Fancy rating this bike???

mattym

I'm hoping to do a good bit of cycling in the new year, the main reason being hopefully a trip to the Alps in june to climb a few of the Cols from the Tour de France. Looking at this bike on Wiggle.co.uk. Can anyone give me an opinion on it. I'm 6'2" and 16 stone so take that into consideration:D

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Felt_F95_Garmin_Team_Replica_2009/5360038947/

TinyExplosions

I'd suggest the Focus Variado, similar price, and has a better groupset (tiagra is better than sora/200 mix).

The Focus also has a wider range of gears, which will help you in the mountains (we were there in October, and they're pretty tough!)

Diarmuid

I'd consider a triple if I were you. I cycle mostly in the Southern Alps and I wouldn't consider buying a bike without one.

TinyExplosions

Diarmuid wrote: »

I'd consider a triple if I were you. I cycle mostly in the Southern Alps and I wouldn't consider buying a bike without one.

Wuss, compact is more than enough

CheGuedara

Diarmuid wrote: »

I'd consider a triple if I were you. I cycle mostly in the Southern Alps and I wouldn't consider buying a bike without one.

They're both running compact, would you get away with running a casette with a 27T inner for alpine climbs? Am thinking of a summer trip to Italy/France so it'd be great to get perspective from someone whose been there before

niceonetom

CheGuedara wrote: »

They're both running compact, would you get away with running a casette with a 27T inner for alpine climbs? Am thinking of a summer trip to Italy/France so it'd be great to get perspective from someone whose been there before

34x27 was more than enough for me. it's not the steepness of the climbs in the alps that's terrifying, it's their length. can't wait to get back there though...

OP i would point out that the felt comes with an ultimate gear of 34x24 - bit steep for a beginner i think. then again cassettes are easily changed. i'd be looking for 10 speeds and a compact chainset (50 and 34 rings on the front) if i were looking make future upgrades easy.

nice paint job though, and the wheels match...

TinyExplosions

niceonetom wrote: »

34x27 was more than enough for me. it's not the steepness of the climbs in the alps that's terrifying, it's their length. can't wait to get back there though...

nice paint job though, and the wheels match...

+1

Also like the felts paint job!

DirkVoodoo

Felts are pretty fantastic bikes, that Garmin-Chipotle job is pretty understated (hmm..might go well with my new jersey).

Have you bought it yet?

Vélo

TinyExplosions wrote: »

Wuss, compact is more than enough

Is the Shimano 105 groupset compact? I've heard of this compact phenonemom but I know nothing about it, please inform me!!!!

DirkVoodoo

Its only the front chainset. The standards have been "doubles" (usually 53-39) and "triples" (usually 53-39-30) for ages. Compacts bridge the gap between the two by offering gearing that is somewhat similar to a triple but without a third ring.

Lumen

If you're getting groupset-obsessed, then for less money you can get 105 and a triple:

BeOne Storm 2008

£500 -> €575 at current rate. :eek:

Almost worth buying for the groupset alone.

blorg

OP, I think I would get a triple if you can. You might get away with a compact with a big cog on the back. I'd also try to lose some weight before June, it will make a big difference on the climbs.

TinyExplosions

Aquinas73 wrote: »

Is the Shimano 105 groupset compact? I've heard of this compact phenonemom but I know nothing about it, please inform me!!!!

Hmmm.... that bike seems not to make sense... it has 'Shifters' that are 'Shimano 2200 STI 16 speed', yet further down it has 'brake levers' 'Shimano 105 STI' -that's not what I'd expect.

The BeOne listed above would also be great for you, and as it's a triple, it'll cover everything.

I echo what Blorg says about dropping a little weight before you go, but once you have the bike, it'll fly off -I used to be up around your weight (225lbs), and with less than a year cycling am down to ~200-205.

Signal_ rabbit

Its not a Trek! I'd go with a triple too.

Diarmuid

CheGuedara wrote: »

They're both running compact, would you get away with running a casette with a 27T inner for alpine climbs? Am thinking of a summer trip to Italy/France so it'd be great to get perspective from someone whose been there before

Well I guess you've got to weight the pros and the cons of triples. Pros: You'll get up pretty much anything and be able to spin for longer than with a compact. Cons:They are heavier (I think about 90g) , they don't look as good as a double but the big one is the "cred" factor

If you are only going to grind up one or two big mountains per year then I guess a compact is fine. If you cycle them a lot, I would say the majority of cyclists would benefit from a triple.

Bunnyhopper

Signal_ rabbit wrote: »

Its not a Trek! I'd go with a triple too.

What are you getting at there? (I'm not trying to pick an argument on the relative merits of Trek, just wondering what you have in mind.)

Signal_ rabbit

Bunnyhopper wrote: »

What are you getting at there? (I'm not trying to pick an argument on the relative merits of Trek, just wondering what you have in mind.)

I just love Treks and was trying to be funny . Check out the Trek 1.5 Triple (the 2009 model).

paddy's hill

A very fit racing cyclist can ride the Alps or Pyrenees with a 39-25 but will be wishing for a 39-27 on some Pyrenees climbs. Fernando Escartin who was a tour mountain top winner, said he needed a 39-25 for Col de Marie Blanque, where as he rode the alps with a 19. I would say that a first timer in the high mountains should bring a triple 53-39-34 on front and a 12-27 on the rear as minimum or even a 53-39-30 on front and a 29 on the back in the extreme. Its better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
I ride the Pyrenees with a triple 53-39-34 and a 25 on the back, I rarely use the lowest gears but if you blowup and have to cross the Tourmalet to get home the smaller the gear you have the better.
The majority of local riders in the Pyrenees use a triple.

ROK ON

OP: I would make a few points. First your wieght will be an issue. No getting away from it. When I started taking cycling seriously I was 17st, now I am down to 15.5st. It has made a huge difference to how I find it to get up climbs. However I still have trouble on one or two.
Re Triple versus Compact. Never used a compact. I have a triple on both my bikes.
I need to use the smallest ring less and less, but on w/e spins there is always one strech of the road that I would use it. If you are going to be cycling over several days over mountainous terrain then I cannot imagine that you would regret having a triple (unless you are superbly fit and a great climber to boot).
Regarding the cons of a triple being the weight - with some training between now and your cycling holiday, you will be able to lose far more weight than the added weight of a triple versus a compact.
Happy bike shopping and enjoy the training and eventual cycling trip.

mattym

Thanks Rok On and all other posters. I was down about 15 stone last year till an injury stopped me running so this is the alternative was to get fit. Having the trip to the Alps is my new year incentive to get fit and lose a bit of weight so fingers crossed i hit France in better shape. I have been told that weight will be a big issue on the larger climbs so i may get busy. And I'm going with a few lads who's physique is a bit more suited to climbing!!!! Roll on January

blorg

On the point of triples vs compacts and granny rings, there is no shame in using a 30 on the front, personally I do not understand the issue. I used a triple in the Pyrenees and the Alps this year and got up everything there before anyone else (with the sole exception of the Glandon... see someone's sig for more details on that )

Raam

blorg wrote: »

On the point of triples vs compacts and granny rings, there is no shame in using a 30 on the front, personally I do not understand the issue. I used a triple in the Pyrenees and the Alps this year and got up everything there before anyone else (with the sole exception of the Glandon... see someone's sig for more details on that )

But did you actually need to use the granny ring?

niceonetom

blorg wrote: »

I used a triple in the Pyrenees and the Alps this year and got up everything there before anyone else...

yes. it was all down to the triple.


for clarity, i'm not against triples. there is no shame at the top of an alp - only glory. and i'll admit that at least a portion of my preference for a compact is aesthetic, although i do also like the mechanical simplicity of only having 2 rings and a big cassette. blorg, even with a 30 i don't think i could spin efficiently enough to gain any advantage from the gearing and would be working just as hard and going just as slow as i do now.

blorg

Possibly I didn't NEED to but I certainly appreciated it. Would have been happy with a compact, uncomfortable I reckon on a standard.

blorg

Glory (new photos!)

CheGuedara

blorg wrote: »

Glory (new photos!)

That is just class - can't wait till I get the chance to go away and have a cut off the high stuff. The info on gearing is great too - thanks again.
I run double myself, prefer the standard but it's gonna have to be compact with that 27t onboard when I eventually get to travel.
Could look into the 29t ahead of time though - I guess you'd need a long cage r. derailleur on to accomodate it though?

Raam

Class photos, Blorg. Hey that reminds me, I never got to see any of the ones from our Waterford trip. I imagine it won't be quite as spectacular!

TinyExplosions

Raam wrote: »

Class photos, Blorg. Hey that reminds me, I never got to see any of the ones from our Waterford trip. I imagine it won't be quite as spectacular!

I thought they were ones from the Waterford trip

aaaah, fond memories of the Galibier......

blorg

I keep meaning to put up ones of the Waterford trip, I will get right on it this week.

Also the Alps, I have a fair few more of those.