argos carbon road bike any good?

[Ian Jones]

Hi all

I have found this carbon road bike on argos web site, but not sure if its worth the ££. I have been having a look online, but can not find many reviews about it.

anyone know more, or own one?

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3...

thanks
ian

[Mr Will]

Don't go there - it's heavy with low quality components and not even cheap. I'd happily wager that the £250 Carrera currently on sale at Halfords would ride better - let alone a bike in the £700 price range from one of the big manufacturers.

[Usget]

Argos said:

Was £1399

Chinny reckon - how many of them did they sell at that price!

For the ("discounted") money I'd be looking at a 2012 model alloy bike from a respected manufacturer with at least Tiagra components. For the ludicrous original price I'd be looking at a Cannondale SuperSix 105, or equivalent (someone will be along in a moment to say that you can buy the moon on a stick from Canyon for £1399) ;-)

In short, having not ridden one, I'd be dubious that this would provide a better riding experience than my comparably priced CAAD8.

Edited by Usget on Monday 22 July 19:27

[Usget]

Double post, sorry

Edited by Usget on Monday 22 July 19:31

[jamiebae]

Who on earth in the Argos product management team thought there was demand for an own brand carbon £700 road bike in their range?!

[BadgerBenji]

Is this what the Argos Shimano squad was riding in the tour?

[Kermit power]

Well, it's always good to know that your carbon road bike has rigid suspension!

[jfdi]

Usget said:

(someone will be along in a moment to say that you can buy the moon on a stick from Canyon for £1399) ;-)

4 moons on sticks currently sat in my garage very pleased with all of them, have you tried one?

[shouldbworking]

Doesn't look bad at all at 700 quid? what else is there comparable in weight at that price?

Decathlon - better gears, higher weight, cant think of any other immediate competition?

[jamiebae]

No info on the groupset, only the rear mech, rubbish tyres and total lack of any technical info wouldn't fill me with confidence. Surely it's a super-budget Chinese carbon frame with cheap components thrown at it, you could buy a Carrera TDF and a new carbon frame for less cash and end up with something similar

[shouldbworking]

jamiebae said:

No info on the groupset, only the rear mech, rubbish tyres and total lack of any technical info wouldn't fill me with confidence. Surely it's a super-budget Chinese carbon frame with cheap components thrown at it, you could buy a Carrera TDF and a new carbon frame for less cash and end up with something similar

What's regarded as the best budget road bike out there? Decathlon's triban 3 - only named stuff is the drivetrain, own brand wheels and cheap hubs, own brand finishing kit and tyres... how is an argos one any different?

[TwistingMyMelon]

shouldbworking said:

jamiebae said:

No info on the groupset, only the rear mech, rubbish tyres and total lack of any technical info wouldn't fill me with confidence. Surely it's a super-budget Chinese carbon frame with cheap components thrown at it, you could buy a Carrera TDF and a new carbon frame for less cash and end up with something similar

What's regarded as the best budget road bike out there? Decathlon's triban 3 - only named stuff is the drivetrain, own brand wheels and cheap hubs, own brand finishing kit and tyres... how is an argos one any different?

Its twice the price...

[jamiebae]

Decathlon spend a lot of money on R&D of their own brand stuff and it's made to their spec, Argos (and Halfords) just but off the shelf bits in order to hit a price point.

This is effectively a £300 bike at best, but with a carbon instead of ally frame. I'd put money on a Giant Defy 3 being massively nicer to ride, and not much heavier too.

[shouldbworking]

TwistingMyMelon said:

Its twice the price...

Twice the price, 1.5 kgs lighter, and sora rather than 2300. Compare it to something closer in price like the triban 7, its still lighter but loses out to the tiagra on the btwin.

Whatever it is, it's certainly not a mile off in terms of pricing on spec alone.

[TwistingMyMelon]

shouldbworking said:

TwistingMyMelon said:

Its twice the price...

Twice the price, 1.5 kgs lighter, and sora rather than 2300. Compare it to something closer in price like the triban 7, its still lighter but loses out to the tiagra on the btwin.

Whatever it is, it's certainly not a mile off in terms of pricing on spec alone.

Trouble is you cant compare it , as the spec isn't fully listed. OK fair enough it'll mostly be unbranded but I would still want to know the crank size etc. Also its one size fits all!

[Ian Jones]

just noticed as well, in the daily mirror paper on friday, there was a 10% off voucher. if it works instore with this bike, then it would go down to around £630

might be a better price

[Mr Will]

Ian Jones said:

might be a better price

No. No, it isn't. It doesn't come in your size, is made of horrible parts, likely weighs twice what it says it does, will fall apart 10 miles down the road and the customer service you'll receive when it does will be non-existent. Do. Not. Buy. That. Bike.

There is a world of choice in that price range. What on earth makes you so determined to buy the most expensive BSO I've ever had the misfortune to lay eyes upon?

[Usget]

Let me put it this way.

This is a carbon fibre splitter.



This is also a carbon fibre front splitter. Well, it's a whole car, but you get the point.



They're both carbon fibre, so they must both be great, right?

[Kermit power]

Usget said:

Let me put it this way.

This is a carbon fibre splitter.



This is also a carbon fibre front splitter. Well, it's a whole car, but you get the point.



They're both carbon fibre, so they must both be great, right?

That actually serves to demonstrate exactly why people such as the OP ask about bikes like this. I know enough about bikes to know to run a mile from this one, but I wouldn't have a clue about the relative merits of carbon splitters. Might they both be great? I have no idea.

[shouldbworking]

I still think it'd be interesting to see one and make a judgement from that. I wouldn't write it off on argos' failure to write a decent product description.