allez v btwin alur 700

[grellboy]

Hi everyone, this is my first post to this forum, although I am not a complete novice when it comes to cycling.
looking to ditch my Boardman hybrid for a road bike. Funds are not unlimited so have narrowed it down to a choice btwin (see what I did there!!?) a Specialized Allez 2014 (Claris groupset) and a bwtin alur 700 (2014 model with "mostly 105" groupset components apparently!). The btwin is £150 more and extra headache that no finance options available. What I want to know is, as a keen weekend "fun rider" (40 miles or so) and daily commuter, would I find a massive difference between the allez and the btwin worth the extra money? Or, due to the fact that I would be new to a road bike, would the cheaper allez be enough to impress me anyway when compared to the fact that I would be coming from a hybrid?

 

[raleighnut]

Depends how good the hybrid is but 105 over Claris is always worth the money.

 

[grellboy]

In what way would I notice and appreciate the difference between Claris and 105?

 

[Big Dave laaa]

http://road.cc/content/news/111539-first-ride-b’twin-alur-700 Btwin gets an excellent review here if you're interested.

Claris is only 8 speed on the back, whereas the latest 105 is 11 speed. The 105 will be noticeably smoother than the Claris if you tested them side by side but in isolation a well set-up Claris system would seem adequate.

 

[Fubar]

One thing you may/may not wish to factor in is after-sales service - Decathlon can be a bit hit and miss, seems to depend on the mechanic you get (I know my local store employs students) on the day and the booking system is, well non-existant. I love my Triban 3 which is now in use as a winter bike but have tended to take it elsewhere for servicing and repairs. Just a thought.

 

[grellboy]

Thank you for your input, been out on my Boardman hybrid this morning and kept getting bike envy over all the road bikes around me lol! I am kind of thinking along Big Dave's lines....that moving to a Claris system on the Allez will still feel like an improvement on what I've got at moment: which incidentally is SRAM x5. Decisions, decisions!

 

[Scoosh]

You really should go and have a test ride on both of them, especially if you haven't ridden much on drop bars. One will likely feel better than t'other - and might even feel 'just right'.

If neither feel right, don't buy - keep looking. There are plenty of bikes to choose from, so try (hard, I know ) not to let your excitement and enthusiasm run away ...

 

[Cold Snail]

I've got an earlier base model 16 speed Allez from 2012 (not even Claris) and I'm more than happy how it rides compared to my hybrid.
It changes gear when I want it to, is comfortable over 100 miles and is a good 3-4mph faster overall.

 

[Cyclist33]

I cannot vouch for either bike from personal experience. But the alur of that decathlon bike is hard to deny. It looks great in the flesh. And weighs up nicely too.

It looks as though the wheelset is quite good too.

 

[grellboy]

Cyclist 33: gotta love a nice bike pun, you framed it perfectly!

 

[WelshJon]

I've got a Allez sport, which is just an extra gear ( sora instead of claris) and a carbon fork.
Its my first and only road bike so I love it but had to tweak it by fitting a shorter stem as I found the geometry quite 'racy ' and aggressive