Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

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busb
Posts: 196
Joined: 28 Sep 2017, 10:10am
Location: Berks, UK

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by busb »

AndyA wrote:Canyon's customer service and aftersales support is terrible. A friend of mine damaged the Canyon specific fork on his race bike, called Canyon up "yes, we still make and sell forks with 1 1/4" steerer but no we will not sell one to you as your bike is over 3 years old!". Many many pleading emails to their CEO later he eventually got his replacement fork. He wasn't after a warranty replacement and was happy to pay full price etc. Crazy

The fork on the canyon upthread is 1 1/4 steerer and very few companies make stems to suit. See above for getting a new one if you damage it!


Have been researching Canyon - plenty of posts on various forums slating their customer service! My Defy has many custom parts including a 1 1/8"x1 1/4' headset with 1 1/4" stem (available from Giant or Tredz) & so-called D-fuse seat-post - I was assured by the dealer I bought from that Giant not only give a lifetime warranty on the frame but do support legacy parts. I can only hope this is the case.
adetowell
Posts: 31
Joined: 4 Sep 2017, 6:40pm

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by adetowell »

Interesting comments on Canyon, good to know
I have been looking at I presume the same Giant mentioned

http://www.pedalon.co.uk/acatalog/giant ... AEQAvD_BwE

looks great, like the idea of tubeless tyres. Unfortunately the closest place I can see to me only has one in large - presume I will need a medium -I'm 5'11 and have a 54cm Cannondale caadx.
adetowell
Posts: 31
Joined: 4 Sep 2017, 6:40pm

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by adetowell »

On a slightly different tip an tempted by this Super 6 evo Hi-mod, more than I want to spend but top quality frame I imagine. May not be as comfortable for longer rides over 50 miles though - anyone any experience?

https://www.wheelbase.co.uk/product/bik ... himod_ult/
busb
Posts: 196
Joined: 28 Sep 2017, 10:10am
Location: Berks, UK

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by busb »

adetowell wrote:Interesting comments on Canyon, good to know
I have been looking at I presume the same Giant mentioned

http://www.pedalon.co.uk/acatalog/giant ... AEQAvD_BwE

looks great, like the idea of tubeless tyres. Unfortunately the closest place I can see to me only has one in large - presume I will need a medium -I'm 5'11 and have a 54cm Cannondale caadx.


I'm 6' & have the M/L frame size (560mm) but fitted a 90mm 1 !/4" stem instead of the stock 110mm. I also bought mine with a 11 - 28t cassette instead of the stock 11 - 32t. Mine came tubeless & have just converted my Ridgeback winter hybrid as well with Schwalbe 30c tyres. One of the best upgrades to any bike IMO are CF bars - less so for the weight loss but more for comfort! Giant do direct sales with interest free credit - but you then pay full price so only makes sense for the latest 2018 models that are less likely to be discounted by dealers. I did look at Pedalon but Spokes of Bagshot was closer to me. I originally intended to go for the 2017 Defy Advanced 1 until I lifted it!
Whatever you end up with - go with thru-axles, at least on the front.
Debs
Posts: 1335
Joined: 19 May 2017, 7:05pm
Location: Powys

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by Debs »

Trek are currently clearing out their 2017 range with a 20% off discount.

A bit above your price range but what does look nice for the money is the Domane SL 5 Disc with Vision Metron 40 wheels for £2,950.
Typically however the only frame sizes left are 58 or 60cm.
Claimed weigh is 8.54kg

Twas feeling the quality of one of these in my local Trek shop, nice but @ 58cm i'd need a step ladder just to mount it,
i'd guess these super big sizes are for blokes 7 foot tall at least :lol:
adetowell
Posts: 31
Joined: 4 Sep 2017, 6:40pm

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by adetowell »

busb wrote:
adetowell wrote:Interesting comments on Canyon, good to know
I have been looking at I presume the same Giant mentioned

http://www.pedalon.co.uk/acatalog/giant ... AEQAvD_BwE

looks great, like the idea of tubeless tyres. Unfortunately the closest place I can see to me only has one in large - presume I will need a medium -I'm 5'11 and have a 54cm Cannondale caadx.


I'm 6' & have the M/L frame size (560mm) but fitted a 90mm 1 !/4" stem instead of the stock 110mm. I also bought mine with a 11 - 28t cassette instead of the stock 11 - 32t. Mine came tubeless & have just converted my Ridgeback winter hybrid as well with Schwalbe 30c tyres. One of the best upgrades to any bike IMO are CF bars - less so for the weight loss but more for comfort! Giant do direct sales with interest free credit - but you then pay full price so only makes sense for the latest 2018 models that are less likely to be discounted by dealers. I did look at Pedalon but Spokes of Bagshot was closer to me. I originally intended to go for the 2017 Defy Advanced 1 until I lifted it!
Whatever you end up with - go with thru-axles, at least on the front.


great info thankyou.

have found the 2016 Pro 0 dura ace version at pretty much the same price as the 2017 Pro 1

https://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m7b0s6p69 ... PRO-0-2016

am not sure which way to go - what will I be gaining with Dura ace compared to Ultegra? The spec is very similar but the Pro 0 has Shimano RS785 Hydraulic Disc, the Pro 1 has RS805 - any noticeable difference there? Am still tempted with the Pro 1 as it has the tubeless tyres and a slightly easier 11-32 cassette for hilly stuff.
AndyA
Posts: 526
Joined: 21 Mar 2009, 9:16pm
Location: Edinburgh

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by AndyA »

busb wrote:
AndyA wrote:Canyon's customer service and aftersales support is terrible. A friend of mine damaged the Canyon specific fork on his race bike, called Canyon up "yes, we still make and sell forks with 1 1/4" steerer but no we will not sell one to you as your bike is over 3 years old!". Many many pleading emails to their CEO later he eventually got his replacement fork. He wasn't after a warranty replacement and was happy to pay full price etc. Crazy

The fork on the canyon upthread is 1 1/4 steerer and very few companies make stems to suit. See above for getting a new one if you damage it!


Have been researching Canyon - plenty of posts on various forums slating their customer service! My Defy has many custom parts including a 1 1/8"x1 1/4' headset with 1 1/4" stem (available from Giant or Tredz) & so-called D-fuse seat-post - I was assured by the dealer I bought from that Giant not only give a lifetime warranty on the frame but do support legacy parts. I can only hope this is the case.


1 1/4 steerer forks/stems are probably here to stay if Giant are making them. A stiffer front end on a road bike doesn't seem necessary to me but plenty of people buy 35mm bars/stems.

I'm not wild keen on the D-fuse seatpost either - the seatpost is held in place by a wedge mechanism and I think it's likely for water to get in and fuse the works up, unless it's greased regularily. But which grease? You've got 2 or 3 sliding Alu parts that mate against 2 carbon parts so I guess normal grease between the Alu parts and a slathering of carbon assembly paste elsewhere. The mechanism also further loads an unsupported are of the frame because of the low seatstays. Looks good tho!
busb
Posts: 196
Joined: 28 Sep 2017, 10:10am
Location: Berks, UK

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by busb »

adetowell wrote:
busb wrote:
adetowell wrote:Interesting comments on Canyon, good to know
I have been looking at I presume the same Giant mentioned

http://www.pedalon.co.uk/acatalog/giant ... AEQAvD_BwE

looks great, like the idea of tubeless tyres. Unfortunately the closest place I can see to me only has one in large - presume I will need a medium -I'm 5'11 and have a 54cm Cannondale caadx.


I'm 6' & have the M/L frame size (560mm) but fitted a 90mm 1 !/4" stem instead of the stock 110mm. I also bought mine with a 11 - 28t cassette instead of the stock 11 - 32t. Mine came tubeless & have just converted my Ridgeback winter hybrid as well with Schwalbe 30c tyres. One of the best upgrades to any bike IMO are CF bars - less so for the weight loss but more for comfort! Giant do direct sales with interest free credit - but you then pay full price so only makes sense for the latest 2018 models that are less likely to be discounted by dealers. I did look at Pedalon but Spokes of Bagshot was closer to me. I originally intended to go for the 2017 Defy Advanced 1 until I lifted it!
Whatever you end up with - go with thru-axles, at least on the front.


great info thankyou.

have found the 2016 Pro 0 dura ace version at pretty much the same price as the 2017 Pro 1

https://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m7b0s6p69 ... PRO-0-2016

am not sure which way to go - what will I be gaining with Dura ace compared to Ultegra? The spec is very similar but the Pro 0 has Shimano RS785 Hydraulic Disc, the Pro 1 has RS805 - any noticeable difference there? Am still tempted with the Pro 1 as it has the tubeless tyres and a slightly easier 11-32 cassette for hilly stuff.


Don't think the 2016 models come with thru-axles - probably just quick releases. Not so important on the rear but I'd personally go for thru-axles - although Giant have negated some of the advantage by only fitting 20 spokes. The Ultegra 2017 shifting is excellent & has flat-mount callipers which seems to be the emerging standard - you can fit a 160mm rotor on the front if you do a lot of hills (that seems to be the case)- just turn the mounting spacer around vertically - 20g heavier for the rotor. The SLR1 wheels are very, very good! You can also fit Dura Ace as parts wear.
I'd go for the 2017 Defy AP1 personally - more standardised. Do't think you would be disappointed with either TBH!
busb
Posts: 196
Joined: 28 Sep 2017, 10:10am
Location: Berks, UK

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by busb »

AndyA wrote:
busb wrote:
AndyA wrote:Canyon's customer service and aftersales support is terrible. A friend of mine damaged the Canyon specific fork on his race bike, called Canyon up "yes, we still make and sell forks with 1 1/4" steerer but no we will not sell one to you as your bike is over 3 years old!". Many many pleading emails to their CEO later he eventually got his replacement fork. He wasn't after a warranty replacement and was happy to pay full price etc. Crazy

The fork on the canyon upthread is 1 1/4 steerer and very few companies make stems to suit. See above for getting a new one if you damage it!


Have been researching Canyon - plenty of posts on various forums slating their customer service! My Defy has many custom parts including a 1 1/8"x1 1/4' headset with 1 1/4" stem (available from Giant or Tredz) & so-called D-fuse seat-post - I was assured by the dealer I bought from that Giant not only give a lifetime warranty on the frame but do support legacy parts. I can only hope this is the case.


1 1/4 steerer forks/stems are probably here to stay if Giant are making them. A stiffer front end on a road bike doesn't seem necessary to me but plenty of people buy 35mm bars/stems.

I'm not wild keen on the D-fuse seatpost either - the seatpost is held in place by a wedge mechanism and I think it's likely for water to get in and fuse the works up, unless it's greased regularily. But which grease? You've got 2 or 3 sliding Alu parts that mate against 2 carbon parts so I guess normal grease between the Alu parts and a slathering of carbon assembly paste elsewhere. The mechanism also further loads an unsupported are of the frame because of the low seatstays. Looks good tho!

It took me a moment or two to realise the seatpost clamp was a wedge - gave the loosened bolt a sharp tap with a screwdriver handle but of course you can't twist it back & forth to raise or lower it! Do like the graduation markings though! The clamp does have a rubber cover. The only down-side to this post is 7x9mm saddle rails won't fit & many new owners will want to ditch the Giant saddle pretty quickly (just means CF-railed saddles won't fit)!
No bike is perfect in every detail - no matter how much you spend - it's a question of what & how many minor weaknesses we are willing to live with. Grease? CF clamping grease.
Both the BB & headtube on the Defy are very beefy - honking up hills then steaming down the other side is going to inspire confidence in the frame's lack of lateral flex.
Boogaloo
Posts: 64
Joined: 25 Nov 2016, 12:54pm
Location: Sunny Suffolk

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by Boogaloo »

After a lot of thought I bought a 2017 Canyon Endurace Al and it's excellent. I can't comment on CF frames - not my thing - but this alloy frame is light, stiff and most importantly, comfortable. I can ride it for 5 hours + without any aches and pains - something my beloved Bianchi AL was hopeless for. I opted for rim brake but you pays your money..... It has a standard 27.2 seatpost and collar. Not looked at the forks but hopefully will never need to.
The only real issue is that it has a fair amount of toe overlap - something I had never found to be a problem on any previous bikes.

So my suggestion is go for rim brake alloy and get full Ultegra for well under £2k

Paul
adetowell
Posts: 31
Joined: 4 Sep 2017, 6:40pm

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by adetowell »

adetowell wrote:Will be taking a test ride on this Boardman in a few days at Cycle Republic and at £1600 with 3 years zero interest finance is very tempting. Anyone have experience of this bike? Weight on Cycle Republic website says 7.58 kg but on Boardman site it says 8.3kg - inclined to believe the latter, anyone know the reality?

https://www.cyclerepublic.com/boardman- ... -2016.html



Had a test ride on the Boardman today - felt nice and quick and much easier up hills than my cx - not as comfortable a ride though, maybe something to do with 25mm tyres instead of 28mm but also the carbon seat post seemed quite thick - presume you can shim a thinner one for a bit more forgiveness. want to check out the Giant Defy Pro 1 but the Boardman was fun. Out of curioisity got them to weigh it and it came to about 8.5kg with pedals
softlips
Posts: 667
Joined: 12 Dec 2016, 8:51pm

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by softlips »

Don't rule out cable discs. I have cable discs on my Planet X London Road winter bike and hydraulic on my Giant Defy Advance Pro 1 best bike. There's nothing in them performance wise and I suspect the cable ones are easier to tweak.
adetowell
Posts: 31
Joined: 4 Sep 2017, 6:40pm

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by adetowell »

The Promax Render R disc brakes on my Caadx are pretty rubbish compared with the hydraulic ones I've tried
Brucey
Posts: 44516
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by Brucey »

adetowell wrote:The Promax Render R disc brakes on my Caadx are pretty rubbish compared with the hydraulic ones I've tried


they may not be set up correctly (cables obviously, pads and alignment make a huge difference...) or they may (still) be meant for use with older style brake levers i.e. the caliper MA is lower than the levers are best with.

IME factory-fit brake cables are often a joke; badly prepped cable housing ends, cheap inners, and stuff-all lubrication. It is not exactly a recipe for optimal braking....

cheers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
adetowell
Posts: 31
Joined: 4 Sep 2017, 6:40pm

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by adetowell »

You may well be right, I got it from Evans about 18 months ago and it has always been quite a lot of effort to get the brakes to work, they are not very responsive although they do work. It seemed to be the most common complaint of this particular model caadx so I presumed that's just how they are. Hydraulics on the other hand only seem to need a feather light touch
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