advice on first carbon bike

Gilbey

hi all

sorry to annoy everyone with another new thread....buying a new bike and want a carbon...mainly for fitness and club spins can't see myself getting into racing....

have looked at a plant x sl any views on these?? any good?? Also looked at the cube agree pro and the focus cayo 4.0....

have also seen a storck with sram rival group set coming in under the 2k mark....

Can someone please tell if there is any pro and cons to these bikes the planet x had ultegra gear and is only 1200 euro!!! What's the catch??

Thanks for ur help!

TychoCaine

The "catch" with the Planet X bike is that it's only half Ultegra. The brakes and cranks are of a much lower standard, as are the wheels. The bit that is Ultegra is the old 10 speed 6700 range, rather than the current 11 speed 6800. The frames are similar to the ones you can buy direct from China off AliExpress or eBay, and several people on Boards have reported quality & customer service issues. In saying all that lots of people have great things to say about the brand, but....

Cube and Focus are both good brands. I wouldn't pay €2k for a sram rival bike, even if the frame was made by Storck.

jamesd

I have the cube agree with 105 groupset, excellent bike.

Eamonnator

http://planetxireland.com/products-page/sl-pro-carbon-bikes/planet-x-pro-carbon-shimano-ultegra-6800-road-bike-2/

This bike is on the Planet X Ireland site.
It has the latest Ultegra 6800, 11 speed and an Ultegra chain set.
It is very good value.
I have the same frame, with different components. Great bike.

BUT, The fact, that it is showing as being in stock in Athlone, does not necessarily mean, that it is in stock. As it happens, that particular bike is not available on the Planet X U.K. site.

Grassey

Eamonnator wrote: »

http://planetxireland.com/products-page/sl-pro-carbon-bikes/planet-x-pro-carbon-shimano-ultegra-6800-road-bike-2/

BUT, The fact, that it is showing as being in stock in Athlone, does not necessarily mean, that it is in stock. As it happens, that particular bike is not available on the Planet X U.K. site.

Friend bought this there last week. It's meant to be delivered and put together this week
Think she said the shop are expecting about 20 in.

Eamonnator

At that money, it is fantastic value.

Brian?

Eamonnator wrote: »

At that money, it is fantastic value.

I concur. Superb value.

Diggabot

TychoCaine wrote: »

I wouldn't pay €2k for a sram rival bike, even if the frame was made by Storck.

I've the new Rival22 groupset... It's fantastic. The only sacrifice is weight vs Force22. Shifting is fast & crisp with the double tap shifters. Much better than 105.

TychoCaine

Diggabot wrote: »

I've the new Rival22 groupset... It's fantastic. The only sacrifice is weight vs Force22. Shifting is fast & crisp with the double tap shifters. Much better than 105.

Maybe, but once you get to the Ultegra/Force level, the shifting action is comparable. Sram Force is said to feel a bit flimsy, but it gets the job done. Braking is where the difference is biggest. Force braking is OK, but the new design Shimano brought in with Ultegra 6800 is a different class totally.

Hmmzis

Diggabot wrote: »

I've the new Rival22 groupset... It's fantastic. The only sacrifice is weight vs Force22. Shifting is fast & crisp with the double tap shifters. Much better than 105.

I agree. Great groupset, have iton my new bike, the 105 shifting on my old bike feels clumsy in comparison.

Edit: OP, have a look at the PlanetX UK site, they have similar bargains there. This is the bike I got myself:

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXNANORIV22/planet-x-nanolight-sram-rival-22-road-bike

Build was quick and delivery was done in two days from the scheduled build date. I've been out on it a few times and so far I'm very happy with it (with the exception of the tyres, they're a bit heavy and don't roll too well).

Gilbey

What about the carbon frame on the planet x sl. is it any good?? I'm a bit weary about the frame compared to buying from the likes of Cube or focus.

Grassey

Gilbey wrote: »

What about the carbon frame on the planet x sl. is it any good?? I'm a bit weary about the frame compared to buying from the likes of Cube or focus.

Gf's sl pro is going strong 2 years on, same as my rt57 for 3+. Don't know why you'd be weary. Quality is no worse than anything else on market.

Eamonnator

4 Planet X carbon frames in my family, one, four years old. Never a minutes bother with any of them.
1 old Nanolight.
2 Carbon Pro SL.
1 Carbon Cyclocross.

I cycled over 30,000Kms in the last two years on Planet X bikes/

tooler1978

Eamonnator wrote: »

4 Planet X carbon frames in my family, one, four years old. Never a minutes bother with any of them.
1 old Nanolight.
2 Carbon Pro SL.
1 Carbon Cyclocross.

I cycled over 30,000Kms in the last two years on Planet X bikes/

Hi Eamonnator,

Good to hear such positive feedback on the Planet-X bikes...Just deciding currently between whether to go for the nanolight (new) or the pro sl...just wondering which one you would recommend?

Will be generally used for sportives and duathlon/triathlon events.

Thank!

Eamonnator

I used the old Nanolight for sportives and good use. Until last week it was my good bike. I have now sold it to no. 2 son.
I bought the Carbon Pro 18 months ago, for a winter bike. In 2014, I used it much more than my good bike, because it was more comfortable, and had a less "racy" feel. I have it set up nicely, 3T bars stem and seat post, Campagnolo Zonda wheels and a few other shiny bits.

I have no first hand experience with the new Nanolight, but Planet X seem to be aiming it more at the racer than the sportive rider.
In case, you think I am a complete Planet X groupie, I am replacing my Nanolight with a non Planet X bike.

Hmmzis

The new nanolight feels stiff, especially when going up hill or sprinting out of saddle. The geometry is quite sporty due to the angles but the head tube is reasonably tall so it's not a bare bones racing machine. In the stock setup it's weighing in at 8kg for a size small frame. If you change tyres for something nicer and some latex tubes you could get some 200 grams off the rotating weight. The wheels appear to be well built and running smooth while a wee bit on the heavy side (still lighter than the Scirroccos I have on the other bike). I'll most likely swap the bars over from the other bike since the PX ones are labeled as 315grams and the others I have are 256grams on the scales and are more suited for me. I haven't done any long rides on it yet, so I can't say if it's comfy enough for long sportives but the initial signs are quite good.