Decisions decisions.....

[jgoodwood]

Evening..

Am about to buy my first road bike.. want something for rides of around 50-75 miles once or twice per week so need something comfortable. I also want something nice to own/look at and a little exclusive so am not keen to go for the mainstream brands.. Right or wrong - that's the choice i've made.....

Anyway - have come up with a short-list of two in my price range.. My current bike (specialised hybrid) is nearly 20 yrs old so i'm not terribly 'up' with the latest group sets etc so would appreciate a bit of advice on the following bikes..

1. www.evanscycles.com/products/de-rosa/r848-2013-roa...
2. www.evanscycles.com/products/bianchi/vertigo-veloc...

I don't mind a bit of tinkering and will be good at keeping it clean and well lubed etc but don't want to be continuously adjusting gears/brakes etc so want the best mix of reliability and function form the two bikes..

Obviously I will do my best to get to test both before I buy to make sure it fits OK but any advice on the general quality of the wheels and bits and bobs would be very much appreciated.. I'm taking it as a given that the quality of the frame is pretty good for both.

Thanks in advance..

J

[nammynake]

Neither offers particularly good value for money. 'Bling' is subjective I suppose but if I were spending £1700 I'd find it difficult to see past one of Canyon's offerings, such as this:

http://www.canyon.com/_en/roadbikes/bike.html?b=30...

But if you purely want the 'right' brand.....

[jgoodwood]

nammynake said:

Neither offers particularly good value for money. 'Bling' is subjective I suppose but if I were spending £1700 I'd find it difficult to see past one of Canyon's offerings, such as this:

http://www.canyon.com/_en/roadbikes/bike.html?b=30...

But if you purely want the 'right' brand.....

Thanks but it doesn't help me choose between my shortlisted bikes! I know i'm not getting the best VFM but just need a little advice on which of the two i like would be the easiest to live with..

It's not really about 'Bling' more about owning something nice that will make me feel proud to own.. I guess that's why some people would go for a new Boxster S with a few tasty options over a NIssan GTR.... Nowhere near as good VFM but a much nicer thing to own...

Cheers,
J

[Gizmoish]

De Rosa, Bianchi... I wonder...

As above, neither are the best VFM you'll find but if they fit you, 'feel' right and look right - I'm not preaching, I chose my CAAD8 at least partly because it wasn't black or red - it's your choice.

For that budget I'd be looking at a Cannondale Supersix first, but that's just me and there are loads of great bikes at that price.

[nammynake]

Fair enough. Of those two I would go for the De Rosa - dependable 105 groupset and decent Fulcrum wheels. Never heard of a 106 derailleur though ;-)

[jgoodwood]

nammynake said:

Fair enough. Of those two I would go for the De Rosa - dependable 105 groupset and decent Fulcrum wheels. Never heard of a 106 derailleur though ;-)

Yeah.. I thought that about the 106.. must be the latest new thing.....

[jgoodwood]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Why do you think that??

Cheers,
J

[Simond S]

are you looking to ride on your own, or with friends?

If on your own the Bianchi would be ideal. If with friends unless they also ride Bianchi you wont get along. I can't explain why, but Bianchi riders do seem to be a breed unto themselves.

On that basis, and that alone I would go De Rosa. If nothing else it has a happy heart

eta. I appreciate you have got two bikes in mind, but have a look at this and it may interest you. It blows the known "flash brands" out of the water, designed by Terry Dolan and this isn't just a little better, it is a different league.

http://www.dolan-bikes.com/road-bikes/Carbon/Shima...

Edited by Simond S on Monday 3rd June 19:52

[jgoodwood]

Simond S said:

are you looking to ride on your own, or with friends?

If on your own the Bianchi would be ideal. If with friends unless they also ride Bianchi you wont get along. I can't explain why, but Bianchi riders do seem to be a breed unto themselves.

On that basis, and that alone I would go De Rosa. If nothing else it has a happy heart

Both on my own and with friends but the majority will be solo.. Whichever of the two bikes i end up with - it will very much be the poor relation when compared with my mates' bikes... or should i be reading between your lines???

Cheers,
J

[jgoodwood]

Simond S said:

are you looking to ride on your own, or with friends?

If on your own the Bianchi would be ideal. If with friends unless they also ride Bianchi you wont get along. I can't explain why, but Bianchi riders do seem to be a breed unto themselves.

On that basis, and that alone I would go De Rosa. If nothing else it has a happy heart

eta. I appreciate you have got two bikes in mind, but have a look at this and it may interest you. It blows the known "flash brands" out of the water, designed by Terry Dolan and this isn't just a little better, it is a different league.

http://www.dolan-bikes.com/road-bikes/Carbon/Shima...

Edited by Simond S on Monday 3rd June 19:52

Dolan looks very well specced but they are miles away from me and i'd be concerned about after sales.....

J

[Jimbo.]

Huzzah for coffee shop kudos!

[jgoodwood]

bugger.. just seen this... http://www.evanscycles.com/products/bianchi/sempre...

quite like the look of it... What do you guys think??

J

[Simond S]

jgoodwood said:

Dolan looks very well specced but they are miles away from me and i'd be concerned about after sales.....

J

I run a Dolan. Never had a problem with it in two years of riding. (Shared with other bike). I rang once and asked for a hanger as I thought mine may be bent, sent next day FOC.

Bike is serviced annually by quality LBS and very well regarded. I am in Sussex as well, so not exactly local to them but regardless of bike, if a frame goes pop the shop sends it back to manufacturer, if a component goes pop it is usually a call from retailer to manufacturer to resolve.

Either way I would not worry about that side of things. Canyon, Focus, Planet all have good reviews for customer service from remote sales.

[80sMatchbox]

jgoodwood said:

bugger.. just seen this... http://www.evanscycles.com/products/bianchi/sempre...

quite like the look of it... What do you guys think??

J

I can't say that Bianchi's do it for me, bit not a bad looking bike. aworth noting that Campagnolo Veloce gears use a thumb shifter to go up a gear. Some people prefer it though you can't change up a gear whilst on the drops.

[castex]

80sMatchbox said:

Campagnolo Veloce gears use a thumb shifter to go up a gear. Some people prefer it though you can't change up a gear whilst on the drops.

I've no difficulty in doing just that with my older record 9 brifters. Just stick out a thumb and click it. What you might not be able to do with veloce is go straight to top gear in one sweep.

[anonymous-user]

jgoodwood said:

bugger.. just seen this... http://www.evanscycles.com/products/bianchi/sempre...

quite like the look of it... What do you guys think??

J

Well I'd take the De Rosa over the Bianchis, but Campy drivetrain over Shimano. Though the wheels on the De Rosa are better.

But for the money I'd look at the Canyon mentioned up thread or (and its very annoying when people do this) I'd save £300 more and get a Boardman Air or SLR 9.0.

What led you to select those three bikes?

[jgoodwood]

Greg66 said:

Well I'd take the De Rosa over the Bianchis, but Campy drivetrain over Shimano. Though the wheels on the De Rosa are better.

But for the money I'd look at the Canyon mentioned up thread or (and its very annoying when people do this) I'd save £300 more and get a Boardman Air or SLR 9.0.

What led you to select those three bikes?

Oh blimey.. I knew this would happen.... More confused than ever now! When I first started looking - i saw the Ribble website.. What does everyone think of those... (runs away and covers eyes!!!)

I guess the reasons I chose those three are multiple.. I like the idea of the heritage of both manufacturers - they both look pretty nice and seem to be well regarded. I mentioned earlier that I like having nice things which i'm proud to own and those two brands tick that box too.. can't really justify paying more right now but my feeling is that the slightly lower spec parts on the bikes are easier to upgrade than the frame in future - wheels, crank etc..

So then.. Ribble?????

[Gizmoish]

Talk to your local bike shop. They will probably be dealers for a given make: but they'll be able to advise you. (Or find another). If they've got something you want, ask if they'll price match, give you a free full fitting etc - yes they have to make a living but £1700 is a proper wedge so expect service.

Boardman are damn good value too. And Moda.

[Grandfondo]

80sMatchbox said:

jgoodwood said:

bugger.. just seen this... http://www.evanscycles.com/products/bianchi/sempre...

quite like the look of it... What do you guys think??

J

I can't say that Bianchi's do it for me, bit not a bad looking bike. aworth noting that Campagnolo Veloce gears use a thumb shifter to go up a gear. Some people prefer it though you can't change up a gear whilst on the drops.

Yes you can!

[anonymous-user]

De rosa and bianchi are, in my opinion, the epitomy of bling, using the prestige of the name means allows them to sell equal spec bikes for a fair bit more than Canyon and Dolan. If you don't want bling, ignore the "prestige" of the name....

After sales support is largely irrelevant, if your de rosa or bianchi breaks (not that a bike really breaks unless you crash!) , Evans will send it back to the distributor for assessment before giving you a new bike. If its not serious, give it to your local shop for.. The only thing you notice when riding a bike is the quality of the components, not the name on the side.

Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 3rd June 21:32