# Road Bike Recommendations Please...



## Serkie (Dec 8, 2007)

Hi All,

I'm currently looking to buy a road bike and was hoping on some recommendations from people with experience in this area.

Basically the bike is going to be used for training rides for when I don't want to get dirty on my mountain bike. I want to get the miles in and build up some stamina to help me off-road. 

Budget is up to and around £850. Sweet spot is £700 I guess.

I've been down my local bike shops and they've recommended the following:

1: Specialized Allez Elite 2013 - £765
2: Cannondale Synapse Tiagra - £780
3: Cube Peleton Pro 3 - £900
4: Trek 1.2 - £700

What i've noticed is the specs are all very similar so its really down to the way the bike looks and rides. 

I'm going to test ride the Specialized at some point soon but was hoping people might have experience of the other brands?

Feel free to chuck in some wildcards too.

Cheers in advance,

Serk


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## Lump (Nov 6, 2008)

Canyon bikes is worth a look.


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## Serkie (Dec 8, 2007)

Lump said:


> Canyon bikes is worth a look.


Thanks for the great suggestion, some lovely bikes and options on their website.

I'm thinking the Roadlite SL would be a good choice although I'm not familiar with the SRAM groupset its fitted with. Never had anything other than Shimano.


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## Jace (Oct 26, 2005)

Have a look at the RALEIGH range of roadbikes, you'll be surprised by what you get for your money.

Besides, they are the #1uk Road team, other than the mega budget SKY.


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## GJH0702 (Oct 21, 2011)

Most important answer is how you 'feel' on the bike try as many as you can then decide


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## dandam (Apr 10, 2011)

Have you looked at Merlin bikes - very good value.


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## Serkie (Dec 8, 2007)

GJH0702 said:


> Most important answer is how you 'feel' on the bike try as many as you can then decide


Yep your right which is ultimately the problem with the Canyon as they have a direct sales model. For a first road bike this is a bit daunting as I want it to fit correctly. I'll do some more research on sizing i reckon.


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## lesdon499 (Oct 30, 2011)

I would say that you should concentrate on how the bike feels. At the price range you are looking at the specs will be pretty much the same. Unless you are sure about what you want, try it out! I have 3 Treks and love their geometry but guess you will hear similar things about the other main brands. Bottom line is try before you buy


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## Lump (Nov 6, 2008)

Also have you thought of going single speed ? This will build your fitness massively


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## bigmc (Mar 22, 2010)

Don't rule out Boardman bikes, good spec and good value for money, plenty of offers on in halfords too.


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## TheMattFinish (Jul 17, 2011)

Is this your first road bike if I have read it properly?


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## Serkie (Dec 8, 2007)

mattthomas said:


> Is this your first road bike if I have read it properly?


First road bike yes.

Until now I've done all my riding off-road.


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## TheMattFinish (Jul 17, 2011)

I did alot of mountain biking then took the plunge in buying a road bike. I have a large base of friends that ride and when I started looking at road bike i had the same price range as yourself!

It took one of my friends one decent chat and i bought my road bike for £300 and £150 on upgrades and I had as good as bike as others just not the big named frames etc. 

If its just for training you want something a little bit heavier than some bike as you will be out in the heavy winds and will something solid that rides well. 

have a look at bike rader if your not already on there.


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## Serkie (Dec 8, 2007)

So today I went and tried some bikes which included a trip to Halfords to size up the Boardman range.

To be honest I found the Specialized, Cannondale & Trek all fairly similar with the Cannondale being the most comfortable if I had to choose. The drive-train specs were all similar (Shimano Tiagra) which performed competently enough but coming from a MTB with full XTR couldn't help but feel it looked a bit cheap. Rest of the kit like wheels and seatposts was mainly a mix of own brand components which didn't really blow me away for the price-point.

The Cube was a let down, looked great but I found the seating position cramped and awkward, the spec was also not as good as I'd hope for a £900 bike. I'm sure it could be tweaked with a longer stem etc but out of the box it was a no no.

I went to my local Halfords and to be honest there wasn't much to look at from the Boardman range, I guess after the Christmas rush they need to restock. I've been browsing online though and I could get a similar spec'd bike to the ones above for around the £680 mark which was pretty good.

So I came home and had a think about it and decided that my main gripe was spec, I wanted more bang for my bucks. After browsing the Canyon and Rose websites combined with some forum searching (cycling forums) decided to go for a Canyon.

Result is that i've pushed the button on a Canyon Roadlite AL 6.0 SL (White & Black)










Spec:
http://www.canyon.com/_en/roadbikes/bike.html?b=3072

So the final damage...

£876 delivered to my door which is top end of my budget but I felt it offered decent value of money with a spec that I couldn't get elsewhere without paying considerably more.


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## great gonzo (Nov 4, 2010)

Very nice mate :thumb:

I splashed out a little more and got myself a trek madone 4.7 and I haven't been on the mountain bike since. 

Loving the road ridding now.


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## jamesgti (Aug 9, 2007)

Looks very nice mate, hope you enjoy it.


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## Z4-35i (Jun 12, 2012)

Nice spec and components for the price.


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## dean j (Mar 30, 2007)

That's a lovely bike mate. Get excellent write ups too. 

I fancied a black one of these but fell for a CAAD10


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## Serkie (Dec 8, 2007)

dean j said:


> That's a lovely bike mate. Get excellent write ups too.
> 
> I fancied a black one of these but fell for a CAAD10


Thanks very much!

The bike is due for delivery tomorrow so i'll post some pictures of it unboxed and setup. Looking forward to going out for a blast on it tomorrow.


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## Lump (Nov 6, 2008)

My new Canyon arrived yesterday, got to say very impressed with them for the money


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## Beancounter (Aug 31, 2006)

Looks very nice Serkie. :thumb:
At that price point, it's a difficult choice. I was in a similar position a couple of years ago and went for a Alu BMC with 105, again stretching the budget slightly.
As it's your first road bike, give it a year, then it will become your winter bike and you can trade up again and go for XTR equivalent fittings 



dean j said:


> I fancied a black one of these but fell for a *CAAD10*


Nice bike those too :thumb:


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## Serkie (Dec 8, 2007)

Lump said:


> My new Canyon arrived yesterday, got to say very impressed with them for the money


Please post a picture on the 'Show Us Your Bike...' thread immediately!


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## Lump (Nov 6, 2008)

Serkie said:


> immediately!


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## dean j (Mar 30, 2007)

Bean counter. It was between my CAAD and the equivalent BMC. Lovely bike but I fancied a lighter coloured bike. Nothing in it ride wise.


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## Beancounter (Aug 31, 2006)

^^^ Agreed dean j. I went for BMC as they didn't have the CAAD in my size at the time.

Having recently got a SuperSix Evo (see the 'show us your pedal bike thread) as my new summer bike , I do wish I'd waited and hunted a CAAD down, as for me Cannondale have got their bikes spot on IMHO.

Sorry OP, back OT.:thumb:


@ Lump, com on 'get ya picturz up' :thumb:


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## suspal (Dec 29, 2011)

giant :thumb:
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/


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## Serkie (Dec 8, 2007)

Its arrived, best get it assembled. I'll post some completed pictures on the 'Show Us Your Bike (Pedal)...' thread.


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## Z4-35i (Jun 12, 2012)

:thumb:


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## Serkie (Dec 8, 2007)

Went out for a ride earlier and my first impressions are wow the bike is stiff! 

Having floated around on a 5.5" Travel MTB for a number of years getting onto something rigid is going to take some getting used too.

During a quick loop of 8 miles I got to know the bike a little more and thoughts are that its very direct and quick. Road surfaces around here aren't great but I completed my loop in just under 25 minutes so I'll work from that and start to work the time down. I aim to go out again tomorrow and start building the miles up.

Plan is to ride the road bike at least twice during the week and then hit the MTB at the weekend. I went to complete some MTB Enduro's so the road bike will help build up my stamina I'm sure.

On a side not, anyone recommend some good road bike lights?


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## Lump (Nov 6, 2008)

Nice bike


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## avit88 (Mar 19, 2012)

nice choice, I personally find buying a cheaper bike and upgrading is the best way for me.
I have a hybrid bike because I cant deal with the harsh ride of a road bike and as Im a stocky guy too.
I have a deore chainset and brakes on mine for £300, I wouldnt change it for the world, lovely bike now. 

The rest ie frame, handles dont bother me too much, I have my own £70 pedals and schwalbe marathon plus tyres on so I can totally forget about punctures. 

One day I will buy a realy expensive bike like yours but only when mine has died


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## Beancounter (Aug 31, 2006)

Serkie said:


> On a side not, anyone recommend some good road bike lights?


I've gone down the Exposure route, yes - they are pricey, but very good and compact.

I have a 'Flare' on the back and a Maxx-D on the front. The reason I got the Maxx-D was I have done a few long (ie all) night rides in the past (London to Amsterdam in 48 Hrs being the biggest) and will be doing London2Paris24 (solo ) this year, so need something reliable, bright and as compact as possible. I also managed to pick the Maxx-D up at a price that was impossible to refuse due to an online pricing error

If you shop around you might be able to pick up the flare for around £30-35, they have a range of front lights to suit your budget :thumb:

At the end of the day, you need to see AND be seen, so not worth getting some tin pot soltion, just my 2p


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## Serkie (Dec 8, 2007)

Beancounter said:


> I've gone down the Exposure route, yes - they are pricey, but very good and compact.
> 
> I have a 'Flare' on the back and a Maxx-D on the front. The reason I got the Maxx-D was I have done a few long (ie all) night rides in the past (London to Amsterdam in 48 Hrs being the biggest) and will be doing London2Paris24 (solo ) this year, so need something reliable, bright and as compact as possible. I also managed to pick the Maxx-D up at a price that was impossible to refuse due to an online pricing error
> 
> ...


Thanks for the recommendation, I totally agree about being seen.

I use my rear light even in daylight when riding on the roads on my MTB and will be doing the same on the road bike too.

I have a Hope HID Front Light that will be mounted onto my helmet when I need to see but to be seen i'll take a look at the Exposure lights as you suggest. Cheers!


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## Beancounter (Aug 31, 2006)

Hope lights get a good report, so sounds like you're sorted on the front/helmet.

Exposure do a Flash/Flare combo, that works out quite well.
Evans £55.99
CRC - £60 (New model rear, not that there's much difference)
Flare on it's own at MySpokes £33.97

Don't worry about going for rechargeable, you can pick decent batteries up for small money on eBay and they last very well.


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## WashMitt (May 27, 2010)

Guys when I comes to upgrading a bike the first (and in most cases only) thing you should look at, wheels!! Most bikes even up to 3-4k plus bikes come with substandard wheels, forget getting the latest chain set or carbon this or that, wheels will make the bike feel quicker and smoother, a good set of wheels will last ages as well. 

Another good upgrade, if your bike doesn't already have one is a carbon seat post, it will help with the road buzz and butt pain ;p


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## Barchettaman (Dec 16, 2007)

Washmitt, that´s partially true.

I would *always* recommend getting the fastest tubes and tyres for your wheelset, that makes a clear and measurable difference. Also, ensuring that the wheelset bearings run smoothly. Aerodynamics also play a huge part in wheelset performance.

Bear in mind, however, that wheel *weight* is a vastly overrated factor in wheel performance.

http://www.slowtwitch.com/Tech/Why_...n_Outweigh_Wheel_Weight_and_Inertia_2106.html


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## Focusaddict (May 31, 2010)

Have you though about a hybrid, pretty much a road bike bur with MTB handlebars.


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## WashMitt (May 27, 2010)

Barchettaman said:


> Washmitt, that´s partially true.
> 
> I would *always* recommend getting the fastest tubes and tyres for your wheelset, that makes a clear and measurable difference. Also, ensuring that the wheelset bearings run smoothly. Aerodynamics also play a huge part in wheelset performance.
> 
> ...


I race cat 1 so I understand how a wheel performs, weight is important when considered alongside things like strength and aerodynamics, it depends what your after, if you want a quickly accelerating wheel then weight is hugely important but if you want a wheel that holds speed better then aero wheels are much better but carry a weight penalty.

My previous post was to dispel the myth that having dura ace or the like will improve a bikes performance, it won't, my recreational cyclist wouldn't notice the differance over 105 tbh, however a good set of wheels (with tubes and tyres) will make a noticeable differance to most bikes and how they perform.


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## Barchettaman (Dec 16, 2007)

I quite agree. In fact, I have a (cheap!) 10-speed Tiagra groupset ready to go on my next build. Tiagra! Oh, the horror!

But, whilst I acknowledge you are an excellent cyclist, you - and the rest of the cycling world in general - needs to realise that weight is not 'hugely important' when determining how fast a wheel spins up/accelerates. The physics just do not support this assertion.


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## Ibi_TME (Jul 20, 2008)

WashMitt said:


> I race cat 1 so I understand how a wheel performs, weight is important when considered alongside things like strength and aerodynamics, it depends what your after, if you want a quickly accelerating wheel then weight is hugely important but if you want a wheel that holds speed better then aero wheels are much better but carry a weight penalty.
> 
> My previous post was to dispel the myth that having dura ace or the like will improve a bikes performance, it won't, my recreational cyclist wouldn't notice the differance over 105 tbh, however a good set of wheels (with tubes and tyres) will make a noticeable differance to most bikes and how they perform.


Hi

Just a quick question about wheels,tubes and tyres
(sorry to hijack the thread!)

I have a Wilier CF Road Bike running Fulcrum Racing 7s with Conti Tubes
and Michelin Pros

Im looking to upgrade them,
budget of £500 max

what would you guys suggest??
thanks in advance
Ibi


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## Barchettaman (Dec 16, 2007)

Nice setup!

I would recommend saving up a bit & getting a Flo 60/90 combo.

The Planet X carbon clinchers have a terrific reputation & come in under budget.

Maybe you might get lucky and find a used Zipp 404 set for £500.


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## chunkytfg (Feb 1, 2009)

Barchettaman said:


> I quite agree. In fact, I have a (cheap!) 10-speed Tiagra groupset ready to go on my next build. Tiagra! Oh, the horror!
> 
> But, whilst I acknowledge you are an excellent cyclist, you - and the rest of the cycling world in general - needs to realise that weight is not 'hugely important' when determining how fast a wheel spins up/accelerates. The physics just do not support this assertion.


Exactly where the weight is makes a huge difference.

My old race bike(motorcycle) had Dymag wheels which cost a fortune but the rear was only about 200g lighter than the OEM wheel but all the weight was in the hub and not the rim like the OEM wheel so it span up quicker and had less centrifugal forces acting on it so would change direction easier.


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## Ibi_TME (Jul 20, 2008)

Barchettaman said:


> Nice setup!
> 
> I would recommend saving up a bit & getting a Flo 60/90 combo.
> 
> ...


Sorry im fairly new to cycling - under 2 years 
(bought my 1st pair of bib shorts-before that it trackie bottoms and 3/4s :lol
so am a little confused

which ones are Flo 60/90 Combo?

Ive looked at Zipp's but they are hot cakes!

thanks for the advice
Ibi


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## chunkytfg (Feb 1, 2009)

Barchettaman said:


> Nice setup!
> 
> I would recommend saving up a bit & getting a Flo 60/90 combo.
> 
> ...


I have the Flo60/90 combo and they are fantastic however I always think on a road bike odd depth wheel combo's look a bit odd. better off getting the 60/60 mix ad then a wheel cover if you are going to try TT's:thumb:

Also they may come in heavier than the PX wheels but they use the more aero shape that the Zipp firecrests do unlike the PX which are the classic V shape.:thumb:

Also if you are little on the heavier side they do a Clydesdale version which is stiffer. The PX flex quite a bit i've been told:thumb:


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## chunkytfg (Feb 1, 2009)

Ibi_TME said:


> Sorry im fairly new to cycling - under 2 years
> (bought my 1st pair of bib shorts-before that it trackie bottoms and 3/4s :lol
> so am a little confused
> 
> ...


http://www.flocycling.com/store/index.php

Not 100% they are available immediately yet as they are a new company and have been selling via 'pre-orders' then shipping in bulk.

Worth the wait though










And before anyone says it the bike has no tyres hence the odd gaps and it hasnt been fitted to me in that pic yet hence the massive seat post:thumb::wall:


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## Barchettaman (Dec 16, 2007)

Always a pleasure to see that Exocet! Now get it fitted, put some tyres on it & post pictures!

Regarding wheelset weight, did you read Tom Anhalt´s article? Interesting stuff!

http://tinyurl.com/ap42sxe


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## WashMitt (May 27, 2010)

Ibi_TME said:


> Hi
> 
> Just a quick question about wheels,tubes and tyres
> (sorry to hijack the thread!)
> ...


Within that budget I'd go for a set of Mavic Ksyrium Elites, around £400 and then get your self some nice tires with the rest of the money.

Or you could get yourself over to BikeRadar.com and search the forum for a guy called Ugo he is a wheel builder and if you give him your weight and what your going to use the wheels for then he could build you a set of custom wheels within your budget but I'd probs just go for the mavics.

Iv honestly got no idea why someone is suggesting going to those deep flo wheels they are not for everyday road riding and the opposite from what you want if your a beginner, they will be a nightmare in the wind, very heavy and will make hill climbing harder.

Wheels like that are used for tt's because they hold there speed better (once up to speed) and are more aero but as a recreational cyclist you don't need that. If you really must go that route I'd reccomend zipp 101's they are much shallower and manageable day to day.


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## Beancounter (Aug 31, 2006)

Agree, those wheels or not for someone who's not been riding that long, especially for 'normal' road riding.

Interested to hear what tires and tubes you recommend washmitt :thumb:

Currently running with Specialized tubes (because there was a deal on them  ) with Conti 4Season on the winter bike and have GP4000s on the summer bike.

Going to need to replace the ones on the winter bike soon so interested to get peoples views.


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## WashMitt (May 27, 2010)

Beancounter said:


> Agree, those wheels or not for someone who's not been riding that long, especially for 'normal' road riding.
> 
> Interested to hear what tires and tubes you recommend washmitt :thumb:
> 
> ...


For me I use Vittoria Open corsa evo cx on my clinchers, these are very fast tires, not the most durable, but they are very good when it comes to punctures which lets face it is far more important, and there not overly expensive :thumb:

I don't tend to change tires from summer to winter these seem fine all year round, I find the biggest change in winter is your riding style, at the end of the day during the really cold months its just about keeping miles in the legs not setting records so I take it a little easier on the bends and brake a little earlier, this way I'm upright more often than not


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## Beancounter (Aug 31, 2006)

As you say, similar money to the Conti's if not a little cheaper - I'll take a look.

What about inner tubes ?


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## WashMitt (May 27, 2010)

Beancounter said:


> As you say, similar money to the Conti's if not a little cheaper - I'll take a look.
> 
> What about inner tubes ?


Any Conti or Vittoria will be fine, the tires are much more important than the tubes, bike gear is a lot like detailing gear, there's always a load of hyped up products that usually give minimul gains but with a massive price differance, don't buy into it, esp for recreational cycling, even for racing there's still only so much the bike can do for you, the engine is much more important.

The enigne being the rider:thumb:


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## Beancounter (Aug 31, 2006)

Yup, agree about the engine, I've recently got a turbo, so I can invest in the engine through the winter and start to rack up some good 'simulated' miles in the legs. 
Currently looking at nutrition too as that's one area I'm poor in. Don't get me wrong, I'm not overweight, but I don't eat the right sort of things. Currently reading up a lot on that subject.

Thanks for your help:thumb:


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## WashMitt (May 27, 2010)

Yes turbos are great, your right nutrition is very important mainly to repair the body, good luck with it, we're all gonna need it if the weather keeps up like this :s


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