Help a complete newbie spec a bike.

Creamy Goodness

Hey guys, i'm looking to get into road cycling, with the plan to start small 5-10kms to getting up to 30+ kms.

I'm a complete novice to what's good and what's bad but got some advice off a guy in work who gave me some good knowledge on what to look for.

I've got between 500-800 euro to spend excluding delivery (if i buy online) was also told this was a realistic budget .

I had this bike in mind; http://www.evanscycles.com/products/bianchi/via-nirone-7-xenon-2010-road-bike-ec021257

What does everyone think? i'll also need pedals to go with it, should I purchase pedals with clips or build myself up to them at a later stage and just go for standard flat pedals (or traditional bike pedals for want of a better word) until i get accustomed to the bike bearing in my this will be my first time ever on a road bike or any bike for that matter without mountain bike tires.

Suggestions and feedback weclome, Thanks.

furiousox

I've got one myself and its a nice bike.
Its also available in Slane Cycles up near Belfast, they'll deliver for free and it takes about 2 days.
Give them a ring and see what they have in stock as far as colour and sizes go, they're very nice to deal with

http://www.slanecycles.com/bianchi-c2c-via-nirone-7-alu-xenon-10sp-bike-2010-p-3991.html


EDIT: This bike came with Look Keo pedals when I got mine

velo.2010

If its gonna be your first time ever on a bike then you should pop over to the two big bike shops on the southside Wheelworx and Cyclesuperstore.

You dont have to buy from them its just that they have huge carpark space for you to try out a road bike and get used to it!

Creamy Goodness

furiousox wrote: »

I've got one myself and its a nice bike.
Its also available in Slane Cycles up near Belfast, they'll deliver for free and it takes about 2 days.
Give them a ring and see what they have in stock as far as colour and sizes go, they're very nice to deal with

http://www.slanecycles.com/bianchi-c2c-via-nirone-7-alu-xenon-10sp-bike-2010-p-3991.html


EDIT: This bike came with Look Keo pedals when I got mine

thanks, i was actually thinking of the colours on the link i provided, seemed a bit feminine for my liking (not that there's anything wrong with feminine), the blue you linked to is much better imo.

i'll give them a shout tomorrow to see what they have.

velo.2010 wrote: »

If its gonna be your first time ever on a bike then you should pop over to the two big bike shops on the southside Wheelworx and Cyclesuperstore.

You dont have to buy from them its just that they have huge carpark space for you to try out a road bike and get used to it!

ahh i don't think i'd have to try a bike i have fairly good balance and can ride a normal bike as it is, was more just concerned about the getting used to special pedals and shoes and the likes. but i'll take a trip out there sometime this week thanks.

furiousox

Don't forget to consider celeste (green) too, probably the most popular for bianchi.

thebouldwhacker

Bianchi as a first road bike, nice, me likeie Bianchi.
Go with the celeste though, much nicer in imho:D
what ever you decide enjoy.

btw no harm cycling the bike for a few miles on flat pedals before jumping into clips, might make it a bit more fun that way.

Raam

The Via Nirone is a great bike. Get it, you won't be sorry. My missus has one, my bro has one and his missus has one. I've ridden one for a bit and I like it.

My advice on pedals: get the clipless pedals now. It will save you cash in the long run.

DirkVoodoo

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

ahh i don't think i'd have to try a bike i have fairly good balance and can ride a normal bike as it is, was more just concerned about the getting used to special pedals and shoes and the likes. but i'll take a trip out there sometime this week thanks.

Not really a balance issue, bike fit is very important. Buying a pair of shoes online you can immediately tell if they are too big or too small. Buying a bike online it might not immediately obvious...until you go on longer spins and wonder why you are in agonizing pain afterwards.

There is no harm going to a few shops and getting an idea of what bikes fit you better than others. They all look good online.

There are some good resources online, it's not something I would wave away as it is probably the most important aspect of buying a bike and something the novice tends to see as secondary.

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

I'm a complete novice to what's good and what's bad but got some advice off a guy in work who gave me some good knowledge on what to look for....

....bearing in my this will be my first time ever on a road bike or any bike for that matter without mountain bike tires.

Buying online without ever having been on a roadbike is not a good idea IMHO.

djfattony2000

Im thinking about getting one of these too.

Are the frames made in Italy or in Taiwan?

blorg

djfattony2000 wrote: »

Im thinking about getting one of these too.

Are the frames made in Italy or in Taiwan?

Taiwan, not that it matters one jot.

djfattony2000

blorg wrote: »

Taiwan, not that it matters one jot.

True,

Now my next question,

If I was to get the 2300 version what would be the main gripes aside from weight versus the sora or xenon versions.

Im a mountain biker so I dont know anything about road bikes.

Sorry for Hijacking this thread too OP

furiousox

djfattony2000 wrote: »

Im thinking about getting one of these too.

Are the frames made in Italy or in Taiwan?

If you or the OP want to have a look at my C2C for 'research' you're more than welcome. (I'm in Drogheda btw)

djfattony2000

Thanks furiousox, thats a very generous offer.

I think Im dead set on the frame anyway. Just need to decide exactly how much over my original budget of €500 I am willing to go.

Rowery

If you have more or less decided on the Bianchi, I would recomend a spin up to slanecycles, reiterating the importance of size. I was about to buy a bike online and then changed my mind and went up to the lads in slanecycles, if I had bought online I would have got the wrong size altogether. Once they have you set up they can then post it down to you.

djfattony2000

Yeh Ive heard they are good alright. Plus they seem to be the cheapest too.

Any thoughts on 2300 vs sora or xenon?

Lumen

As far as I know, Xenon and Mirage have been discontinued and Veloce is the lowest Campag group in production.

If I was buying a Bianchi I'd try and stretch to Veloce rather than Sora/Tiagra. It's lovely to use and 10 speed.

If budget doesn't stretch that far I'd probably go second hand or for something completely different with Shimano or SRAM on it.

SerialComplaint

Are you sure you want to spend €800 as a complete newbie? Maybe you'd be better spending €200 in the 2nd hand market, and then get a chance to work out what you like or don't like. If you employer offers the cycle-to-work scheme, you'll easily get back this money through the tax saving.

Creamy Goodness

Me again,

Had to put the bike buying on hold for a while as stuff came up, even forgot i started this thread but i'm back now and with a bigger budget .

I've made trips out to wheelworx and cyclestore which were quite informative and had a test ride around the car parks on a couple of bikes.

the first bike was a felt z85 at wheelworx for €999, i thought it was quite a nice bike but i'm basing that on absolutely nothing at all since it was my first time on a road bike.

made my way over to cyclesuperstore and had a go on flanders something or other wasn't as nice as the felt i have to admit.

but i was also pointed towards these bikes the other week...

http://www.planet-x-warehouse.co.uk

most notably the SL Pro Carbon which with my limited knowledge now know these are better than the previous two bikes i mentioned as planetX have carbon frames as opposed to the alu-frame of the others, a 10-speed shifter as opposed to the 9-speed of the previous bikes.

the planetX falls into budget too (just about) and i think would be a much better buy what do you guys think? is it a bad idea for a newbie to get a planetX picking parts out that i don't really have a clue about (i know the main parts) most notably what size stem, what drop bars, cassette etc. to get. i know the right size frame which would be a Large frame as i'm 5' 10"

as always your great knowledge is appreciated. I'm looking to buy in the next week or so :pac:.

blorg

I have the Planet X as does half this forum. It's a great bike for the money, you won't do better at that price point.

DirkVoodoo

At 5'10" you are on the border of medium/large. It depends on preference, I prefer a slightly more compact setup with a longer stem rather than being stretched out on a bigger bike with shorter stem and shallower drop.

Lumen

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

is it a bad idea for a newbie to get a planetX picking parts out that i don't really have a clue about (i know the main parts) most notably what size stem, what drop bars, cassette etc. to get. i know the right size frame which would be a Large frame as i'm 5' 10"

As long as you get the right size frame, the other things are cheap to change if you get them wrong (as long as you resist "upgrading" when you buy new components). You shouldn't expect to necessarily get them right first time, even if you buy in a shop. How do you know what shape drop bars you want until you've used them for a few rides? I've done thousands of km with my current bars and stem and I'm still not convinced they're perfect.

If in doubt about components, just ask here. Just don't expect unanimity

Creamy Goodness

thanks for the replies all

blorg wrote: »

I have the Planet X as does half this forum. It's a great bike for the money, you won't do better at that price point.

yeh i was told most riders here either have one, had one or rode one. always a good sign

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

At 5'10" you are on the border of medium/large. It depends on preference, I prefer a slightly more compact setup with a longer stem rather than being stretched out on a bigger bike with shorter stem and shallower drop.

hmm that's a bit of a pickle actually, i think i'd be the same as yourself, compact frame with longer stem and adjust the saddle. think i shall go for the medium size frame so.

Lumen wrote: »

As long as you get the right size frame, the other things are cheap to change if you get them wrong (as long as you resist "upgrading" when you buy new components). You shouldn't expect to necessarily get them right first time, even if you buy in a shop. How do you know what shape drop bars you want until you've used them for a few rides? I've done thousands of km with my current bars and stem and I'm still not convinced they're perfect.

If in doubt about components, just ask here. Just don't expect unanimity

i'll spec up a bike when i get back to my main pc, i'm on a crappy netbook at the moment which is a pain to type on let alone use planetX's website with it's tons of radio buttons.

Creamy Goodness

got back to my main computer now.

this is what i specced up:




a couple of things though:

1. i'm going to wait until the black in medium comes back in, the carbon weave is something that i want and i think splashing blue/pink/white over it takes away from it in my own opinion of course .

2. chainset, i haven't a breeze about this i just chose one. here are the options they give.

FSA Gossamer Comp 170 MEGXO 5034 
FSA Gossamer Comp 172.5 MEGXO 5034 
FSA Gossamer Comp 175 MEGXO 5034 
FSA Gossamer Pro 170 MEGXO 53-39 
FSA Gossamer Pro 172.5 MEGXO 5339 
FSA Gossamer Pro 175 MEGXO 53-39 

3. cassette, again like the chainset i just chose the one that wasn't out of stock, is the one that's out of stock better? since i'm waiting for the frame this could be back in stock when the frames come back.

Shimano 105 10spd Cassette 12-25 
Shimano 105 10spd Cassette 12-27 OUT OF STOCK

4. wheels, don't want to spend any extra on these so looking at the ones that are priced at £0, again no idea which to get guessing they are all fairly similar?

Planet X Model C wheelset - 32h/32h Shimano (+£0.00) 
Planet X A57 wheelset - 32h/32h Shimano (+£0.00) 
Planet X Model B wheelset - 20h/24h Shimano (+£0.00) 

5. pedals, was thinking these shimano A530's as they can be used with non-cycling shoes and are fairly cheap.

6. shoes, how do these work? do cleats come with the pedals or with the shoes? how can i be sure that the shoes will fit the right pedals? any recommendations on shoes?


*EDIT* just noticed the dock hides the final price... it's £952.86.

blorg

If I were you I would get a compact (50/34) rather than the standard chainset. At 5'10" you probably want it in 172.5mm crank length. Get the 12-27 if it is back when you are ordering, otherwise just go with the 12-25. The cassette is easy to change in the future anyway while chainset is more expensive. This will give you a wider range of gears and make climbing mountains far easier.

The only good reason for most people to go for a standard (IMO) is if they are using the bike primarily for road racing.

Regarding the bars, get the "Planet X Road Bar Strada Oversize", they will be lighter and better all round than the FSA Vero. Nice shallow drop shape too.

As to the wheels, unless you are heavy I would go for the Model Bs. The Model Cs would be more sturdy albeit a bit heavier while the A57s are really for loaded touring or cyclocross, probably not necessary on a road racer.

Regarding the pedals just get a proper set of clipless pedals. Do you honestly think you will be cycling the bike in normal shoes? Get M540 or M520 SPDs. They are functionally identical, the M540s are just a bit lighter, probably worth the extra on a lightweight road bike.

Cleats come with the pedals. Regarding shoes you will need to get a MTB shoe with two holes in it.

Creamy Goodness

cool thanks for the information, learning a lot now .

regarding the wheels... when you say heavy what figure you talking about? i'm about 13.75 stone, last time i weighed myself but don't know if that's what you consider heavy, probably is when every gramme on a bike counts :pac:

i suppose you're right about the pedals i should throw myself in the deep end and all that, will get the M540's i think and i'll buy the shoes in wheelworx/cyclesuperstore when everything comes.

cdaly_

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

6. shoes, how do these work? do cleats come with the pedals or with the shoes? how can i be sure that the shoes will fit the right pedals? any recommendations on shoes?

Cleats come with pedals. You have to consider whether you want road or mtb pedals/shoes. Road shoes use big triangular cleats that protrude from the sole making walking awkward. MTB shoes use smaller cleats recessed into the sole which means the shoes look almost normal. I prefer the MTB shoes.

blorg

I think the Model Cs are 100g heavier than the Model Bs. You would probably be fine on the Bs but at 13.75 stone to be honest 100g on the wheels isn't going to make much difference. I'd lean towards the Model Cs in that case as they will be stronger and a spoke breakage would be less likely to make the bike unrideable (they are the same hub/rim, just the B has 20/24 spokes while the C is 32/32.)

I would suggest with the tyres you upgrade them to the Schwalbe Stelvio @700x25c. More comfort from a 25c and protection for the wheel from shocks and the Stelvio are a good tyre with good road feel and reasonable puncture protection.

With the pedals I think the M520s are 415g while the M540s are 350g. So again not a huge difference and they are otherwise identical. I have the M520s on my commuter which is heavy enough already and the M540s on my tourer.

DirkVoodoo

Merlin cycles have Ultegra 6620 pedals for around 60 euro delivered. Currently out of stock but I have had these pedals for 2 years and they have been fantastic. Indeed I would have bought another set for my new build if only it didn't violate the rules.

Creamy Goodness

thanks blorg for your all your help and everyone else too.

i've fired off an email to planetX to see if they can give me any lead time on out of stock parts.

Dirk what are these rules that those pedals violated?? :pac:.

DirkVoodoo

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

thanks blorg for your all your help and everyone else too.

i've fired off an email to planetX to see if they can give me any lead time on out of stock parts.

Dirk what are these rules that those pedals violated?? :pac:.

Shimano pedals on a Campagnolo drivetrain, I don't think I could have lived with the shame! Don't worry, it's only a bit of a cycling joke (apparently). Those pedals I linked to are very good, excellent power transfer, more stable than the M520s but also take a bit more time to get used to as they are not double sided.

Creamy Goodness

emailed them last night, was awoken at 6:59am by an email from them.

Should have more frames within the next couple of weeks or so. Best to keep an eye on the site.
We haven't got any 12-27 cassettes on order...but we're constantly restocking with Shimano and that does't take long to arrive so, again, keep an eye on the site for updates.
When we ship overseas we might remove the wheels and the rear mech to make the package smaller and reduce the likelihood of damage..that's about all.
You won't be able to order anything that's out of stock unless there's a pre-order option shown. Please bear in mind that other items may well become out of stock if you wait for restocking of the ones not currently available. No matter how hard we try to stay ahead of the game it is inevitable that this is going to happen during busy periods. It may be that you'll have to make a small compromise with one (or more) part of you order to secure the bike at the price.
I hope that's ok?
Regards
Ian

so a couple of weeks for the black frames to be back in, the cassette i can live with getting the other one and buying a new one couple of months down the line.

something that concerns me though is how they intend to ship it, taking off the wheels (knew they'd do this so no biggie) but never thought that if the wheels come off the rear mech. has to go somewhere. would this be difficult enough for me to put together when i get it?

blorg

Mine was very easy to put together, just add wheels, bars and seatpost IIRC. It is possible that I had to screw the rear mech on but this is very easy; I take it off myself any time I am travelling to shrink the size and for protection. It is just a matter of screwing it on to the derailleur hanger with a 5mm allen wrench. You don't need to attach any cables, they are already attached and adjusted correctly. You would just want to check them a month or so after getting the bike in case they had stretched.

Creamy Goodness

thanks blorg, again putting my mind at ease.

i was half thinking biting the bullet today and ordering the bike with a white frame and substitute the out of stock parts.

i'm glad i didn't rush it as i was looking in the "post images of beauty" thread and saw this:



i know any colour would be breath taking but that black is worth the wait. what colour have you got yourself? I know there's a pink one floating around boards too as i remember seeing a thread about a weekend run out and someone had a pink planetX, have to admit it looked good but don't think i'd be brave enough to buy one in pink :pac:

blorg

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

i know any colour would be breath taking but that black is worth the wait. what colour have you got yourself? I know there's a pink one floating around boards too as i remember seeing a thread about a weekend run out and someone had a pink planetX, have to admit it looked good but don't think i'd be brave enough to buy one in pink :pac:

I have the black one:



To be honest though this is mainly for reasons of practicality (bought it as a winter bike.) The white one looks the best IMO but it would be a bitch to keep clean (my MTB is white carbon.) The pink one also looks good in the flesh but it would just be too much.

AstraMonti has a white one; it is a lovely bike.

Creamy Goodness

hadn't gotten to them posts yet, damn you've just made my choice between the black and white about 50 times harder.

Lumen

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

hadn't gotten to them posts yet, damn you've just made my choice between the black and white about 50 times harder.

Get one of each.

DirkVoodoo

The white is harder to get right, in terms of finishing kit. Astra's is a prime example, but you need to take more care choosing how the finished bike will look than you can with black. Look at Blorg's, it has a Brooks and it actually looks ok, more so than his poor Litespeed!

Creamy Goodness

me again,

seems like planetX have completely done away with the £899 carbon sport bike with the new design of their site.

the next nearest bike in the same price range is this

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/PBPXPCSRRI/sl-pro-carbon-road-sram-rival

what are your thoughts on this bike guys? seems like they've gotten rid of shimano all together.

going to buy the bike next week as soon as i get my credit card statement for this month so the bike won't be due to be paid until the end of may instead of april.

Creamy Goodness

whoops have found the bike i was looking at on their new site.

has gone up in price but still bought one, we had such a nice weekend here for riding so i caved in and bought it.

hope i have it for next weekend.

this is what i bought http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/CBPXSLPC/sl-pro-carbon-comp

with the suggestions blorg gave me.

* model C wheels
* compact 50/34 with 172.5cm crank length
* planet X handlebars.

20/27 cassette cost a little too much (£55) considering the price of the bike has jumped rapidly since the new design, i can always get it again later down the road.

was impressed with the price of shipping to ireland at £25 for the bike.

thanks all who gave me advice, now time to buy pedals and shoes.

will post pics as soon as i get it :pac:.