New bike- thinking of a Focus Izalco Team from Wiggle

blorg

Thinking of getting one of these Focus Izalco Team 2008. Strong euro helps.

£2,400 (€3,133) seems like a good deal given the frame and components. I don't race but do circa 10,000km a year, mostly hills. Aiming for a few 160-200km sportives this year, maybe the Etape/Marmotte next year.

Last bike was a 58cm Trek 5000 which fit perfectly. Geometry looks similar on the Focus. The weight of the thing (6.4kg!) appeals for the hills, but I'm not a particularly light rider, 11.5-12 stone in the summer.

Any thoughts? Alternatives? Too much bike if I am not going to be racing?

I do know from getting the Trek 5000 (first carbon road bike) last year that it was one hell of an incentive to do more cycling.

Caroline_ie

Wiggle are so expensive ...

Why don't you take advantage of teh low US dollar and buy from the states.
http://www.racycles.com/

Chips Lovell

blorg wrote: »

Too much bike if I am not going to be racing?

Red, Racing 1s, very nice. If you can afford it then go for it. With the amount of riding you put in you shouldn't feel one bit guilty.

blorg wrote: »

but I'm not a particularly light rider, 11.5-12 stone in the summer.

Speak for yourself. Even with zero body fat I'd still be two stone heavier than you.

Morgan

Lovely looking bike, good price considering the spec. It'll probably be fine but I'd be a bit wary of spending that much on a bike without a test ride.

Chips Lovell

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Why don't you take advantage of teh low US dollar and buy from the states.
http://www.racycles.com/

Some nice frames there, but their Pinarellos for example are only slightly cheaper than the Cycle Superstore, and they don't say how much it would cost to chip from the states.

Quigs Snr

145 dollars. I am ordering a cervelo r3.

Chips Lovell

Quigs Snr wrote: »

145 dollars. I am ordering a cervelo r3.

God, everyone's splashing out. In the market for a nice track frame myself, but have yet to find a good dollar denominated deal.

blorg

Thanks for the replies guys.

Sterling is also low at the moment (compared to the euro) but not so much as the dollar, certainly. There is also the shipping and general greater difficulty of any after-sales service. You also have to remember that US prices do not include tax and so you have to add VAT and duty on top of the total (inc. shipping.) To take an example of a bike both sell, the Felt F1. From RA it would cost (5 799 * 1.21) * U.S. dollar = 3 535 British pounds. From Wiggle it is £3,500. And that is not including any duty and shipping.

Regarding the test ride; Wiggle do have a 7-day "test ride" policy in that you can send the thing back if you don't like it for any reason. Geometry-wise I am pretty sure the fit will be OK, the numbers look very close to my Trek.

blorg

Quigs Snr wrote: »

145 dollars. I am ordering a cervelo r3.

I read that as 145 dollars for a Cervelo R3. Now that's the sort of deal you only find on Gumtree!

Hungrycol

I don't know but if you like Treks would the new Madone be in your price range? I haven't a scooby of the price of these though.

The Focus gets brillant reviews and, think it was the Cayo (can't be sure) got bike of the year 2007 by Cycling Plus magazine. You get great bang for buck. Go for it.

BTW, 11-5 to 12 st is NOT heavy particularly if you on a 58cm bike which would make you over 6ft!

blorg

The new Madone is a lovely looking bike and I was considering one. I guess my view on it though is that €3,133 would only buy me a 5.1 with the basic "White" frame and Ultegra (€3,100 in Ireland.) €3,500 would get me the "Black" frame and Ultegra SL.

Hungrycol

Blorg, are you sure Wiggle deliver bikes to Ireland. Methinks me remembers somewheres that they won't ship bigger items outside of the UK.

Chips Lovell

People from here have bought bikes from Wiggle before.

blorg

Wiggle ship bikes to Ireland but not continental Europe. It's £20.

Product ships to

Mainland UK
Ireland
Northern Ireland

There are actually a few things they don't ship to Ireland IIRC- heavy cheap stuff like Muc-Off for example.

Planet X

Muc Off....liguids and the likes they cannot ship. Same as Probikekit.

Got my rothar from Wiggle, no probs.
Nice bike, I got a Focus last year but not as good as the one being discussed.

I'd hate to come off................

Hungrycol

Planet X, I though you'd be riding.... well.... a Planet X?! No?

£20 for a whole bike to Ireland is a bargain. Makes sense that the cheaper heavier stuff ain't worth their (or your) while, esp when we have CRC up the road whom I think are brill...

Planet X

I do. A PX TT bike.

liamtinney

You can buy the trek madone 5.2 pro or performance for €2900 in Ireland, I am not sure about the Sram Red Groupset yet Most shop I know are not carring many spares, I know shimano chains and cassettes will work fine but for the rest ???

blorg

Liam, where out of interest? RRP is €3,500 AFAIK so that seems like a mighty discount. I would have a preference to buy locally but the low sterling makes the UK options mighty tempting.

I acknowledge the issue with spares although ideally I would hope not to need to be replacing bits of the groupset that frequently; TBH I haven't on my other bikes.