For ages I’ve been looking to invest* in a brand new, good quality road racer after years of buying 2nd hand. In fact I haven’t ever owned a brand new bike - had used ones since my very first Tomahawk at the age of 4
but even that is €2000 euros and even though I could probably rationalise it as a good investment* I can’t really afford that
So, bike knowledgeable DiS, please help me find something lovely in the €800-€1200 range
what do you suggest?
*a monthly travelcard in Stockholm is close to €90 now and Stockholm is so eminently cyclable that every time I’m on public transport I feel like I’m just pissing money away so as long as the bike doesn’t get lost, damaged or stolen it should easily pay for itself over a few years
There’s a good guide at the Bike Radar link below, but honestly, I’d say get down your local bike shop and ride a few around the car park. I had my heart set on a Bianchi or Cannondale, tried them and liked them but also tried a Specialized and loved it so bought that. Definitely worth trying a few, even if you’re not gonna buy that day.
Depending what you’re using it for, if it’s just commuting and medium rides I’d be tempted to go with a gravel or cross bike, would only go full road if you want to properly belt about on it on the weekends
I’ve got the Tarmac SL4 Sagan. It’s blingy af and I didn’t really like the finish when I saw it but it felt that good to ride so I knew it was the one. And I spent hours poring over specs of other bikes online as well.
Allez gets a good write up too.
(I love the finish now mind you. Looks amazing in the sun, not that we get much of that up here.)
to expand on this: it ain’t the bike you ride (though i’m sure some would disagree), it’s you / how it fits you.
my two road bikes are decathlon specials. i have an ultra af 700 for short “quick” rides: it has rim brakes and is fairly light for an alu bike. it cost me £550 originally, and yeah, while i slowly upgraded bits (wheels, tyres, crankset) and wore out consumables, it’s a lovely bike. however, the geo is a bit… uncomf for what i spend my time doing, endurance riding, and after doing a 600km ride and getting a lot of hand discomfort i bought another bike. i still ride it sometimes (though not at the moment) - i’ve racked up over 15000km on it
my other bike is a triban rc520: disc brakes, endurance / comfy geometry, has all the mounts you could want - for mudguards and racks if you fancy, and clearance for big tyres. i fucking love it. i will be riding paris-brest-paris on this £729 steed while my mate i’m doing it with will be on a ridiculous titanium monster, yet we’re basically the same ability when it comes down to it. i have swapped the wheels out for something decent, and tyres too. added mudguards, it means i can ride it all year.
that said, you actually have to want to ride the bike you’ve got. if you don’t look at it and feel “yeah I want to go out for a ride” then you’re fucked.
problem is that the options for trying things out are a bit limited in Sweden to the high end specialist stuff (there is both a Bianchi store & a Specialized/S-Works store within walking distance of where I live) or the Scandinavian brands like Crescent …otherwise it’s internet
