Economy road bike for the summer.
Discussion
I am going to buy a relatively cheap road bike for the summer, to see if I want to get back into it again, having sold my old road bike last year.
I am looking at the Giant Contend https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/contend-ar-3-202...
and the Specialized Allez https://www.specializedconceptstore.co.uk/product/...
I have always had Specialized in the past. The bikes have seemed to work well and the support has been good. But the Giant looks promising.
Any comments chaps please?
I am looking at the Giant Contend https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/contend-ar-3-202...
and the Specialized Allez https://www.specializedconceptstore.co.uk/product/...
I have always had Specialized in the past. The bikes have seemed to work well and the support has been good. But the Giant looks promising.
Any comments chaps please?
I've recently bought a Giant Contend as my winter road bike albeit the SL version with Tiagra. I think the Giant is more endurance-focused in its geometry, as it's the replacement for the old aluminium Defy, and the Allez is generally seen as more of a race bike. I had a Defy before, and the Contend feels pretty much exactly the same.
Re. the Giant, the frame (SL is the same but slightly lighter with less tyre clearance I think) is excellent, it seems to be have pretty decent compliance, is stable on descents, and puts me in a comfortable position. The Tiagra brakes and shifters are great - the shift is a bit clunky but always positive, although the hydro levers aren't the most attractive. The stock wheels are poor, really heavy and not well built - I broke a spoke within 200 miles. I've since replaced them with the old wheels from my roubaix which are a huge improvement.
As above, availability could well be an issue. I wanted the 105 level Contend, but stock was not coming in for months, with no guarantee either, so I went with the Tiagra one.
You might be lucky and pick up something lightly used second hand - worth having a look at Facebook / ebay for anything local.
Re. the Giant, the frame (SL is the same but slightly lighter with less tyre clearance I think) is excellent, it seems to be have pretty decent compliance, is stable on descents, and puts me in a comfortable position. The Tiagra brakes and shifters are great - the shift is a bit clunky but always positive, although the hydro levers aren't the most attractive. The stock wheels are poor, really heavy and not well built - I broke a spoke within 200 miles. I've since replaced them with the old wheels from my roubaix which are a huge improvement.
As above, availability could well be an issue. I wanted the 105 level Contend, but stock was not coming in for months, with no guarantee either, so I went with the Tiagra one.
You might be lucky and pick up something lightly used second hand - worth having a look at Facebook / ebay for anything local.
Here are the two bikes. They look to me like they have very similar geo. The Giant has a slightly greater rake angle, so I imagine it to be slower steering.
I have a deposit on one of each and will sit on both before the end of the week.
Specialized tell me that at 5ft 9.5 I am borderline a 56, which they don't have. I wonder whether the 54 may be a bit compact.
I have a deposit on one of each and will sit on both before the end of the week.
Specialized tell me that at 5ft 9.5 I am borderline a 56, which they don't have. I wonder whether the 54 may be a bit compact.
I am 6 ft, I find my 56 allez slightly small, imagine you'll find a 56 a good fit. I say small, it maybe the way the bike is. Its not uncomfortable
I find my 56 Tarmac SL6 a good fit oddly.
Allez is great though, its a stiff bike though. I find it faster than my Tarmac and have to run tires about 70-80 psi otherwise its like riding a breeze block
Stick some dura ace brake pads on the allzez
I find my 56 Tarmac SL6 a good fit oddly.
Allez is great though, its a stiff bike though. I find it faster than my Tarmac and have to run tires about 70-80 psi otherwise its like riding a breeze block
Stick some dura ace brake pads on the allzez
Edited by Bathroom_Security on Monday 12th April 11:20
BoRED S2upid said:
It’s the Allez for me. Do you really need cheap (I presume they will be cheap) disc brakes on an entry level bike? At your height you won’t be far off a 54.
I have had cheap discs on my cross bikes. No way would I even consider going back to traditional road bike brakes. I'd buy the Giant over the Specialized because the Giant has isc brakes. Also looks slightly better IMO too.
I’m looking at getting a (relatively) cheap bike too, although with an eye to it being a winter bike, and although the Specialized Allez would be the sort of thing I’d aim for, I had earmarked the Boardman ADV 8.6 or SLR 8.8 as the bike for me. Better group set for less money.
I have always been first in the queue to be snobbish about Halfords, but I hear a lot of positive stuff about Boardman bikes.
I have always been first in the queue to be snobbish about Halfords, but I hear a lot of positive stuff about Boardman bikes.
johnpsanderson said:
I have always been first in the queue to be snobbish about Halfords, but I hear a lot of positive stuff about Boardman bikes.
When you see Hambini on youtube try install a bottom bracket in a Boardman you might think twiceMaybe a dudd frame who knows....
PS. I take what Hambini says with a pinch of salt.
Louis Balfour said:
Here are the two bikes. They look to me like they have very similar geo. The Giant has a slightly greater rake angle, so I imagine it to be slower steering.
I have a deposit on one of each and will sit on both before the end of the week.
Specialized tell me that at 5ft 9.5 I am borderline a 56, which they don't have. I wonder whether the 54 may be a bit compact.
Its also about length of legs, arms and trunk. I'm 5'9" and I much prefer a 54 I have a deposit on one of each and will sit on both before the end of the week.
Specialized tell me that at 5ft 9.5 I am borderline a 56, which they don't have. I wonder whether the 54 may be a bit compact.
mikees said:
Louis Balfour said:
Here are the two bikes. They look to me like they have very similar geo. The Giant has a slightly greater rake angle, so I imagine it to be slower steering.
I have a deposit on one of each and will sit on both before the end of the week.
Specialized tell me that at 5ft 9.5 I am borderline a 56, which they don't have. I wonder whether the 54 may be a bit compact.
Its also about length of legs, arms and trunk. I'm 5'9" and I much prefer a 54 I have a deposit on one of each and will sit on both before the end of the week.
Specialized tell me that at 5ft 9.5 I am borderline a 56, which they don't have. I wonder whether the 54 may be a bit compact.
johnpsanderson said:
I’m looking at getting a (relatively) cheap bike too, although with an eye to it being a winter bike, and although the Specialized Allez would be the sort of thing I’d aim for, I had earmarked the Boardman ADV 8.6 or SLR 8.8 as the bike for me. Better group set for less money.
I have always been first in the queue to be snobbish about Halfords, but I hear a lot of positive stuff about Boardman bikes.
Based on my ADV8.9;I have always been first in the queue to be snobbish about Halfords, but I hear a lot of positive stuff about Boardman bikes.
+ good component level for price
+ rides nice on shockingly poor roads round here
- some very poorly thought out design features
- built by Halfords
If you don’t mind building/rebuilding it yourself, then go for it.
The giant does look nicer but I had a tectro mech disc winter bike briefly and hated it. Difference to hydraulics was like night and day. Looked at upgrading and it was prohibitive. Haven't use rim for long enough to be able to compare.
Re availability: had summer bike booked in for di2 upgrade at the end of March , delayed till May because of Ultegra crankset, of all things.
Louis Balfour said:
So the consensus seems to be that the discs are not worth having. I presume that the Allez will retain more value. I am probably persuaded more by the Specialized but will reserve judgement until I see them both on Thursday.
I've got hydraulic discs on my eBike and rim brakes on my road bike. I cannot tell any difference in the dry, infact the rim brakes bite much harder initially, in the wet the discs are better, but when its really wet my road bike tends to stay home.Edited by Louis Balfour on Monday 12th April 21:18
gangzoom said:
Louis Balfour said:
So the consensus seems to be that the discs are not worth having. I presume that the Allez will retain more value. I am probably persuaded more by the Specialized but will reserve judgement until I see them both on Thursday.
I've got hydraulic discs on my eBike and rim brakes on my road bike. I cannot tell any difference in the dry, infact the rim brakes bite much harder initially, in the wet the discs are better, but when its really wet my road bike tends to stay home.Edited by Louis Balfour on Monday 12th April 21:18
Some of our family bikes have discs and I am not super impressed, to be honest. They seem no sharper than well set up rim brakes. Also they are very easy to mess up with spray lube.
Louis Balfour said:
So the consensus seems to be that the discs are not worth having. I presume that the Allez will retain more value. I am probably persuaded more by the Specialized but will reserve judgement until I see them both on Thursday.
What consensus?? Edited by Louis Balfour on Monday 12th April 21:18
I have only ever riden cheap mechanical discs on my cross bike and they were absolutely fine (More than fine in fact). Great for commuting and riding in any weather for that matter. Considerably better than the direct mount 105 dual pivots on my 'posh bike.
bakerstreet said:
Considerably better than the direct mount 105 dual pivots on my 'posh bike.
If you have more confidence with disc brakes when doing road cycling its almost certainly all down to placebo. https://youtu.be/t0hKMgUEku4
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