# Cannondale bike advice



## bmerritt87 (Mar 24, 2013)

Evening all, just looking for some advice on which bike to go for. I'm by no means an expert in biking and to be honest just want to get a bike that is going to be comfortable to ride, capable of long distance, not require much maintenance and be decent looking. I've tried googling reviews etc but there is so much conflicting information. I've narrowed it down to a Cannondale synapse. I was going to go for the entry level Claris, however when I went to Evans cycles today they only had the Tiagra. I had a quick test ride and This bike felt stunning, very smooth, gear changes very notchy and precise. This made me think again maybe spending a bit more. So my question is do I get the Claris at £650, will I notice much difference been a novice rider. Do I splash out an extra £300 on the Tiagra as I know it's a quality bike, or do I meet in the middle with the sora at £750. The main difference between all 3 really is the gears. I'm going to be buying through the bike to work scheme so been a high rate tax payer hopefully it will be of benefit in the long run, has anyone had any experience of the scheme and is it worth using? Cheers


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

You need to read the conditions of the scheme your work uses. They all differ.

I thought they were limited to £1000-1200 maximum though? 

You won't get any discount from the shop using one of these schemes. They take their cut of the profit. 

They deduct the amount from your salary before tax. It does seem initially you are saving 40% on tax. However look at the terms to close the deal. Some you have to pay a high percentage of the value of the bike to keep it negating most of the tax saved. They give you the option to had in back which makes it a very expensive lease. 60% of the value of the bike to lease for one year!!!!!

Cannondale make lovely bikes. You do seem to have a premium for the name and the nice frame. Often find other bikes have better components.


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## Davemm (Mar 9, 2009)

Will be keeping an eye on this as I am thinking of changing my MTB for either a road or cyclocross. Want a decent bike and what you have asked for is very much what I or most people want I guess


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## NiallSD (May 21, 2013)

For the same price bracket how about either;

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXSL...o-105-tour-de-yorkshire-ltd-edition-road-bike

Or

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Specialized...aign=Adwords&gclid=CKegtYCWr78CFSoOwwodY1YATA

Hope the links work.

Have owned both bikes too


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## bmerritt87 (Mar 24, 2013)

Kerr said:


> You need to read the conditions of the scheme your work uses. They all differ.
> 
> I thought they were limited to £1000-1200 maximum though?
> 
> ...


Yes I'll have to read the specifics of the scheme before i sign up. I'll buy outright if it ends up costing more through the scheme. I believe I can get up to £1000 for bike and accessories. I needed to get a quote from Evans so I've had it emailed and I'll post up the details once my HR team give me the details. I'm going to buy some decent clip in shoes and pedals, I've never used them before but I've heard the make riding much easier, so that will add another £150 ish on. Any thoughts on the range then? Is there much difference from the Tiagra to the Claris?


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## bmerritt87 (Mar 24, 2013)

NiallSD said:


> For the same price bracket how about either;
> 
> http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXSL...o-105-tour-de-yorkshire-ltd-edition-road-bike
> 
> ...


The Planet X looks a good spec with the 105 gearing but not the prettiest of bikes. Also not sure if Evans do this range, I'm limited to who I can use with the bike to work scheme. The specialised uses the Sora gearing which I can get on the Cannondale for £750. The thing I'm dubious of is the ride comfort. I suffer from bad back and the Cannondale synapse felt a really comfy ride albeit for the quick test ride but it felt natural. I test rode a Caad and it felt awful, completely different riding position.


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## Jem (Aug 10, 2007)

If you want comfort then a carbon frame is the way to go (typically). Carbon tends to absorb rough surfaces and vibration a lot better than aluminium.


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## NiallSD (May 21, 2013)

bmerritt87 said:


> The Planet X looks a good spec with the 105 gearing but not the prettiest of bikes. Also not sure if Evans do this range, I'm limited to who I can use with the bike to work scheme. The specialised uses the Sora gearing which I can get on the Cannondale for £750. The thing I'm dubious of is the ride comfort. I suffer from bad back and the Cannondale synapse felt a really comfy ride albeit for the quick test ride but it felt natural. I test rode a Caad and it felt awful, completely different riding position.


Fair enough mate. Looks is a big think. Only thing I would say is to try a few bikes out for comparison.

The specialized is super compliant, full carbon but designed to be smooth over the cobbles in the Paris-roubaix.

I am higher rate too, but my scheme wasn't too great through work and it worked out better to buy cash instead.

I might get shot down in flames, but I know halfrauds accept the bike 2 work vouchers, might be worth a look at the boardman bikes.

It's similar to detailing in the same way it's a slippery slope, next you'll be buying cleats and pedals, etc etc ....


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## NiallSD (May 21, 2013)

Jem said:


> If you want comfort then a carbon frame is the way to go (typically). Carbon tends to absorb rough surfaces and vibration a lot better than aluminium.


Plus 1

Don't worry too much about the gear set/groupset as you can upgrade over time. Get the best possible frame you can.

Easier the change the groupset plus there is always deals on the shimano groups


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## bmerritt87 (Mar 24, 2013)

Jem said:


> If you want comfort then a carbon frame is the way to go (typically). Carbon tends to absorb rough surfaces and vibration a lot better than aluminium.


Only issue is the cheapest Cannondale with a carbon frame is £1700. I'm not looking to spend that. I'm happy with the comfort of the Synapse models but mainly wanting to establish is the price difference between the Claris and Tiagra is worth the money for what looks like just different gearing. The Claris has 16 gears. The sora has a triple with 27 gears and the Tiagra has 20. Will I feel much difference in quality and ride performance through these group sets? I know best way to find out is test ride them all but they are not all in stock.


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## bmerritt87 (Mar 24, 2013)

NiallSD said:


> Fair enough mate. Looks is a big think. Only thing I would say is to try a few bikes out for comparison.
> 
> The specialized is super compliant, full carbon but designed to be smooth over the cobbles in the Paris-roubaix.
> 
> ...


Yea to be honest I really like the Boardman range but my scheme doesnt include halfords unfortunately. The difficult thing is finding somewhere that has a big enough range to get a good comparisons that has the right frame size. I probably wouldn't have tired the Tiagra today but that was the only bike on the synapse range they had and once I rode it the quality made me question my original thoughts on the lower models but as I haven't ridden the lower spec I don't know what the difference will be.


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## Jem (Aug 10, 2007)

Then don't get a Cannondale. For comfort on a longer ride carbon is much much smoother to ride.


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

You also can't add cash to a deal.

Whatever your voucher is worth is all you are allowed to spend. 

Make sure you pick the right bike before applying for the voucher.


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## NiallSD (May 21, 2013)

This??

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sed/r...dition?part=SE14RIBEVOPROSUMMER&sub=conf_SERW


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## bmerritt87 (Mar 24, 2013)

Jem said:


> Then don't get a Cannondale. For comfort on a longer ride carbon is much much smoother to ride.


Cheapest Carbon bike at Evans is £999. I hear what your saying but it's more than I was looking to spend for a first bike plus I need pedals, shoes kit etc etc I'll be in for well over £1200


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## NiallSD (May 21, 2013)

Ribble use the cycle scheme. 

What scheme you on? That ribble looks a decent bargain


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## bmerritt87 (Mar 24, 2013)

NiallSD said:


> Ribble use the cycle scheme.
> 
> What scheme you on? That ribble looks a decent bargain


That Ribble seems silly cheap for the spec? That spec in Cannondale/specialised would be near to £2k! I'll have to check the scheme, can't remember off top of my head as it's a link on internal intranet. My concern is not been able to test ride it or see in person.


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## Jem (Aug 10, 2007)

The Boardman bikes are very nice, I have a Team Carbon myself. Could you not get a Boardman on 0% finance, it may work out as a little more each month but it would be yours at the end of the agreement and the savings on the cycle to work scheme are not all that great when you factor in the final payment to own the bike at the end.


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## NiallSD (May 21, 2013)

bmerritt87 said:


> That Ribble seems silly cheap for the spec? That spec in Cannondale/specialised would be near to £2k! I'll have to check the scheme, can't remember off top of my head as it's a link on internal intranet. My concern is not been able to test ride it or see in person.


That's because you don't pay for the name. My mate has a ribble gran fondo and it's a quality bit of kit.

Don't discount that or the boardman either. Good thing about the boardman is that you can test one out at a local halfords


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## bmerritt87 (Mar 24, 2013)

Jem said:


> The Boardman bikes are very nice, I have a Team Carbon myself. Could you not get a Boardman on 0% finance, it may work out as a little more each month but it would be yours at the end of the agreement and the savings on the cycle to work scheme are not all that great when you factor in the final payment to own the bike at the end.


I'll certainly go to Halfords and have a look. Hopefully will have one my size to have a ride. Just don't like the idea of taking finance out for a bike, even at 0% the cycle to work scheme sounded appealing to save tax but I'll have to look into the final payment to see whether it's worth it


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## Jem (Aug 10, 2007)

bmerritt87 said:


> I'll certainly go to Halfords and have a look. Hopefully will have one my size to have a ride. Just don't like the idea of taking finance out for a bike, even at 0% the cycle to work scheme sounded appealing to save tax but I'll have to look into the final payment to see whether it's worth it


The scheme are unlikely to tell you how much the final payment will be. They have to be very careful to word the agreement as simply a hire agreement and not a hire-purchase agreement as a hire-purchase agreement would qualify for the tax relief. But if you do some research you're find the guidelines set out by HMRC http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/eimanual/eim21667a.htm. So after a year you'd be looking at a final payment of 25% of the original purchase price for a bike costing over £500.

My Boardman Team Carbon was £1000 and the payments break down like this:

12 payments of £86 from my pre tax pay, I actually see my take home drop by £56, then a final payment of £250. So I'll see a total of £672 missing from my take home, plus the £250 final payment is £922, so I'll only save only £78 over the original purchase price.

Another option you can do is take the further 3 year hire which if I recall correctly is a single payment of 7% of the original purchase price, so in my case £70, and this entitles you to continue to hire the bike from your company for a further three years. You can then buy your now four year old bike for 7% of its original value. So that would work out in my case as 12x£56 plus the 7% for three years more then 7% at the end of that so a total of £812 over the whole four years of the agreement, saving £188, but you are tied into the agreement for four years, all be it the last three years only costing one £70 payment.


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## bmerritt87 (Mar 24, 2013)

Jem said:


> The scheme are unlikely to tell you how much the final payment will be. They have to be very careful to word the agreement as simply a hire agreement and not a hire-purchase agreement as a hire-purchase agreement would qualify for the tax relief. But if you do some research you're find the guidelines set out by HMRC http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/eimanual/eim21667a.htm. So after a year you'd be looking at a final payment of 25% of the original purchase price for a bike costing over £500.
> 
> My Boardman Team Carbon was £1000 and the payments break down like this:
> 
> ...


Yes the 3 year hire rings a bell. I had a google and I think it's the cyclesscheme.co.uk that my work do. I am a bit torn now. I do like this Ribble
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sed/r...edition?part=SE14RIBEVOWHITESUM&sub=conf_SERW
But to spec to the picture including the wheels is 1250 not including accesories etc. I could take the wheels off and get for around £800 but it's miles away to go test ride (if they have my spec built and in stock) and I'm reluctant to spend £800 without trying it. the boardman is nice but can't get through the scheme as don't support halfords and the Cannondale is a really nice bike visually and to ride but it's alloy, and when you know you can get a carbon for same money it puts you off! 
I've just looked at my Scott road bike and that has Sora group set which if I'm honest isn't the best so don't fancy getting anything less than the Tiagra now. I'd love the 105 but for a carbon bike with 105 group set you start getting into silly money and certainly over the bike to work allowance!


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## GJH0702 (Oct 21, 2011)

I bought a Focus from a local Independent Bike shop- used the voucher and was 'allowed' to pay balance of bike on plastic


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## Jem (Aug 10, 2007)

I'm not sure if Halfords do 0% finance, but the Boardman Team Carbon currently has 10% off, so only £899 when you add it to the basket. http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/road-bikes/boardman-road-team-carbon-bike-2014


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## Jem (Aug 10, 2007)

GJH0702 said:


> I bought a Focus from a local Independent Bike shop- used the voucher and was 'allowed' to pay balance of bike on plastic


They really shouldn't have done that as the bike should be owned solely by your employer.


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

GJH0702 said:


> I bought a Focus from a local Independent Bike shop- used the voucher and was 'allowed' to pay balance of bike on plastic


I was told this was not allowed under any circumstances.

What is the point of getting a bike using a scheme to get the tax relief, then pay more money without any relief?

You'll now have to make sure you keep a hold of the bike. If for any reason you have to hand the bike back, you'll likely have paid more money towards the bike than the bike would actually have cost to buy outright in the first place.


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## bmerritt87 (Mar 24, 2013)

Jem said:


> They really shouldn't have done that as the bike should be owned solely by your employer.


To be fair Evans Cycles said the same yesterday. They said don't worry too much about the bike just get the voucher and pay the difference, but as you said, technically it's not owned until final payment and the % at the end is suppose to be based on bike cost. Otherwise you could get a £499 voucher to only have to pay the 3% and top up with cash for the rest


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## GJH0702 (Oct 21, 2011)

I paid £199 + Voucher , 2nd bike from scheme so I just pay a nominal sum after three years


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