Best Road Bike for under 5000

PDCAT

Hi

Have a budget of about 5K, looking to get a road bike with tube less tyres and decent wheels for this.

Not really knowlegeable on whats the best bikes out their for this price range. Was wondering if anyone could recommend some that i could loook at more closely.

Seems to be loads of bikes out their but not sure which ones are generally regarded at the best ones.

Thanks lads.

fat bloke

Very healthy budget. Imo there are no "bad" bikes around any more and certainly not at that money, so the "best" bike for you is the one you like look of best and that fits you best.

You'd have to be looking at canyon.com and buying one of those, or at the very least looking at the spec of a 5k canyon and using that as a benchmark for what you should expect for that money.

New Colnago V4, hot off the presses, is gorgeous. Lots of colour options and within budget - go to hollingsworth Kilmacud, they've them in stock.

You could also buy used and get something someone paid closer to 10 grand if you're lucky with sizing.

CantGetNoSleep

I'd take a look at Giant or Cube in that price range too, you would be looking at electronic shifting (probably even Ultegra) and decent own brand carbon wheels as standard for that price, and you can try the bikes in a shop

monkeyslayer

It's a good time of year to catch a bargain on last year's range, so you'd possibly get a 7k bike for 5. As above bikes like Giant, Cube, Trek, Canyon... all good brands and you'll find parts and warranty service with them for years.

secman

With Zipp wheelset

secman

Shimano Ultegra a tad dearer

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058397706/best-road-bike-for-under-5000

What are you using it for is the question no one has asked you yet.

magicbastarder

if it's a retirement gift to yourself, i think you're legally obliged to go for titanium.

PDCAT

Ive ridden a Giant Propel Advanced pro for the past 8 years. Has been good to me and still in decent condition. I use it for Triathlons ( aero bars attached). Also using it for training and sportives.

Just looking for a decent bike for training and doing some sportives. Hoping that i could get a good 10 years from it. Am keeping the propel to use on indoor trainer.

Have a Giant so not really interested in getting a second one. Kind of interested in a Trek, maybe a Domane or Madone. Not sure yet, will have to read a bit more about them. Plan to get proper fitting whichever bike i buy.

CramCycle

Are you technically OK with bikes, as in could you build your own with parts or does it have to be a one piece picked up from your LBS?

dahat

If you rest ride the newest Propel you’ll find it hard not to buy one. These are a realy fast bike, it is streets ahead of any other aero bike I’ve ridden.

Pure speed.

PDCAT

Wouldnt be great at putting bike together. Not very techie. Dont really have the time either, so a straight buy in a bike store would do me. At the minute, looking at trek domane or madone.

GabbaTheHutt

Scott Addict 20 (2025 one) has Ultegra Di2, carbon bars and fulcrum carbon wheels for €4999. It looks great!

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123200985#Comment_123200985

My reading of the domane and madone is that one is built for comfort and the other for speed. The Propel would fall into the speed category. Rose Six would be a savage bike that isn't common in your price range. Scott addict also has a reputation as being a not common but super fast bike.

Long story short, on the basis you have clip ons rather than a separate TT rig, am I right in that you are not all in on being first across the line in the Tri? If so my advice would be too Google all the bikes mentioned in the thread and buy the one that looks the nicest. A bike you like the look of you will ride and enjoy more, this is the only truth.

PDCAT

Cheers everyone for all the feedback. Have a few options mentioned above that I'm going to look at. Definitely the trek madone and the scott addict 20 look appealing. Will start there and see where it takes me. Thanks again everyone for the feedback.

beggars_bush

Some bikes shops accept trade ins and will have some cracking second hand bikes available.

You don't have to buy new.

MojoMaker

I struggle to find fans of Scott anywhere. They had their day around 2015 but not sure I'd look too closely at them anymore.

You want a bike that fits you like a glove, that you'll be comfortable on all day long, and one that doesn't sacrifice progress at the same time. Short of a seasoned racer you're not going to go quicker on a Madone vs a Domane, or an Ultimate vs a Endurace, or on a TCR vs a Defy.

Go sit on a few bikes in stores and take lots of pics. Then settle on one in or around your budget (say 4500-5500) that you LOVE the look of and feels good to be on - that's the bike you'll want to climb aboard every day, vs the shiny penny that was allegedly expensive but you have no love for.

My personal opinion, Van Rysel are making big moves in the market and now offer some very tasty bikes a little more competitively than the big brands. The World Tour exposure has moved this brand into the public eye significantly over the last year or so.

Will they stay in the World Tour? Who knows 🤷‍♂️

Trek - any whiff of Lance has long left, so you're safe there.

Giant - a bit vanilla if you have already a few years with the Propel.

Rose - not so common but well-specced and fine looking bikes

Canyon - plenty here for the purist, but difficult to get one over the line with the Irish Cycle2Woek scheme

Orbea - well worth a look, but buy direct.

Cervelo - this brand's ship has sailed for the ordinary consumer. Nice bikes, but silly money.

Colnago - possibly going the same way as Cervelo unfortunately, so now might be the time to pull the trigger lest the prices head off into the stratosphere.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123203920#Comment_123203920

Scott are really highly regarded in reviews, testing, etc. It is more there are not many suppliers AFAIK but they are a good bike.

I wouldn't touch the Canyon myself, particularly if the OP is not technically savvy considering all the issues you here with their current QA/QC.

Trek and Giant, loads around but that isn't a bad thing, but I like a bit of individuality.

Rose, Cube and Orbea: Good looking and well known, these three would be my focus with a preference for Cube and Rose based on value.

Cervelo and Colnago: as you say look nice but you won't get much value in them if you have a strict budget.

CantGetNoSleep

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123203920#Comment_123203920

A place near me in the Netherlands is selling off Colnago V3s for 2199€ with 105 Di2, or 2899€ with Ultegra. They seem to have a load of them too

MojoMaker

That seems competitive - do they ship outside NLD?

at1withmyself

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123204200#Comment_123204200

Name of shop please? I'd fly over to collect one at that price!

nialljf

You already have a fast road bike.

You should consider something more versatile and, likely, more comfortable:

https://escapecollective.com/opinion-your-next-road-bike-should-be-an-all-road-bike/

CantGetNoSleep

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123206184#Comment_123206184

It's a place called Wim de Vos Fietsen, just a normal bike shop but they seem to specialise in getting in job lots of certain types of bikes, a few weeks ago it was Ridley but a lot of Colnago at the moment. They don't even have a website, just post everything on Facebook

Quigs Snr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123206442#Comment_123206442

Sweet. Going to see if they have any smaller sized G3-X that they might ship to Ireland.

Quigs Snr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123206442#Comment_123206442

To anyone looking into this I checked and they do have one of the bikes I want but unfortunately do not ship.

DJB030244

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123202961#Comment_123202961

if you’re still in the market I’ve a stunning 2024 Gen 7 Madone in 54cm medium I mite sell , it’s The SLR model and in as new condition

dahat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123214472#Comment_123214472

Could a buyer arrange courier collection from the shop?

MojoMaker

Why not?

cunavalos

While I am severely tempted by the Dutch options above. Merlin Cycles are offering big discounts on unassembled Felt bikes so you could pick up a Felt AR Advanced with Ultegra DI2 and Reynolds 58mm Wheels for just over 4k. That would leave enough room in the budget for a mechanic to build it up and maybe a second set of wheels if you wanted. It is shipping from an EU warehouse so the price you see is the price you pay.

https://www.merlincycles.com/felt-ar-advanced-ultegra-di2-carbon-road-bike-318925.html

(Hat tip to large bottle small glass for the initial recommendation for a Felt gravel bike from the same supplier)

at1withmyself

all tricks are having a sale on BMC bikes, worth a look. Had loads of sizes when I looked.

TheBlaaMan

I got a Colnago V3 direct from Italy in September, with 12s Shimano Di2 105, landed on my door for €3100, which was just about the cheapest available at the time, so €2100 is amazing value; it would be worth a cheap flight out and back at those prices and paying for the bike transit.

It's………….nice, but I'm not in love with it yet.

YMMV

If you want a change from a Giant in terms of spending €5k, if there is any chance that you will want to sell it on at some point, I'd be steering towards a marque brand, so Trek, Colnago, Specialized, Canyon maybe, but I'd be avoiding the van Rysels and Rose of this world as the resale will be more difficult

Nice first world problem to have!