I need a serious road bike

[I am Spartacus]

I know its only June.. but you'll need a winter hack as well..
( you dont want to be on your best bike for ever 'cept for racing and glory days )

will you be havin' another elongated thread for that tho?

 

[grafter]

I know its only June.. but you'll need a winter hack as well..

i got it covered i taking out a loan and getting a Cervelo S3 for that lol. i will bridge that gap when i come to it. maybe i get some winter wheels. who knows attitude changes when more into it down the road and i can make a better choice. right now i psychologically committed to a 1500 bike .

will you be havin' another elongated thread for that tho?

well maybe! you be the first to know lol. i thought this was cycling chat i'm just sharing my scientific approach . i been out of it so long and never did it properly. i thought it good to share ask questions and learn from real cyclists experiences so i can make better choice, instead of believing in hype and biased reviews. like i say i dont have many lbs where i live to get the right advice. in the end they a business trying to sell you one of theres. i dont want 2-3-4 bikes to cover all situations. i just want one for the same terrain every time.

 

[garrilla]

i got it covered i taking out a loan and getting a Cervelo S3 for that lol. i will bridge that gap when i come to it. maybe i get some winter wheels.

Did your scientific method not expose the lack of clearance on the S3 for the essential winter hack mudguards?

 

[grafter]

Did your scientific method not expose the lack of clearance on the S3 for the essential winter hack mudguards?

there you go even for £3500 no bike is perfect . so theres a 2 grand saving. i wont need another bike in winter because that's when i be writing another elongated thread. lol

mudguards are for wimps!

i not even got a bike yet! and i got more passion for cycling than you! lol

 

[rjkc600]

I bought a specialized Allez 27. Its my first bike for over 10 years, and £600 was my budget.

I am 6ft3, long legs, and got the 58cm frame. I wish id got the 61cm frame now though, as the 58 seems a little small when riding. I had to take the 58 as there are no 61cm Allez 27's left in the country.

And to think that all the shops were saying id need a 56cm frame, makes me wonder if they have any idea.

 

[grafter]

been to bike shop and sat on lots of different size road bikes and rode a couple. they were most helpful. it appears different bike brands use there own style of measurement. a 58cm on one brand is not the same as another. due to the style of frame. length of top tube. i need a 61cm, 60cm is still comfortable and may handle better. if i used 58cm it is uncomfortable and needs more reach to the handlebars especially the drops. fitting a bigger stem doesn't solve it. i'm sure some sort of ache would develop over long rides. a 175mm crank be fine for me.

@rjkc600

the frame size you treat as a yardstick. it best what feels natural,right to you in the end. if it felt too small or not right for whatever reason then you should of walked away/sent back. no way 56cm is too small for you. you live and learn.

i found this canyon bike fit system. it was fun to play with and gives you a close estimate. you can get your measurements to input from here it helps getting some figures first for yourself just in case bike shop doesn't know what they doing or has a fixed notion on what you want. then you know what other sizes you can try out.

instead of a winter hack going to use a indoor trainer.

 

[peanut]

stop faffing about Grafter and buy a decent used bike of good quality like this one. This bike is gorgeous and worth twice the asking price.
Wish I could afford it I'd buy it in a flash.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Saracen-Tourmalet-with-ultegra-and-shimano-105-set-up_W0QQitemZ250443838458QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Bikes_GL?hash=item3a4f9db3fa&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A1|66%3A2|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A3|294%3A50

 

[grafter]

not really faffing about just trying to be wise making bigger purchase and quality important to me. i catching up and just looking for something that meets more what i want. if i don't know whats available i cant make a good decision right. i am technically minded. i cant get around to other end of country. plus that not what i want. thanks for that. i want something more pro. i found bikes i want but not in my size. i learnt alot in several days already. the Shimano 105 is fine and with the extra saving i get some decent wheels.

i think i steer clear of carbon cheap or otherwise. i keeping bike long time so i want something durable. carbon stresses and not been tested over long time. when carbon shatters it can result in more nasty accident. i feel safer on a steel/aluminium bike that i can give it some welly.

be nice to know some favored custom bike builders other than mentioned.

apologies if this thread sounds like a blog.

 

[peanut]

i think i steer clear of carbon cheap or otherwise.

carbon stresses and not been tested over long time.

what are you banging on about ?

The bike frame I suggested is aluminium not carbon.Read the ad again.


Carbon framed bikes have been around for more than 10 years so there is plenty of history .How long do you intend to keep this bike 50 years ?

You want a 'pro' bike well all the pros use carbon. I doubt there will be anything else used in the Tour de France

 

[grafter]

i know it isn't carbon. i wasn't referring about that bike. bike is fine but i already said i want something better. if i buy that i have to buy again. i had too many crap bikes. i don't want Saracen make for starters. read the above paragraph again too lol

it is only recently that they knocking out carbon bikes using cheaper process, hence the cheaper price. the bikes from 10 years ago will of used a better process. 5 years after punishment hows it gonna be? the bikes for Tour De France are only used for 3 weeks and no doubt higher quality. carbon handlebars and seat posts snap later when they been over tightened. they snap full stop a steel/alloy/aluminum would of not in the same circumstances. lets see how those cheaper carbon Ribble frames are in 5 years+. they have a crap customer service. if they dont give shoot about there customers...

Ribble are a bunch of idiots and crooks. You risk serious hassle if you
have anything to do with them.

I visited Ribble and had a good old look at their frames. On the surface they looked fine. However, whilst there a guy was complaining about exactly the same problem you have - creaking! The response he got from the guy at Ribble was such that they couldn't give a damn about the fact the frame was just over 12 months old!

sure pro bikes are carbon but some are not. if you in a race then every second counts and the lighter bike will help. i not in a race. i got pros telling me carbon is over rated anyway! you can get a steel bike weighing under 18 pounds!

it sounds like most of you ride commuters around here and any old crap will do.

i thought it good to ask questions. its ok i go where theres more expert advice. i wouldn't be 'faffing about' and 'bangin on' if i got that. thanks alot.

 

[grafter]

The UCI weight limit is 15lb. Up the Alps, the winner is the guy with the strongest legs. - most of the time

given our roughly 4-pound range from a full steel bike to a super-light carbon or aluminum bike, the time difference up this hill would be 24 seconds from best to worst.

most weight conscious people aren't bringing their bikes down to 15 pounds because down at that weight, the handling gets very sketchy.

 

[jimboalee]

given our roughly 4-pound range from a full steel bike to a super-light carbon or aluminum bike, the time difference up this hill would be 24 seconds from best to worst.

most weight conscious people aren't bringing their bikes down to 15 pounds because down at that weight, the handling gets very sketchy.

OK, so if you know all about it, why are you asking us?

 

[grafter]

i didn't. i found that out waiting for answers.