# Cannondale or Specialized or Bianchi



## stewaran (23 Jul 2008)

HI All 

First post so go easy please!!!

I have recently started commuting by bike (and part train).

I currently do 6 miles each way on an old MTB. I am looking to up my mileage to 15 miles each way and as such get a new road bike.

I have narrowed it down to three bikes approx £600-£700

Cannondale CAAD9 Tiagra
Specialized Allez sport
Bianchi Via Nirone Mirage

All look OK to me, wondering whether anyone had any opinions

Cheers

Stewaran


----------



## beancounter (23 Jul 2008)

stewaran said:


> HI All
> 
> First post so go easy please!!!
> 
> ...



If it helps, I've got a Cannondale and it's great.

[Cue stampede of Specialized / Bianchi owners saying same thing]

bc


----------



## AndyF (23 Jul 2008)

How about a Planet X Team Alu?

Can't fault mine..

Andy


----------



## stewaran (23 Jul 2008)

Thanks, I am limited to Evans Cycles by the company cycle to work scheme
so not sure if i can get a planet x

ill have a look

I have arranged a test ride this thursday for the ones above, should help i suppose


----------



## Maz (23 Jul 2008)

Test ride will definitely help make your mind up. Go for a compact if you never need the 'granny' chainring.

Do Bianchi only make minty green coloured bikes? Tell me it 'aint so.


----------



## stewaran (23 Jul 2008)

sadly i quite like the minty green bike


----------



## HLaB (23 Jul 2008)

Maz said:


> Do Bianchi only make minty green coloured bikes? Tell me it 'aint so.


Mines's black but I've seen red and blue ones too (and titanium metalic but I don't think that's a true colour)


----------



## Phixion (23 Jul 2008)

Do compact bikes not have a granny gear or something?


----------



## Maz (23 Jul 2008)

Phixion said:


> Do compact bikes not have a granny gear or something?


I thought compacts only had 2 chainrings...or am I mistaken?


----------



## Twenty Inch (23 Jul 2008)

TBH, any of those bikes is a little too nice for a 6 mile commute. If it doesn't get nicked, it'll get ruined by rubbish roads, spoiled by mudguards, and the skinny wheels will be uncomfortable. I love my road bike, but I don't often commute on it. 

Get one by all means, but get another old hack for the commuting, and keep the road bike for best.

EDIT: Just seen that you want to do 15 miles each way. Makes more sense then, but get something that you can put mudguards and a pannier rack on, or you'll be really uncomfortable in winter.


----------



## gbb (23 Jul 2008)

They're all fine bikes Stewaran...look at them all, find the one you like, for the best price and go for it.

As beancounter says...we all got our favourites. Mines the Bianchi...had two with no regrets. Lovely bikes.

TBH, if you're starting to consider specific bikes, you need to start comparing specs..what wheelset ? , carbon rear triangle ? etc etc.


----------



## stewaran (23 Jul 2008)

thanks for all the help guys


----------



## stewaran (23 Jul 2008)

Twenty Inch said:


> TBH, any of those bikes is a little too nice for a 6 mile commute. If it doesn't get nicked, it'll get ruined by rubbish roads, spoiled by mudguards, and the skinny wheels will be uncomfortable. I love my road bike, but I don't often commute on it.
> 
> Get one by all means, but get another old hack for the commuting, and keep the road bike for best.
> 
> EDIT: Just seen that you want to do 15 miles each way. Makes more sense then, but get something that you can put mudguards and a pannier rack on, or you'll be really uncomfortable in winter.




Understand what your saying and before looking into it had set a budget of £400 when i found out i could do cycle to work and get it half price over 12 months decided to go for an upgrade!! as well as new lights helmet etc etc

Also are Blades (mudguards any good


----------



## ghitchen (23 Jul 2008)

Stick slick tyres and mudguards on the MTB and (possibly) a rear casette with closer ratios and narrower bars, and use it for the winter / wet summer days, then buy a celeste (minty green!) Bianchi for dry summer days and "proper" rides.


----------



## gbb (23 Jul 2008)

Yes, but apart from the elephants, what have the Romans ever done for us? 

 ghitchen....I like that.....


----------



## Joe24 (24 Jul 2008)

Maz said:


> I thought compacts only had 2 chainrings...or am I mistaken?



You can get compact triples aswell as doubles.
Compact bikes and compact gearing is different. Frames that are compact have a sloping top tube.
Compact double chain rings have nearly the same range as a tripple would, but you miss out on the granny ring. But, after going into Derbyshire into the hills, i dont think there is a need for a tripple.
Raceblades arent bd. But they lack the protecting if you go through puddles, the water from the back wheel goes on the seat tube and splashes onto your leg, then down into your shoe. Howeer, i've been out in some heavy heavy rain with lots of standing water and i just kept going. I dont use the front one though, so that doesnt help in keeping my feet dry. If you want to stay completely dry then full mudguards will be better for you.


----------



## Young Un (24 Jul 2008)

i went on the club run last night and there where quite a few big long hills,

only on one of them did i go onto the granny ring on my giant scr2, so i think you could manage. btw i went into the granny ring cus i was stuck behind a slower person and the road wa properly narrow so couldnt overtake.


----------



## wlc1 (24 Jul 2008)

I've got a spec allez and I commute 20 miles each way to work and it's fine. Yea it can get a little uncomfortable every now and then but by the time I'm cycling home I've been up for 16 hours ( I work shifts with long days) sp fatigue has alot to do with it. 

I also use the bike for recreational rides so the mileage is climbing ( hence the reason for me trying to persuade the wife to let me have a commute bike and a nice carbon fibre one for the longer fun rides) ..

I say test them all and only you will know whats right for you.


----------



## joebe (24 Jul 2008)

Ignore all the talk about road bikes being unsuitable for commuting because they'll fall apart, who ever says that is talking out of their arse. 

10000 miles to date on my De Rosa on Central London's unforgiving streets and I've only had to have one wheel rebuilt (I dented the rim trying to bunny hop a pot hole I only spotted at the last minute).

Treat yourself to the bike you want and get out there and enjoy it. Do what you want to do and ignore everyone else.

(for the record I have no rack/panniers and no mudguards. When it rains I get wet. But, man alive I have fun doing it!!!!)


----------



## gbb (24 Jul 2008)

On the subject of mudguards....dont forget riding in the rain is one thing, but winter riding (if you use a good bike) is very damaging.
Salty crud will get all over your bike, in the mechs, on the frame, finding any little scratches and causing corrosion.
My original Via Nirone was a summer only bike till last year. Everything was fine, until i started using it in the winter. Next spring i found corrosion around the alloy steerer on the forks. Nothing too bad.....but its there.

If i'd used mudguards...it would have prevented at least some of the problem.


----------



## Joe24 (24 Jul 2008)

Young Un said:


> i went on the club run last night and there where quite a few big long hills,
> 
> only on one of them did i go onto the granny ring on my giant scr2, so i think you could manage. btw i went into the granny ring cus i was stuck behind a slower person and the road wa properly narrow so couldnt overtake.



This is a bad excuse Young Un Its nearly as bad as saying, "i wasnt on your back wheel, i was just checking you didnt have a puncture"

As for winter riding on a road bike, there are bits, mainly the front mech on my bike that have crudded up. The spring on it really is completely crudded up. Other bits were also dirty, untill i cleaned them.


----------



## monnet (24 Jul 2008)

They're all good bikes. I'm not overly familiar with the Bianchi, but they are pretty good (and pretty). I've got a Spesh and it's great, so I can highly recommend them. Cannondale's usually score highest on frame quality. 

Of course the usual try before you buy caveats apply. As an example: Trek's are good bikes but when I sat on one it wasn't right for me - the Spesh was perfect. I'd not planned on buying a bike made by either when I started looking.


----------



## stewaran (25 Jul 2008)

thanks all,

Tonights the night. they are ready to go at the shop.

just hoe im ok with STP's(?) only riden with toe clips in the past.


----------



## Nick1979 (25 Jul 2008)

STP??
Maybe you mean SPD? Shimano's montain bike clipless system? You'll be fine, it takes a (short) while to get used to but it's easy to use.

Oh and please, no SPD if you go for the Bianchi! No Sh*mano stuff anywhere near a proper Italian bike :-)


----------



## Joe24 (25 Jul 2008)

I would go for SPD-SL on a road bike. Ment to be much better. The SPD-SL is one sided, but you will soon get used to clipping in and un clipping. When you first fit them, put yourself in a door frame that you can watch the TV at, and just clip, unclip, clip, unclip untill you feel confident and can do it pretty much without looking at what your doing. Then go out for a ride. You wont forget to unclip, it will be sitting at the back of your mind. If you dont unclip in time and fall over, then you will have just joined another huge club


----------



## Nick1979 (25 Jul 2008)

If it's mainly for commuting, MTB systems are not so bad: easier to clip/unclip and you can walk with the shoes.
If you want to use it for more 'serious' biking, road systems (but not SPD-SL of course, it's Sh*mano :-) ) make more sense as Joe24 said.

But I'm sure there are hundreds of other threads with long arguments about clipless pedal systems!


----------



## 4F (25 Jul 2008)

Joe24 said:


> put yourself in a door frame that you can watch the TV at,



And the TV helps how ?


----------



## Nick1979 (25 Jul 2008)

FatFellaFromFelixstowe said:


> And the TV helps how ?


It simulates the "external nuisances" such as traffic, lights, potholes...


----------



## stewaran (25 Jul 2008)

im used to toe clips, so hopefully shouldnt be too bad


----------



## Joe24 (25 Jul 2008)

FatFellaFromFelixstowe said:


> And the TV helps how ?



Stops you being bored, and also gives you something else to be concentrating on whilst doing it. 
If you really wanted to simulate being out on the road, you should do a recording of someone shouting abuse at you, telling you to hurry up.


----------

