Frame vs Components

1tony

Hi Folks,

a quick question on value for a relative beginner...for the same money would you concentrate on components or frame material maybe along the lines of the enclosed

Thanks in advance for any advice

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=31040

VS

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=31040

Lumen

I'd say one is probably as good as the other.

DirkVoodoo

Is this some kind of spot the difference? Hold on, I'll get it...

peterako

Personally....I'd spend the money on the frame.

Components are easy enough to upgrade later (gross simplification).

Having said that.....it's often cheaper to buy a complete package (Frame and Components = full bike) than to build up a frame buying components after....

Hope this makes sense.

No opinion on the bikes linked, sorry.

Peter

Morgan

I can't see much difference between those bikes at all.

1tony

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=31507

apologies - no getting past you guys....these are just typical i guess but the Viper is carbon 105s while the Beone is alloy Ultegras although theres is very little difference in weight

thanks

1tony

I'm also very exited about getting close to 25 posts
cant wait to see what happens.....hope i'm not disappointed

Lumen

Impossible to say without riding them.

105 and Ultegra are very similar, you'd be hard pressed to notice a difference all else being equal.

DirkVoodoo

I wouldn't get bogged down between groupsets unless they are a good few rungs apart on the ladder, e.g. Sora and Ultegra.

There is little difference bar a few grams between 105 and Ultegra.

I don't know what "airplane carbon" is on the Viper. Maybe they mean it is aerospace grade or "similar to what is used in airplanes".

This is much better.

blorg

Note that Viper is not a carbon frame, it is an alloy frame with carbon seatstays. A bit misleading to call it "Viper Airplane Carbon."

1tony

OK Thanks one and all
less than 10 posts for the Cayo to be recommended

Does everyone really agree (as it seems) that the Cayo has no competitor in €800 - €1500 bracket?
If so why does someone else not try to break this?

Thanks again

DirkVoodoo

blorg wrote: »

Note that Viper is not a carbon frame, it is an alloy frame with carbon seatstays. A bit misleading to call it "Viper Airplane Carbon."

That, and it's clear lack of wings.

Lumen

1tony wrote: »

Does everyone really agree (as it seems) that the Cayo has no competitor in €800 - €1500 bracket?

Boardman Team Carbon, Planet-X, Ribble Sportive.

There are no doubt others.

DirkVoodoo

1tony wrote: »

OK Thanks one and all
less than 10 posts for the Cayo to be recommended

Does everyone really agree (as it seems) that the Cayo has no competitor in €800 - €1500 bracket?
If so why does someone else not try to break this?

Thanks again

Planet X, can't remember how much the Ultegra build is these days. But yes, focus have it pretty much sewn up unless you find a heavily discounted bike from another retailer.

blorg

Lumen wrote: »

Boardman Team Carbon, Planet-X, Ribble Sportive.

These would certainly all be good alternatives to the Cayo, on the same sort of level.

Raam

Here's why not to buy a Focus: everyone else has one.

Lumen

Rules of satisfying bike ownership:

1. Buy something that nobody else has. That way no-one can tell you "I had that bike, it was fine for me until I upgraded to X".

2. Don't buy anything in a sequentially numbered range. The fact that you have a "3" rather than the numerically superior "2" will forever remind you of your failings in life, whereas no-one really understands the difference between a "Comp", "Pro" and "Team".

3. Buy something pretty. There's no use spending money on something ugly but functional. Like with choosing a wife, from time to time you won't get any action and you'll have to be content with just looking at it.

4. Don't obsess on reviews. They're usually nonsense.

I may have broken some or all of these rules.

ROK ON

@Raam. +1 on the Focus. I am highly suspicious of the bike in that it seems to be a bike that people buy, ride for a year, and sell.
Why is this.
I think the test of a good entry level bike is how long would you keepit. I mean if you get badly bitten by the bike bug and upgrade would you keep the bike and maybe use it as training/winter bike.

I know a fair few people on Spesh Allez and ride them year after year. On that basis, it may actually be better value despite being only slightly more expensive. So what if its not carbon. Don't have one, but seems like a great bike at that price range. I tried to get one this year but were all sold out. Maybe that says something.

Raam

ROK ON wrote: »

I know a fair few people on Spesh Allez and ride them year after year. On that basis, it may actually be better value despite being only slightly more expensive. So what if its not carbon. Don't have one, but seems like a great bike at that price range. I tried to get one this year but were all sold out. Maybe that says something.

I have an Allez and it's deadly!

blorg

I sold my Focus because I upgraded and had eight bikes at that point, six of them with drop handlebars, so didn't really need it as a winter/training bike. Nothing wrong with the bike at all I can assure you, it was certainly the best for the money when I bought it and I was very happy with it. I would probably still have it only for the collapse in the value of sterling coinciding with the Christmas sales.

To be honest the Focus is NOT really an "entry level bike" - it is certainly well above the Allez, Trek 1 series, etc. (nice though these bikes are.) It would be in the same sort of category as your Dolan Hercules.

1tony

so the only reason not to buy a cayo is cos everyone else has one?
other than that the opinion seems to be that it is superior to all other
- the fact that Halfords sell the Boardman really rules that out for me

Lumen

1tony wrote: »

so the only reason not to buy a cayo is cos everyone else has one?

You might decide not to buy one after forming an independent opinion that you prefer something else.

Otherwise we'd all be riding the same bike.

oh, wait...

TheJones

1tony wrote: »

Halfords sell the Boardman really rules that out for me

Really? Boardman are cracking value, granted the spotty degenerate charged with the final assemby in Halfords may be off-putting but grab a hold of his bike hut supervisor and on pain of death ensure he assembles it personally!

Don't write off the boardman range, ''just cause I was born in a stable does'nt make me a horse'':D

blorg

The Cayo is not "superior to all other", the Boardman, Planet X, Ribble Sportive are all in the same category.

As regards the Halfords comment, it is worth noting that any bike I have bought from Wiggle (and that would be three, including the Cayo) came _perfectly_ set up in every detail. These days I have the ability to fix these things so not so much of an issue for me anymore but may be for others, I know I appreciated it at the time.

The Boardmans are great value but setup may be a lottery... Even if you can't fix it up yourself though there are guys like Mr Skeffington who will sort it for you.

DirkVoodoo

I apologize, I completely forgot about the Boardman. Haven't heard any complaints about Halfords but you can take it to your local bike shop anyway for tune ups and repairs.

sy

ROK ON wrote: »

@Raam. +1 on the Focus. I am highly suspicious of the bike in that it seems to be a bike that people buy, ride for a year, and sell.

Hmmm. Bought one Feb 2008 (Ultegra spec) and have put about 12000k on it. No intention of changing. Upgraded wheels and love it. (I've been riding and racing(past tense!) for near 25 years and had my share of bikes over that period, some were relatively speaking more expensive than the focus. The Cayo which I bought with some reservation I must add, was a steal at the price I paid and I know if I want to upgrade to a better bike, then I would have to fork out over 2k+. No intention of upgrading (at the moment )
ps hope that chest is ok ROK ON and well done Raam in your excellent result in the Hill Climb championship, nice report too

@1tony any of the bikes mentioned in the thread, just pick one and buy it before sterling begins to strengthen again!