Cycling UK Forum

Hey all,

so... i'm having a hard time narrowing down a bike.

I keep going round in circles, it's not helped in the fact there's no real bike shops near me that I'm able to get to to have a ride and test anything, the shops close to me don't offer trials and the rest are miles away.

So i'm stuck with what I think looks cool, and a budget.

I'm looking around the £3,000 max level, which seems to give a decent array of options but I'm torn. I don't want to buy the wrong bike and regret it.

The shortlist:

Orbea Orca 2024 M30i - £2699
So this is my "nearest" shop option. It's where I had a bike fit, they've offered this bike, it would be new, set up for me and I'd go out the door sorted. It's Di2 105 groupset. The wheels aren't great but I could swap those long term easily enough.

Cube Cross - £1999
https://www.wheelbase.co.uk/product/cyc ... line-2024/
one of the online options. Now it shares Di2 105 groupset, but leaves alot in the budget for road wheels and tyre - would adding Zipp 303s make this an alround better bike than the orbea? or is the orbea a better bike and once i've put better wheels on it's pretty much as good as i'll ever need?

Cannondale Supersix - £2899
https://www.wheelbase.co.uk/product/roa ... -2023-chk/ same situation as the orca really although it would be online purchase and not setup for me.

There's also the Merida Reacto Team which I'm keen on.... Cervelo Soloist.... Trek Madone if I push the budget a hundred quid or so I could get the new model with Aeolus wheels..... ARGH!!!!!

too many choices.

In terms of what I ride, 100% on the road. I don't do gravel, don't do offroad, just road.

my Roubaix lives on a turbo trainer. This bike will be ridden throughout 2025, If I'm lucky by the end of the year I'll add a dedicated winter bike to the mix (which is what's pushing me toward the cube, this could become my winter bike and I'll get a newer road centric bike at that point)

I'm lost! too many options. Is it really just a case of rule of cool - go with what looks nicest to me and be happy, or, will I realistically notice the performance between these bikes.

I really just want to be comfortable. My speed will increase as I get fitter so I'm not rushing to get the "fastest" bike. I want something that looks good but allows me to ride further by being more comfortable (that being said, I don't want to cycle an armchair up a hill! of course a balance is needed)

Is the Orca the best option simply by it being professionally set up for me?

yep think you're right.

Guess I'll just make a shortlist of what looks nice and fits the budget and then pester you lot for advice haha

yeah looked at the york rally, seems to be the best out there.

I agree though, sales habits have changed inline with buying habits sadly.

shame.

I mean I can see the negatives certainly, and it's not so much killer prices, the current sales prices would be fine, just be a good event to go to to see alot of things in one place.

Guess I just need to hunt down a large cycling store and go that route.

Hi all,

wondered if anyone could recommend a show/exhibition?

as much as I like seeing all the new tech and all the shiny stuff I'll never buy i'd be really keen to attend a show and come away with stuff!

do trade shows exist and I'm just not seeing them?

I'd love to go to an end of year event that the shops take their sales stuff and let people like me come have a look and buy it!

Other hobbies i've had have all had this type of event just can't find anything for cycling.

Be great to be able to go to a show, grab a cheap jersey, or new bike or whatever.

Anything exist or have all this type of thing gone since covid? My local shops barely have anything in to look at anymore either, used to be full of bikes to choose from.

well... slight change on plan....
I had thought a gravel would be the right direction and had had a look at some of the suggestions so thank you for that, however!!

Wife has now decided she'd quite like to do relay duathlons together, which does sound good to me too. Which will somewhat move the direction of the new bike. I don't really want a TT bike (which i'd expect would mostly be the "best" bike to go for) so looking toward some of the more aero bikes of the world.

any suggestions here?

I think i'll likely keep my other bikes as winter rides, making the new one, dedicated event bike. So for me personally it'll be for sportives, with wifey it'll be doing shorter and flatter events.

So somewhat light, somewhat aero to tick both camps? I mean we're not looking to win these things but do want to do our level best to not be last lol

Hi all,
so i've just come back to cycling after a few years off (hip replaced and now so just trying to get back to normal)
anyway! Technology seems to have moved on in those short years. Aero isn't the be all and end all, disc breaks everywhere and fat tyres.
interesting!
Having tried a 28mm tyre I can now see why people like wider and next year (or at the end of this one) I'm tempted to move to a bike with wider clearance to allow for this.

HOWEVER

Good Lord have bikes gotten expensive!!! I remember £1000 being the point in which Carbon was pretty much guaranteed and you'd get some models with 105 stuff. Whilst I appreciate times change and ally frames are no doubt better than they were but holy moly!

So, for my tightness and not wanting to spend crazy money on a bike, I was wondering what would be a good bike to look out for?

I ride purely on the road, no bumpy stuff if I can help it
my road riding is mostly a short 20 mile ride with a friend once a week, then a longer ride once a month of about 50 miles (I have a turbo hack that will stay where it is for training rides)
We're aiming to do some organised rides next year which again will be about 50 miles or so.
I'd like to fit wider tyres circa 32mm.
Ideally I'm wanting it to be a year round bike - don't really want one for summer and one for winter. 1 Bike to rule them all!
I'd like (mainly because I like how it looks....sorry) a 1x12 setup. But not sure if this is really wise!
I live in Suffolk which of course is mostly flat but I do like to take my bike with me on holiday so hills are "possible"
I really prefer carbon!

I'm thinking Gravel is the way to go - maybe a Specialised Crux?

£1500 maximum, what should I look at?

grand, that's the main thing. If it's just down to price that's fine but of course, always best to sell these things when people are using them.

Well here's hoping.

Hi all, so i'm selling the battaglin I build - hip injury is seeing me off for a few years it seems (long waiting list now obviously) and it seems a waste to have two bikes sitting there idle.

Just wondered if it's a good time to sell? I'm hoping to get around £1,000 for it, it's well worth it. So are people still buying at the moment or should I wait a month or two?

indeed! have to get the tool box out and get a decent file...

it'll be 2 weeks rest, then I can drive. But 6 months recovery, which can include stationary cycling, so i'll be on the turbo I think - have to see what physio says at that point.

Oh well, least it'll be getting fixed and my years and years of bad knees finally has a reason behind it.

have to go back to judo after this as i'll actually be able to move better haha

mikeymo wrote:Preferably electric (the car).

I'll probably need to change my car soon. Some of my commutes aren't really bikeable, except the last few miles. I've got access to a Honda Jazz. Which I can get the bike in with the front wheel off. Though I'm not crazy about the car itself.

My ideal car is a traditional flat back estate. I'd like something small/medium with lowish fuel consumption.

Anybody got any suggestions for a car that's easy to get a bike in and out of? Anybody got a Leaf?

Cheers.

depends largely on budget. I mean I'd go Volvo every day of the week - by far the most comfortable thing to drive and with their hybrid engine (if it's in budget) it's a great cheap to run choice. We have an XC60 and love EVERY mile.

that being said, my company car is a 1.5tdci Focus, which whilst being the most boring car ever made, does fit my road bike in the back without removing anything...can't fit anything else in the back but it does go in.

I've been thinking of the same thing as you - and interestingly, people give largely the same responses of "take both wheels off and it'll fit in anything" or "just get a tow rack" or similar. BUT if you actually want to put your bike in a car these replies aren't great.

If you want the bike upright, you're very limited, not many vehicles will have the head-height to do that even with front wheel off.

You could, think slightly outside the box and go for a transit tourneo connect, I think you can just about get the bike in without taking anything off.

plenty of other van type cars similar.

Personally, i'm going the VW T5 route for bike duties and then keeping the company car for the dull stuff. But all down to what you want to spend and what you really want it to do for you.

well MRI complete - no tear!

however, the report does instead suggest, femoroacetabular impingement, so GP time for an Xray, but physio and radiologist suggest it's likely to need surgery given the findings.

wonderful! but we're a long way off that I think, given the timescales on NHS I don't think i'll feature too high on the list

two bikes, same issue.

Sending rollers back.

Bike feels great on the road but the rollers seem screwed think i'll stick to the turbo.

we seem to be there!

no levers, new tubes went in a treat! (no toes straps either so i'm getting there haha)

Now, took it for a short (like 300m) roll down the road, no bumps and felt great!

HOWEVER!!!

on the roller, there's still a very noticeable bump. So i'm guessing the rollers are buggered or poor bearing? Or do I just need much more pressure in the tyre to stop it happening?

you're my hero!

a change at the moment takes me about 30 minutes, 3 plaster, swearing and a pinched tube...

i'll have another try using the above advice (combination of) and see how I get on. Very hopeful it's just a pinched tube mixed with wrong size tube.

hopefully actually get to ride this ruddy bike before long