Carbon Road Bike

Nebulous2

Ebay is quite a minefield, with a lot of things not being quite what they seem. If you can get a bike that somebody hasn't used much with a significant reduction then it can be a very good.

You can just as easily get a bike with dodgy provenance, worn parts and some damage.

I'd go to a bike shop, get to sit on some bikes and get some advice on sizing. Remember that drop bars and 'twitchy' handling takes a bit of getting used to.

Planet X are doing a carbon frame with full ultegra for under £1000 which is liked by many people, but unless you are near them you would still be taking a huge gamble on you liking it and it fitting.

The £1k price point is predominantly aluminium. I'm not a fan of Giant, but the Defy 1 has been a consistent top performer at that price and you might be able to get last year's model reduced. If you do go for aluminium try to get a carbon fork.

thescouselander

I've ridden both carbon and aluminium bikes and in my mind there's not that much difference between them. There will certainly be no significant difference in how fast you can go or how tired you get.

As for what to go for, if you're going to spend £1000 on a second hand bike you might as well go for carbon.

And for the new option I would also recommend the Giant Defy (aluminium) - actually I own a Defy 1 and I've found it comfortable and it zips along with no problems.

Overall I think it would be difficult to buy a bad bike for £1000.

Marco_Panettone

C_Mababejive wrote: »

Can anyone comment on the difference between riding a carbon bike instead of a steel/ali bike? i seem to get quite worn out after only a short run on my steel bike, or is it just me thats knackered?

Aluminium gives a harsher ride than either steel or carbon, which can be tiring as every bump on the road goes straight through the arms. Steel has a much softer feel, as does carbon - they're both much more forgiving. I've never ridden titanium so can't comment on that as a frame material.


Weight-wise nothing beats carbon, but it's only really an issue after a few hours in the saddle, or going up hill. However, you could have a 7kg bike with a steel frame or a 15kg bike with a steel frame, so there's more to overall weight than the frame.


It's probably you...

pinkteapot

C_Mababejive wrote: »

Can anyone comment on the difference between riding a carbon bike instead of a steel/ali bike? i seem to get quite worn out after only a short run on my steel bike, or is it just me thats knackered?

I don't think that's the material so much as the fact it's a mountain bike.

I went from a MTB to a hybrid (not even a full road-bike) and was immediately 20% faster for no extra effort.

The weight of the bike played a part but I think a far bigger point was the gearing. My hybrid has higher gearing - gears that you can comfortably push on a road (you couldn't on an off-road uphill!) and get you fast speed at lower revs (leg spinning rate).

Also felt like the larger wheels made a difference.

Don't buy anything on eBay if you haven't test-ridden that model. I spent ages looking at specs online and decided on a couple of models. I then got something different after test-riding bikes at my local bike shop and finding the fit (geometry) of the brand I'd picked out just didn't feel comfortable for me, despite adjustments. Hopped on my bike and it fit like a glove and just *felt* like my bike.

C_Mababejive

Thanks people, i guess im just knackered but i dont feel or look it. I have a good bmd, recovering pulse rate,very good bp etc..i guess i just need to train up a bit aerobically ..apologies for the slight digression.

Johnmcl7

C_Mababejive wrote: »

Thanks people, i guess im just knackered but i dont feel or look it. I have a good bmd, recovering pulse rate,very good bp etc..i guess i just need to train up a bit aerobically ..apologies for the slight digression.

It's probably worth starting your own topic so people can get more detail and give you some suggestions which should hopefully help. I would say there is more to cycling than just general fitness though as it takes time to adapt to the movements required. When I first started cycling which was only short commutes it felt harder going than I expected as my general fitness was good but it took a bit of time to adapt. Similarly when I started mountain biking which needs a different style again to cope with the big hills, I found the climbs hard going but got used to them and now fine with mountain biking. I think my fitness is probably a bit better but the improvement is mainly due to getting used to cycling, it's funny how different even just road cycling and mountain biking are.

With regards to the topic, I'd recommend either seeing if local stores hire road bikes or if there's any upcoming demo days so you can get an idea of what you're looking to buy. When I decided to add a road bike alongside my mountain bikes I had decided on a carbon bike with one of the upper groupsets but after trying bikes out I went with an aluminium bike (carbon fork) and Tiagra groupset. It's obviously not as light as a carbon bike but it still feels far lighter and quicker than my hybrid never mind my mountain bikes. I appreciate the logic in the difference in feel between carbon, steel and aluminium but I found all of them for road bikes felt stiff compared to the MTB's unsurprisingly.

I'm not in any way claiming carbon bikes are pointless as I very much know they aren't but for me and for my use I've been fine with my choice so I think it is important to try bikes before buying.

John

Hanky_Panky

daivid wrote: »

If solely talking about road bikes carbon and steel are the only materials I would consider (but I may be a snob).

Steel is durable, repairable (within reason) and is a material that flexes allowing for a frame to be built that is rigid in the key places to transfer power but has some give in others to reduce vibrations and produce a comfortable ride. But not all steel bikes are created equally, the particular steel alloy used and of course craftsmanship makes the difference between a heavy pig of a bike and an awsome road machine.

Main differences with carbon: it is effectively unrepairable, less durable (particularly regarding knocks and scrapes), it is also lighter and can be layerd up to have much more precise areas of strength and flexibility. As with steel, not all carbon bikes are equal, design and build quality are key.

To my mind aluminium is a second choice material for a road bike, in some ways a worst of both worlds. Aluminium is rigid so gives a harsher ride, potentially less durable and repairable than steel (better than carbon though). But it is the material of choice for entry level road bikes and will produce a reasonably light bike at a reasonable price (allowing more to be spent on key components).

Now regarding weight, the diffence between a quality carbon and comparable steel frame will be a couple of hundred grams at most, as lightweight bikes are around 7kg this is pretty insignificant to the majority of cyclists. It would be much easier for me to reduce my weight by 5kg than my bike by 1kg.

As for feeling tired, weight of the bike may play a part (especially if your ride is hilly). My 'hack bike' is noticeably heavier (about 4kg) than the 'best bike'. There is a huge difference in how well they go even on the flat as far more significant than weight are the quality of the drivetrain, wheels and tyres. If I was to swap the components over I'm sure the hack would outperform the best despite the carbon frame and forks versus Steel.

Apparently you can repair a carbon frame easier than an aluminium one.

Hanky_Panky

thescouselander wrote: »

I've ridden both carbon and aluminium bikes and in my mind there's not that much difference between them. There will certainly be no significant difference in how fast you can go or how tired you get.

As for what to go for, if you're going to spend £1000 on a second hand bike you might as well go for carbon.

And for the new option I would also recommend the Giant Defy (aluminium) - actually I own a Defy 1 and I've found it comfortable and it zips along with no problems.

Overall I think it would be difficult to buy a bad bike for £1000.

I have two Defys - an aluminium one with full guards etc for wet weather duty and a carbon one for better weather/summer. I love them both but the carbon one is much nicer to ride even with exactly the same groupset on it.

OP - you certainly can't go far wrong with any Defy, they get good reviews because they are. If you can get sized (possibly at your local Giant dealer then look online for a second hand one which is in your budget. Things to consider are: frame material, ally or carbon. Groupset/gears, I would suggest looking for Shimano 105 or above. Other makes are available and certain people will only ever use one make or another. Finally, wheels. You most likely wouldn't be able to tell one from another so in the first instance I wouldn't worry too much about them. If you really get into cycling then you will almost certainly buy better wheels at some point anyway, they are easy to change.

I would also seriously consider a new one from Planet X, they are really good value and I haven't heard people being disappointed with them.

Oh - and you lucky git getting a place.

frisbeej

Hanky_Panky wrote: »

Apparently you can repair a carbon frame easier than an aluminium one.

Yep.


And I would say its more repairable than steel as well.

dotdash79

Another option is to speak to local cycling clubs and see if people are looking to sell an old bike.