Best road frame for €2K Suggestions ?

Murph100

OK not a 'balls to the wall' racer with zero comfort, but not a bloody Spec Roubaix either.

Acoustic

BMC Pro Machine

€1600

my bro has one and its a savage

jwshooter

have a look at ridley .the bike shop in wexford have a few frames worth the money.

i have a excalibur its lite and a snug bike.

JacksonHeightsOwn

Look 566 €1800



the new giant TCR, looks like the Rabobank frame €1650



i like the look of that BMC one myself, very pretty bike

Lumen

There is lots of choice at that level, except for the top of the heap superbikes at RRP.

What are you looking for, style wise? Compact, traditional? Whiteness or blackness?

Best to look around for good deals, given the horrific depreciation you don't want to pay RRP. For function, I can't fault my Addict SL 2008 at £1100, although it is fugly (to my eyes).

- Argon 18 (can't remember model nos). Bit left-field, good choice with SRAM as they're Canadian.
- Bianchi 928SL. Unusually hi-tech for a Bianchi. I'd get it in red.
- BMC SLC 01. High-tech, not sure about the seat clamp area.
- Cervelo R3(SL). Can't fault it technically, but tubes are chunky and needs deep section wheels IMO.
- De Rosa Neo Pro. Gorgeous in matt black, but lugs me no like.
- Scott Addict. As light as they say, and nicely stiff too.
- Colnago CX1. Photographs well, but heavy and a bit plasticky in real life.

I hadn't considered but now fancy a Specialized - they make great saddles and shoes, so I feel they've earned a frameset purchase.

Not sure if you can get a Canyon as a frameset-only, maybe worth a look.

I briefly looked at Looks and Times, but the prices were high and I didn't like the logos.

I'd also consider a Ti bike - you could get a lovely custom Enigma for that money.

edit: I recommend you put together a "bike porn" folder and fill it with downloaded pics - Google Images is great. Then every day open it up and take another quick glance over the collection (first impressions count). I found that frames that were immediately appealing e.g. Cervelo R3 looked relatively ugly after a couple of weeks of this.

AstraMonti

What about an Orbea Orca Evo? Looks hot, rides perfectly and it's light.

Lumen

Additionally, I wouldn't worry too much about ride quality differences between carbon frames. IMO it's only really relevant at slow speeds undeserving of a superbike, where you are dropping into the holes.

I'm sure an R3 has wonderful ride quality, but if you're that bothered just stick 25mm tyres on some wide rims.

SACH Central

I got one of these; a Viner Perfecta. €1,900. Fully custom built to your very own spec. Impossible to beat in my humble opinion especially when you consider you can spend double this price and more, for an off the peg frameset. This bike fits me like a glove (or a flesh tuxedo, as the Spinal Tap song goes). Got it from the guys in World Wide Cycles in Clonmel. Here's a pic. of mine

zzzzzzzz

Lumen wrote: »

There is lots of choice at that level, except for the top of the heap superbikes at RRP.

What are you looking for, style wise? Compact, traditional? Whiteness or blackness?

Best to look around for good deals, given the horrific depreciation you don't want to pay RRP. For function, I can't fault my Addict SL 2008 at £1100, although it is fugly (to my eyes).

- Argon 18 (can't remember model nos). Bit left-field, good choice with SRAM as they're Canadian.
- Bianchi 928SL. Unusually hi-tech for a Bianchi. I'd get it in red.
- BMC SLC 01. High-tech, not sure about the seat clamp area.
- Cervelo R3(SL). Can't fault it technically, but tubes are chunky and needs deep section wheels IMO.
- De Rosa Neo Pro. Gorgeous in matt black, but lugs me no like.
- Scott Addict. As light as they say, and nicely stiff too.
- Colnago CX1. Photographs well, but heavy and a bit plasticky in real life.

I hadn't considered but now fancy a Specialized - they make great saddles and shoes, so I feel they've earned a frameset purchase.

Not sure if you can get a Canyon as a frameset-only, maybe worth a look.

I briefly looked at Looks and Times, but the prices were high and I didn't like the logos.

I'd also consider a Ti bike - you could get a lovely custom Enigma for that money.

edit: I recommend you put together a "bike porn" folder and fill it with downloaded pics - Google Images is great. Then every day open it up and take another quick glance over the collection (first impressions count). I found that frames that were immediately appealing e.g. Cervelo R3 looked relatively ugly after a couple of weeks of this.

Have been considering getting a colnago cx-1 but have yet to see it in the flesh. Who sells colnagos in dublin?

Lumen

aidan.offbeat wrote: »

Have been considering getting a colnago cx-1 but have yet to see it in the flesh. Who sells colnagos in dublin?

Cycleogical? I saw it in the bike shop in Wexford town. It was a small size, which never helps the look.

Morgan

Murph100 wrote: »

OK not a 'balls to the wall' racer with zero comfort, but not a bloody Spec Roubaix either.

If you don't know what you want, then maybe you shouldn't drop two grand on a frame.

Murph100

Hmmm some very interesting suggestions.

Sach : I have a Viner Magister and I was going to go down the Perfecta route, but Viner have whacked up their prices by over €500 for 2010, and the specced Deda fork IMO is a little under par for a frame that price, I still haven't ruled out the Viner but I'm just more open to other frames.

That BMC looks ace.

I'm with Lumen on the Cervelos, and the finish is pretty poor, very much overpriced, but hey all that marketing must cost a fortune.

Dont want a Giant, Trek, Spec ...... they're everywhere. Give me the Maserati anyday instead of the BMW.

Bianchi I like a lot ( gotta be Celeste !! tut tut Lumen ! ), and that new Infinito looks beautiful, same carbon as the 928SL, but a slightly more relaxed geometry, around €1800 for the frameset so in the running, but must get a ride on one.

The Look 586 ( 2009 ) I can get for €2000, very interested in this as Chris who owns Epic Cycles, says its his favourite bike and he sells Look, Viner, Clonago, Orbea, Willier. In his own words " Light as hell, plenty stiff but a smooth ride, and descends like a demon ".

What I'm looking for is a slightly relaxed geometry but not pensioner fit.

Compact frame, and good looking construction with a decent paint job, whiteness or blackness doesn't bother me as long at it looks HOT !!

Light, with good lateral stiffness and some vertical compliance, so as I said, not an out and out racer.

Murph100

I pretty much do, but as there is such a great bunch here with experience of tons of different bikes, it might throw a few other contenders into the mix, never a bad thing IMO.

Morgan wrote: »

If you don't know what you want, then maybe you shouldn't drop two grand on a frame.

Lumen

Infinito looks lovely, but Bianchi are big fibbers about weight, if that bothers you.

Is the Infinito an ISP design? Just a thought, can't easily google it on my phone.

Murph100

Lumen wrote: »

Infinito looks lovely, but Bianchi are big fibbers about weight, if that bothers you.

Seems to be an Italian thing, Deda being the biggest offenders !! :mad:

Is the Infinito an ISP design? Just a thought, can't easily google it on my phone.

Nope, not ISP. Here is about the only review so far, and its in your Red !

http://bianchilifemidatlantic.blogspot.com/2009/08/2010-bianchi-c2c-infinito-test.html

Lumen

That looks lovely. Do it!

Acoustic

look 595 €2300 ???

jefferson73

£1449.00 (Frame / Headset)

Acoustic

that frame is rank

too plain

velo.2010

Surprised that you dont like or are not interested in a Trek. Theyre everywhere because theyre pretty good bikes and people seem to have less trouble with them givin the numbers there are around.

Like you I was looking for a frameset and got my Mad One 2008(5.5) for a lot less than your willing to spend. Let me tell you that you wont get many better bikes than it. OK the Scott mentioned above might be stiffer but I guarantee you wont get a better all round frame (light, stiff, comfort, handling)

Only my opinion of course.

Junior

Would like to see the price on this .. can't find anything on their website..

abcdggs

WOW

edit: Doubt you'll be seeing one on the commute

Nietzschean

velo.2010 wrote: »

Surprised that you dont like or are not interested in a Trek. Theyre everywhere because theyre pretty good bikes and people seem to have less trouble with them givin the numbers there are around.

Half the reason most people here would be slow to a trek would just be because there are so many of them around...though then again my focus is pretty common too spending 2k on a frameset i'd rather not see it every few mins on a spin, but i'm pretty shallow like that....

Nevermind the reason there is so many treks could be put down to good marketing. Most people on trek's arn't likely to be too aware of the diversity available(not implying you in this, but in general)....or see their hero LA on a trek and want one of the same...

DirkVoodoo

Trek are excellent bikes, but like Nietzchean says you can get a similar build for a lot less money from other sources.

I'm not sure what you mean about reliability though, they are no more reliable than any other brand, just backed up by a good warranty. I have still heard plenty of stories (both from Quigs and a triathlon friend of mine) of carbon Trek frames cracking.

Zorba

aidan.offbeat wrote: »

Have been considering getting a colnago cx-1 but have yet to see it in the flesh. Who sells colnagos in dublin?

I posted this before in another thread but if your looking for a colnago try here:

http://www.maestro-uk.com/

Mike is an absolute pleasure to deal with and when i got my colnago off him he was 300 quid ish cheaper than anyone else, including delivery and he can get u any colour u want cos he buys them direct from colnago.

One word of warning though, two of my mates have cx-1's and the paint has cracked just behind the bottom bracket on the chainstays, apparently the paint jobs on them are crap !

velo.2010

Fair enough comments lads. I dont personally care how many ride Treks(though i havent seen many on the pricier bikes, just 1400,1500etc!) I just like the all round package and the comfortable ride.

I must say that there are bargains out there on Madone frames, I emphasis i spent a lot less than the numbers been mentioned above and got a tour winning bike(for what its worth).

All I can say is check around to the guy who is looking for a frame.

PS Im not a Trek employee.

Murph100

Cheers guys for the great feedback ! I think I'm going to have to try as many frames as possible before making the plunge.

Slane said they will try and set up a Bianchi Infinito ( when they arrive ), a Look 585 ( feckin ISP on 586 ), Cervelo R3 and a Scott Addict to try out, so that will be a very worthwhile trip.

One question just came to mind though, regarding the Look, does anyone make a bike-box to take a bike with an integrated seat post ?

skstretch

www.canyon.com, best value ive seen