Selling motorbike, buying roadie

[MattHB]

Ok, after realising that the huge tourer motorbike that I have sitting in the garage on a battery maintainer is totally not matching my needs I've decided to sell her. Bit of a wrench, but it's a huge monster and wasted.

She should fetch about £2800 when I sell in a few months, so I'm going to buy a smaller 600 bandit for emergency powered transport (I still really must have this). What I'll do is put back about £1300 for a decent roadie, and put some cash over a few months towards the petrol powered replacement.


So a few what bike questions I'm afraid. I need a large frame, I'm 6ft 5 and will be about 15st 7 by then (and dropping!). Compact chain set as I'm still a woose on hills. Been reading quite a bit and know a little about group sets.

I'm planning to get some pretty serious miles in. I can already do 40 easy on a heavy hybrid, so would like to be able to stay comfy for 3-4+ hours.

Reading around a can even get 105 groupset for that kinda money (I know that LBS is good for a few hundred off) such as the cannondale synapse 105 easily and have quite a bit of change. Spesh secteur comp looks lovely (drool)

Am I looking at the right kit? Any other suggestions? If I can I'd like to stick to primera sports in Dorset as their service has proved invaluable with the 2 crosstrails we bought at the end of the summer. But I might be tempted away if there's something else that's worth it.

Got a while to think about this and get it as spot on as possible.

Cheers in advance.

 

[MattHB]

Ok, looks like I might well sell the motorbike this weekend, so I'm really in the market now.

Upto £1300.

Needs to be comfy for distance
Not frightened of getting wet sometimes
High quality
Capable of fitting a 6ft 5 person of 15.5 stone


Ribble spec it yourself looks attractive.

Advice please! This is a whole heap of dough and I don't want to make a mistake!

Cheers

 

[MattHB]

Anyone?

 

[G-Zero]

I know how you feel Matt, I had to let my '09 CB1300 go a year ago to fund block paving of all things !

Loads of choice at the money you've got, but a really good deal was mentioned to me at my LBS last week, and that's the 2012 Cube Agree GTC, carbon frame and 105 spec at £1250.

You'd need to check yourself re the frame size though

 

[vickster]

Have a ride at your local LBS? You say that you want to buy from them, seems the sensible place to start. The Secteurs are very popular bikes, a bit ubiquitous for me but doesn't make them bad, and you like the look of the comp - 105 all round and nicely in budget at £1200. You can probably find an older model with Ultegra bits, but you'd likely need to buy online - have a look at Chain Reaction Cycles sale for example, Focus offer good vfm, as do Cube

£1300ish I got full carbon from my LBS, built to fit me right, with SRAM Apex... lovely bike ...however useless for commuting... you can get a lot of bike for that money Full carbon probably isn't ideal for every day usage although plenty of people do

happy shopping

 

[MattHB]

Thanks folks. I can get the secteur comp for £1k from LBS, which seems like a good deal. It's going to be down to fit. I need a big frame, and I'm not sure spesh will go that big in road format, cannondale seem to go upto to 63 in some models.

It's a mine field!!!

I'm keeping the crosstrail for commuting, the roadie will be for pure enjoyment/training rides. So hopefully I'll have the best of both worlds.

 

[G-Zero]

I'm keeping the crosstrail for commuting, the roadie will be for pure enjoyment/training rides. So hopefully I'll have the best of both worlds.

I'm hoping to do something similar, except I was originally planning on keeping the MTB.

After seeing what the cross bike can do off road, it's more than enough for my offroad and commuting needs, so I'm toying with selling it to part fund a road bike.

 

[Hacienda71]

It depends on the riding you intend doing. Sportive, racing, touring. You should be looking above 105 at that price though either Ultegra or equivelant.
Titanium would be my choice at £1000 to £1500 Planet X do one a little over your price point here Sizes upto 6'6" in an XXL, Sram force are a decent groupset. Or if you are confident go second hand you could get a cacking bike for that money.

 

[Andrew_P]

I commuted all of last spring/summer/ and October on a Specialized Roubaix, the carbon equivelent of a Sectuer.

I bought an N+1 for winter commuting which was a CX, after my hybrid got stolen. With hindsight I should have just bought a cheap hybrid for the knocking about with kids and put crud catchers on the Roubaix and carried on commuting on that, as it makes the the ride so much more enjoyable.

What I am saying is buy a bike and ride it on your commute, don't keep it as best and deny yourself the fun of riding it daily!!

The Secteur/Roubaix have sloping top tubes which I guess you know and are marketed as relaxed and not an out and out racer, this suited me and @ 5ft 10" I fit nicely on the 54"

You really need to test ride, at your height I would think this is even morre important and it will be a brave man to order a Ribble @ 6ft 5" without a test ride first. I would think arm and leg reach varibles at the avg height is fine but the taller you get the larger potential differences get. You might struggle to find an LBS that has invested in having a ex large frame on the off chance some local 6ft 5" wants ot test it out.

Wiggle do a 30 day return ride before you buy, not sure if they still do this?

Or if you have a larger retailer close to you like an Evans you might find they have a larger frame in stock for test rides, or a Specialzed Concept store maybe?

My personal preference is for a minimum of Shimano 105, SRAM apex is on my CX and it is no where near as slick to use on the front derailer

 

[Andrew_P]

Thanks folks. I can get the secteur comp for £1k from LBS, which seems like a good deal. It's going to be down to fit. I need a big frame, and I'm not sure spesh will go that big in road format, cannondale seem to go upto to 63 in some models.

I am 5ft 10" and rode a 54 and a 56 but the 54 felt the most natural and the specialized guide said the 54 was for upto 5ft 9"

On the Specialzed guide for your height the 61cm 6ft 3 to 6ft 6 http://www.evanscycles.com/product_document/file/b21/609/13c/46/specialized-roubaix-sizing-chart.pdf

Pretty confident that the Sectuer is an identical frame to the Roubaix

 

[MattHB]

seeing your point about not using it to commute. but my hybrid gets SO filthy in the rainy winter from commuting that I couldn't possibly inflict that on a nice roadie. I also commute on fridays along a sandy promenade, and back across a heath trail, so again, not going to happen Im sure youd agree!

Wiggle have got some huge money off deals at the moment, but as usual nothing in my size! which is just typical.

I sat on a friends secteur sport today, which was slightly smaller but I very much liked the more upright riding position compared to some of the more racey setups. Hopefully the M-bike will sell on sunday, then next week Ill pop into primera and see what theyve got to sit on, and Ill take it from there.

quite exciting really!

 

[G-Zero]

Ok, after realising that the huge tourer motorbike that I have sitting in the garage on a battery maintainer is totally not matching my needs I've decided to sell her. Bit of a wrench, but it's a huge monster and wasted.

Pure curiosity Matt, whatcha selling ?

 

[MattHB]

Pure curiosity Matt, whatcha selling ?

2002 triumph trophy 1200. bit of a wrench, but Ive not used her since mid october and my lifestyle now just doesnt warrant a huge tourer!

 

[G-Zero]

Nice bike, but it makes sense if you're not getting the use out of it.

Mate at work got a Rocket last year, absolutely immense 2300cc !!

 

[MattHB]

Nice bike, but it makes sense if you're not getting the use out of it.

Mate at work got a Rocket last year, absolutely immense 2300cc !!

I know crazy madness bike. Looks like you have to get off it to get it round corners!