Help me spend some money, please.

[cheesewotsit]

£1500. I need more endurance geometry, pref 105 groupset and something I can 'grow' (or get fitter, better) with. I've entered my first 30 mile organised ride this weekend (which I'm doing on my MTB) but want to work my way up to the 100mile ones.

I like the ideal of buying locally, so I've got the below options:

Orbea M30: https://www.orbea.com/gb-en/bicycles/road/orca/cat...
I think it's beautiful and a left field choice. How endurance is it?

Trek Emonda ALR4: https://www.trekbikes.com/gb/en_GB/bikes/road-bike...
Also pretty, love the purple, will it be comfortable?

Giant TCR Adv 2: https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/tcr-advanced-2
Weapon - but how comfty is it? I think the Defy is ugly, so will ignore Giant if the TCR is very race? LBS is Giant, and they are a great shop.

Cinelli Ventrix: https://www.cinellibicycles.co.uk/shop/bikes/veltr...
Campag equipped lovelyness. Different. Can't find out much about it tho.

And then there's this:

Ribble R872 Disc https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-r872-grand-t...
It's in pretty colours, discs, but it's an internet carbon frame.

I've started doing some seperate core exercise to help with the positions (previous road bike is a 56cm Domane which is too big) I'll be on with these bikes, but are they comfortable or all out race? (It's the reason I buy older Aprillia motorbikes; so pretty, so impracticable. Love them)

Am I shallow to want the thing to look good, too?

[Celtic Dragon]

Canyon would be another brand worth looking at. Their Endurace AL range would be within budget and a better groupset.

Edit: OK maybe not a better Groupset (I can't access Canyons website but pics show a 105 setup inc hyrdo brakes)

Edited by Celtic Dragon on Tuesday 9th July 16:01

[Mr Ted]

Genesis Croix de Fer

[louiebaby]

My Alu Trek of similar spec to your suggestion was very comfortable. I did many thousands of miles on it. Looks nice in purple too.

If you're considering Alu frames, a Cannondale Synapse should really be on the list too.

[troc]

Rose bikes make a pro sl disc with 105 which should be in your budget, probably with cash to spare.

[cheesewotsit]

troc said:

Rose bikes make a pro sl disc with 105 which should be in your budget, probably with cash to spare.

https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/road-bikes/endurance-bikes/endurace/endurace-al-disc-8.0/2179.html?dwvar_2179_pv_rahmenfarbe=BK&dwvar_2179_pv_rahmengroesse=2XL#!accordions=1_1

Just found this, which due to a sale has crept into budget. Light aluminium, Ultegra, discs. I'd be mad not to, right?

[troc]

That’s a great price for a great bike. Only possible negative IMHO with the endurace is the overlap with the front wheel. But that’s a fairly common issue and shouldn’t be a problem.

[Mr Ted]

troc said:

That’s a great price for a great bike. Only possible negative IMHO with the endurace is the overlap with the front wheel. But that’s a fairly common issue and shouldn’t be a problem.

Sounds like a re-branded race bike, a true endurance bike that you can ride all day and all night needs to be stable and forgiving of a tired rider, that means long wheelbase, slacker steering head angle and reasonable amount of fork offset (50mm or more) which should mean the front wheel is miles away from any toe overlap. Some bespoke Audax bikes have up to 55mm of fork offset, compare that to the 40mm of an awful lot of bikes.

My State Thunderbird was sold as a CX bike and was supposed to have slacker angles etc but suffered toe overlap and nervous handling (the marketing men call it quick steering, I call it supermarket trolley wheel syndrome LOL) , I swapped out the front fork for one with an extra 5mm of offset and slightly taller axle to crown dimension and the difference was night and day, completely stable and no toe overlap - how the bike should have been supplied to be honest.

[Celtic Dragon]

troc said:

That’s a great price for a great bike. Only possible negative IMHO with the endurace is the overlap with the front wheel. But that’s a fairly common issue and shouldn’t be a problem.

The
I have an endurace and large feet and can’t say I’ve noticed any overlap. I did however on my PX London road, in fact it almost had me off on one occasion when I wasn’t expecting it.

Edited by Celtic Dragon on Tuesday 9th July 20:23

[yellowjack]

I know the Emonda SL 6 isn't the same, but I'd be all over that ALR4 if the geometry is similar. All day rides not an issue. I've done up to 160 miles in a day on mine and it's ace. Not a single regret from buying it. H2 Endurance geometry, and you are sorted.

And yes, like I say, it may be like comparing apples with oranges, as mine is a carbon fibre frame, but that (Purple Flip) colour is utterly fabulous. I spent an extra £500 when I bought mine just so I could have a red one instead of a green one (which was Shimano 105 instead of the Ultegra I ended up with). But then it was being paid for by the insurance company representing the driver who ran me down, so the extra was readily available from the cash settlement. I could have had myself an SLR 10, but could never justify spending that kind of cash on a bike I'd never be able to get the best from. I thought a £2k budget was mental at the time, but I went over that by £300 in the end, just to have a nicer colour!!!