£6,000 budget, recommendations welcome

[simongt]

Agree in principle; with folk buying Rollers at £285k plus, it's the same point; why - 'cos folk can, that's why. However, buying a £6k bike, I wouldn't turn my back on it for a second - !

If it makes you feel happy screw what others think.

 

[fossyant]

If you aren't in a rush, keep an eye out for shops selling off top kit for £6k. I'd also think about a 953/stainless custom bike. Brian Rourke for me. You'd get Dura Ace / Super Record and 953 for around £6k - just stick with some robust handbuilt wheels as the fancy carbon ones can be silly money, and easily eat £1500.

 

[vickster]

Quite possibly, but that would have been about £10,000 new, possibly more

I don’t think I could tell the difference between a 6k and 10k bike either (especially as high cost deep section wheels are fugly to my eyes)

 

[Soltydog]

I don’t think I could tell the difference between a 6k and 10k bike either

I bet there's less difference between 6k & 10k bikes than £600 & £1000 bikes But saying that I've spent over £5k on my Enigma & do I regret it? Nope 👍 I could have bought lighter/faster etc for the money, but wasn't what I wanted & I use it enough to warrant the cost IMO
If the OP wants the ultimate go faster machine for 6k then good luck , hope you enjoy it whatever you end up with 👍

 

[Blue Hills]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I'll never understand the inverse snobbery that's present amongst cyclists. It's OK to be critical of somebody wanting to spend a lot of money on a bike, and be negative towards them, but not OK to be critical of those who want to spend less? I wouldn't comment negatively on somebody running a cheaper bike and the reverse should apply.

I already have a bike, I'm after a second one, not a whole fleet of £2K bikes.

I'm not exactly fat - well not any more, definitely not middle-aged and with a couple of Ironmans under my belt have nothing to prove.

Sigma look to have a number of models I'd be keen to see and with suitable sizes in stock. Just a shame they're 3.5 hours drive away! But it's likely the only place I'll see them all under one roof so probably worth the trip.

I'll take a look at the suggested Ridley etc too.

The Neil Pryde is a great bike but I'd like something with Di2 and discs really.

I'd chill if i were you.
Edit to my post upthread, i see you do have room for two bikes as you are keeping the original.
Maybe a more specialist forum more closely aligned to your sort of cycling might be more appropriate.
I see that you have also posted on another forum, which to my mind is also not really focussed on your targetted form of cycling.
I can't help but think you are looking for posts to criticise.
For all i know may even be related to your referred to personal crises.
Enjoy your cycling.

 

[AuroraSaab]

No idea about suitable bikes OP, but just wanted to say well done with the phenomenal weightloss. It sounds like you've had a really tough time but are working your way through it. Well done.

 

[dodgy]

I often think that asking for advice on something really expensive like a 6 thousand quid bicycle is a bit like going on a jewellery forum and asking what's the best diamond ring to buy. It's pointless.

There's nothing wrong with spending loads on an expensive bike, but please don't expect great answers. I would only spend that much if there was a deep itch developed over many years I was urged to scratch.

At this price point, it's personal and unique to you. Only your opinion counts, don't hope for everyone to validate it.

I'm firmly in the buy a £3000 bike and spend the rest on trips away to amazing places with the change. But that's not necessarily what you should do.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Are you looking for a bike for rough crap roads or for your future iron man aspirations?

 

[Milkfloat]

I'd chill if i were you.
Edit to my post upthread, i see you do have room for two bikes as you are keeping the original.
Maybe a more specialist forum more closely aligned to your sort of cycling might be more appropriate.
I see that you have also posted on another forum, which to my mind is also not really focussed on your targetted form of cycling.
I can't help but think you are looking for posts to criticise.
For all i know may even be related to your referred to personal crises.
Enjoy your cycling.

This forum is a broad church and there are a number of us here who are ’aligned to that sort of cycling’. This forum is welcoming to all, especially new members, the OP was pretty clear on his requirements so I am not sure why people are criticising his choices.

 

[HLaB]

There's a lot of beautiful bikes out there that'll fit your budget but I'd look at getting something bespoke and original to you @djw1

 

[Teamfixed]

Blimey.

 

[djw1]

Thank you for the replies everyone. Appreciated.

First off, the motivation for the original post wasn't to afford me to sit and criticise the replies. That's bizarre. Especially since I've only replied once in the whole of the thread and not sat ripping into individual responses. Yep, the question was asked on another cycling forum. I thought I'd have some luck there too, and gave the basket weaving websites and mumsnet a miss :-)

I'm sorry some of you have found the question "pointless". I asked for recommendations and was hoping to get some useful pointers equally on what to avoid and draw from the experience of others rather than just recommendations. I don't expect anyone to choose for me or validate my choice. But thanks goes to those who've helped and wished me well.

The Ironman is likely the last I'll do, instead I want to focus on more bike specific stuff in the future. The course next year is very hilly - 8000 ft of climbing I think - and a TT bike isn't likely to be any real advantage on the day. Next year's trip is booked and paid for, so that's not a consideration. And future trips / cost is something I'll be OK with in the future and don't need to budget for, all being well.

Canyon bikes are great value but with it being internet only I'm concerned about not getting the sizing right. I'd need to sit on and try out a few bikes to ensure the fit's spot on. So unfortunately they're ruled out.

Componentary and groupsets, although wheels excluded, seem much of a muchness at this sort of price point, so it's all in the frame and how it feels/rides. The only way to know is to try them out, I guess.

Thanks again.

 

[Pale Rider]

The OP says he wants to get fitter and lose weight.

I would spend about £4,500 on a dream machine and buy a Brompton.

The Brompton should give opportunities to ride where the dream machine would not be an option.

Any extra miles is worth doing to further the aim of getting fitter.

 

[mudsticks]

This forum is a broad church and there are a number of us here who are ’aligned to that sort of cycling’. This forum is welcoming to all, especially new members, the OP was pretty clear on his requirements so I am not sure why people are criticising his choices.

It's all relative isn't it??

I dropped 1k on a new bike last year,

An amount which to me, ten years previous would have been unthinkable.

OK so I can't imagine doing that with 6K

But I might be ashamed to admit my 1k 'self indulgence' to a single mother trying to feed her kids on UC

But at least that 6K is going somewhere into the economy, keeping the money flowing.

It's probs not ending up in the Caymen Islands.

Yes I'd probs more likely spend the extra 5K on ferries, trains, fancy bike packing gear etc etc, if I was indulging myself rather than the 'orphans'..

But then we don't know (nor is it our business to know) how much of his personal largesse our OP has already bestowed in charitable directions do we ??

 

[itboffin]

My Cervelo R5 is at the very least 6k if not a lot more with the custom built 1kg wheelset and rotor 3D crankset, I’ve hardly ever ridden it in fact it has been hanging on the living room wall for more than five years, the bike I ride most was a 4K frameset reduced to the point where I built the whole thing for about 2k and this year upgraded to ultegra 8000 for another 500 plus various wheels, it really is all about the ride and not the cost.