Which dual purpose bike
Discussion
Can anyone recommend up to say £3500 for a bike which is good for 100+ mile sportives but is reasonably aero and able to keep up with club chain gangs and fast rides.
The manufacturers all seem to offer bikes with a geometry to suit a style of ride but not necessarily both. I'm thinking for example Giant who do the Defy and the Propel
Does such a thing exist or do I need to have two bikes. If the latter then I'll need to think up some convincing man maths for mrs N8.
The manufacturers all seem to offer bikes with a geometry to suit a style of ride but not necessarily both. I'm thinking for example Giant who do the Defy and the Propel
Does such a thing exist or do I need to have two bikes. If the latter then I'll need to think up some convincing man maths for mrs N8.
Trek Domane or the new Scott Foil.
The Trek is super comfortable and incredible downhill. Fine uphill too and although not designed to be aero, its not bad.
The Foil is just pure speed machine. Comfortable enough, stiff enough and very fast.
£3.5k gets you the Foil 10 with Ultegra Di2 and decent spec.
The Defy is incredibly boring to ride. It is typical Giant. Spec is perfect, the ride is neutral and dull. I have not ridden the Propel yet.
The Trek is super comfortable and incredible downhill. Fine uphill too and although not designed to be aero, its not bad.
The Foil is just pure speed machine. Comfortable enough, stiff enough and very fast.
£3.5k gets you the Foil 10 with Ultegra Di2 and decent spec.
The Defy is incredibly boring to ride. It is typical Giant. Spec is perfect, the ride is neutral and dull. I have not ridden the Propel yet.
Wow - nice budget
You could buy a car for that, or even 2 lovely road bikes - but you know that
OK then FWIW I have a pro spec super stiff Canyon which is as perfectly comfortable for 10h in the Alps as it is thrashing the local hill climb
Mines the SLX rather than the "aero" errrr Aeroad
Aero bikes are certainly fashionable but Im not totally convinced Id go hell for leather to get the most efficient bike when its the bloke/lass on top which is creating the most drag
So in conclusion buy whatever fits with a set of profiled wheels if youre spending most of your time on the flats rather than the climbs
Cheers and good luck
You could buy a car for that, or even 2 lovely road bikes - but you know that
OK then FWIW I have a pro spec super stiff Canyon which is as perfectly comfortable for 10h in the Alps as it is thrashing the local hill climb
Mines the SLX rather than the "aero" errrr Aeroad
Aero bikes are certainly fashionable but Im not totally convinced Id go hell for leather to get the most efficient bike when its the bloke/lass on top which is creating the most drag
So in conclusion buy whatever fits with a set of profiled wheels if youre spending most of your time on the flats rather than the climbs
Cheers and good luck
get a No22 bicycles Great Divide from Fatbirds.
Handmade American Titanium - none of the cheap Chinese stuff - Frameset is £2200. Lifetime warranty
Then you can spec it out with decent gears and wheels. Complete Ultegra 6800 is £430 at Wiggle. Mavic 6800 wheels are £315.
Leaves you £500 for a seatpost or something.
one of the reviews said "Great on the flats when the goal was to be first to the sign or to simply lay down some hurt on each other. ... A great bike that will have you looking to add extra kilometres to your ride."
Another "Ultimately, the Great Divide is an impressive entrant… being racy enough for a competitive rider but compliant and pleasant enough for long days in the saddle."
For 3.5k you'll get a superb machine that will eat the miles, and will be quick. And won't be the generic look alike carbon frame that'll fail in 5 years.
Handmade American Titanium - none of the cheap Chinese stuff - Frameset is £2200. Lifetime warranty
Then you can spec it out with decent gears and wheels. Complete Ultegra 6800 is £430 at Wiggle. Mavic 6800 wheels are £315.
Leaves you £500 for a seatpost or something.
one of the reviews said "Great on the flats when the goal was to be first to the sign or to simply lay down some hurt on each other. ... A great bike that will have you looking to add extra kilometres to your ride."
Another "Ultimately, the Great Divide is an impressive entrant… being racy enough for a competitive rider but compliant and pleasant enough for long days in the saddle."
For 3.5k you'll get a superb machine that will eat the miles, and will be quick. And won't be the generic look alike carbon frame that'll fail in 5 years.
petsco said:
get a No22 bicycles Great Divide from Fatbirds.
Handmade American Titanium - none of the cheap Chinese stuff - Frameset is £2200. Lifetime warranty
Then you can spec it out with decent gears and wheels. Complete Ultegra 6800 is £430 at Wiggle. Mavic 6800 wheels are £315.
Leaves you £500 for a seatpost or something.
one of the reviews said "Great on the flats when the goal was to be first to the sign or to simply lay down some hurt on each other. ... A great bike that will have you looking to add extra kilometres to your ride."
Another "Ultimately, the Great Divide is an impressive entrant… being racy enough for a competitive rider but compliant and pleasant enough for long days in the saddle."
For 3.5k you'll get a superb machine that will eat the miles, and will be quick. And won't be the generic look alike carbon frame that'll fail in 5 years.
something very interesting which I had not considered.Handmade American Titanium - none of the cheap Chinese stuff - Frameset is £2200. Lifetime warranty
Then you can spec it out with decent gears and wheels. Complete Ultegra 6800 is £430 at Wiggle. Mavic 6800 wheels are £315.
Leaves you £500 for a seatpost or something.
one of the reviews said "Great on the flats when the goal was to be first to the sign or to simply lay down some hurt on each other. ... A great bike that will have you looking to add extra kilometres to your ride."
Another "Ultimately, the Great Divide is an impressive entrant… being racy enough for a competitive rider but compliant and pleasant enough for long days in the saddle."
For 3.5k you'll get a superb machine that will eat the miles, and will be quick. And won't be the generic look alike carbon frame that'll fail in 5 years.
I replaced my vaguely decent carbon frame with one (took most of the bits off the old bike). Gone up a bit in weight (c100-200 grams) but it's much less skittish, and more stable. And so much more comfortable - feel like you can ride for hours.
Most people get the same factory in China to build their titanium bikes - even 'british' firms like enigma. Burls come from Russia. Big builders like Van Nich and planet x get theirs from China. You can cut out the middle man and get a cheap import from XACD.
But Lynskey and No22 (amongst others) are still in the states. Not saying it's a better weld etc, but the heritage is there. And the warranty is good.
Most people get the same factory in China to build their titanium bikes - even 'british' firms like enigma. Burls come from Russia. Big builders like Van Nich and planet x get theirs from China. You can cut out the middle man and get a cheap import from XACD.
But Lynskey and No22 (amongst others) are still in the states. Not saying it's a better weld etc, but the heritage is there. And the warranty is good.
N8CYL said:
something very interesting which I had not considered.
Sounds good doesn't it?!My own ride is a Propel, the £1600 version. I love it; did an Everesting on it in May (27 hours on Boxhill, bleurgh!) and feels great to ride. I test rode the £2.5k version with 105 but Giant's aero wheels. It felt truly magic, although it was windy and there was some darting about in gusts; you'd probably get used to it eventually. I can only imagine what a £3k-£4k Propel would be like!
petsco said:
get a No22 bicycles Great Divide from Fatbirds.
Handmade American Titanium - none of the cheap Chinese stuff - Frameset is £2200. Lifetime warranty
Then you can spec it out with decent gears and wheels. Complete Ultegra 6800 is £430 at Wiggle. Mavic 6800 wheels are £315.
Leaves you £500 for a seatpost or something.
one of the reviews said "Great on the flats when the goal was to be first to the sign or to simply lay down some hurt on each other. ... A great bike that will have you looking to add extra kilometres to your ride."
Another "Ultimately, the Great Divide is an impressive entrant… being racy enough for a competitive rider but compliant and pleasant enough for long days in the saddle."
For 3.5k you'll get a superb machine that will eat the miles, and will be quick. And won't be the generic look alike carbon frame that'll fail in 5 years.
Wow ! They look really stunning , I'd never heard of these before , Damn you sir !Handmade American Titanium - none of the cheap Chinese stuff - Frameset is £2200. Lifetime warranty
Then you can spec it out with decent gears and wheels. Complete Ultegra 6800 is £430 at Wiggle. Mavic 6800 wheels are £315.
Leaves you £500 for a seatpost or something.
one of the reviews said "Great on the flats when the goal was to be first to the sign or to simply lay down some hurt on each other. ... A great bike that will have you looking to add extra kilometres to your ride."
Another "Ultimately, the Great Divide is an impressive entrant… being racy enough for a competitive rider but compliant and pleasant enough for long days in the saddle."
For 3.5k you'll get a superb machine that will eat the miles, and will be quick. And won't be the generic look alike carbon frame that'll fail in 5 years.
Daveyraveygravey said:
Sounds good doesn't it?!
My own ride is a Propel, the £1600 version. I love it; did an Everesting on it in May (27 hours on Boxhill, bleurgh!) and feels great to ride. I test rode the £2.5k version with 105 but Giant's aero wheels. It felt truly magic, although it was windy and there was some darting about in gusts; you'd probably get used to it eventually. I can only imagine what a £3k-£4k Propel would be like!
I have a Propel SL 2 . It's ridiculously fast and surprisingly light. Picking up top 10's on Strava left right & centre without trying. This is without even fully adjusting to the more aggressive position vs my old endurance bike yet - been on it about a dozen times. My own ride is a Propel, the £1600 version. I love it; did an Everesting on it in May (27 hours on Boxhill, bleurgh!) and feels great to ride. I test rode the £2.5k version with 105 but Giant's aero wheels. It felt truly magic, although it was windy and there was some darting about in gusts; you'd probably get used to it eventually. I can only imagine what a £3k-£4k Propel would be like!
I don't understand why you have ruled out the TCR OP? TCR offers a compromise between the Defy and the Propel - fast geo yet light and stiff for undulating terrain on those long sportives.. And I'm saying that as someone who loves his Propel!
The new Canyon CF SLX frame is very light and has aero features. Same frame as used by Movistar and Katusha. £3200 will get you Ultegra di2 and Ksyrium Pro Exilath wheels. Not a single thing you would need to upgrade.
https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/road/ultimate/2016/ul...
https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/road/ultimate/2016/ul...
I have an Enigma - which you can view in Stokesley, and get a keen price and spec change as needed (Fat Birds were hard to pin down on price, but Stokesley is nearer to me). 2000 miles up in 14 weeks.
My neighbour spurred on by my purchase went and got the Scott 10 - nice bike - and some good end of season deals around (I would possibly recommend Stokesley again).
And if we are looking for excellent seasonal deals - Cervelo (which I nearly bought) in Great Ayton. Or a Synapse HM in Pickering.
My neighbour spurred on by my purchase went and got the Scott 10 - nice bike - and some good end of season deals around (I would possibly recommend Stokesley again).
And if we are looking for excellent seasonal deals - Cervelo (which I nearly bought) in Great Ayton. Or a Synapse HM in Pickering.
N8CYL said:
Can anyone recommend up to say £3500 for a bike which is good for 100+ mile sportives but is reasonably aero and able to keep up with club chain gangs and fast rides.
The manufacturers all seem to offer bikes with a geometry to suit a style of ride but not necessarily both. I'm thinking for example Giant who do the Defy and the Propel
Does such a thing exist or do I need to have two bikes. If the latter then I'll need to think up some convincing man maths for mrs N8.
I'm not sure if you're having a laugh, ANY road bike will do what you want providing you have the fitness to ride it a) 100 miles and b) as fast as is required on the chaingang of your choice. The manufacturers all seem to offer bikes with a geometry to suit a style of ride but not necessarily both. I'm thinking for example Giant who do the Defy and the Propel
Does such a thing exist or do I need to have two bikes. If the latter then I'll need to think up some convincing man maths for mrs N8.
I am amazed marketing has this effect on people.
Edited by okgo on Tuesday 17th November 23:24
okgo said:
I'm not sure if you're having a laugh, ANY road bike will do what you want providing you have the fitness to ride it a) 100 miles and b) as fast as is required on the chaingang of your choice.
I am amazed marketing has this effect on people.
I thought this too. A road bike which fits... It's remarkable to think that people are fooled into thinking that an 'aero' frame will make such a difference over a frame which is not classed as 'aero'. I am amazed marketing has this effect on people.
Edited by okgo on Tuesday 17th November 23:24
You could argue that you want to be on your most aerodynamic bike for the solo 100 miler, as when you are out with the chaingang you can just hide behind someone else and get a far greater aero benefit!
Daveyraveygravey said:
Sounds good doesn't it?!
My own ride is a Propel, the £1600 version. I love it; did an Everesting on it in May (27 hours on Boxhill, bleurgh!) and feels great to ride. I test rode the £2.5k version with 105 but Giant's aero wheels. It felt truly magic, although it was windy and there was some darting about in gusts; you'd probably get used to it eventually. I can only imagine what a £3k-£4k Propel would be like!
Do you know how much your propel weighs?? been looking at one myself that's £1600 which i assume is the same modelMy own ride is a Propel, the £1600 version. I love it; did an Everesting on it in May (27 hours on Boxhill, bleurgh!) and feels great to ride. I test rode the £2.5k version with 105 but Giant's aero wheels. It felt truly magic, although it was windy and there was some darting about in gusts; you'd probably get used to it eventually. I can only imagine what a £3k-£4k Propel would be like!
timnoyce said:
I thought this too. A road bike which fits... It's remarkable to think that people are fooled into thinking that an 'aero' frame will make such a difference over a frame which is not classed as 'aero'.
I was unconvinced as well, but if you compare a recent very aero road race bike (newScott Foil, probably the Propel too) against something more traditional (Cannondale Supersix) the difference is notable.OP isn't a road racer, but for racing I think an aero frame would add a few % in speed.
Whether or not its worth it for the average rider is less certain. But if you are looking to spend £3.5k and specifically want a fast bike, then it would be silly to ignore them.
The pseudo aero dynamic thing is why you should leave carbon behind. It's become passé to get a carbon, bit of kit, join a club and pretend to be Wiggins. Just get a comfortable bike, get out there and enjoy cycling again.
Are you (any of us?) going to make a difference to a bike that weighs 7kg instead of 7.2kg? Or has a shaped downtube?
You may feel you've gained 1mph, but it's probably a placebo effect. And it will be uncomfortable after 100 miles, and will be failing after ~5 years.
So go retro - for that money you can get a decent Titanium (last you for life, and be extremely comfortable) or get a custom steel bike made. The latter will fit you like a glove - so will be even more comfortable than the carbon identikit models - and will be as light as a mid range carbon bike. Unfortunately Chas Roberts seems to be shutting up shop, but Dave Yates reckons he can get a bike under 8kg. And the frame and fork for that is only £1400. Custom built for you.
Why wouldn't you?
Are you (any of us?) going to make a difference to a bike that weighs 7kg instead of 7.2kg? Or has a shaped downtube?
You may feel you've gained 1mph, but it's probably a placebo effect. And it will be uncomfortable after 100 miles, and will be failing after ~5 years.
So go retro - for that money you can get a decent Titanium (last you for life, and be extremely comfortable) or get a custom steel bike made. The latter will fit you like a glove - so will be even more comfortable than the carbon identikit models - and will be as light as a mid range carbon bike. Unfortunately Chas Roberts seems to be shutting up shop, but Dave Yates reckons he can get a bike under 8kg. And the frame and fork for that is only £1400. Custom built for you.
Why wouldn't you?
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