Recommend a road bike

Hi folks,

Please delete and move if there is already a recommend a bike thread, but I can't see it.

Took up road cycling two years ago and bought a €1k road bike on the Cycle to Work scheme.

I've done a lot more cycling than I thought I ever would as I've gotten quite into it and have already outgrown the one I have and am thinking of demoting it to my winter bike and splashing out on another bike.

The bike I have is fine, but have had issues with the wheels (replaced) and the gears are now giving me problems so don't want to plough much more money into it.

So, I am probably going to do 5k this year, do 90kms at weekends and get out midweek for about 60k for the summer months and the rest will be on turbo.

I'm big at 6'4" and 89kgs but really enjoy climbing and do a lot of it and am hoping to start doing plenty of 100k plus spins.

Anyone suggest a good road bike for me with a budget of just north of 2k? Disc breaks not important to me.

Many thanks in advance.

lissard

With that budget you could be looking at a carbon frame with 105 groupset. Most of the big manufacturers have something in this price bracket. I have a Cannondale Synapse 105 which is an endurance geomerty and I like it. I'd imagine that the equivalent from another manufacturer is probably just as good. The way things have been in the last year supply would dictate everything for me. Given the supply situation I think I'd contact your local shop to see what the lie of the land is. I could suggest a load of different bikes but it's quite possible that none of them will be available any time soon.

lissard

lissard wrote: »

With that budget you could be looking at a carbon frame with 105 groupset. Most of the big manufacturers have something in this price bracket. I have a Cannondale Synapse 105 which is an endurance geomerty and I like it. I'd imagine that the equivalent from another manufacturer is probably just as good. The way things have been in the last year supply would dictate everything for me. Given the supply situation I think I'd contact your local shop to see what the lie of the land is. I could suggest a load of different bikes but it's quite possible that none of them will be available any time soon.

Thanks a million. Will definitely check it out. I'm prepared to wait for the right bike.

MojoMaker

If not using the Bike to Work again for a couple of years I would take your cash to the used market and look for something perhaps a year old and benefit from the urge of another seller to upgrade their steed and sell on their 3.5K bike to you for 2K.

Or look for a 2K 2019/20 bike for 1200-1500 and trouser some cash for bling wheels?

MojoMaker

MojoMaker wrote: »

If not using the Bike to Work again for a couple of years I would take your cash to the used market and look for something perhaps a year old and benefit from the urge of another seller to upgrade their steed and sell on their 3.5K bike to you for 2K.

Or look for a 2K 2019/20 bike for 1200-1500 and trouser some cash for bling wheels?

Great ideas.

I have bling wheels on my current steed, after endless issues with the piles of dirt that came on it originally.

Tony04

Without the b2w scheme, the only advantage of buying new is warranty, the huge advantage of buying new imo and free servicing, not online obviously convenient if your not mechanically inclined.

Usually 2k is more than enough to buy a decent branded bike good enough for racing. Bikes like the giant tcr canyons etc. However with the lack of availability if you were to order now for some bikes youre not even guranteed to have them for the summer. And some brands have really pushed the prices up so compared to this time 2 years ago youre not getting a good deal, and no way are you getting any discount. If you were to buy new id recommend discs purely because theyll lose value less.

2k can get you a lot of used bike, certainly did before covid, but theres still good enough deals to be had if you know what youre looking for and are patient. Not unheard of to get dura ace di2 with carbon wheels at this price. 2nd hand bikes also retain value well, a good option might be to resell when your b2w schem comes back up and covids over and bikes arent in short supply

You could also build up a frame. A good option if you work on your own bikes anyway, but if you dont and have to buy a set of new tools etc not worth considering.

Also consider if you want to buy a bike at the top of your budget and barely be able to change the tyres? Or do you want to go under budget and tweak it around a lot?

Tony04

Tony04 wrote: »

Without the b2w scheme, the only advantage of buying new is warranty, the huge advantage of buying new imo and free servicing, not online obviously convenient if your not mechanically inclined.

Usually 2k is more than enough to buy a decent branded bike good enough for racing. Bikes like the giant tcr canyons etc. However with the lack of availability if you were to order now for some bikes youre not even guranteed to have them for the summer. And some brands have really pushed the prices up so compared to this time 2 years ago youre not getting a good deal, and know way are you getting any discount. If you were to buy new id recommend discs purely because theyll lose value less.

2k can get you a lot of used bike, certainly did before covid, but theres still good enough deals to be had if you know what youre looking for and are patient. Not unheard of to get dura ace di2 with carbon wheels at this price. 2nd hand bikes also retain value well, a good option might be to resell when your b2w schem comes back up and covids over and bikes arent in short supply

You could also build up a frame. A good option if you work on your own bikes anyway, but if you dont and have to buy a set of new tools etc not worth considering.

Also consider if you want to buy a bike at the top of your budget and barely be able to change the tyres? Or do you want to go under budget and tweak it around a lot?

Great tips, thanks a million. The last bike came on my wife's bike to work so I can get it on my own this time.

I was involved in a different sport up to a few years ago when an injury forced me to take up cycling, so I didn't grow up around bikes and am not too hot at working with them, simply because I have so little experience and knowledge. Whatever I get will have to be fully formed and I won't be doing much modification.

DaveyDave

You'll get a Canyon Endurace CF for €1,500. 11 speed 105, carbon frame and money left over for decent wheels like the Campagnolo Zonda or something similar?

DaveyDave

DaveyDave wrote: »

You'll get a Canyon Endurace CF for €1,500. 11 speed 105, carbon frame and money left over for decent wheels like the Campagnolo Zonda or something similar?

Looks good. I have a set of Mavic Ksyriums that my wife got me for Xmas that will probably go on the new bike.

DaveyDave

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Looks good. I have a set of Mavic Ksyriums that my wife got me for Xmas that will probably go on the new bike.

Ah, well in that case the Endurace CF 8.0 has Ultegra for €1,999!

DaveyDave

DaveyDave wrote: »

Ah, well in that case the Endurace CF 8.0 has Ultegra for €1,999!

Not sure I'd even know the difference between 105 and Ultegra but looks like a lovely bike!

Tony04

https://www.canyon.com/en-ie/road-bikes/race-bikes/ultimate/ultimate-cf-sl-8/2752.html?dwvar_2752_pv_rahmenfarbe=BK%2FBK
This canyon ultimate in xl would be delivered late may, which is actually good for current delivery times. Its 2.3k and 7kg in ultegra rim + delivery but you wouldnt need to change a thing even comes with gp5ks, you would need to build it yourself which isnt hard. Only disadvantage is that it uses proprietary integrated carbon bars which can be difficult to swap and your obviously not buying local . The 105 disc version is 100 cheaper and similar delivery times. Simailar delivery times on the rose xlites another online option.
If you have your own b2w id strongly consider going new. Be careful though some usually larger companies use a middle man to sort the b2w which means you can only buy locally and its hard to negotiate a deal as the middle man takes a 10% cut

Tony04

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Not sure I'd even know the difference between 105 and Ultegra but looks like a lovely bike!

Fit dura ace cables to 105 and it feels just as good. That being said ultegra does hold resale value, gives you that weight weenie saving and ive also noticed some 105 parts tend to rust while ultegra doesnt

byrnem31

I wouldn't buy a 2nd hand carbon bike being honest. I was in a similar situation in May last year. It ended up being a choice between a giant defy advanced 2 2020 and the cube attain gtc sl. Went with the giant in the end. Upgraded the wheels to hunts and its a beautiful bike. Very comfortable as it has technology called d fuse front and rear that dampens out road buzz. I know cycle superstore have a few bikes up there too floating around that might take your interest.

Canyons have to be bought online too so you would be setting it up yourself and if there are any issues with it, I don't know how that would work out but I wouldn't say it's an easy fix. At least if you buy from a shop, you go straight back in with it if it's faulty.

byrnem31

byrnem31 wrote: »

I wouldn't buy a 2nd hand carbon bike being honest. I was in a similar situation in May last year. It ended up being a choice between a giant defy advanced 2 2020 and the cube attain gtc sl. Went with the giant in the end. Upgraded the wheels to hunts and its a beautiful bike. Very comfortable as it has technology called d fuse front and rear that dampens out road buzz. I know cycle superstore have a few bikes up there too floating around that might take your interest.

Canyons have to be bought online too so you would be setting it up yourself and if there are any issues with it, I don't know how that would work out but I wouldn't say it's an easy fix. At least if you buy from a shop, you go straight back in with it if it's faulty.

Thanks for the tips. Yeah, the big drawback with Canyons is that they are all online and have to be assembled. That being said, I bought my first bike in a shop as a complete greenhorn and the guy who did the fitting had the saddle three inches too low. Took me about three months and lots of back pain to figure it out.