saddle. upgrade it to tiagra throughout and fulcrum 7s and its still under £800. Fulcrums 7s are great wheels and standard fit on bikes costing twice this price. tiagra is perfectly reliable and a quality groupset. groupsets are getting better in recent years as technology trickles down the range. 2012 tiagra will be light years ahead of 2010 tiagra as an example. Ribble are one of the top three online bike shops in the country in terms of orders, of course they will be busy and some people have had bad experiences but surely a visit to the shop is worth a day and the cost of a tank of petrol given you are spending £800?
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/bikebuilder.asp?acti...
5/ if you want value for money, look at the less well known brands like KHS, Jamis or this
http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/rose-pro-sl-200... which is utterly incredible value for money. 7005 alu frame, carbon fork, 105 groupset including brakes and a proper set of Easton wheels for £850! i bet no one else can beat that!!!
Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 19th November 21:28
My 02..
The fit is more important than any brand. I now know that the Specialized Allez gemoetry in a 56cm frame is spot on with a slightly shorter stem and 170 cranks. Every single 'fit chart' tells me I shuld be a size smaller but honestly they are wrong.
FWIW I love the Allez frame, its slightly heavier than the boardman but is less aggressive. Never really enjoyed the road comp. The Ribble carbons (Sportive esp) is a great frame and one of the best buys on the market if you spec it sensibly. My advice would be try as many bikes as possible and maybe look at a local club and have a chat to a few there.
Also dont discount eBay for this sort of bike. Loads were sold at just under a grand under the cycle to work scheme and a few barely or even unridden turn up there. When you know your size take a look amd see what's around.
HTH
The fit is more important than any brand. I now know that the Specialized Allez gemoetry in a 56cm frame is spot on with a slightly shorter stem and 170 cranks. Every single 'fit chart' tells me I shuld be a size smaller but honestly they are wrong.
FWIW I love the Allez frame, its slightly heavier than the boardman but is less aggressive. Never really enjoyed the road comp. The Ribble carbons (Sportive esp) is a great frame and one of the best buys on the market if you spec it sensibly. My advice would be try as many bikes as possible and maybe look at a local club and have a chat to a few there.
Also dont discount eBay for this sort of bike. Loads were sold at just under a grand under the cycle to work scheme and a few barely or even unridden turn up there. When you know your size take a look amd see what's around.
HTH
Tried a Fuji 2.0 today at Evans in Reading (just happened to be there with an hour spare)
Seemed decent enough given my limited knowledge. Tiagra components and something special about the crankset. While I liked the bike and it seemed light and responsive enough I will try others obviously. The guy in the store said the Specialized Allez and Secteur were similar in spec / performance but they didn't have any in stock. They're on my list to try.
While I believe I could get a great deal on the internet my understanding is that there's no standard in how bikes are measured. So a 56 by one company could be a slightly different, or different enough not to fit as well.
Seemed decent enough given my limited knowledge. Tiagra components and something special about the crankset. While I liked the bike and it seemed light and responsive enough I will try others obviously. The guy in the store said the Specialized Allez and Secteur were similar in spec / performance but they didn't have any in stock. They're on my list to try.
While I believe I could get a great deal on the internet my understanding is that there's no standard in how bikes are measured. So a 56 by one company could be a slightly different, or different enough not to fit as well.
Hackney said:
Tried a Fuji 2.0 today at Evans in Reading (just happened to be there with an hour spare)
Seemed decent enough given my limited knowledge. Tiagra components and something special about the crankset. While I liked the bike and it seemed light and responsive enough I will try others obviously. The guy in the store said the Specialized Allez and Secteur were similar in spec / performance but they didn't have any in stock. They're on my list to try.
While I believe I could get a great deal on the internet my understanding is that there's no standard in how bikes are measured. So a 56 by one company could be a slightly different, or different enough not to fit as well.
almost bike measurement will be from the centre of the tube to the centre of the joining tube. so the seat tube measurement will be centre of the bb to the centre of the top tube. top tubes are measured from the centre of the tube (the headset bolt) to the centre of the seat tube but it will be a horizontal line from the headset bolt not the length of the actual tube. just take a tape measure with you to the shop. they rely on people not doing this so they can, in some situations, talk utter nonsense to get a sale.... alternatively you can find out if there is a shop nearby with a sizing jig which can take all hte guesswork out of the situation Seemed decent enough given my limited knowledge. Tiagra components and something special about the crankset. While I liked the bike and it seemed light and responsive enough I will try others obviously. The guy in the store said the Specialized Allez and Secteur were similar in spec / performance but they didn't have any in stock. They're on my list to try.
While I believe I could get a great deal on the internet my understanding is that there's no standard in how bikes are measured. So a 56 by one company could be a slightly different, or different enough not to fit as well.
seat tubes usually dictate the advertised size. a 56cm specialised and a 56cm trek will be the same measurements, the difference will be the top tube length. you can negate any anomalies with some adjustement of the saddle because at this price they are all quite sportive orientated geometry so they are all designed for a relaxed riding position.
its only when you start spending ££££ that they go for a racier geometry with smaller angles and shorter tubes.
Hackney said:
While I believe I could get a great deal on the internet my understanding is that there's no standard in how bikes are measured. So a 56 by one company could be a slightly different, or different enough not to fit as well.
This.As others have noted, it's entirely possible to buy a bike without ever sitting on it, and in fact it's usual to buy high end bikes frameset only- so you won't sit on it until after you've bought all the other components and put it together. But it's a risky strategy unless you know exactly what the result will be.
There are a few reasons for this...
- Frames aren't all the same. Frame sizing guides give you a good starting point but don't tell the whole story. If you've got the patience, this gives you a bit more detail on the full horror...
- There's no standardisation in other components- saddles and handlebar curves, to take just two vary as well- and then you can factor in things like crank length. Some of the things you can just adjust, but as soon as you have to try different components the time and expense just start racking up.
- You'll have your own preferences and there's really no way to guess in advance what these will be.
With so many variables that there's no substitute for riding a handful of different bikes, preferably at a range of vaguely relevant price points (I'd suggest £600 - £1200 in your case- not to try to push the budget, but just to get a better feel of what the differences might be) You'll see that there's a variety in the ride and handling too- and raw numbers and component specs don't tell the whole story.
When (I say when...) you come to your next road bike you may take a different approach because you'll have a much better base to compare against.
The point about a club is a great one. It may take more than one attempt to find the right one, but you'll get bike and training advice- and riding in a group is a great way to rack up the miles (and an essential skill for an organised event...)
Glad to see you've got started. You'll learn more and have more fun talking to people and seeing the physical stuff than you will poring over internet articles. Get out and enjoy it...
Unless the store will allow you an extended test ride I'm not sure how valuable a 2 minute lap of the shop car park is, other than to pick the right sized frame.
If you're prepared to buy via mail order you can get a MUCH high spec bike for your money. I recommend that you take a look at Canyon bikes? Their on-line sizing tool is pretty good, and they have a UK support chap now, who is very helpful regarding choosing the right size:
http://www.canyon.com/_uk/roadbikes/bike.html?b=25...
If you're prepared to buy via mail order you can get a MUCH high spec bike for your money. I recommend that you take a look at Canyon bikes? Their on-line sizing tool is pretty good, and they have a UK support chap now, who is very helpful regarding choosing the right size:
http://www.canyon.com/_uk/roadbikes/bike.html?b=25...
nammynake said:
Unless the store will allow you an extended test ride I'm not sure how valuable a 2 minute lap of the shop car park is, other than to pick the right sized frame.
If you're prepared to buy via mail order you can get a MUCH high spec bike for your money. I recommend that you take a look at Canyon bikes? Their on-line sizing tool is pretty good, and they have a UK support chap now, who is very helpful regarding choosing the right size:
http://www.canyon.com/_uk/roadbikes/bike.html?b=25...
The calculator came up with an XS for me, I would be surprised if that was correct! Decent spec though for the money.If you're prepared to buy via mail order you can get a MUCH high spec bike for your money. I recommend that you take a look at Canyon bikes? Their on-line sizing tool is pretty good, and they have a UK support chap now, who is very helpful regarding choosing the right size:
http://www.canyon.com/_uk/roadbikes/bike.html?b=25...
Sorry to hijack the thread; but just wanted to say thanks to the pple who have posted.
Like the OP; I will be moving from MTB to Road in the NY and this thread has given me some good info on what I should look for.
I was thinking on the lines of a CAAD but Pablo's email about Rose bikes has got me thinking, they are unbelievable value for their worth, I can't see other makes coming close to their specs and price. What is even more cool is that you can configure/customise your bike exactly how you want it (obviously this will increase the price).
I'm sure I will be posting something similar come January; but thanks for the input guys so far
Like the OP; I will be moving from MTB to Road in the NY and this thread has given me some good info on what I should look for.
I was thinking on the lines of a CAAD but Pablo's email about Rose bikes has got me thinking, they are unbelievable value for their worth, I can't see other makes coming close to their specs and price. What is even more cool is that you can configure/customise your bike exactly how you want it (obviously this will increase the price).
I'm sure I will be posting something similar come January; but thanks for the input guys so far
I'm going to stand by my advice that you must ride some sort of road bike before buying... But I've made the point now, and it doesn't add much to a forum... So what else?
Everyone obsesses about weight, particularly new roadies. It's not the only factor by any means, but it's worth touching on. It's certainly very important when you're going up hill.
Whether it's aluminium or carbon (titanium is more expensive, and cheap steel bikes will be quite a bit heavier) it's going to be a bit over 9 kg, plus or minus 10 percent. It will depend on bike size, equipment and even paint (never believe figures, especially from the internet.) This is a significant variation, but less so once you consider that you have to propel your own weight too... So variation in bike and rider combined weight is not going to change substantially at a given price point, but it's worth keeping in mind.
As with any vehicles, reducing weight in the wheels is correspondingly more useful. You'll not see massive variations at a similar price point- you'll have to go significantly more expensive to get something where you can actually notice the difference to performance (generally usability and staying in true is a much bigger concern at entry level.)
Other resistance... Tyres are massively important. Much more so than on cars. Proper pressures are important to all aspects of speed, handling and ride. Narrower isn't necessarily faster, and higher pressures aren't necessarily faster (although traditional bike folklore says they are...) Tyres will make a massive difference to feel, but as long as they're road tyres and to spec they'll make a lesser difference to performance. My tip for all round is Continental 4 seasons, FWIW. Losses elsewhere in the drivetrain aren't going to vary hugely unless something is broken.
Aerodynamic resistance is huge, obviously increasing with speed. It's going to be of the order of 80% of resistance at sustainable high crusing speeds. Wheels are a factor, the bike's a factor (aero road bikes are the latest thing) but again 80% of this will be you, the rider. Look at a road bike from the front (or back) and there's nothing to it.
Your position on the bike is the biggest determinant of drag. In general a flatter position- longer, more stretched out, and with a more horizontal back- is going to be faster.
The snag is that this more horizontal position tends to be more uncomfortable, and also places a bigger drain on your physiology, reducing your ability to breathe and to produce power. So your position is mainly a compromise between aerodynamics, comfort and power.
There's more, but I'm making a fish pie.
Everyone obsesses about weight, particularly new roadies. It's not the only factor by any means, but it's worth touching on. It's certainly very important when you're going up hill.
Whether it's aluminium or carbon (titanium is more expensive, and cheap steel bikes will be quite a bit heavier) it's going to be a bit over 9 kg, plus or minus 10 percent. It will depend on bike size, equipment and even paint (never believe figures, especially from the internet.) This is a significant variation, but less so once you consider that you have to propel your own weight too... So variation in bike and rider combined weight is not going to change substantially at a given price point, but it's worth keeping in mind.
As with any vehicles, reducing weight in the wheels is correspondingly more useful. You'll not see massive variations at a similar price point- you'll have to go significantly more expensive to get something where you can actually notice the difference to performance (generally usability and staying in true is a much bigger concern at entry level.)
Other resistance... Tyres are massively important. Much more so than on cars. Proper pressures are important to all aspects of speed, handling and ride. Narrower isn't necessarily faster, and higher pressures aren't necessarily faster (although traditional bike folklore says they are...) Tyres will make a massive difference to feel, but as long as they're road tyres and to spec they'll make a lesser difference to performance. My tip for all round is Continental 4 seasons, FWIW. Losses elsewhere in the drivetrain aren't going to vary hugely unless something is broken.
Aerodynamic resistance is huge, obviously increasing with speed. It's going to be of the order of 80% of resistance at sustainable high crusing speeds. Wheels are a factor, the bike's a factor (aero road bikes are the latest thing) but again 80% of this will be you, the rider. Look at a road bike from the front (or back) and there's nothing to it.
Your position on the bike is the biggest determinant of drag. In general a flatter position- longer, more stretched out, and with a more horizontal back- is going to be faster.
The snag is that this more horizontal position tends to be more uncomfortable, and also places a bigger drain on your physiology, reducing your ability to breathe and to produce power. So your position is mainly a compromise between aerodynamics, comfort and power.
There's more, but I'm making a fish pie.
May I suggest one of these, a Specialized Secteur Elite
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To be had for around 800 sovs. I bought one 6 months ago and it's a cracking road bike. Carbon frames can get quite fatiguing on the road. This does sports touring and road miles very well indeed, with cmfort and sportiness all rolled into one!
To be had for around 800 sovs. I bought one 6 months ago and it's a cracking road bike. Carbon frames can get quite fatiguing on the road. This does sports touring and road miles very well indeed, with cmfort and sportiness all rolled into one!
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