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What bikes should I be looking at?

5 watchers

Dave D Jul 2012 10:41pm, 1 Jul 2012 61 posts	Quote Pin Dave D Cheers, thought that would be the case with puncturing, but worth an ask. Going to have to go for it on the pedals and accept I'm going to fall at some stage !
The Pilotlight Jul 2012 10:50pm, 1 Jul 2012 4,695 posts	Quote Pin The Pilotlight my tuppence worth. if you buy a trek, specialised giant etc off the peg bike you will also be paying for marketing, sponsorships and pro endorsements along with corporate share bonuses. so the price they offer does not necessarily mean a better bike, they often scrimp on bars and seat and stuff on it. if you go for a ribble, planet x bike, you will get just as good a frame any, don't believe the hype and shite they write about their special, ultra stiffy knob thingy that utilises aerospace technology that makes this bike faster etc etc. a ribble bike is the best value, however if it goes wrong then you will have to send it back or take it to local bike shop. look for 2011 models with high mark down price, you'll get a better deal with not much difference on spec.
Dave D Jul 2012 11:02pm, 1 Jul 2012 62 posts	Quote Pin Dave D Cheers for that. I've got no brand loyalty so I'll look into ribble thanks
Dave D Jul 2012 11:03pm, 1 Jul 2012 63 posts	Quote Pin Dave D Ive got that awkward lack of knowledge where I'm aware that a lot of claims will just be marketing rubbish but other stuff will be important so thanks for the steer
rf_fozzy Jul 2012 2:50pm, 4 Jul 2012 2,827 posts	Quote Pin rf_fozzy Currently thinking of a Boardman - mainly because it's nearly 20% at the moment: halfords.com Will have to get to Halfords and have a look asap.
hammerite Jul 2012 3:21pm, 4 Jul 2012 17,066 posts	Quote Pin hammerite Boardman's get great reviews so I'm sure you won't go wrong (unless it's been build by a numpty). However, don't just look at the %age discount, look at the cost to you now against the spec. Compare the cost and spec with other contenders and work out which one gives you the best bang for buck (usually easy to do with parts, less easy to compare frame quality). Of course you can just follow Slowboy's rule.
Dai Bank Jul 2012 5:02pm, 4 Jul 2012 3,083 posts	Quote Pin Dai Bank Have a look at the Boardman cyclo-cross bike and consider swapping the tyres for road/semi-slick types
rf_fozzy Jul 2012 3:17pm, 5 Jul 2012 2,846 posts	Quote Pin rf_fozzy Hammerite - from all the reviews I've read, Boardman bikes outstrip all the similarly priced competition (inc Ribble) for spec, so with an extra nearly £200 off the top of that, I'd have thought that it was pretty much unbeatable. However, until I've looked at one and tried it out, I won't know. Dai - what's the advantage of the CX bike over a standard road bike - it's certainly more expensive?
hammerite Jul 2012 3:31pm, 5 Jul 2012 17,089 posts	Quote Pin hammerite Fair enough, I've not looked at the specs side by side, just warning not to base the decision on the amount of discount on offer alone.
Dai Bank Jul 2012 3:43pm, 5 Jul 2012 3,085 posts	Quote Pin Dai Bank 1 Slightly more upright position and slightly longer wheelbase so a more comfortable ride, if your roads are anything like ours in South Wales that's worth it. 2 You can fit 25mm tyres comfortably, extra air gives more comfy ride although there is a trade-off losing a couple of kph at the top end 3 gearing is a bit lower so you climb hills in a bit easier gear, but climbing will still hurt until you get used to it, but then you go faster so it will still hurt lol 4 You can fit mudguards easier as there are usually mounting points. it's well worth thinking about guards as you do save getting all kinds of mud and grit thrown up in wet weather i.e. our current so-called summer, and naturally every other season. 5 you have disc brakes albeit mechanical, they are still better at stopping you than the double-pull rim brakes you would otherwise get. How's that to be going on with.