1st road bike £1500 or £2000??

[Becs]

I think it would depend how new you are to cycling. I got my 1st road bike a year ago (Trek 2.3) and while I've really enjoyed riding it I wouldn't buy it again knowing what I know now. I did try it over a mile or so (all that was allowed) but in retrospect the fit wasn't quite right for me so I'm glad I didn't get anything more expensive. That said if you are confident you know exactly what you're looking for in terms of fit and comfort and you have the cash then why not?

 

[exbfb]

Bikes are like guitars.
Lots of cheapies, lots of not so cheapies.

Both will do the job.

The high end ones usually give you a fizz somewhere just for the sheer pleasure of owning it.

If you can, do it.

 

[Atyl1972]

yes i am just starting in the road section anyways, always had mtb's but want a roadie for fitness mainly and commuting too so would appreciate the lightest bike i can afford tbh..but i know that if i had a bike thats as nice as the price suggests i wont be able to leave it alone,lol.. and i believe this is the motivation for me however, i don't think i need any motivation other than on rainy days but i guess thats everyone and not just newbies..

It's out of my price league too. But if you can afford it go for it. You do not mention if you already cycle at the moment or are just starting? If it was me and I was just starting I would be bothered if I quit riding as it is an expensive bike to have laying around doing nothing. I am sure if that is the case you won't quit anyway, just go for it.

 

[Atyl1972]

thanks man, not sure if its the most sensible choice i will have made thus far in 2011 but aesthetics just sell it for me personally and I'm not mechanically minded TBH but i will have a go to do minor adjustments thanks to the web for video help. and you're totally right about the urge, I'm fairly motivated as it is and as soon as i open my bike shed and see a gorge of a bike i wont be able to resist....i hope,lol

I must admit I got a greater pleasure out of buying the different parts and putting together a bike custom made for me

The thing is though, once you get the urge ................... you've got to have it!
If you can afford it, which I definitely could not, then go for it

 

[Atyl1972]

no Ive not seen either of the bikes but i have a test ride on Saturday of the one, and i await a response to see if the other is in stock in my LBS, well i say LBS its 20+ miles away but they appear to be very attentative on the phone, pre-sale anyways, its the post sale that counts but you have to take a chance on that wherever you buy from i guess

People spend a lot more money on other hobbies without being questioned, so if you've got the cash and you really want it, then get it and love it.

Have you ridden either of these bikes? Personally I'd recommend going to a good LBS or two (I'm sure CCers could recommend near you) and get on some bikes and listen to their advice. Then make your decision.

 

[Atyl1972]

excellent advice thank you, and yes i am new to cycling as in road bikes anyways and yes maybe the bike is a little more than i need for the reasons i want but i too look after my items etc. and see this as an investment into my cycling however as you said it is very very wise to find LBS that i can get the rapport with over time, i am test riding one of the bikes on Saturday but the other is not in stock and i will have to pay a deposit for them to get it into store and evidently i will lose the deposit if i don't like the bike, it is better looking than the one I'm going to ride so as long as frame fits with the one i will test then it should be good to go as they're both Cubes, thanks for the sound advice and its deffo taken on board

Only because I've seen a few other posts from yourself I presume you are quite new to cycling or at least road riding? I took up cycling 17 years ago when the kids wanted Dad to take them for a ride. I started off with a £90 Raleigh, went through two Marin hybrids (both stolen by some scrote) at around £400, spent £800 on a Monoc TC2 Concept (road bike) seven years ago and about 6 weeks ago spent £1580 on a Dolan Dual carbon. When I looked at the Dolan my LBS had a £2000 model in stock which I lusted after but ultimately couldn't justify £2k and went for the cheaper model. I would have felt guilty riding a £2k bike but I'm delighted with my Dolan at just under £1600. We're all different and it is ultimately down to individual choice. I bought the bikes which seemed appropriate for me at the time. Just before I retire - perhaps 5-8 years I shall buy another bike which I'll chose as appropriate at the time.

You can see I keep my bikes sometime and I have spent more each time as my horizons have expanded from taking the kids down the canal towpath to 5-6 day tours. My Monoc lasted me seven years and is still a very, very good bike and at £100 per year I reckon it was an excellent investment, hopefully the same will apply to my Dolan. I'm delighted my eldest boy (well 25) is now riding the Monoc and discovering the joys of cycling.

If you can afford it and it will bring you pleasure then buy what you want but I would caution this. Avoid buying a bike which is more than you need. It's my view, others may correct me, that a bike can limit the rider's potential but if you go too high, too soon you'll miss the benefit of upgrading as you go along - you will hold the bike back rather than the reverse. Find a local LBS you feel comfortable with now and will do for some years, start a relationship with them. Explain carefully what you want to achieve and follow their advice. My experience is I have changed bikes each time I felt the bike was holding me back, for example my Dolan lets me do my 11 mile training run 2 mins 40 secs faster than ever before.

The uses you mention suggest you need something which is comfortable, fast, useable for touring or long weekend rides and responsive for commuting. I think that's quite a big ask and is why I suggest finding a good LBS.

 

[slowmotion]

It would be a shame to spend that sort of money and find that you didn't really take to cycling. On the other hand, it could work in the other direction. When I bought my first bike a couple of years ago, I deliberately spent what I then thought was quite a lot of money (£450) because I wanted to feel a bit guilty if I didn't use it much. It worked. Now I'm hopelessly addicted.

You are lucky to be in the position that you are.

 

[Atyl1972]

wow thanks i helped, I'm chuffed now and there was me looking for help,lol...yes i AGREE ( pun intended ) these are so aesthetically pleasing its unbelievable, i cannot wait until Saturday to ride the one of them and I'm sure if i like that then I'm only gonna love the GTC SL and then place the order no doubt, let me know how you get on and i will do the same, thanks again....

Hello,twenty four years i have been cycling.Worked my way slowly up to a Spesh Secteur Elite 61cm just last year.Wonderful bike.But already looking to top it.I am 6'4" so frame sizing is a nightmare for me.But your posting has sorted me out.I love the Agree sl.64cm and sloping tube.Dealer in Tadcaster a hop skip and jump away.£1500 and another step up in components.And what a paint job.I love the grey colour scheme on the Secteur,but the Agree even blows that out of the water.
So you have nailed my choice.So i shall be shifting out a couple of bikes (sadly) but i need to raise the cash towards this Cube.
On a serious note thank you for posting because i would never had looked at Cube.Both bikes you are looking at are quality either one will be a pleasure to own and ride.

 

[Atyl1972]

nah not at all i appreciate all comments whether i agree or not, not sure i know exactly what the diff of components wise for the bikes, but IMHO the aesthetics are different and I'm assuming that comps will be too at some level however, i believe the GTC SL does have some Dura Ace on there

Unless the £2k is significantly better specced than the £1600 one, I'd get the cheaper one. Over a certain price you are still getting a very good piece of kit, so the price just becomes a number. If you were debating on a £500 and a £1k bike, I'd go for the more expensive one, but at £1600 and £2000, there can't be that much difference.

Saying that, it's your money and you are free to think I'm an idiot and spend 2 grand on a bike and make me very jealous

 

[Atyl1972]

could be lucky or just plain stupid, time will tell i guess but i like the philosophy you had when you bought your bike, and yes i think guilt will come into it and give me that little bit more motivation and of course if there are any admiring glances from passers by

It would be a shame to spend that sort of money and find that you didn't really take to cycling. On the other hand, it could work in the other direction. When I bought my first bike a couple of years ago, I deliberately spent what I then thought was quite a lot of money (£450) because I wanted to feel a bit guilty if I didn't use it much. It worked. Now I'm hopelessly addicted.

You are lucky to be in the position that you are.

 

[brockers]

My Brother-in-Law started on a £600 trek bike a few months ago... he's now signed up for the Etape du Tour and went out and bought a Wilier Gran Turismo last week (£3850 of bike!!) but he's a Dentist who owns his own practice so I guess that's comfortably within his budget.

And when he's realised he's barely any faster on a 4 grand bike, he'll wonder why he bothered !

 

[Bicycle]

Bikes are like guitars.

Both will do the job.

exbfb.... I'm afraid I have some grave news for you.

I've just returned from an extensive 2-year study of similarities between bicycles and guitars.

Neither is anything like the other.

Did you perhaps mean instead to make a comparison between helicopters and smoke alarms?

That's what my next extensive 2-year study is about.