To carbon or not to carbon?

[jamin100]

When I first started cycling I brought a Boardman CX team. I brought this mainly for commuting 20 miles to work and back. have upgraded it a bit and got GP4000s 25c road tyres on.

Circumstances have now changed and Im working a lot nearer to home (2 miles) and am finding that I'm going out on longer (up to 60 miles) at the weekend.

Im thinking about getting a proper road bike, firstly as I want something with a larger cassette to help up the hills and something a bit lighter.

The CX team comes in roughly at 10.5KG..

Im eying up either a Planet X RT-85 Tiagra (alloy) £650
http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXRT58ALUTIA/planet-x-rt-58-alloy-shimano-tiagra-road-bike

Or Planet X Pro Carbon SRAM Rival £1000
http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXSLPRIV13/planet-x-pro-carbon-sram-rival-road-bike

So, i guess my question is, will i notice a massive difference with either of the 2 bikes over my CX team

Out of the 2, is the carbon worth the extra £350?

Thanks!

 

[derrick]

Carbon is not necessarily lighter, cheap carbon bikes can be heavy.

 

[jamin100]

Rt-85 = 8.84KG
Carbon pro = 8.1KG

 

[Hacienda71]

I like Sram and I suspect Rival is quite a bit lighter than Tiagra. The Planet X pro carbon gets good reviews. You will get a few people on here who swear by their CAAD 9 and 10's, I like my carbon and I like PlanetX, so I would say go for it . The main difference I found from my alloy frame is the almost complete lack of road buzz while still being stiff. A bit like steel but lighter and less flex than 531.

 

[burndust]

i'm in the same position...running a cx team but considering a carbon roadie but cant decide what to go for tbh...had not considered planet x dont know much about them but they seem very well specd for the money tbh...another brand added to the ever growing list lol

 

[jamin100]

I'm very tempted with the carbon pro as I like SRAM double tap shifters and don't think I could get on with the thumb thing of the tiagra

 

[vickster]

Tiagra doesn't have a thumb button

Rival is good, smoother than Apex

Go carbon, but it won't be as practical a bike as a CX

 

[jamin100]

My commute is only just over 2 miles now so not a problem.

How does tiagra shift then?
Looking at the pics it seems to have some thumb things to change back down

 

[vickster]

Same as 105, shift with the brake lever itself and a paddle similar to SRAM, one up one down

 

[jamin100]

Hmmm

I'm really undecided between the 2 then

 

[vickster]

Go Rival if you like double tap

 

[Hacienda71]

With Tiagra the paddle shifts up into a higher gear on the rear the brake lever shifts down. Sram it is double tap so only the paddle moves with the brake lever rigid side to side. As Vickster said.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

What sort of massive difference are you looking for?

 

[jamin100]

Mainly easier on hills
Does 2kg make a difference

 

[vickster]

How heavy are you? Being on the larger size (and orthopaedically challenged), I am not much quicker up hills on the carbon bike than a laden steelie