Advice on Road bike

Bart86

Hi folks,

I need some advice on which bike I should buy. It's going to be my first "road biike".
My goal is to start doing a duathlon and who knows a triathlon.

I've ridden mountain bike (XC) for the last years, so I know that it's going to be a 'nice' challenge

My budget is up to 800€.

After seeing some bikes, my list has been dropped to these 2 bikes:

SCOTT Speedster 40 2013 > http://www.scott-sports.com/us/en/products/234121021/bike-speedster-40-27-s52/

Allez 2014 > http://www.cycleways.com/store/product/70698/Allez-White-2014/

Please let me know your thoughts!!
Cheers!

mossym

sora on the scott, would be my choice of those two

plus it has a carbon fork, allez has alu

ford2600

2nd hand.

Collected a 2013 Defy 2 Tiagra spec for a friend last night. Like new, spd pedals incl €500. Bike had 100km done.

Lots of unused good bikes out there

mirv

Definitely 2nd hand, if you're mechanically minded and can inspect the bike competently. Being able to quickly eyeball the amount of replacement components and how much it will cost to restore it is key.

Collected a flat-bar cyclocross bike with v-brakes, carbon fork and seat stays, ultegra level flat bar shifters and front mech, 105 cassette and rear mech with shimano wheels for 180e. Spent 30e on it in the form of cables, bb spanner and bb so far, but that could balloon easily :P. Could wait for a decent set of road levers and turn it into a road bike in fairly short order for cheap.

Bart86

Thank you for that but size needs to be 58 and it is not easy to find a 2nd hand bike out there.

I will use the Bike to Work scheme, so I will get it cheaper . That is why I'm looking for a new one.

MB Lacey

Although the carbon fork and Sora are a reason to go for the Scott, that Scott is also a triple and has a million gears to choose from - which is something I'd be avoiding.

Some people like 45314 gears, I prefer to have 20 (10 speed compact).

quozl

The Scott also comes in a compact - it's in the small print. Of those two bikes, I'd get the Scott but the compact version.

Bart86

i hadn't realised that there is many sort of cranksets. Thank you for flagging . Compact crankset 50/34 is what I need.

Seaneh

mirv wrote: »

Definitely 2nd hand, if you're mechanically minded and can inspect the bike competently. Being able to quickly eyeball the amount of replacement components and how much it will cost to restore it is key.

Collected a flat-bar cyclocross bike with v-brakes, carbon fork and seat stays, ultegra level flat bar shifters and front mech, 105 cassette and rear mech with shimano wheels for 180e. Spent 30e on it in the form of cables, bb spanner and bb so far, but that could balloon easily :P. Could wait for a decent set of road levers and turn it into a road bike in fairly short order for cheap.

You're in the lucky position of being, well, short, so when a bike your size comes onto the market there isn't much demand for it, so you can pretty much name your price half the time.

Cee-Jay-Cee

With your budget definitely go second hand. I paid €950 for a brand new 2011 model Felt F5 a few months ago. I sold the wheels for €100 and fitted my own, So the bike cost me €850. The seller said he'd done 200 miles on it but I'm convinced it was never ridden as it was absolutely mint with all the warning stickers still on the frame/fork/seat post etc etc

I reckon there a lot of new and unused bikes lying in sheds/garages all over the country so just keep an eye on the ads sections as people will be off loading unwanted/unused bikes in the run up to Christmas to gather some extra money together.

Millser

I've been keeping an eye out for a decent road bike lately on done deal and gumtree. There doesn't seem to be a huge amount out there to be honest. Just wondering is there another site that would be particularly good for bikes that I am missing out on?

mirv

Seaneh wrote: »

You're in the lucky position of being, well, short, so when a bike your size comes onto the market there isn't much demand for it, so you can pretty much name your price half the time.

I'd have to say it's the opposite. There's gazillions of lovely 54-56cm frames at decent prices that I can't fit onto. There's very few small mens or womens bikes in the 2nd hand market which aren't entry level (sora/tiagra/mirage).

Also, if you get a long enough seatpost, some spacers and a longer stem then a taller person can fit on a small bike, but the opposite doesn't work as well fit-wise. Headtubes would be too tall, crankarm and top tube reach would be too long and frames would be too stiff

That said, occasionally you do spot a gem. However it does have a 44cm seat tube with a 55cm top tube so anyone could ride it really.

Cee-Jay-Cee

There is a 58cm Cannondale Super six with 105 group set for €1200 on DoneDeal. I'd gather up another 300 and make him an offer. They're a beautiful bike and you'd have no need to upgrade anything on it for quite a while, if ever.