First road bike choice

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weebeanysbro
Posts: 11
Joined: 16 Jun 2021, 3:34pm

First road bike choice

Post by weebeanysbro »

Hey folks, I have the choice of the below 4 bikes as my first road bike. It will mainly be used for commuting and half day weekend cycles and next year i'm thinking about doing a triathlon.
  • trek domane al 2, rim brake, claris €800

    cannondale CAAD optimo 4, rim brake, clairis, €1k I understand the optimo is the only one of these that has a more racy geometry so leaning against this one.

    cannondale synapse, mech disc brakes, sora, €1,350

    Orbea avant 550, rim brakes, sora €1k
https://99spokes.com/compare?bikes=trek ... t-h50-2020
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TrevA
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Joined: 1 Jun 2007, 9:12pm
Location: Nottingham

Re: First road bike choice

Post by TrevA »

A lot will depend on what bikes are in stock, there is virtually zero availability on sub £1500 bikes at the moment.

I’ve had a Domane in the past and was pretty happy with it. I currently have a Cannondale Caad 8, which is an OK bike, but it has a very creaky bottom bracket, which is a common problem with Cannondales due to the BB30 Pressfit design. I would advise against buying a bike with a BB30 bottom bracket. The Optimo has a square taper bottom bracket, so should be OK.
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TheBomber
Posts: 525
Joined: 16 Feb 2020, 8:18pm

Re: First road bike choice

Post by TheBomber »

Whenever friends have asked me a similar question I have steered them towards the more versatile bikes on their lists ie ones with rack or mudguard mounts, wider tyre clearance etc. That’s because although £1k may feel like a lot for a bike now, if you do get keen on triathlon or other competitive cycling you end up wanting something better and the original bike becomes superfluous. However, if the original one can become a winter trainer, weekend tourer, gravel bike etc then it won’t be wasted. It’s known as ‘n+1’ - meaning you always want 1 more bike than you have...
Jamesh
Posts: 2963
Joined: 2 Jan 2017, 5:56pm

Re: First road bike choice

Post by Jamesh »

Also look at Vitus razor, Boardman, Ribble, Merlin, decathlon

Non brand bikes are often better value than the flashier brands above.

Cheers James
gregoryoftours
Posts: 2234
Joined: 22 May 2011, 7:14pm

Re: First road bike choice

Post by gregoryoftours »

Personally I'd not use a road bike as a commuter, the rims especially will take a beating, but I'd go Orbea out of those, but only if there is clearance and fittings for mudguards. Commuting in the wet trashes bikes fairly quickly without them, plus it's not very pleasant getting wet on the way to work.

The trek is most upright but you can always flip the stem on the Orbea to raise the bars by a couple of cm. Cable discs on a bike of that level aren't going to be very good so I'd avoid them.

The Orbea is one of the bikes with threaded bottom bracket shell which is a plus, and Sora is quite a step up from Claris in my opinion. There's not much difference in lifespan between 9 and 8 speed drivetrains, and 9 speed is much nicer in my opinion for a fairly wide range cassette. Sora is also quite a bit better quality than Claris. The Orbea has the most Shimano components on it overall as well which is a positive.

I'd echo the advice to check less brandy brands, you'll get more for your money. Decathlon are pretty good and have very good customer service. Availability may well be a problem.
weebeanysbro
Posts: 11
Joined: 16 Jun 2021, 3:34pm

Re: First road bike choice

Post by weebeanysbro »

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Last edited by weebeanysbro on 16 Jun 2021, 10:30pm, edited 1 time in total.
weebeanysbro
Posts: 11
Joined: 16 Jun 2021, 3:34pm

Re: First road bike choice

Post by weebeanysbro »

gregoryoftours wrote: 16 Jun 2021, 9:54pm Personally I'd not use a road bike as a commuter, the rims especially will take a beating, but I'd go Orbea out of those, but only if there is clearance and fittings for mudguards. Commuting in the wet trashes bikes fairly quickly without them, plus it's not very pleasant getting wet on the way to work.

The trek is most upright but you can always flip the stem on the Orbea to raise the bars by a couple of cm. Cable discs on a bike of that level aren't going to be very good so I'd avoid them.

The Orbea is one of the bikes with threaded bottom bracket shell which is a plus, and Sora is quite a step up from Claris in my opinion. There's not much difference in lifespan between 9 and 8 speed drivetrains, and 9 speed is much nicer in my opinion for a fairly wide range cassette. Sora is also quite a bit better quality than Claris. The Orbea has the most Shimano components on it overall as well which is a positive.

I'd echo the advice to check less brandy brands, you'll get more for your money. Decathlon are pretty good and have very good customer service. Availability may well be a problem.
Thanks for the reply. I'm doing the bike 2 work scheme so limited to certain shops in my area and what stock they have! I'd definitely like the option for mudguards! I'm leaning towards the Orbea - how can I tell if it has clearance and fittings for mudguards? this is the one I'm looking at Thanks for the reply. I'm doing the bik ... -avant-h50
TheBomber
Posts: 525
Joined: 16 Feb 2020, 8:18pm

Re: First road bike choice

Post by TheBomber »

weebeanysbro wrote: 16 Jun 2021, 10:30pm how can I tell if it has clearance and fittings for mudguards?
Typically if a bike has fittings for racks or guards these will be mentioned in the description. I can't see them noted for the Orbea or visible in the pictures. The brakes are Orbea's own so it's hard to know the 'drop' they are made with but it's likely to be a short road bike style - meaning a max tyre size of probably 28mm, depending on how they've positioned the mounts and rim width. Your shop may be able to advise better.

Still looks like a tidy bike that will work well for your day rides and triathlon. Many people do commute on bikes like that - perhaps adding some design of clip on guard if you're getting too dirty. Personal choice.
TheBomber
Posts: 525
Joined: 16 Feb 2020, 8:18pm

Re: First road bike choice

Post by TheBomber »

Just had a closer look at the Synapse and that one probably best fits my recommendation for a versatile bike - there are rear rack mounts and a 'removable fender bridge' so a rear mudguard looks possible and hence a front one is likely too. The description notes 'gravel' which, while not in your list of requirements, suggests it might make a better commuter on shonky road surfaces. That model also has a regular square taper BB, overcoming the press fit concerns.

The Synapse was always a popular bike over on the Singletrack forum so a search and maybe a question there might also elicit some views from current owners.
weebeanysbro
Posts: 11
Joined: 16 Jun 2021, 3:34pm

Re: First road bike choice

Post by weebeanysbro »

TheBomber wrote: 17 Jun 2021, 11:02am Just had a closer look at the Synapse and that one probably best fits my recommendation for a versatile bike - there are rear rack mounts and a 'removable fender bridge' so a rear mudguard looks possible and hence a front one is likely too. The description notes 'gravel' which, while not in your list of requirements, suggests it might make a better commuter on shonky road surfaces. That model also has a regular square taper BB, overcoming the press fit concerns.

The Synapse was always a popular bike over on the Singletrack forum so a search and maybe a question there might also elicit some views from current owners.
Yeah the synapse looks like a quality bike but leaning towards the trek demone al 2 as I can get a rack / mudguards on it (25mm tyres) and it's e500 cheaper than the synapse!
weebeanysbro
Posts: 11
Joined: 16 Jun 2021, 3:34pm

Re: First road bike choice

Post by weebeanysbro »

gregoryoftours wrote: 16 Jun 2021, 9:54pm Personally I'd not use a road bike as a commuter, the rims especially will take a beating, but I'd go Orbea out of those, but only if there is clearance and fittings for mudguards. Commuting in the wet trashes bikes fairly quickly without them, plus it's not very pleasant getting wet on the way to work.

The trek is most upright but you can always flip the stem on the Orbea to raise the bars by a couple of cm. Cable discs on a bike of that level aren't going to be very good so I'd avoid them.

The Orbea is one of the bikes with threaded bottom bracket shell which is a plus, and Sora is quite a step up from Claris in my opinion. There's not much difference in lifespan between 9 and 8 speed drivetrains, and 9 speed is much nicer in my opinion for a fairly wide range cassette. Sora is also quite a bit better quality than Claris. The Orbea has the most Shimano components on it overall as well which is a positive.

I'd echo the advice to check less brandy brands, you'll get more for your money. Decathlon are pretty good and have very good customer service. Availability may well be a problem.
Would a gravel bike be better for a commute?
gregoryoftours
Posts: 2234
Joined: 22 May 2011, 7:14pm

Re: First road bike choice

Post by gregoryoftours »

weebeanysbro wrote: 16 Jun 2021, 10:30pm Thanks for the reply. I'm doing the bike 2 work scheme so limited to certain shops in my area and what stock they have! I'd definitely like the option for mudguards! I'm leaning towards the Orbea - how can I tell if it has clearance and fittings for mudguards? this is the one I'm looking at [url]Thanks for the reply. I'm doing the bike 2 work scheme so limited to certain shops in my area and what stock they have! I'd definitely like the option for mudguards! I'm leaning towards the Orbea - how can I tell if it has clearance and fittings for mudguards?
The H50 comes with 25mm tyres, it seems likely that you'd get 28mm in maximum. If it takes mudguards you might get them on with 25mm tyres but doubtful with 28mm. The disc versions of the avant have clearance for up to 35 mm tyres and mudguard fittings, I'm a bit unclear as to whether the H50 has mudguard fittings or not. The photos look like not. If possible I'd go into the shop to check (if they have any in stock)
gregoryoftours
Posts: 2234
Joined: 22 May 2011, 7:14pm

Re: First road bike choice

Post by gregoryoftours »

weebeanysbro wrote: 17 Jun 2021, 8:29pm Would a gravel bike be better for a commute?
All commuter bikes take a hammering, but as long as mudguards are fitted, I'd say.It would be better for bad weather, urban road dirt and bad road surfaces than a full on road bike.
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