Cycle to work, road bike - I'm out of my depth

[ShampooEfficient]

Right, my employer has finally seen fit to join C2W (as the cool kids write it)... I'm after a new road bike, max budget is £1100 but from that I need to get a decent lock and a few accessories, so say, er, £700?

I've been looking at the Specialised Allez and the Giant Defy, for the simple reason that I've heard of them on here. I'm no cycling expert...

So, PH, where would your pre-tax weekly tenner go?

Criteria -

I'm fairly large, at 6'4" and 17 stone
I do 10 miles a day to and from work, weekend rides of more miles
I have a mid-range mountain bike for titting about in the rough stuff, so it can be just a road bike
It mustn't make me look like a tt - black or grey frame preferred

[Rick101]

Go an test a few out.

Of off the advice I have been given nothing has been as beneficial as just going and trying different models out.

10 mile is easily possible.

Get a good D -Lock. If you're leaving it in a public place the less flashy the better.

[Gargamel]

I really like the cube stuff, nice bikes in my opinion.

Specialised stuff is a solid first choice, none of mine have had problems, all very good bikes.

Planet x also decent.

Boardman are good too, just don't let anyone from halfords near the thing.......

[Kermit power]

What accessories do you have in mind to spend £400 on???

[anonymous-user]

the allez is a great bike, you see loads around on sportives and things so they must be comfy, its not hard to adjust saddle and bar position to get them to fit you well as they have quite relaxed geometry.

helmet, some nice gloves, quality waterproof jacket, summer and winter bibs, £400 can go quite quickly!....

[Markp13]

Under 1k my money would be on a cannondale or ribble.

I would go lidl for your accessories and up your bike budget.

[craigb84]

Markp13 said:

Under 1k my money would be on a cannondale or ribble.

I would go lidl for your accessories and up your bike budget.

Ribble has caught my eye of late. Don't be sucked in by the whole carbon frenzy at the moment. Many will tell you that at this budget a good quality alu frame is better than a budget carbon. I've also read that in the long run carbon won't last as long as metal as it deteriorates more quickly.

If you really want to cut the budget have a look at one of these. http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/specialedition.asp?a...

Would probably agree with mark though and suggest you up the budget a touch and go for the 7005 ultra lite.

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

I think I can help here!

I also had the same buying criteria as you - something nice to commute to work on.

I'm 6'2 and 18 stone (but actually getting lighter now I'm cycling ) and this rides beautifully on a commute, and fits the bill.

A Specialized Secteur Elite. It's dark grey with a bit of silver. Cost £699. Perfecto.

[Kermit power]

pablo said:

helmet, some nice gloves, quality waterproof jacket, summer and winter bibs, £400 can go quite quickly!....

Well yes, it can do, but it's surely not necessary when it's such a high percentage of his budget.

[Crippo]

Some strange advice there.

Cannondale = a high quality well made cutting edge frame with sensible components
Ribble = a pile of poo that wont be straight and will have fantasic components on it ( because teh frame is poo!!)

Two more opposites you couldnt get. So its like saying which shade of grey should I have and being told that White is good but so is black....ha!!!ha!!!

[Crippo]

Honestly ...dont ask forums for help, Its like asking people who shop at Aldi, Tescos, Sainsburys, Waitrose, Lidl, Marks and Spensers, stealing things out of dustbins.....where you should do your weekly shop. You may get soem helpful answers but you are far better making the judgement yourself.

My advice is go to a couple of quality bikes shops and ask their advice. They will be be honest and helpful.

You can spot a quality bike shop they will either stock, Trek, Specialized, Cannondale, Giant as thes ebrands have high standards in choosing their dealer network and its jolly hard to get an account with them.

[Markp13]

Crippo said:

Some strange advice there.

Cannondale = a high quality well made cutting edge frame with sensible components
Ribble = a pile of poo that wont be straight and will have fantasic components on it ( because teh frame is poo!!)

Two more opposites you couldnt get. So its like saying which shade of grey should I have and being told that White is good but so is black....ha!!!ha!!!

Ribble took bike of the year in the sub 1k bracket last year. Can't be that big a pile of poo.

You've also highlighted the fact that 2 bikes around the same budget can have different characteristics and provenance. Thanks.

But as others have said, each to their own.

Just try before you buy.

[Kermit power]

Markp13 said:

Crippo said:

Some strange advice there.

Cannondale = a high quality well made cutting edge frame with sensible components
Ribble = a pile of poo that wont be straight and will have fantasic components on it ( because teh frame is poo!!)

Two more opposites you couldnt get. So its like saying which shade of grey should I have and being told that White is good but so is black....ha!!!ha!!!

Ribble took bike of the year in the sub 1k bracket last year. Can't be that big a pile of poo.

It doesn't really match with any of the Ribble reviews I read recently when looking for a new bike for me either. The only real reason I didn't look at them further was because I wanted to buy from someone local and have that support, and I don't live anywhere near Preston.

[kiethton]

I got a bianchi from Evans (clearance for £649) for my commute of 30 miles per day, seems near perfect...its black and looks very smart!

To save money on the gear I used sportsdirect.com for padded cycling shorts (£6!!) and a good reflective jacket (£12). Scout out the clearance items to minimise costs, i got a specialized helmet that had an rrp of £90 for £35....also for lights I did spend a lot (£75) but i got the rechargeable moon 300/shield light package as they will recharge from the computer at work via USB so i don't have to worry about batteries....

[craigb84]

Crippo said:

Some strange advice there.

Cannondale = a high quality well made cutting edge frame with sensible components
Ribble = a pile of poo that wont be straight and will have fantasic components on it ( because teh frame is poo!!)

Two more opposites you couldnt get. So its like saying which shade of grey should I have and being told that White is good but so is black....ha!!!ha!!!

From Cycling Weekly....

"The finish is great - Ribble's carbon frames are made in the Far East at the same factories as bikes bearing much more famous names and if you didn't know, you simply wouldn't guess that it was so much cheaper. We certainly don't see any reason why Ribble's frames carbon frames should be regarded as inferior just because they have a Lancastrian name on the down tube, instead of a Milanese one"

[V6 Coupe]

I took cycling up again two years ago after 25 years without getting on a bike. My local shop suggested a Trek. After reading reviews I bought a basic 1.1 for £550. Since then I have done a number of 60-100 mile charity rides and cover about 100 miles/week on it. For a newbie it has done the job well and would easily fall within your budget.

[Chris71]

Depending on the sort of riding you do it might be worth looking into a hybrid.

Admittedly, it's a long time since I've ridden a full on road bike for comparison, but my Kona Dew is vastly better to ride on road than my MTB is without going for full roadie geometry.

[Gizmo!]

Chris71 said:

Depending on the sort of riding you do it might be worth looking into a hybrid.

Admittedly, it's a long time since I've ridden a full on road bike for comparison, but my Kona Dew is vastly better to ride on road than my MTB is without going for full roadie geometry.

Hybrids (of various types - flat bar road bike, slick tyred MTB, suspension and not) have their place - and I love mine as it's absolutely ideal for bombing about light trails in the forest. However once on-road the suspension is dead weight, the geometry's not great, the tyres are too big and too lumpy.

Hence why I'm getting into the CTW myself and will be buying a roadie...

[HVAC MATT]

ShampooEfficient said:

It mustn't make me look like a tt - black or grey frame preferred

get a MTB then and fit some tyres better suited to the road. tight fitting clothing also make you look like a tt.

[louiebaby]

My brother-in-law recently got a Specialised Allez, and loves it.

I tried one in my size, and couldn't get comfortable, but love my Trek.

There are differences, so find a couple of good, local shops, and try a few for size.

Please remember:

Reward the place with the best service with a sale.

Brands like Cannondale, Giant and so on should be worth a look as well, as mentioned by others.