Trekking bike or racer?

clickerquicklic

Hi, Advice please entered the Ring of Kerry, haven't cycled in years. Got back on the bike last month and started commuting and taking a couple of trips up over Howth. Am currently using an old bike I had in the shed http://www.bikes2udirect.com/B0484.html I am cycling it fine in and out of work and have done a 40km up over Howth, gears aren't great but otherwise ok , I am averaging 24km/h at the moment on my commute or over Howth.
Would you switch to a racer for the Ring of Kerry ? How much easier would it make it ?
Thanks.

thekooman

go with a racer. have a look at this thread currently running: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057588173

you won't look back.

€200 euros would get you a secondhand road bike that would be superior in most respects.

Fian

You don't want the ring of kerry to be teh first time you ride a new bike, but a road bike will be easier than a hybrid. there will be a significant difference, not least because the road bike is likely to have much "heavier" gears to maintain more speed on the flat and descents.

clickerquicklic

Thanks lads , i'll pick up a bike on bike to work scheme for €1000 and make full use of tax savings. Is there anything I need to know when choosing a bike? I suppose just ask in shop what they recommend for 1k budget.

Fian

Look for shimano 105/tiagra 11 speed gearing with a "compact" crankset (this means the cogs at the pedals have 50 teeth on the large cog and 34 on the small cog. this will give you plenty of gears to get you over the hills.

Consider keeping some of the budget for clothing/saddle bag/tyre levers/spare tubes/mini pump. You can pick up some gear cheap in Lidl on the 25th of this month.

Probably worth shopping around and posting the bikes you are considering here and people will be happy to give opinions. We can't go out and buy bikes every week much as we would like to, so plenty of people are willing to vicariously buy bikes for other people.

this one is in your budget, full carbon and tiagra gearing:

http://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bikes/road-bikes/13-intuition-alpha-road-bike-2015

You will need to buy pedals as well, so you have the option of going "clipless" or not, but if you do get some practice on them and particularly unclipping before the ride.

clickerquicklic

Thanks very much Fian , thats a lovely looking bike i'll definitely pop along to halfords this weekend and have a look at it. I already bought the clothing and pump , will just need a spare tyre and the clip in pedals. I am going to get the clip ins alright. I've time to practice. Very impressed with that bike I must say cheers.

A friend of mine that I am doing the Ring of Kerry with bought this bike http://www.fitzcycles.ie/p/2342/ktm-bikes-strada#techspec-tab-tab KTM strada 800
he says its a great bike but he's new to cycling also , how would that bike compare to the 13 bike above?

clickerquicklic

I went to a bike shop and had a look , options where
Ktm Strada 800 €959
Cube peloton €959
I asked had they anything second hand (I understand this can't be used for back to work scheme , but I'm a low tax payer )
They had a Kelly's arc 5.0 for €750 , there is very little online about that bike other than polish websites .

Any opinions on what best option would be of them 3 ? I'm yet to look at the 13 bike in halfords but I will tomorrow hopefully .
Thanks

saccades

To be fair - most of the bikes on the bike to work scheme are built to a pricepoint and are much of a muchness.

Some are a little better than others, but it depends on if you want something with nice wheels vs nice fork material etc etc.

Your best bet is to plonk your bum on a coupla bike and see which is comfy and which one is in red, because we all know red ones go faster.





My point is get a bike that feels comfy rather than worrying too much about spec. ROK is on predominantly smooth roads, 2 climbs but take your time and you'll be fine, loads are their for a the views and the laugh.

ILIKEFOOD

Depending on your employer you might be able to buy online from canyon.


Endurance Al 6.0 (I've last year's and I love it)

Shimano 105 groupset

8.1 kg weight (lighter than many entry carbons)

€999

Think they have a load ready to ship off..

I'd pay some attention to spec as I'm. Sure your ROK experience will lead to more riding in the future..

roo365

Is there much assembly in those Canyon bikes. Thinking of purchasing al 5.0 or would you recommend going for the al 6.0

ILIKEFOOD

self assembly?

No - the only thing you need to do when it comes out of the box is align and tighten the handlebars as they have been dropped to fit in the packaging - everything else is done. You'd also need to buy your pedals too..

definitely the al 6 - 105 groupset (next one up from the tiagra) - 11s as opposed to 10s, and also a lighter frame - better wheelset too with the mavic aksiums. For an extra €150 - you wouldn't be able to upgrade for that difference anywhere else.

roo365

ILIKEFOOD wrote: »

self assembly?

No - the only thing you need to do when it comes out of the box is align and tighten the handlebars as they have been dropped to fit in the packaging - everything else is done. You'd also need to buy your pedals too..

definitely the al 6 - 105 groupset (next one up from the tiagra) - 11s as opposed to 10s, and also a lighter frame - better wheelset too with the mavic aksiums. For an extra €150 - you wouldn't be able to upgrade for that difference anywhere else.

Thanks. One question on sizing. I'm 5 11 have tested out a 56 trek. I'd be a medium in canyon bike ?

ILIKEFOOD

probably yes,

have you used their measurement tool?

I used it myself and found it accurate

https://www.canyon.com/en-mx/tools/pps/?bike_id=3559

roo365

ILIKEFOOD wrote: »

probably yes,

have you used their measurement tool?

I used it myself and found it accurate

thanks. Used tool and came up as medium. I was very close to buying trek 1.2. The canyon seems far better bike. Im just abit apprehensive of buying bike without ever sitting on it.

ILIKEFOOD

yeah i can understand that - it's a bit of a leap of faith - the canyon was the first racer i owned - the fourth I ever sat on!

I could be wrong but I don't think you'll find better at the price firsthand. That's what sold it for me - could have gone for CF frame with lower spec - but the alu was more or less the same weight at what I was looking at...

If it's the 1.2 with the sora, then yes, you'll be doing a bit better with the canyon!

ILIKEFOOD

ILIKEFOOD wrote: »

self assembly?

No - the only thing you need to do when it comes out of the box is align and tighten the handlebars as they have been dropped to fit in the packaging - everything else is done. You'd also need to buy your pedals too..

My friends canyon needed the gears indexed and the brakes adjusted too.

Don't forget bike fit and saddle height. Important to get right!

ILIKEFOOD

i did have to adjust the sadle alright..nothing more but you might need some further adjustments... still have to get the bike fit myself..

have learned how to index the gears myself recently....but you SHOULD really only have to make adjustments with the barrel adjuster if anything

roo365

ILIKEFOOD wrote: »

i did have to adjust the sadle alright..nothing more but you might need some further adjustments... still have to get the bike fit myself..

have learned how to index the gears myself recently....but you SHOULD really only have to make adjustments with the barrel adjuster if anything

Thanks. Did you have much of a wait time for delivery ?

clickerquicklic

Thanks for advice bought a Gaint Defy 1 2016 , collecting next week hopefully will make climbing easier been struggling over howth on my old banger .

clickerquicklic

clickerquicklic wrote: »

Thanks for advice bought a Gaint Defy 1 2016 , collecting next week hopefully will make climbing easier been struggling over howth on my old banger .

Good bike!