New road bike for £2k, what spec?
Discussion
I've had some great service out of my 2015 Specialized Allez Sport, aluminium frame, carbon fork, sora groupset, 25c tyres. But I'm getting itchy feet and like the idea of uprgading to something with slicker gears, slightly more comfort and the ability to have wider tyres. My usual riding is 20-30 mile routes twice a week for fitness
Accepting that the availability of bikes is limited at the moment, I'll need to be ready to go when something suitable becomes available. What should I be aiming for? Budget is about £2k but could go to £2.5k if worth while.
Frame - I want something with slightly more relaxed geometry, like an endurance/sportive bike. But am I going to notice the difference between a good aluminium frame at £1,700-£1,800 verses a £2,200-£2,500 carbon frame? I don't think there is much benefit weight wise, but what about comfort and handling?
Groupset - Shimano 105 seems the obvious choice, but Ultegra seems to feature on some bikes at the price point. I suspect the 105 should be a big enough step up from my Sora, so not sure I will benefit from Ultegra.
Brakes - hydraulic discs seem the best option for me, allowing wider tyres at 28-32c, and will provide better wet performance. Anything to watch out spec wise on the brakes?
Other wheels etc - appreciate wheels and tyres are easier to swap out, but if I can get better spec with it then that is the preference.
Anything else I should look out for? Looking at the Canyon Endurance, Giant Contend/Defy ranges, but very limited availability. Who else should I consider? I'm open to different brands providing the quality is good.
Accepting that the availability of bikes is limited at the moment, I'll need to be ready to go when something suitable becomes available. What should I be aiming for? Budget is about £2k but could go to £2.5k if worth while.
Frame - I want something with slightly more relaxed geometry, like an endurance/sportive bike. But am I going to notice the difference between a good aluminium frame at £1,700-£1,800 verses a £2,200-£2,500 carbon frame? I don't think there is much benefit weight wise, but what about comfort and handling?
Groupset - Shimano 105 seems the obvious choice, but Ultegra seems to feature on some bikes at the price point. I suspect the 105 should be a big enough step up from my Sora, so not sure I will benefit from Ultegra.
Brakes - hydraulic discs seem the best option for me, allowing wider tyres at 28-32c, and will provide better wet performance. Anything to watch out spec wise on the brakes?
Other wheels etc - appreciate wheels and tyres are easier to swap out, but if I can get better spec with it then that is the preference.
Anything else I should look out for? Looking at the Canyon Endurance, Giant Contend/Defy ranges, but very limited availability. Who else should I consider? I'm open to different brands providing the quality is good.
The obvious choice is the Giant Defy, had mine for 3 years and used in fast club rides as well as endurance like coast 2 coast with no real issues in over 12000 miles. If I was to swap now though it would be between the Defy and the Canyon Endurace.
Edited by jontymo on Thursday 4th March 20:53
There is no obvious choice, given the stock issues at the moment, your best bet is to discount nothing and just get a feel for what sizing would suit you before choosing a bike. Stock is extremely limited, you may spend ages deliberating over bikes that are not available when you come to buy. There is loads online about sizing, stack, reach,etc
If it fits, something like this would be awesome
https://www.nrgcycles.co.uk/bikes/pgr/look-785-hue...
Keep an open mind, part of me thinks a CAAD12 with 105 and spend the rest on a set of Fulcrum 3s would suit you more than anything else and be a proper upgrade
If it fits, something like this would be awesome
https://www.nrgcycles.co.uk/bikes/pgr/look-785-hue...
Keep an open mind, part of me thinks a CAAD12 with 105 and spend the rest on a set of Fulcrum 3s would suit you more than anything else and be a proper upgrade
Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 4th March 21:00
Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff