Advice on whether to buy online or not for 1st road bike

joker77

Hey - I know the whole 'Which road bike should I buy for my first one?' has been done to death here, so please either ignore or point me to a recent thread if appropriate, cheers.

Ok a bit of background - I've been using a flat-bar road bike (hybrid) for commuting in and out of work, prob 4 days a week for 5 years. Commute is 8/9km each way. Over the summer I've been going for longer spins, once a week at about 40km. I want to now push on with this, going for a longer spin at the weekend and doing a 40km midweek. For this I feel I need a decent-ish entry level road bike.

A lot of people were recommending the BeOne Storm, but this is now gone from CRC. The BeOne Blizzard has come down in price and looks a very good deal. I'm taking it would be slightly better than the Focus Cayo. Yes from that last link I'd be more thinking I'd need a triple than a compact given where I'm at. In terms of price range, I'd wouldn't be going any further than these 2..

I'm a little confused over which size to get. I'm just over 5' 10'', some people have been recommending 56 for this height, some 54. The Blizzard seems to come in 53 or 59 in the CRC Shopping Cart, but the size chart below it has 52/55/57/59?

What I'm really looking to find out, is whether I should buy one of these 2 online - get the value for money compared to buying locally, and get it built here, or go to a decent shop (CycleSuperStore? Cycleways? Cycleogical?) and get fully kitted out there - will need pedals/shoes/gear as well.

Cheers for taking the time to read this, I'm hoping this is the start of a beautiful relationship with this new bike, whichever it may be. Have to admit though, I really really like the look of the BeOne.

Off now to talk to the employers about the bike to work scheme....

petethedrummer

joker77 wrote: »

The Blizzard seems to come in 53 or 59 in the CRC Shopping Cart, but the size chart below it has 52/55/57/59?

52/55/57/59 is for the BeOne Blizzard RL 2008

The one you're looking at is a BeOne Blizzard 2009, so Blizzard/Storm/Mistral 2009 sizes are 50/53/56/59/62

It looks like they are out of stock of the 56s.

ednwireland

errrrr cayo - full carbon frame

blizzard aluminium frame with carbon forks (albeit with ultegra)

just letting you know

joker77

ednwireland wrote: »

errrrr cayo - full carbon frame

blizzard aluminium frame with carbon forks (albeit with ultegra)

just letting you know

Cheers - yea saw that - the Blizzard was 1200 Sterling but reduced to 950 now. It looks like they're finishing up the product line, doubt they'll be getting the 56" back in so I think it rules that one out.

blorg

I would go for the Cayo 105 above the Blizzard Ultegra, and would take the Planet X Ultegra above either of them.

joker77

blorg wrote: »

I would go for the Cayo 105 above the Blizzard Ultegra, and would take the Planet X Ultegra above either of them.

Cheers - I was looking at the Planet X on their website - you mean this one yea? To be honest I was a little scared off by all the options! Wouldn't know what size Bars, Stem etc etc to get...

joker77

Was wondering what the thoughts are of investing in this kind of bike online - if I went with the PlanetX one would it make sense to get it built by them, or shipped as components and get a local bike shop to build it?

blorg

Yes, that is the one, I just bought one myself. For the bars measure the distance between the point of your shoulders and get that width. If in doubt get 42cm. Size-wise I would think you probably want medium. If you measure yourself Planet X will probably advise, they are very helpful over email.

I would suggest buying it unbuilt and getting Mr Skeffington to assemble it for you. If you do get it "built" there is still a bit of assembly but nothing major, you have to stick on the handlebars and wheels and attach the rear derailleur. Note "unbuilt" it comes literally in pieces, even the fork and headset need to be attached.

joker77

Think I need a little more advice on the Planet X

For the chainset / cassette - I'm a little confused what the difference is here:

Shimano Ultegra 6750 Chainset 50 /34 170mm
Shimano Ultegra 6700 Chainset 53 /39 170mm
Shimano Ultegra 6750 Chainset 50 /34 172.5mm
Shimano Ultegra 6700 Chainset 53 /39 172.5mm
Shimano Ultegra 6750 Chainset 50 /34 175mm
Shimano Ultegra 6700 Chainset 53 /39 175mm

And chainset:

Shimano Ultegra 6700 10 Cassette 12-25
Shimano Ultegra 6700 10 Cassette 11-28 OUT OF STOCK

Ok they're out of stock of the 11-28 - I'm assuming this is because it's more popular. What are the differences with all these and which is the best combination on a compact double for the beginner? (I've trired searching the forum, but haven't found a good tip for a beginner on this)

Lumen

joker77 wrote: »

What are the differences with all these and which is the best combination on a compact double for the beginner?

Crank length (e.g. 175mm), front chainring sizes, rear cassette sizes.

For your height I'd go for 50/34 172.5mm.

12-25 is nice and closely spaced, but you'll lack a "bailout gear" like 27 or 28.

Not a big deal, cassettes are cheap enough.

joker77

Lumen wrote: »

...but you'll lack a "bailout gear" like 27 or 28.

I like it

I'm new enough to all this, haven't done any serious climbing. My route at the moment is up to Enniskerry and back, but on the main road from Dundrum - not taking any of the hard climbs yet.

Worrying now will I need that bailout gear!

Lumen

joker77 wrote: »

Worrying now will I need that bailout gear!

It's not important enough to affect your choice of bike.

joker77

Cheers - yea wasn't really thinking that - as I say I'm new enough to this so just wanted to make sure the combination of both cassette and chainring would be ok

blorg

It's important to get the chainrings right as to change between compact and standard requires replacing the entire crankset and this is very expensive.

As Lumen says cassettes are cheap by comparison and easily changed. They are also a consumable, you have to replace them maybe every year or so anyway (depending on how much cycling you do.) 12-25 is a very commonly sold combination and may well be fine for you with 50-34 up front.

joker77

Thanks lads for taking the time to help out the newbie, I know there are tons of these types of posts (I've read a lot of them and got some very useful information), just felt I needed my own one to clear up the confusion I still had.

joker77

Have decided to bite the bullet and go for the Planet X!

I've 2 components that I'm yet to chose from:

FSA New OS120 Stem 31.8 6 deg - 80mm (+£0.00)
FSA New OS120 Stem 31.8 6 deg - 90mm (+£0.00)
FSA New OS120 Stem 31.8 6 deg - 100mm (+£0.00)
FSA New OS120 Stem 31.8 6 deg - 110mm (+£0.00)
FSA New OS120 Stem 31.8 6 deg - 120mm (+£0.00)
Pro XLT Stem Silver 90mm Oversize (+£0.00)
Pro XLT Stem Silver 100mm Oversize (+£0.00)
Pro XLT Stem Silver 110mm Oversize (+£0.00) OUT OF STOCK
Pro XLT Stem Silver 120mm Oversize (+£0.00)
Planet X Superlight Team 3d Forged Stem 80 Oversized (+£19.99)
Planet X Superlight Team 3d Forged Stem 90 Oversized (+£19.99) OUT OF STOCK
Planet X Superlight Team 3d Forged Stem 100 Oversized (+£19.99) OUT OF STOCK
Planet X Superlight Team 3d Forged Stem 110 Oversized (+£19.99)
Planet X Superlight Team 3d Forged Stem 120 Oversized (+£19.99)
Planet X Superlight Team 3d Forged Stem 130 Oversized (+£19.99)
FSA OS115 White Stem 31.8 6 deg - 90mm 175-3349 - RRP £104.95 (+£54.98)
FSA OS115 White Stem 31.8 6 deg - 110mm 175-3351 - RRP £104.95 (+£54.98)
FSA OS115 White Stem 31.8 6 deg - 120mm 175-3352 - RRP £104.95 (+£54.98)
Zipp SL145 Stem 110mm 26.0 clamp (+£79.98)
Zipp SL145 Stem 120mm 26.0 clamp (+£79.98)

And:

FSA Wing Alloy Road Bars Oversized 40cm 185-1440 - RRP £29.95 (+£0.00)
FSA Wing Alloy Road Bars Oversized 42cm 185-1442 - RRP £29.95 (+£0.00)
FSA Wing Alloy Road Bars COMPACT Oversized 44cm 185-1454 - RRP £29.95 (+£0.00)
Planet X Road Bar Strada Oversize - Shallow Drop 38 cm (+£0.00)
Planet X Road Bar Strada Oversize - Shallow Drop 40 cm (+£0.00)
Planet X Road Bar Strada Oversize - Shallow Drop 42 cm (+£0.00) OUT OF STOCK
Planet X Road Bar Strada Oversize - Shallow Drop 44 cm (+£0.00) OUT OF STOCK
Pro PLT 2014 Alu Oversize Anodised Silver 42 (+£0.00)
Pro PLT 2014 Alu Oversize Anodised Silver 44 (+£0.00)
Pro PLT 2014 Alu Oversize Anodised Silver ANATOMIC 44 (+£0.00)
FSA Wing Pro Compact Bars White OS 40cm 185-0970 - RRP £74.95 (+£45.00)
FSA Wing Pro Compact Bars White OS 42cm 185-0972 - RRP £74.95 (+£45.00)
Zipp Contour Carbon Handlebar 420mm 26.0mm Clamp (+£97.50)
Zipp Contour Carbon Handlebar 440mm 26.0mm Clamp (+£97.50)
Zipp SL Carbon Handlebar 400mm OS Clamp (+£132.48)
Zipp SL Carbon Handlebar 440mm OS Clamp (+£132.48)

I'm 5' 10'' with regular build - any suggestions on what I need here and what the main differences are (on sizes, not alu/carbon/price etc).

blorg

For the stem length you would be best off measuring yourself and asking Planet X. I am 6ft and have a 110mm stem on a large frame because that is what I always have but that doesn't really help you very much. At a complete guess, 100mm is probably normal on the medium frame size.

Regarding the bars, I went for the FSA wing but they have quite a significant drop, more than I would like to be honest. The Planet X Stradas are meant to have a very shallow drop by comparison. I have the Pro PLT bars on another bike and they are in between. Very nice bars too, although they are a sort of silvery colour that may not be to your taste. Personally I am coming around to liking very shallow bars as you can put your bars down lower with them which is a positive if you are using clip on aerobars. Measure your shoulder blades and if in doubt 42cm for width.

lescol

Hi Joker77, just got into this thread. I'm a little taller than you and I bought a PX large in the Dura Ace offer, it came with a PX stem 100 and FSA wing pro 42 bars. The stem was just too short so I bought a 110, I still have the 100 so if you need it you can give me a shout. After nearly a year I've decided I would prefer 44cm bars like my alu bike, my new bars are on the way from Wiggle, so my bars will be available too. All these things are fine tuning and I'm sure you'll want to tweak your settings for the "perfect" fit. Like I say, the bits will be here (in Kerry!) so give me a shout if you wish.

joker77

lescol wrote: »

Hi Joker77, just got into this thread. I'm a little taller than you and I bought a PX large in the Dura Ace offer, it came with a PX stem 100 and FSA wing pro 42 bars. The stem was just too short so I bought a 110, I still have the 100 so if you need it you can give me a shout. After nearly a year I've decided I would prefer 44cm bars like my alu bike, my new bars are on the way from Wiggle, so my bars will be available too. All these things are fine tuning and I'm sure you'll want to tweak your settings for the "perfect" fit. Like I say, the bits will be here (in Kerry!) so give me a shout if you wish.

Cheers lescol - the parts you mention come as part of the offer, included in the price as it were - but yea if I get something and it doesn't fit I'll keep your offer in mind!

lescol

I see that there's plenty of choice on the offer, a lot more than was on the DA one last year! Although, my stem is out of stock. I couldn't get away with the saddle, comfortable for the first hour then increasing pain thereafter. It's now on my commuter, which is a short ride. The FSA Orbit headset rusted within 6 months, I replaced it with a Cane Creek, which seems good. I would probably choose the PX headset from the current offer. My PX model B's are light, smooth running and true (despite Kerry's potholes), I'd have to recommend them.

It's a lovely bike, a joy to ride, so good luck with it.

joker77

lescol wrote: »

I see that there's plenty of choice on the offer, a lot more than was on the DA one last year! Although, my stem is out of stock. I couldn't get away with the saddle, comfortable for the first hour then increasing pain thereafter. It's now on my commuter, which is a short ride. The FSA Orbit headset rusted within 6 months, I replaced it with a Cane Creek, which seems good. I would probably choose the PX headset from the current offer. My PX model B's are light, smooth running and true (despite Kerry's potholes), I'd have to recommend them.

It's a lovely bike, a joy to ride, so good luck with it.

Cheers again Lescol - great to hear the positive story on the bike and an insight into what size components would work. I'll measure myself at the weekend and run it by the PlanetX team, as per blorgs suggestion, then hopefully early next week I'll be looking to order the bike! I'll be using this to train, hoping to build up to 2 decent spins a week - so am going to upgrade the saddle to prob a Selle Italia Flite Gelflow

joker77

Have just ordered the Planet X! Was hoping to get the blue, but they said it wouldn't be available again until mid November and I didn't want to wait that long, so went for the black one.

Really looking forward now to getting stuck into the training over the winter!

ciarsciars

Hi,

I am in the process of ordering the same bike as Joker. I too am a keen cyclist but haven’t done any road biking, I mostly do some MTB’ing and my daily commute.

I rang Planet X with size details (5 11”, 33.5” inseam). The guy suggested I get the 53/39, 172.5mm or 175mm crankset. He said get the 53/39 in case I want to cycle competitively in the future sometime. Just wondering if anyone has any opinions about the chain ring sizes and crank arm sizes?
I am ok with most of the other options. They are out of the Planet X model C wheelset and the Shimano R500 Wheelset, so I’m going with the Planet X Model B wheelset - 20h/24h, which are £25 extra. The guy said these had a better rim and spokes than the model C and were worth the additional money.
I thinking of getting the FSA SLK Saddle Black (Tubular Steel Rails) as it’s the only one left that doesn’t cost additional money!! Again any advice would be appreciated
Thanks

blorg

To be honest I would go for the 50/34 compact crankset unless you are absolutely sure you want to race. Hell even then I would get the 50/34 starting off, you can always change it later if you really get into it.

It's not even a major disadvantage racing, I raced most of the season this year on a compact. I was over in the Sierra Nevada and then the Alps and Pyrenees and didn't get around to swapping it back.

Gives you lower gearing for climbing hills.

joker77

Best of luck with it ciarsciars! I'm too much of a noob to be recommending anything to you though!

I'm upgrading the saddle to a Sella Italia one, apart from that I'm getting the same wheels (type and the 'no extra cost' Stem/Seatpost/Bars.

ciarsciars

many thanks for the advice:)