Advice on bike for €1200 Ridley Compact or Planet X sl pro carbon

Ryath

Hi been lurking on here for a while and need your advice, started cycling road bikes this summer to take part in a triathlon in a relay team and am now hooked. Did a second relay and now training to do full triathlons myself next year. The cycling is my strongest discipline ended the summer spending a week in France touring doing 100km per day way beyond what I even dreamed of doing at the start of the summer. Had a loan of my brothers giant scr while he was travelling but now need to get my own road bike. Came very close to buying a hybrid at the start of summer till I got the loaner, so glad I didn’t for some reason the thought of using drops made me nervous.
Getting on bike to work scheme and can afford to top up by €200-300. Want to get good enough that I won’t feel the need to upgrade beyond maybe getting a set of race wheels in the future.
Main two I’m considering

From LBS €1230 Ridley Compact http://www.ridley-bikes.com/pd/gb/en-gb/1/235/road/compact

And the Boards favourite Planetx Pro carbon http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/CBPXSLPSP/sl-pro-carbon-sport from company in athlone distributing planet x’s for €1200

Really like the looks of the Ridley and is cheapest bike with 2011 Shimano 105 I can find in shops.
If the planet x wasn’t an option I think I definitely would be going for it
The looks of the planet x I can live with if it’s a better bike, the SRAM Rival is supposedly better than 105 and it is much lighter. Main concern is frame am I better with the dearer alloy frame or cheaper carbon frame?
A few people say the planet x is flexy but plenty say its perfectly good frame and I am pretty light at 67kg.
Am leaning towards planet x but would like to hear some peoples opinions before I commit and also what on the planet x would you up spec in the build options. Thinking standard 53/39 chainset and upgrading saddle, bar tape and tyres but which ones?
Know there is few better options online but probably to much hassle to get on the bike to work scheme Thanks in advance for any advice

DirkVoodoo

I'm a similar weight to you and I have never once thought the planet-x frame was "flexy". I don't even know what this means, the ride is quite smooth and pleasant, but if you put the power down the bike goes. Can people actually feel it strain like wet noodles under their maximum efforts? I doubt it, it's total bull and if anyone can say the "feel" it they are probably talking about the ride quality and not the frame flexing.

The ridley is a nice bike, but an aluminium frame will definitely be more flexy than a "cheaper" carbon frame, especially as it gets older. I'd go with the planet-x.

Let's be honest here, the only reason people don't like them is because they are everywhere. If you want exclusivity and the illusion of "hand crafted by tour de france winners in a shack in the alps", don't buy the planet-x. If you don't mind having a bike that rides very well, is great value for money but doesn't exactly look cutting edge, buy it.

TinyExplosions

I'm a good bit heavier than you are, and have a Planet-X and have never once felt it flex too much (and I can put a fair amount of power down!)

Go for it, you won't be disappointed

xz

TinyExplosions wrote: »

I'm a good bit heavier than you are, and have a Planet-X and have never once felt it flex too much (and I can put a fair amount of power down!)

Go for it, you won't be disappointed

+1 Like it so much I am thinking of getting the Nanolight version

Ryath

So nobody would recommend the Ridley first?
Thanks for the recommendations guys.
Happy to go with the Planet X mightn't have the exclusivity of a some but certainly a lot less common than a Giant or Trek. Is one of the reasons I like the Ridley. Wish I had the extra €500 for the nanolight xz looks really nice but reckon the carbon pro looks pretty good in white.
Is there anything in the build options you would upgrade from the default?
With going mad now up around €1350

niceonetom

Another p-X owner here and I'd certainly go for it over the Ridley.

I'm not sure I'd upgrade anything from the base spec straight away - most of the upgrades are pretty marginal. I'd hold back some cash to get my preferred saddle on it (for me that'd be a specialized which isn't available from p-X) and wait until I had the bike to see if I need a different stem to tweak the fit.

White? Do you LOVE cleaning?
Standard double? A good option for racing, but for most people in most other circumstances a compact is much more versatile. If you see yourself doing mountain sportives or the like consider one.
I'd probably get the basic wheels too and then save for something lighter/blinger later. Having only one set of wheels, especially "race" wheels isn't a great idea.

Ryath

Saddle was main thing I was considering changing no idea which one to go for though. Have had a few white bikes before never to bothered about cleaning only the moving parts. Going to have a look in showroom this evening might prefer the black in the flesh.

Standard or compact? mmm Its quite flat around here where I train so i reckoned standard would be good and will be triathlons I'll be racing in. Could stick a 12/27 cassette on if I was going somewhere hillier. Maybe the compact is a better option with 11/25 cassette. Joining local tri club so possibly will need the lower range on their longer spins. Bike I'm using at moment has a triple and I practically never need to come of the big ring, must say I was glad of the granny ring in France though carrying panniers, tent and a sleeping bag.

Fulcram 7s are fine I'm sure was Px own wheels I was considering as they seem a stronger wheel for daily use and training. Will buy race wheels at a future point (wife won't know the difference I'm sure )

paddyduc

If your doing triathlon you'd be better with the double 53/39

Ryath

Thanks for all the advice guys went for the Planet X. Got it much quicker than expected, went into shop in Athlone Wednesday got invoice and gave into work that evening and got my check Friday. Didn't get a chance to go back in till Tuesday to drop in check. Bike was built next day and went in that evening for a quick fitting and to pick up. Certainly a lot quicker than if I'd bought direct from planet x and cheaper paid €1250 price from planet x with few upgrades and delivery €1330.

Guys in planet x Ireland were great, Marc who I was dealing was very helpful. The owner of the business is a former pro cyclist who started bring in the bikes on the side to his main business looks like its really taking of for them. They said they hope to start advertising and promoting the place more in the next few months, before I went in could find very little about the place but they certainly are a proper business.

Was going to get a black frame but Planet x are out of stock till January and would probably been even longer as they had a good few on back order. White and red were no problem but don't like the red at all and white while it looks great your right about the cleaning Tom. Luckily they had one medium blue frame left this is an older paint scheme but I actually prefer it to the new ones. Went for standard double chainset and the Model B wheels the fulcrum 7s looked nicer but are a good bit heavier. Only thing I don't like is the white hoods apparently it will be few weeks before black Sram hoods are available they are growing on me though maybe they don't look that bad.

Delighted with her position feels much racier than the giant scr loaner I've been using and should be more comfortable as its set up properly for me. Can't wait to take her out for a proper spin hopefully at the weekend if I've time. Need to pick up a new pair of shoes as well as I'm afraid I'll break the brothers pair if I try and change the cleats.:eek:
Isn't she a beauty

lescol

Nice...very nice

xz

Welcome to the PX owners club :D:D

DirkVoodoo

Blue isn't a bad colour, just a PITA to repair any chips to the paint.

Good luck with it!

Ryath

Thanks for the compliments guys. Forgot to add I can't get over how light it is 7.4kg decent set of wheels will get that down near 7 any more is weight weenie stuff. For the money it is some value. Must get some boards gear to be fully part of the px club.

Planet X

Like the above comments, I've never felt a flex on bikes ............until a couple of years ago I was doing long commutes from work to home on a Trek 7300 or something, basically a flat bar bike.

Used to pull out onto the roundabout after Shankill onto the N11 (Loughlinstown) coming from Bray and Jasus, when I saw a gap on the roundabout and went for it..........what a flex in the wheels/frame, I don't know, but it drained power to the extent that I was riding some type of rubber bicycle. Used to love the death defying plunge across the roundabout, thinking that the bike wasn't picking up speed!
Brilliant.

Glencarraig

I gave up trying to get across that roundabout after I had trouble getting my foot back in the clip and a 40 footer bearing down on me, its up the back way and down at the Silve Tassie for me now, much safer!!

Ryath

Planet X wrote: »

Like the above comments, I've never felt a flex on bikes ............until a couple of years ago I was doing long commutes from work to home on a Trek 7300 or something, basically a flat bar bike.

Used to pull out onto the roundabout after Shankill onto the N11 (Loughlinstown) coming from Bray and Jasus, when I saw a gap on the roundabout and went for it..........what a flex in the wheels/frame, I don't know, but it drained power to the extent that I was riding some type of rubber bicycle. Used to love the death defying plunge across the roundabout, thinking that the bike wasn't picking up speed!
Brilliant.

Well its bought now so hopefully the frame isn't made of wet noodles :eek:

As for that roundabout know it well. Lived in cherrywood for a year before the flyover was built coming from town I had to drive up as far as it and do a full 360 on it and come back in towards Dublin to get to my place. The amount of close shaves I had from cars coming out of the hospital who just assumed you were coming off at the hospital and would drive out in front of you.:mad: Despite having my right indicator on and having not indicated left yet to come of, people just don't expect you to be going all the way around. Scary enough on my motorbike only braved it a few times on the bicycle. Never the full 360 under pedal power just going or coming from Bray so I know the feeling of having to get the power down on it.