Looking at plunging into a purchase of my first bike. Currently use my brothers borrowed (permanently) Trek road bike.
What would you buy with c. £3K budget?
Thanks, Graham
1 Like
Is it an option to take components from this bike and put them on a new frame? Could get a very nice frame that way and update components along the way.
1 Like
Not really to be honest. I am 1m65 and my brother is 1m85, as such the bike is oversized for my height.
I took it to see if I really liked cycling, as I had started triathlon (I love running). I now love cycling and triathlon, with swimming growing on me.
I pitched for an aero road bike as the local courses are typically quite technical and would not suit (I think) a TT bike.
Re-reading - bike is quite old and spec is not great…
Look for a pre-owned Venge or Propel, the older iterations are stiff AF, good for crits and/or fast bunch rides/races. These two could also be used for a Tri with some clip-ons.
1 Like
While I’m happy with my Factor O2 I regret selling my Scott Foil (2016). Very comfortable on long rides, arguably as fast as anything, and as nimble a bike I’ve ridden to date.
1 Like
How about a Sagan Special a.k.a. an Allez Sprint? Sticking with alloy could mean you could put a bit of that budget into nice wheels instead.
1 Like
As the previous post mentioned, look at the Specialized Allez Sprint.
I’m a little biased though since that is also the bike i ride.
1 Like
Canyon are worth a look with their Aeroad. Bear in mind though it’s long and low so might be a bit much depending on your flexibility (it was for me, I went for the Ultimate).
If you don’t know your sizes then going online is a bit of a risk (looks like you’d be a 2XS maybe an XS), but they do an exchange if needed I think.
If you’re going to be riding triathlon then clip on aerobars are likely to save you ~120s over 40km where an aero frame is going to save you ~20s. In other words, don’t rule out non/less aero bikes which might be a more civilized ride.
2 Likes
The budget is kind of tight for a new carbon aero road bike. So I would either save up more money or buy something used.
One aero road bike that I find fascinating is the 3T Strada, and the cheapest complete build costs about $5k/€5k, i. e. about £1k more than what your budget is now. So perhaps you can wait for a little more and then get one.
1 Like
£3000?
Some good deals available now on 2018 bikes, personally I’d be looking at disc brakes, tubeless ready wheels as preferred options and maybe Di2 as things are definitely moving more that way. At the price for new you’ll probably need to choose between discs and Di2.
Di2 won’t make you faster but you could add remote shifters on tri-bars, more wheels are being optimised for discs and are undoubtedly better for wet UK roads than carbon wheels.
Here a few options I’d consider myself
Giant Propel
Bianchi Aria!!! I like the idea there are not many around
Scott Foil
Bargain Cervelo S5
There are loads more and few will be “bad” bikes, try to get some test rides in at a local shop and see which you like most.
(Naturally you’ll find more for your budget buying used)
1 Like
I would not suggest the giant propel with it’s annoying oversized forktube. It limits you to the giant stems.
1 Like
I just bought an Aria. I won’t be able to hit the road for a couple of months with it but it sure is pretty. It’s not the lightest, fastest, or cheapest but it sure looks good 
I picked it up because I wanted an aero bike but needed to put big tires on it. It’ll take 30s no problem. 32s would likely be too big for it but they’ll fit in there.
2 Likes
I’ll just pretend not to be envious…
1 Like
Considering your height (+leg length) is probably not at the center of the bell curve, why not determine fit parameters that work for you first? Then you can research different models’ geometries and identify which one(s) would work for you best. Keep in mind toe overlap too.
2 Likes
Especially because it’s your first proper road bike, I would say start by getting a professional fit somewhere with a jig. They will then be able to give you the stack and reach you need to be able to choose something that will fit you correctly. It’s worth it, even if it eats into your bike budget, because you will avoid buying a bike that doesn’t fit, and that’s the crucial part of the equation.
Once you have stack and reach, you can look into what bikes match your numbers, and you can pick the one you like best (or search out bargains).
2 Likes
Just my 2 cents worth:
If you’re after speed and performance, get a Giant Propel, 2018/2019 model.
If you’re after comfort, get a Madone 9 (2016+).
If you’re after a decent all rounder, get a Canyon Aeroad.
Depending on where you live in the world, there may or may not be local deals on certain makes and models. For instance, I find Cervelo to be very affordable in the used market here in Canada but it’s not quite the same in Europe from what I can gather.
1 Like
Wow. I was just about to type something similar to this. I had a Foil as well. Loved that bike and it was sub 15 with my race wheels. I regret selling it. It was fast and fun. I love my Emonda SLR, but am still in awe I race that thing in crits. It’s pretty stiff and fast, but the whole race what you can replace mantra always seeps in.
2 Likes
I agree here. A (decent) alloy frame with very good carbon wheels completely destroys a carbon frame with meh wheels. Components above the 105 level are a wash now-a-days. A modern carbon wheel set (+tires) is the most important thing you can do for ride and aero.
1 Like
I think it is really important to emphasize that as far as shifting performance is concerned, there is no functional difference between 105 and DuraAce. So if you are on a budget, I think a good rule of thumb is to prioritize components until you reach 105, and then the frame from then on. (That’s because all affordable* bikes come with meh wheels.) A good set of carbon wheels then easily costs as much as the rest of the bike.
Affordable*: I’m including lots of bikes that many people would consider expensive. I mean here anything but the really high spec levels.
1 Like
I think this is the most important piece of advice, and why I don’t think you should buy a mail order bike unless you know exactly your size and geometry preferences. Go to a good store, try several bikes yourself and get a bike fit. To test them, play dumb and ask what size they think is good for you. (It helps to roughly know the answer already.) If they don’t know, go to another store.
Good bikes can be a bad fit for you. And if you see people with their steerer tube uncut, stem angled upwards, then you know they are probably in unnecessary discomfort, because they haven’t had a bike fit. Currently, I have an endurance road bike. The bike is actually not bad, but I don’t like the endurance fit. I know now I prefer something racier. Coming from a MTB background, though, I thought it would be alright to get something more upright.
Aero road bikes tend to have a very aggressive position, and having tried two aero road bikes, I know now that I love how that felt. But YMMV, and you may not actually get along with such an aggressive geometry.
So yeah, fit >>> components, weight, frame material, wheels.