2011 Forme Vitesse - A good Starter Bike?

BenEadir

Hi all,

I'm looking at a 2nd hand 2011 Forme Vitesse for around €500 to get into road cycling. I'm 46, 95KG, 183cm and injured my knee some time ago running (I did the odd 10k) and the Doctor has advised I give up the running and get on my bike!!

I'd hope to do a long weekend spin (2-3 hours) with 2 x 60-90 early morning spins from April to Sept. I won't be doing anything very competitive but would hope to join a group or two to add a bit of social activity into the mix.

Is this the bike for my? http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/road/product/review-forme-vitesse-11-43327

Ben

Darkglasses

What size is the bike, and is it in good nick? Clean? Brake pads/cables been changed since it was bought?

BenEadir

Darkglasses wrote: »

What size is the bike, and is it in good nick? Clean? Brake pads/cables been changed since it was bought?

And so now I'm totally found out as a complete newbie to cycling The seller is 184cm and he said the bike was perfect size for him and in great nick but then what else would he say??? For 184cm I expect it's a 56cm or 58cm frame which should be right for me also?

I can't take advantage of the bike to work scheme (used it a couple of years ago to get a bike for my wife) and as this will be my first foray into training on a bike I don't want to blow a load of cash and end up with an expensive bike which gets used a couple of times a year. for that reason it's either 2nd hand or I was thinking of getting a B'twin Triban 500 when I'm in France in a few weeks. It's a lot of bike for the money based on my own research to date and reviews etc. http://www.decathlon.fr/velo-route-triban-500-id_8306944.html

€500 for a used Forme Vitesse which was €1,200 new and has better running gear or €550 for a new Triban????

Ben

Darkglasses

BenThere wrote: »

And so now I'm totally found out as a complete newbie to cycling The seller is 184cm and he said the bike was perfect size for him and in great nick but then what else would he say??? For 184cm I expect it's a 56cm or 58cm frame which should be right for me also?

I can't take advantage of the bike to work scheme (used it a couple of years ago to get a bike for my wife) and as this will be my first foray into training on a bike I don't want to blow a load of cash and end up with an expensive bike which gets used a couple of times a year. for that reason it's either 2nd hand or I was thinking of getting a B'twin Triban 500 when I'm in France in a few weeks. It's a lot of bike for the money based on my own research to date and reviews etc. http://www.decathlon.fr/velo-route-triban-500-id_8306944.html

€500 for a used Forme Vitesse which was €1,200 new and has better running gear or €550 for a new Triban????

Ben

Sizewise that should be fine then!

My training partner has that Vitesse, and it's a fine bike. It'll be a bit lighter than the Triban, but now that it's 3 years old the only question is how well it's survived the normal wear and tear. If you trust that your friend says it's in good condition, I'd go with the Vitesse also! Probably a lot easier than transporting the Triban from France.

BenEadir

Assuming the Forme is fundamentally in good nick it will be €500 plus a service and parts (cables + brake pads + handlebar tape etc) to get it up to spec which probably means €650 all in our thereabouts.

The Triban is €550 on the road guaranteed and i don't have any problem bringing it home as I'll be bringing 3 other (family) bikes home on the back of my car from the annual holiday to France. It just means that instead of bringing my trusty 20 yr old MTB over to France I'll leave it here and buy the Triban as soon as i arrive.

Is a more expensive 3 year old Forme Vitesse better value than a new Triban?

Ben

Darkglasses

BenThere wrote: »

Assuming the Forme is fundamentally in good nick it will be €500 plus a service and parts (cables + brake pads + handlebar tape etc) to get it up to spec which probably means €650 all in our thereabouts.

The Triban is €550 on the road guaranteed and i don't have any problem bringing it home as I'll be bringing 3 other (family) bikes home on the back of my car from the annual holiday to France. It just means that instead of bringing my trusty 20 yr old MTB over to France I'll leave it here and buy the Triban as soon as i arrive.

Is a more expensive 3 year old Forme Vitesse better value than a new Triban?

Ben

Yeah I'd say the Forme will be the better bike, but service and parts won't be that expensive at all!

BenEadir

Darkglasses wrote: »

Yeah I'd say the Forme will be the better bike, but service and parts won't be that expensive at all!

Thanks Darkglasses, I'm waiting to hear what the frame size is. I used the measurement tool on eBicycles.com and it looks like a 57cm frame is the best fit for me



Ben