Ideas for new training bike

[mcelliott]

Seeing as my present training bike is coming to the end of its useful life, I'm now in the market for a new one. Top of my list is the one here...

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/CBPXSLPCAAT/pl...

What I would like to know is, has anyone had any experience of riding Planet X bikes, and/or the new generation Campag Athena groupset? I've ridden Campag groupsets in the dim distant past but now always ride Shimano. I just love the look of this new Campag groupset and was wondering technologically whether its a step behind SRAM and Shimano.

Other than that I think the bike represents fantastic value.

[summit7]

I'm sure it's a great all round bike/money decision, but query what a "training" bike with no mudguards in the middle of winter is about?

I've just had a handbuilt 25 year old training bike written off by some stupid motorist last week this http://www.dolan-bikes.com/road-bikes/aluminium/Sr... is where my money is going with a 11 - 23 block specced onto it.

That will take all the punishment I can dish out over any road and still come back for more without killing my back and soaking my legs and arse

[Rouleur]

I agree in principle but there's very little choice of decent frames if you want mudguard eyes, but there is this http://www.dolan-bikes.com/road-bikes/Carbon/Sram%... for £1420 with Aksiums.

Or how about these without guards - http://www.dolan-bikes.com/road-bikes/Carbon/Sram%... specced with Ksyrium Equipes for £1250? Or the next frame up for £1350?

[andySC]

I'm waiting for a Planet X Team Aluminium to arrive. It's the "SRAM Red" version. A couple of lads I know ride them through the winter & rate them so I decided to take the plunge. I'll use this through the winter & into spring for training & a spot of early season racing. It's plenty light enough for my needs & feels sturdy enough. The Ribble I've been riding for the last couple of years is no good for the type of riding I'm doing...the thing weighs 27lbs for a start.

I got a few upgrades & extra's thrown in with the deal so overall I'm happy with PX.

[mcelliott]

Thanks for all the feedback guys, Andy SC, when you get your bike, some pics and a little write up would be greatly appreciated!

The Dolan Hercules certainly looks like an option I may need to look at, well equipped too. Although another thing I've heard is that the SRAM gears need quite a lot of adjustment to keep them working smoothly.

[itsnotarace]

Surprised nobody has offered the Ribble winter training bike as an option yet

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/publish.asp?what=spe...

[Raoul Duke]

I have just bought a Dolan Preffissio for winter use, specced up with Sram Rival it comes in at £799.00 c/w mud guards when you buy direct from Dolan. Junked the wheels it came with and put it on the Campag Shamals i already had and so far its been great.
Its a pretty basic aluminium frame, with carbon fork - not sure i would want to run a full carbon bike through the winter.
Its pretty stiff, handles well and for the money its a very respectable weight - mine came in at just about 8.5kg with lights, pedals, bottle cages, mud guards and garmin bits. Whilst its no weight weenie the idea is to train heavy / race light! Dont be afraid of using Sram either, have been running Red on the good bike this year and appart from a shortlived ceramic bottom bracket its been faultless.
Will try and remember to post a pic of it up on the readers rides section over the weekend.

[andySC]

mcelliott said:

Thanks for all the feedback guys, Andy SC, when you get your bike, some pics and a little write up would be greatly appreciated!

The Dolan Hercules certainly looks like an option I may need to look at, well equipped too. Although another thing I've heard is that the SRAM gears need quite a lot of adjustment to keep them working smoothly.

Bike was delivered & first impressions are that it is very light for an aluminium bike. It also came with Shimano C30 wheels as oppossed to C10's so mustn't grumble there. I fitted the Crud Racers & set it up last night ready for today's baptism by fire. It has SRAM Red front/rear mechs & shifters & the brake calipers are el-cheapo SRAM, the chainset I upgraded to a FSA Gossamer 53/39 from the Apex compact it would've come with. The finishing kit was upgraded FOC & is PX stuff, looks really good tbh. The saddle is a blatant Fizik rip off but none the worse for it, titanium rails & a nice suede effect centre bit...comfy (very) too.

Today's ride was great tbh, our Saturday chaingang is quite an ordeal as most of the local pro's will turn out & get stuck in (Sky, Rapha, Raleigh, Endura riders...). When it kicks off it's full on & usually 40/50 start & by the final km there's less than a dozen left. Last few weeks I've been using my trusty/rusty Ribble Winter trainer, problem with that is simply weight & a bike that feels "dead" under your feet. It would go at a fair old pace but on demand accelerations, forget it. Jump a gap & you're into the red & on a ride like that you ain't coming out of it, especially as it's been "cross wind central"...

Fastforward to today & all was rosy. The PX is a world away from the Ribble. Press on & it leaps forward. It is a race bike disguised as a hack. I found I could keep tapping thru all the way round today's ride with out missing a turn which on the old bike simply wouldn't have happened. There are a few tiny drags on our route & the PX made mincemeat out of them. It really was a night & day difference (as you might expect to be fair). At the end of the ride comes the usual "sprint for the sign)...(this cost Dean Downing a busted collarbone last week). Today his younger brother opened up on the last hill with 2k to go, I went with him as did a few others. This simply wouldn't have happened on the Ribble, as soon as he jumped the bike was able to respond & I managed to hold onto this little group till the end. Very pleased & then some. The Red transmission is very good. I had Red a few years ago but this set up feels much crisper & "better", I don't know whether SRAM have made improvements to it but I can't remember it feeling this good. To say the brakes are bottom rung tackle & today was damp, they certainly don't lack power. My Ribble has Tiagra & my "best" bike has DA 7900, they are much closer to 7900 than they've any right to be considering the price of them.

This bike is so impressive I'm gonna race on it next year.

[andySC]

....oh, & it also has a picture of 70's comedian Max Wall on the seat tube! What's not to love about that!!

[mcelliott]

Brilliant write up Andy, just what I wanted to hear! It's good to hear that you really enjoy the bike, I know what you mean about old hack bikes feeling dead beneath your feet. I think I will definitely be putting in an order for the bike now. I will probably go for the Campag Athena group set though as it looks absolutely fantastic on the bike. It's good to hear that the SRAM is ticking all the boxes though.

Regards, Marcus

[Raoul Duke]

Dont forget to post a pic of it in the readers rides section when it arrives!