Best Sub €1500 Road Bike - Focus Cayo / Planet X / Specialized / Trek

marathonic

Okay, I am about to take the plunge and purchase an upgrade to my Giant OCR 3.

It's hard to decide what to buy as there are loads of bikes in this price-range. I have looked at the following:

Specialized Allez Comp 2006 - http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=60084

Trek 5000 - http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=15326

Focus Cayo - http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360026005

Planet X - http://www.planet-x-bikes.com/road/page234.html


I think the most important thing is the frame as I can upgrade the other parts later. I like the idea of a carbon frame and so ruled out the Specialized. The Trek is TCT Carbon which is supposed to be inferior to the OCLV Carbon they used in the past. I don't like the idea of cycling around in my new Trek knowing that I'm on Trek's "inferior" carbon.

This leaves the Focus Cayo and Planet X both of which get good reviews everywhere they're reviewed. They are the same price (but you get €150 worth of equipment free with the Cayo).

Planet X is 105's all round whilst Focus Cayo is a 105/Ultegra mix although I don't want to let this influence my desicion "too much" as I'm more interested in the frame, etc.

From the reviews I've read, people prefer the Planet-X over the Focus. I can only assume that this, coupled with the fact that Planet-X seem to be focusing on high performance (http://www.bikeasylum.com/view.php?c=127) has led me to sway towards the Planet-X offering.

I'm sure Planet-X realise that, as a mail order company, their main competitor is probably the Focus Cayo. They are charging a premium of €150 over their bike (in the form of lack of the free equipment offer). Therefore, they must feel that their frame/fork, etc. are superior to what's on offer in the Focus Cayo.

I'd just like to ask before I purchase the Planet-X, does the above make any sense, is there any doubt that maybe I should go for the Focus or is there no doubt about the fact that I should go for the Focus.

Looking forward to your replies and possible suggestions of alternative bikes to add more confusion to a topic that is already "clear as mud"

Mucco

The rule is to go for the frame first, so you're right with C. Then look at the wheels. I don't know my TCT from my OCLV, so can't comment on it, but I'd be surprised if they downgraded their materials?

M

copacetic

i spent a similar amount recently and got the allez expert with full ultegra on sale for £999 from dales cycles in scotland. there are other good deals out there. I went round and round too and also looked at the cannondale synapse on sale in evans, which was cycling weeklys bike of the year last year.

have seen some great reviews of the cayo, road cyling uk for instance. but it sounds more of a 'race' bike than what I wanted. Not sure you are getting any comfort benefit from the carbon with it. I ruled out the trek mostly just from not liking them, but also don't like all the bontrager bits

happy with mine so far. but no help for you there really!

blorg

From what I read when I was researching this very same question, TCT ("Trek Carbon Technology") is something Trek came up with to compete (primarily with Giant) in the entry-level carbon frame segment. AFAIK the key difference is that the frames are made in Taiwan, while OCLV is exclusively made in the USA. Geometry is exactly the same as the OCLV Madones. It's heavier than OCLV, although I got one of the last of those Trek 5000s from Chainreaction and it's certainly plenty light.

Almost all manufacturers have different frame materials as you spend more, even with OCLV Trek have 120/110 and even now 55 at the very top end (decreasing weight.) Specialized do "FACT" 6R/8R/10R, etc. I get the impression that the main benefit as you spend more is the slight weight reduction.

The Planet X frames are also made in Taiwan and I'd take a guess on the Focus Cayo frame coming from the same place. Both bikes have very good reputations.

Very happy with the Trek so far, couldn't argue with the price (€1,330 with free delivery.) It does appear more comfortable compared to aluminum.

These threads on CyclingPlus may also interest you, asking basically your identical question!

http://www.cyclingplus.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=122943
http://www.cyclingplus.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=121905

el tel

Regards the groupset, full Ultegra is only a matter of grammes (100 or so?)heavier than full 105 which would more than easily be off set by having one less mars bar in your pocket or a having agood piss before you set off. In that regard your decision to not let the group set influence you is a good one. The wheel set is much more important and that, next to the frame should be the main consideration.

When it comes to the latest bikes I find that American machines seem to look very sober these days with fairly muted (bland?) paint jobs compared to previous years. No disrespect to what are obviously smashing bikes, but all things being nearly similar, I'd always go for exclusivity and flashiness so it would be the Planet-X for me.

copacetic

el tel wrote:

Regards the groupset, full Ultegra is only a matter of grammes (100 or so?)heavier than full 105 which would more than easily be off set by having one less mars bar in your pocket or a having agood piss before you set off. In that regard your decision to not let the group set influence you is a good one. The wheel set is much more important and that, next to the frame should be the main consideration.

When it comes to the latest bikes I find that American machines seem to look very sober these days with fairly muted (bland?) paint jobs compared to previous years. No disrespect to what are obviously smashing bikes, but all things being nearly similar, I'd always go for exclusivity and flashiness so it would be the Planet-X for me.

I certainly wouldn't pick the ultegra over 105 to save weight but so far for me the smoothness is a big difference and also the hoods on the ultegra are much more comfortable for me..

el tel

copacetic wrote:

I certainly wouldn't pick the ultegra over 105 to save weight but so far for me the smoothness is a big difference and also the hoods on the ultegra are much more comfortable for me..

Wouldn't disagree there, was faced with choice between a set of Ultegra and 105 9sp STIs and noticed the Ultegra were just that bit more comfortable. After some research however I found I could buy the latest 105 10sp shifters for less than the old Ultegra 9sp jobs so went for those with a view to a future 10speed upgrade.

marathonic

Okay so I've decided to go for the Planet X and paid for it last week. The bike has been dispatched yesterday evening and they've given me a tracking number. I'm living in Donegal so I'd say I should receive the bike before the end of summer

I'll let ya know what I think of it when I get it...