In cycling like everything else on modern society, there's unrelenting pressure to upgrade and spend more. Ride the bike you can afford, and ride it often. On my alloy frame & 105 bike I frequently overtake friends on carbon bikes with Dura Ace. Why? I ride more often and am fitter. And in turn I have been overtaken by people on "lesser" bikes than mine. You can spend a lot to shave 300g off your bike. Or you can just ride more often, eat better and lay off the grog. That performance gain is free.
Yup. I'm riding a steel frame Trek 720 rather than my older and better spec'ed Trek 1400 (the equivalent of what GCN is recommending circa early '90s -Shimano 105 - nice aluminmum frame.) The 720 is simply more comfortable and the components are good enough.
What if my cheap bike is visibly, unnecessarily harder to ride? I find myself wasting more energy than i would have to on a “normal” bike. I’m thinking of upgrading.
But that doesn't address the other end of the curve - how cheap is TOO cheap? If you're not riding something you picked out of a dumpster or thrift store, why?
Exactly this, also under blind testing and with some statistics the gains are often unnoticeable by the rider and inconsequential in terms of performance gains. Like they say 105 is enough for 90% of people
I think the aluminum frame bikes with a carbon fork and 105 give consumers the best bang-for-the-buck. For non-racers, this combination is hard to beat.
The best price point is the one you can afford without having to sacrifice your normal lifestyle. At the end of the day buy a bike that fits you and you can afford and enjoy the ride.
As an ex runner I decided to get into cycling so brought my first road/gravel bike last year for a shade under £600. It's been a great bike and I've covered many miles without any problems concerning reliability. Yeah it's over 10kg and has shimano's lowest groupset but I've got fitter and faster and regularly overtake guys on much more expensive bikes. ( Loads overtake me too lol ) I think just buy what you can afford and enjoy your cycling 😀
Don't forget Tiagra. I know it's only 10 speed, but for the beginner that may be an advantage. In my experience, it just works; always shifts perfectly, requires little to no maintenance. My winter bikes have Tiagra for that reason, in the summer I use 105.
I actually had a budget of around £500 for my first road bike, but because I'm serious into getting fit by cycling, I just bought a £250 Triban RC100 and spend the rest of the money on equipments, trainer and tools for maintenance. This way, if you're a beginner, you can try out cycling first and if you don't like it, you do not have to worry nor hurry in selling the bought bike, whereas if yo become serious about cycling, you still have budget for maintaining your bike for longevity. FYI I was a high school student when I bought my first road bike with my own savings, hence I invested in tools.
Triban 100 is a great bike for the money, if you just wanna try out road cycling and are not sure if it's your thing 👍 Did the same, liked it, and then dropped another 350 Euros into the Triban to upgrade it to a level that I could have gotten in the first place. But I learned a lot about bike mechanics doing so, that made it absolutely worth it. Then I bought a better bike 😬 But the Triban got converted again to a hybrid and still gets used regularly!
very good idea to buy a cheaper bike first, keep some money for tools, learn how to upgrade/maintain your bike before going straight to a high end bike and ruin it with bad maintenance
@@geemy9675 4 years ago I said to myself that I would not go to the service with anything. Today I have tools for € 800+ and the technology is constantly changing. Just take the wheel. You need a bench, a scale to deviate the hub from the center of the rim, a tension gauge, and a tool to press the bearings into hub. Different tools for different hubs, levers, jaws vice and also the option of a compressor for tubeless tires. There is also a cassette on the wheel (2 key / ratchet extensions, a chain whip) and discs on it (except for 2 extensions from the cassette, a high-quality Allen key + external thread for the center lock from 2020 is used), electric screwdriver for quick wheel rebuild. Wheel tools is only € 500-1700. I recommend buying a good bike and tools after you have at least 2-4 bikes to service. What you did doesn't matter to me. At Decathlon, I wouldn't let them touch the bike. A bunch of amateurs and students.
@@averageuncle8176 sorry but you got it wrong, I'm not saying you should spend thousands on tools right after buying you first cheap bike. you need the basics, a stand , a decent tool kit to be able to service your drivetrain, brakes, hubs, a decent pump, shock pump, multi tool for the trail maybe 2-300 bucks. last 3 tools I bought were $5 each, and they are from parktool. start doing the simple stuff, save on the service of your bike, and as you learn, invest some of the money you saved in the tools you need. If you get the tools as you need them, its "free" compared to paying for service. you just have too put your time into it. Personally I wouldn't wait to get my 4th bike or even my second, probably (much) more expensive than the first one, to start working on a bike and risk messing with more expensive parts with zero experience. Plus if you realize putting money and time into tools and learning how to service your bike is not your thing, you can stop once you master the basic stuff like degreasing/lubing your drivetrain, setting up your suspension, or taking care of your tubeless tires if you have some of those. Speaking for my self I like to be at least able to disassemble almost anything on my bike so that I can clean, troubleshoot, or replace parts. I'm not interested yet by building/rebuilding wheels, cause with zero experience its looks like I could mess up and end up crashing pretty badly.
Imagine: Someone passes you on a climb. If your first thought is that's it's their equipment doing it rather than them, you'll never win. Enjoy the ride
This advice reminds me about what people say about video gaming, if you always suspect your opponents are hacking and you'll never improve. And you certainly won't have fun.
For a commuter bike $700-800 USD 1. aluminum frame 2. carbon fork 2X8 Shimano Claris 56cm With a total weight of about 20 lbs. - 22 lbs max.
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I got a carbon frame and a 2x10 105 5700 for 880€. The frame is almost retro in that it is one of the first batches of mainstream carbon frames (circa 2006), the whole bike was rebuilt in 2013 and was maintained exceptionally well. There is something to be said about the used market.
A commuter bike does not need a carbon fork. A carbon fork is usually just 200 to 300 grams lighter, but an aluminium one does not have to worry about the kinds of failure modes that a carbon one does. Accidentally crash a bike getting your aluminium fork scuffed-up, exposing the metal but have no cracks or dents then you won't be worried. Experience the same kind of crash with a carbon fork scuffed up, exposing a scratched but not cracked carbon i bet you'd still be worried.
Hello GCN! Mechanicdan here with the De Berardi. It's funny my bike is in this video because I built that bike thinking about what's the nicest bike I could make for $1000. It took a year to find all the parts but I feel its way nicer of any bike I could have bought at a bike shop for the same price. I want to see what you guys could build for 1000 pounds, it would make a cool video!
Thanks to this video, I’m now even more in love with my Triban RC120 (that is shown in this video). I use it to lost weight, send my son to school and do grocery with it. As another comment rightly put, if you ride it often, sometimes you can even ride faster than those with better bike.
I bought this same bike recently. I love it! It was about $600 (American). It’s the disc brake version. The only thing I upgraded was the tires and I plan on changing the cassette from a 11-34 to a 11-28.
I have ridden thousands of Km on it, climbed some of the highest mountains around (over 1700m), I've done several triathlons with it (it is so satisfying over taking people that has expensive carbon bikes 😎) . And I've had zero issues besides an inner tube blown (over night). So yes, you can have plenty of fun with it for less than 500 €.
I bought one a few weeks ago from Decathlon USA for $1200. Great ride and plan to use it as a mostly road/gravel bike as it can take around a 36/38 tire. Just going to upgrade the saddle and wheels and tires.As I already have wheels and saddle and just bought some new wider tires.
Love my 520 but had real problem changing tyres - wheel rim walls too high and unfortunately discovered this when got a puncture on the road and it took me an hour to get tyre off. Thought it was the tyre, so got a new one - couldn't get it on. Read about others having same issue, so bought cheap Shimano wheel - tyre on in less than 90 seconds. Worth also mentioning the 11/34 cassette which is a big help on steep climbs.
Still riding the 80s 7 speed. Works as well as anything else I could afford new. At the end of the day, the best bike is the one you can afford and will ride.
For local runs and an occasional commute I have an old Claud Butler oddesy hybrid with 3x7 shimano sis, and I must say it is surprisingly good, absolutely fine for general use. A mate who is really into gravel bikes was really surprised how positive and direct the shifting is.
Everything’s relative, esp for the financially challenged. I caught the bug 2 years ago riding a 30 year old Schwinn hybrid. Managed last fall to score a 2016 Allez - for about $600 - aluminum w carbon fork blades, Claris groupset, rim brakes, and I am still in love with it. Lighter bike with disc brakes & 105 etc can remain a long term wish, but this was plenty to make a a full fledged MAMiL.
i think 105 WAS the groupset of the people. when i got 105 5800 it was $500 USD. but now its gone up too much. id say tiagra or claria is now the groupset of the people and they also have amazing performance
@Stuart Griffin 12 speeds in terms of servicing vs 8 spd is a nightmare. I still feel that around 2x 10 is the best. If you have more speeds does not mean that you will be faster, just that you will carry a heavier cassette. The only difference is at 11 speed is the availability of parts in the future.
The best bike, all depends on how often and the type of riding/racing you're doing For most people (not hardcore cyclists), a Sora groupset will be more than they need. As for 105s, I've had a few, and love them. They can take a beating, and keep on ticking (I also have Ultegra, which is, sensitive). Most cyclists will never see a performance difference between the 105 and Dura-Ace, let alone Ultegra. Bif problem is with cycling, the image, and want to look good/fit in (with everyone else, who wants to look good and fit in). And good thing about the 105s vs lower end, is that you can mix and match with higher end components as well.
Thank you for the information about Tubolito. I prefer a tubeless setup but I'm tired of puncturing my tires and using a repair kit or replacing the tire. This may actually aid me in getting a full year out of my tires and save me money overall. Thank you for what you do, all of you are great.
I am glad that Decathlon's bikes (Triban, Van Rysel and potentially Rockrider) are now recognised by GCN. Under 1000€ there is hardly anything better. I hope bike companies like Trek, Cannondale and Giant will recognise that and will start to produce affordable bikes with reasonable components too.
I’d add vitus from wiggle / chain reaction to that too, as their ‘in house’ brand you get a bit more value as you are essentially buying direct. I’m very pleased with my Vitus Razor, great value for £600 when I bought it last year
This was really interesting! I have a theory that i call the "laptop theory" that we always talk about in my family when you're buying something. You find something you like but for just a little bit more money you get something better (better wheels or groupset etc on bikes) so you up your price. Then for just a bit more something else gets better, and so on. Suddenly you've spent way more than you had planned but only gone up in small jumps each time. Its always good to hear things like this to appreciate where you can jump off and get something really good that does the job for you but without breaking the bank! :)
With the trickle down tech, the new 105 (even Tiagra) is as good as yesterday’s Ultegra. The difference is between the club rider and the racer.
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I had a microshift 3x8 system with campag style shifters. Tuned properly, even an old SiS will do the job -- If it doesn't, you need to re-learn how to shift. Currently I'm on a 105 5700 and it shifts like a dream. They say even the new Tiagra 4700 is better, but I've never tried any better, and also can't wrap my head around this. The 5700 is orgasmic.
I agree. Being a cyclist who happily started off with a 5 speed freewheel on a bike with downtube shifters, modern 9 speed Sora really is 'the regular people's' groupset. Sora rocks!
I recently investigated how much weight I would save by upgrading the R3000 Sora components on my bike (shifters, derailleurs and cassette) to R7000 105 equivalents - and it turned out to be almost nothing. The only notable difference was about 40 grams in the rear derailleur. Combined with the groupset's solid performance, it makes it very hard to justify an upgrade. It seems the only component that has a significant weight penalty between Sora and 105 is the crankset. (My bike came with an even heavier FSA crankset, which I upgraded).
I was amused by the fiscal optimism of you two young men, Alex and Ollie. What you spend on a cycle surely can depend on its amount of potential usage, the terrain it is likely to encounter, and the personal circumstances of the buyer. To me, unless you are into competitive cycling, a bike near or over £1500 is merely self-indulgence coupled with a certain amount of gullibility. Cycles are a bit like trainers - 'brands' can usually mean 3-500% more than they are worth. My previous bike was a Dawes 'Streetwise' back in the mid-90s when my sponsor spent approx £350. With improved bars and a Brooks B17 it was a cracking bike that took me from Land's End to the top of Shetland (unfit and overweight) with only one broken spoke that was my fault due to luggage overload which I soon ditched half-way. It was as smooth as silk and perfectly comfortable. I also learned the myth of mega-multi-gears. So many are duplicated, sometimes twice. All the drivetrain components were Shimano mid-range and totally reliable. I probably effectively used 10-15 of the 27 gears, if that (and there were some 'interesting' inclines along the way!). I'm now an aged pensioner and getting back into cycling and the thought of spending extravagant amounts on a steed is pointless. I will likely do far less than 1000mls pa (I don't do KM) and can still pedal my weight with a fair bit extra. Don't forget, your £6 bottle of wine ends up in the same place as your £2 bottle. Can be the same with bikes. You also seem committed to drop bars when half the cycling public don't use them - for very good reasons! My current steed is a Chinese copy which had hardly touched the road and ended up in a Church Jumble Sale for £40!! (NOT because it was rejected by its previous owner but because his heart condition said 'no undue exercise').It has a Shimano mid-range SIS drivetrain and other components and I've added another B17 and better bars. I also swapped to Schwalbe Range Cruisers K-Guards. It sings like a gentle humming bird and rides like a dream. It's not ultra-light but it is certainly not heavy. With all the add-ons, and the TLC, it has probably cost me about £100 over a period. This may not be typical but there are tens of thousands of cyclists who are simply looking for reliability, comfort and safety to give them the enjoyment they seek. They want to own a bike and not have the bike own them. Why do we have to reduce cycling to some sort of machismo where one has to have the 'designer' bike to match the 'designer' trainers and baseball cap? It's a crazy world where the market is dictating the style rather than the consumer getting good value for money for them to get just out on the road and enjoy. When you got to the clothing, my heart sank deeper. 'Patchwork' for sustainability? Get real. Off-cuts to maximise profit and start a new silly trend for discontented cyclists. I repeat my comment about a crazy world. I'll stick to my basic long-sleeved T-shirt, my Coolmax underpants and my budget Lycra tights and Shimano shoes. As for 'qualifying' to wear certain gear. Well - I ask you. I rest my case. Cycling machismo rules! I flew down the incline around Dunblane at approx 43mph but I wouldn't wear their jerseys if they gave them to me! £79 for a rear light + £36 pa subs? What a scam! My rear lights cost far less than a fiver and a Gold Standard lock costs about £25. You seemed to let go a half-snigger on mention of rim brakes. Some of the descents on the End-to-End - Navidale, Glencoe, and Dunblane etc are not insignificant and some decent pads in my cantilevers worked perfectly. I give up on what goes for some areas of 'cycling' today. Trends, marketing, consumer expense and undiluted fashion. £30 per inner tube? - I'd like to see the company's response when you tell them they punctured. Thanks for the video - Alex and Ollie - you taught me a lot about current trends.
Don't forget that Claris is a re-issue of the 105 group set of 30 years ago, which can still hold its own. Just stay away from the cheapest "Tourney" tier. A €15 rear mech really can't be good.
I definitely agree, exactly what I have Fuji brand and I run head to head with carbon trex 105 group sets and smoke them at their own game. Its not always the bike it's the riders ability to ride the bike that gets the edge 👍👍
@@Stoney3K exactly so definitely. It really holds it's own. I fine it shifts very well and stayed indexed very long as well. Little service is needs very little
I don't know if quality has changed but my Tiagra group set has worked flawlessly for the last 10 years. I live in the mountains so those shifters get a lot of use. My bike was in the $1100 range. I tend to commute, ride on and off road, CX bike. Having something I can lock to a pole downtown or take on a long ride is an important consideration for me.I don't think I would feel comfortable locking up a carbon frame.
If the person can afford it, I'll always recommend to get at least alloy frame + carbon fork and shimano 105. (Triban rc 520 or van rysel alf 105 for around 1k €). That's a bike they won't want to swap (except for wheels maybe) for a few years if they get into cycling. If money is tighter, getting at least sora + carbon bladed fork seems wise (so around 750€ at decathlon), anything less is dodgier components territory. If you have time and know a thing or two about bikes buying second hand is great. I got my main bike for less than half its price, 6 months old. And you can have fun for much less, my second bike is a fixed gear with a reynolds 531 lugged steel track frame, miche pistard wheels and decent components. It cost me 150€ and two afternoons at my local self repair place. I've done evening group rides and solo rides of up to 150km and got a few koms around Paris with it.
I spent about $850 for a Raleigh Merit 2 disc. When I could afford them, gradually ugraded with Selle Italia saddle, DTSwiss C1800 wheelset, Schwalbe MPlus tires. Comfortable and capable of everything except pure racing, which I don't do anyway. Why would I spend $$-thousands? Buy whatever you can afford, and then upgrade or trade-up later if/when you want to. JUST RIDE !!
I just bought my first road bike for 380 and that thing is so dam light and fast and weighs in at 23lbs! Love my 7 speed Triban! My first road bike and I came from riding mountain bikes all my life and I’m 37 yrs old.
When I first bought a thousand-pound GT bike second-hand for a 250-pound carbon fork, 150 etc It blow my 400 bikes out of the water, then I tried my friend's cheap Apollo which he had for 15 plus years and added parts, all in for about 350 and the bike 250, for 15 years riding. It was just as good as my GT. I was amazed, better bearings, hubs etc can make that massive difference. He did maintain his bike it religiously thou. It's was so sweet, I tried to buy it as a training bike. Ended up with a single-speed specialised globe and had nothing but problems.
This is exactly the kind of video I’ve been looking for, I just got posted to a big cycling city through the military and decided I should get into cycling
Even though I worked in a bike shop for a long time and already have a fleet of (old cobbled together but still decent) bikes I find something oddly comforting in watching these videos where youtalk about stuff I already know.🤔 I'd say anything with even a claris groupset will do the job well enough for most folk.
@@apm9507 about 2 months ago, craigslist is a friend. Guy hoped in to try to fix some stuff but didn't have the tools or knowhow so it was in pretty rough shape but with some time and money i got a sweet bike.
In Stockholm , people just don't sell "good used" bikes, drive trains are ruined by the ubiquitous 3-5 mm granite gravel, people don't change chains or maintain brakes, etc. Starting price for a Specialized or Scott brand used bike is about $500, and it will need another $100 in parts to be reliable. Same bike new is about $1100 and most shops offer 3 years service contract.
I know that Bicycling Magazine did a survey of the readership. And the average price paid was $1,500. The last road bike I bought was used on ebay. I was the only bidder at $1,000. I don't typically buy bikes that are already built. I prefer to buy a frame and fork and buy the components separately. This way you can save money in one area, and spend money on a component or area you feel important. If I were going to buy a bike already built up I'd go for about the $900 to $1000 mark. Something with Shimano 105, or Campy Daytona/Centaur. I wouldn't even consider anything with Sram. What I've done on two of my road bikes, that I bought used, is buy older Shimano Dura Ace. My LOOK KG 361 has Dura Ace SL 7700 and my ORBEA has Dura Ace SL 7800. My mountain bike has Shimano XTR M952. Thanks.
first bike I bought myself was aluminum, carbon fork, Sora. Second bike was all carbon with Ultegra. My next will be all steel 3 speed with a banana seat and ape hanger bars.
I got a Focus Izalco Max with sram red for 700AUD. I got it so cheap because I pointed the fork was bung. I got a near new safe BMC fork for 50AUD and swapped them over.
This was 7 years ago when I started riding again, and the difference between a $80 Walmart bike and the heavy as heck $400 bike I bought was huge. That $400 bike was solid and could handle any power I could put out. I then got my wife a $700 bike with Shimano Claris groupset and it was better still but not nearly as huge of a jump. Next was a $2000 bike for me. Nicer still, but for me, well into the diminishing returns area. That $400 bike was solid if not fun. So, I think with price increases the last couple of years, a range of $800 to $1,700 would be the sweet spot where you really feel and see the benefit from spending more versus a much cheaper or more expensive bike.
The Tiagra 4700 groupset is vastly under rated. Put that together w/ good tires/wheels and an aluminum frame like and Allez or caad = a really great bike for reasonable price.
I'm currently running this groupset, which is totally OK for very recreational road cyclists that don't need to upgrade. But I won't be using it for long.
An aluminum-framed road bike with Shimano Sora and caliper brakes is the best bang-for-buck bike out there, I think. I rented a cheap bike spec’d as described to ride up Mt. Evans, and it was flawless. Shifting was good, brakes were good, frame was good, and the only weak link was me.
Good chemistry developing there, plus welcome value-sympathetic content. Dont forget, its all about authenticity..and as soon as you learn to fake that, you’ve got it made!😉
Buy the latest used bike your budget can buy. I recently bought my first bike which was well under £1500 and got a 2022 TCR with carbon frame/forks, disc brakes and 105s. Just buy wisely,know what to look for and get as much help from any experts you know.
5:17 Canyon bikes are at least as expensive as bike shop bikes. They just cash in more money, direct sales doesn't always pass on savings to the consumer.
They also spend a lot on marketing. Sending out bikes for reviews and getting them reviewed doesn't come for free. They spend and charge a premium for their bikes.
Really? I have been looking at Canyon bikes because people say it will get you a lot of bike for a reasonable price, Do you recommend a different brand?
Where are these inexpensive bike shops? Because when I was looking for my first road bike there wasn't one in range of 400km, that wasn't selling the same equipment as on a Canyon Endurace 105 for at least 30% more. The only other price per performance rivals were Rose bikes and Decathlon's Triban series (not coincidentally, both brands are direct sales too). Your comment just so vastly differs from my experience, that in my opinion you are either from a completely different part of the world, know about some secret bike shop, or is just plain making it up.
@@nealb6974 I agree with people who say that you get a lot of bike for a reasonable price. You now unfortunately have a pair of contradicting opinions from two randos on the internets, which doesn't really help you much. To test the field for entry level road bikes you can compare prices of Canyon's Endurace AL series to equivalently equipped bikes in other shops. This is what I've done and is the basis for my statement.
Given the high demand and difficulties in supply chains, bikes are too expensive at the moment in general. Maybe, the introduction of E-Bikes also raised the prices for normal bikes (by raising the tolerance levels of customers). Having said that, I think for non-competitive cyclists (who do it to stay healthy and have fun, but not to win races), too cheap is when parts break down too quickly. About 30 years back I bought a VSF Fahrradmanufaktur ATB bike for around 1000DM (the currency in germany before the euro). It was expensive for me, back then but maybe middle class on an objective level. The first parts breaking down were the spokes and the rim. I replaced the factory default wheels by some back then 400DM Mavik parts and now, 30 years later, both rim and spokes still work. So, the factory default parts were too bad by my definition. And back then I should have aimed for some 1500DM instead of for a 1000DM bike in the first place. What good is this retrospect description? It is about progress (in technology, materials, manufacturing costs) vs inflation. Without having done the math, I think, paying for more than 2000€ (which would have been 4000DM back then when the currency still existed) is clearly too expensive. So my strategy would be to aim for a 1000€ bike, and plan another 500€ for upgrades of the weakest part, once the factory default taps out. Found an inflation table over the past 30 years. If my calculations are correct, pure by inflation, my 1000DM (500€) bike in 1991 would cost now in 2022 around 880€. So, if the industry for bikes got better, you should get equal quality now for less than 880€. But as it is a sellers market right now, you will have to pay way more.
In my opinion the best "bang for your buck bike" is easily going to be second hand... My bike, which I bought about 2 years ago, is made up of a 10-year-old high-end frame and a top tier Campagnolo groupset from the same time. It cost £1000 and I have to say that it feels a million times better than a brand new £1500 bike...
I have a Triban RC500 for commuting and pub trips and it is spot on for my needs, considering I'm strapping lights a lock and a top tube bag for it, I'm not fretting about gram savings (that's not even accounting for sitting 94kg on the saddle!)
Any bike in good condition is better than no bike, especially if you don’t have any big climbs. Yes, you get more when you spend more, but walking is always worse.
My sweet spot is 150-200€. At this price point I get really good aluminum frames with maybe even a carbon fork. They have Ultegra (but 2/3x9) Rim brakes External cables I get a sub 10kg bike that’s ready to get the maintenance done on. With TPU tubes and modern tires they are fun to ride on. Whenever my son or I will put out pro-level watts I might reconsider, but meanwhile we have fun riding our bikes and have some money left to spend on other hobbies, as well.
I was a Specialized rider for years now and loved my aluminum Allez and it did a great job for me at about $800 US. But I bought a Ruby Elite Carbon with Shimano 105 for $1300 US, and it has been revolutionary for my cycling and time spent on the bike. I totally agree with the statement that Shimano 105's are the key thing to have on any bike in this range.
Definitely true now. More than 2 years ago, there was a good reason to go up to Ultegra; now the difference is just a few grams of weight and $$$$. When my Ultegra cassette needed replacing this past summer and I saw the current price of Ultegra and knowing from GCN how far 105 had come, I switched to 105.
However the costs of keeping the store is greatly distributed among other goods, as well as logistics, so it is even more favorable then direct stores. Same goes for the infamous halfords and walmart: one bike box per thousands of fruit crates hardly cost them anything
Just got the Decathlon RC120 for my dad with a deal price of about 230 pounds (1900 RMB, list price is 2500 RMB when not on sale) from my local store. The RC120 is the ONLY bike that feels RIGHT at this price point. The geometry is really good, smooth and stable, feels just like any "more serious" bike from much more expensive brands, if not even better. With this price, you got a CARBON fork, which is the highlight of this bike, and a relatively light aluminium frame and everything else. For me this is the unbeatable bargain. I don't agree with the opinion in the video that the Microshift shifters are a deal breaker. For any more experienced rider, you'll agree that from all the components, the shifters are the least important from a performance perspective. It will not make you faster, it won't save any watts. All you need is something that just works, so you can ride with different gradient. So for a budget bike it's really smart for Decathlon and good for we customers to prioritize on other things (fork and frame) rather than the stupid shifters, which is the only obvious but WRONG thing that new riders and non-riders focuses on when they are trying to shop a bike. The cheapest Shimano shifters are at least 2x the price of the Microshift R8 on the RC120, and I'm talking about the Claris and Sora not even the 105. However the difference is actually MINIMUM, that is to say if you are not deliberately try to figure out a difference, they are the SAME. That means out on a ride, when you are focusing on riding, you won't feel a thing about it, it's just like a Shimano. If you are trying to maximize the bang for the bucks, you should really focus on the things that are really matters, like the tyre and the wheels. Get yourself a Conti GP5000 TL, this may cost as much as you upgrade to a Shimano, but this will immediately makes you faster. Then get yourself a deep carbon wheel, this may cost you as much as upgrade to a carbon frame, but this again will immediately makes you even faster. That's how you should prioritize things if you are trying to make the best of the limited budget.
At 55 yo, I rediscovered cycling. Test rode a fixed gear Langster and it was a blast! My 2 cents for budget cycling...if you think you are interested in cycling, save your money and buy a single speed/fixed gear. They are simple bikes, low maintenance, relatively light, great for fitness, and will determine your commitment/passion for cycling. The Ribble 725s, at £599, looks to be a sound investment and great entry into cycling. You're welcome!😊
this is what I did. Bought a Liv/Giant hybrid. Was abt 500 usd and is very simple to use (and take apart to transport). Wish I could've found it used, but was a great first investment.
I think the Canyon Grail 6 is a great price point for amateur cyclists like me. Durable alloy frame, awesome GRX groupset, with most the functionalities of a top-end bike (like CF SLX) at a fraction of the price.
I spent around 1500 on a neo retro build with a 105 groupset. I could have bought a new bike for that but you don't see very many people riding around on Reynolds 531 frames anymore.
Not sure the buy cheap buy twice works for inexpensive bikes. When I upgraded my first bike to more expensive one, the chainrings wore out after a couple of years, on my first bike they hadn't worn out in 5 years. When I mentioned this at the LBS they said the lighter components were less durable than the cheap heavy ones. It was buy dear buy twice.
I have Dura-Ace chain rings for 7 years now and they didn't wear out a lot. But don't forget to check your chain wear and be sure to take a compatible chain. Using a wrong or used chain will wear out your cassette and chain ring faster.
I bought a frameset from a factory I feel they make quality frames, and put it together with the cheapest shimano groupset (Claris, and some used Sora). 8 speed is so much cheaper to replace chains, cassettes. And if something breaks I won’t be crying for months to replace it. All in all I figure I must’ve spent 500 usd. I’d say less than a 1000usd is perfect to buy a new bike
Interesting trivia: The new dual pivot brake caliper that eventually became standard on Dura Ace was first introduced in the Shimano 105 line in the early 90s.
I ride a 70’s Peugeot with down tube shifters. Paid $50 at yard sale invested about $300 dollars into refurbishing it and even converted 10 to 14 speed and love the bike.
I think £1200 - £1500 seems to be where the diminishing returns really start to kick in. I've often wondered what the real weight difference would be if bikes all used the same components on different frame materials?
Glad to see Steve Bilenky mentioned on the GCN show. Bilenky Cycle Works has been building bespoke bicycles for almost 40 years. I have a road bike frame from his shop that is a great ride. I could not believe how light the frame is when I treated it with frame saver. Bilenky is from the Philadelphia, PA area in the USA.
The boys in the Bullington club were spending £25,000 for single bottles of wine and daddy was picking up the tab, Johnson PM was a member of the Bullington club when it was at Eton.
So what I didn’t hear from either of you in the commentary, was just having a bicycle to have fun on. Yes Shimanos 105 group is the middle ground for a great entry level bike or SRAMs Rival group set. Now Aluminum is a great entry level material, I did start with an Allez from Specialized with a carbon fork and carbon seatpost. That Allez cost me around $900 USD. It came with the 105 group set and I rode a couple thousand miles before buying my first full carbon frame. The key to introducing a rider to the bike is the level of fun, not the watts or the grams to shave.
105 (11s) is the lower groupset to only differ by weight. Tiagra (10s) and Sora (9s) are not even with the same number of speed. Hence chain is wider, more rigid and (a bit) harder to shift.
Best bike I've ever owned is a Specialized Roubaix that I bought several years ago for around 2000 USD, maybe a little more. I read all of these magazines where bikes are $4K, $10k plus and I cannot imagine that those bikes are THAT much better than my Specialized. I would imagine the "sweet spot" for a bike would be the same - around $2000.
My gravel bike is a XC frame with a rigid fork and 29x2.6 fast rolling tires. Really soaks up the bumps, and no stupid fork maintenance schedule. Jones Loop bars are a happy spot for multiple hand positions without drops that I'll never use. Puts me in an good up-right position to watch the scenery.
@@lossantoscity3249 Hell’s yeah! Fast rolling high volume tires is where’s it’s at. My cargo bike for around town has 29x3.0, I float over branches, pot holes, small children, and not so small animals.
Have money to buy whatever, but being money-wise is always good. Like the approach. And we are fortunate that bike tech has improved tremendously since I bought my first road bike back in the 1980's.
My first bike came from bikes direct. $1250.00 full carbon, ultegra and I have ridden it alongside my friends Cervalo for five years now. Seems to go just as fast.
Decent cheap carbon bikes aren't beyond the £1500 mark. I bought a viper carbon frameset (mould) for £300 off wiggle, then got some mavic aksium wheels off ebay (£70), gatorskin tyres (£60), deda aluminium handlebar (£20) and seatpost (£15), proloqo alloy saddle (£25) and a carbon stem (£30) and built it up with the groupset of the people (£450), so total of ~£1000 including cables and housing, inners etc. At 8.2 kg it is heavier than a £12k super bike but puts a smile on my face! :)
I recently purchased a road bike from Walmart for $200. After a few months of riding I’ve been passing most people and can even compete with people with nice trek bikes and I kept up with someone who had what seemed like one of those time trials bikes. Seems like fitness level is more important. Unless you’re elite I say keep your cash 🤭
1yr later than this video, and I've been looking for a gravel bike. Lots about (new) but some with mixed groupset bits, and prices up. Opted for a Merlin G2P with Tiagra groupset and I'm well chuffed with it. Changing to 105 or the new GRX equiped bikes pushes the budget further than I wanted.
An Aluminium frame,carbon fork and 105 was my first bike and I was sooo slow at first.And every time I would go riding I remember thinking "I wouldn't be so slow if I had one of them fancy bikes...'. Two years later,it turns out that it wasn't the bike that was slow,it was ME(OMG!). Just train hard and the speed and fitness will come. P.S Have you noticed that the more expensive bike is, the older is the rider on it?Is it because they are the ones who can afford them or is it like a middle age crisis thing so instead of sport cars people are buying fancy bikes?
As a middle aged person that has just bought a bike (after the last one I bought 20 years ago), I'd support the "affordability" theory. I didn't buy an ultralight frame or went for top-of-the range componentry (even though I could probably afford it), it is a mid-high range bike which I test rode and I enjoyed riding. I don't think it's a particularly showy bike, but it is meant to last the rest of my riding lifetime... slow as it may be!
@@Shomi_brat ... but you are right - middle-aged people tend to have more money available, and spend it on things like bikes. A few years ago I've splashed out on a sporty car with red seats too... largely because it was available as an ex-demo at a very good price, but that was far more of a 'mid-life crisis' purchase than the bike. 😁
Look, I have a Fuji Touring I bought with a flatbar, maybe a 2010 model, got it around 2013. It probably needs new chain, cogs, and derailleurs but I recently got back on it and have started towing my little girl around in a trailer and, within reason, I think the best bike is the one you want to ride.
They should go back, way back, to all the bikes that never made the vault and really, really roast 'em, like look at the loser bike, no wonder we never featured it. And I'd be hoping to see mine, with panniers and non-drive side and the whole bit. And I'd reach for a cup of tea and a biscuit and cheer in a rather upper-crust manner, careful not to spill any crumbs. And I'd hope against hope that it got a splendid, but I'd be okay if it didn't. It doesn't matter if nobody else likes my bike.
Also if your price range doesn't extend to 105, Tiagra shifts equally as well and is as durable. Going from 11 to 10 speed is not that much of a difference you'd notice and replacement 10 speed cassettes are cheaper.
I have 5 rideable bikes and a couple projects. 1)95’ Nishiki Colorado $525 New Chromoly 2)2002’ K2 Zed Team Hardtail $1800 New Al. 3)Early 80’s Trek 500? (dt shifters 2x6) suntour $65 offer up special Chromoly 4)2008 Specialized Allez Elite w/105 Aluminum $600 Craigslist special 5)Masi Uni Riser fixed gear Chromoly $200 Facebook Marketplace special Masi is most fun to ride (40 miles no problem) Nishiki Colorado>K2 Zed Team Trek 500?>Specialized Allez Conclusion, I enjoy my cheaper bikes far, far more than the ones I spent significantly more on with higher end components. Chromoly>Aluminum comfort and confidence wise. Added advantage is I feel a lot safer if I need to lock up my bike to run in the store when I take the more enjoyable bikes. Bottom line is have fun, be safe and get your exercise in. Dont take yourself too serious and you definitely dont need a ridiculous outfit to go on long rides unless you enjoy looking like a kook.
Generally speaking, anything with the Shimano 105 groupset is a “good bike” and it costs what it costs. No one who buys less and gets hooked on riding doesn’t wish they had at least that much bicycle.
Agree, you can get a good quality carbon frame, 105 drive train, and just upgrade your wheels when you can afford it and you'll have a really good bike for a long time.
Even £500 is unobtainable for most these days, let alone £750. I've had my £200 bike for 6 years of daily use, still going strong on all the original parts because it's been well maintained. The only thing that's needed replacing is the brake pads and wire.
Start with a slow 10 miles, or whatever they are comfortable with. Talk, laugh, hang out while riding. Then slowly invite them on longer/faster rides. If they don't like it, that's fine, not everyone will be in to cycling.
I think you guys are right. $750-1000 USD is a great price point for an optimal first-time road bike experience and like everything else, if you want more go for more. Heck, we picked up a 2007 Specialized Ruby Comp (Full carbon + 105 $3000+ new!!) for $700 back in 2014. 2021 isnt the year for used bikes though with covid. Buy new.
Sora Groupset and above for bang for buck Single speed, you’ll be looking at Good Chromoly Steel, lightweight or Good Aluminium with or without a carbon fork, and a $130-150 Crank ie Miche Primato/Pristard level
You don't need to go for the primato/pista, even the miche x-press is damn good. Hell, you can find a very functional crankset for 30-50 USD if you are lucky.
@@bruhmaxxer this is very true, I was going off more MSRP pricing But you’re absolutely correct, and would definitely advocate going used if It’s in good condition (more so applicable to Square taper)
Also, keeping your budget limited to the midrange means you have more money you can spend on important upgrades you may want (tyres, saddle), on better cycling gear, and on accesories like a cycling computer or clipless pedals. You can buy a *lot* of good starter kit for a total budget of 2000 pounds, when compared to a 2000 pound higher tier bike with rubbish kit.
We once bought a cheap Triban bike for our son, which was the worst purchase ever. Literally all components were crap after two years and beyond guarantee, despite proper maintenance. The balls in the cup and cone bearings were eroding by losing LAYERS of metal, despite proper greasing. Never again.
Buy a vintage lightweight steel framed bike like an old Schwinn, Fuji, Bianchi or almost any other quality brand name bike. Then put some ergo-shifters and clipless pedals. Get it tuned up with new tires and tubes. You'll have a basically brand new bike that will last for years to come! This should cost you no more than six hundred dollars (U.S.).
I would say about 300. My wife's carrera zelos got plenty of great miles in and she wasn't suffering on it. Its more then enough bike for most people realistically and very durable Also to add i think you guys are great but maybe spend too much time with higher quality bikes. I have a 105 bike and its is great but when we're talking beginner shimano tourney/claris and into sora are plenty and on bikes less then half that of a bike with 105
What do you think is the optimum price point for a bike?
$1000ish is the best out of the box.
1700
£1200? Hydraulic 105 with tubeless wheels is enough for 99% of people
£1500-£2000 gets a good blend of quality components e.g. full carbon, 105, aero profile bars etc. I went for an Orbea Orca M30.
Few decent bottles I would say
Im getting older, so soon I will be getting an electric bottle of wine.
Does it refill when you recharge? Sign me up.
That would be great for your arthritis.
Hope you've got a Campagnolo corkscrew to open it with.
Did you know they even have electric chairs.
@@buddy1155 won't work on my bike as I have shock absorbers 😎
In cycling like everything else on modern society, there's unrelenting pressure to upgrade and spend more.
Ride the bike you can afford, and ride it often. On my alloy frame & 105 bike I frequently overtake friends on carbon bikes with Dura Ace. Why? I ride more often and am fitter. And in turn I have been overtaken by people on "lesser" bikes than mine.
You can spend a lot to shave 300g off your bike. Or you can just ride more often, eat better and lay off the grog. That performance gain is free.
Or if you're racing, ride the bike you can afford to crash.
Yup. I'm riding a steel frame Trek 720 rather than my older and better spec'ed Trek 1400 (the equivalent of what GCN is recommending circa early '90s -Shimano 105 - nice aluminmum frame.) The 720 is simply more comfortable and the components are good enough.
What if my cheap bike is visibly, unnecessarily harder to ride? I find myself wasting more energy than i would have to on a “normal” bike. I’m thinking of upgrading.
But that doesn't address the other end of the curve - how cheap is TOO cheap?
If you're not riding something you picked out of a dumpster or thrift store, why?
Exactly this, also under blind testing and with some statistics the gains are often unnoticeable by the rider and inconsequential in terms of performance gains.
Like they say 105 is enough for 90% of people
I think the aluminum frame bikes with a carbon fork and 105 give consumers the best bang-for-the-buck. For non-racers, this combination is hard to beat.
Like the Trek Domane AL5.
Like the Rose Pro SL from facking germaney
JAN Janssen tdf 105 3×10
Add tubeless tires and light alloy rims thats it
Agree. Most those bike are around $1500ish. That is a misconception that you need to spend a lot of money for a bike just to start riding
The best price point is the one you can afford without having to sacrifice your normal lifestyle. At the end of the day buy a bike that fits you and you can afford and enjoy the ride.
Well said!
Agree
Very true , what you can afford is the Best one that as always been the case.
Yeah, and you can always upgrade it later on.
Doesn't matter what you say...your wife will find it tooooooo much!!!
As an ex runner I decided to get into cycling so brought my first road/gravel bike last year for a shade under £600.
It's been a great bike and I've covered many miles without any problems concerning reliability. Yeah it's over 10kg and has shimano's lowest groupset but I've got fitter and faster and regularly overtake guys on much more expensive bikes. ( Loads overtake me too lol )
I think just buy what you can afford and enjoy your cycling 😀
This! + big stress on reliable parts. 105 is my rec, any more dough and you just get quicker, lighter, and more ergo.
10kg bike? That's pretty lightweight when talking about non-enthusiast bikes.
Or is it considerably above that?
Why did you stop running and start cycling?
@@tappajaav 10kg seems about fair for that price point, but depends, I bought a bike second hand for £380 and its 8.5kg
@@mohammadalshoha4130 Nice man, sounds like you got good deal... if the parts are as good as the weight
Don't forget Tiagra. I know it's only 10 speed, but for the beginner that may be an advantage. In my experience, it just works; always shifts perfectly, requires little to no maintenance. My winter bikes have Tiagra for that reason, in the summer I use 105.
The best bang for your buck is getting a used bike that's in good condition.
My daughter just got a 2008 Orbea Opal with full Ultegra for $800. Works perfect, some cosmetic blemishes of course.
True, but look out for hidden wear and damage to the frame before buying
@@fotomaxk6299 that's exactly what you look for, cosmetic damage is beautiful for a good price.
Seriously. Bicycles do NOT retain value, and generally don't break much at all. it's such a steal to buy used bike
Until the fork snaps on a good descent and you smash your teeth out
I actually had a budget of around £500 for my first road bike, but because I'm serious into getting fit by cycling, I just bought a £250 Triban RC100 and spend the rest of the money on equipments, trainer and tools for maintenance. This way, if you're a beginner, you can try out cycling first and if you don't like it, you do not have to worry nor hurry in selling the bought bike, whereas if yo become serious about cycling, you still have budget for maintaining your bike for longevity. FYI I was a high school student when I bought my first road bike with my own savings, hence I invested in tools.
Triban 100 is a great bike for the money, if you just wanna try out road cycling and are not sure if it's your thing 👍 Did the same, liked it, and then dropped another 350 Euros into the Triban to upgrade it to a level that I could have gotten in the first place. But I learned a lot about bike mechanics doing so, that made it absolutely worth it. Then I bought a better bike 😬 But the Triban got converted again to a hybrid and still gets used regularly!
very good idea to buy a cheaper bike first, keep some money for tools, learn how to upgrade/maintain your bike before going straight to a high end bike and ruin it with bad maintenance
@@geemy9675
4 years ago I said to myself that I would not go to the service with anything. Today I have tools for € 800+ and the technology is constantly changing. Just take the wheel. You need a bench, a scale to deviate the hub from the center of the rim, a tension gauge, and a tool to press the bearings into hub. Different tools for different hubs, levers, jaws vice and also the option of a compressor for tubeless tires. There is also a cassette on the wheel (2 key / ratchet extensions, a chain whip) and discs on it (except for 2 extensions from the cassette, a high-quality Allen key + external thread for the center lock from 2020 is used), electric screwdriver for quick wheel rebuild. Wheel tools is only € 500-1700. I recommend buying a good bike and tools after you have at least 2-4 bikes to service. What you did doesn't matter to me.
At Decathlon, I wouldn't let them touch the bike. A bunch of amateurs and students.
@@averageuncle8176 sorry but you got it wrong, I'm not saying you should spend thousands on tools right after buying you first cheap bike. you need the basics, a stand , a decent tool kit to be able to service your drivetrain, brakes, hubs, a decent pump, shock pump, multi tool for the trail maybe 2-300 bucks. last 3 tools I bought were $5 each, and they are from parktool. start doing the simple stuff, save on the service of your bike, and as you learn, invest some of the money you saved in the tools you need. If you get the tools as you need them, its "free" compared to paying for service. you just have too put your time into it. Personally I wouldn't wait to get my 4th bike or even my second, probably (much) more expensive than the first one, to start working on a bike and risk messing with more expensive parts with zero experience. Plus if you realize putting money and time into tools and learning how to service your bike is not your thing, you can stop once you master the basic stuff like degreasing/lubing your drivetrain, setting up your suspension, or taking care of your tubeless tires if you have some of those. Speaking for my self I like to be at least able to disassemble almost anything on my bike so that I can clean, troubleshoot, or replace parts. I'm not interested yet by building/rebuilding wheels, cause with zero experience its looks like I could mess up and end up crashing pretty badly.
@@geemy9675 Cranckbrothers F15 is the best multitool.
Imagine: Someone passes you on a climb. If your first thought is that's it's their equipment doing it rather than them, you'll never win. Enjoy the ride
This advice reminds me about what people say about video gaming, if you always suspect your opponents are hacking and you'll never improve. And you certainly won't have fun.
For a commuter bike
$700-800 USD
1. aluminum frame
2. carbon fork
2X8 Shimano Claris
56cm With a total weight of about 20 lbs. - 22 lbs max.
I got a carbon frame and a 2x10 105 5700 for 880€. The frame is almost retro in that it is one of the first batches of mainstream carbon frames (circa 2006), the whole bike was rebuilt in 2013 and was maintained exceptionally well. There is something to be said about the used market.
A commuter bike does not need a carbon fork. A carbon fork is usually just 200 to 300 grams lighter, but an aluminium one does not have to worry about the kinds of failure modes that a carbon one does.
Accidentally crash a bike getting your aluminium fork scuffed-up, exposing the metal but have no cracks or dents then you won't be worried. Experience the same kind of crash with a carbon fork scuffed up, exposing a scratched but not cracked carbon i bet you'd still be worried.
Hello GCN! Mechanicdan here with the De Berardi. It's funny my bike is in this video because I built that bike thinking about what's the nicest bike I could make for $1000. It took a year to find all the parts but I feel its way nicer of any bike I could have bought at a bike shop for the same price. I want to see what you guys could build for 1000 pounds, it would make a cool video!
Doc Ollie's hairgame is spot-on.
@jon dough who hurt you?
Stronger "hair game" than GMBN.
RICH, get a haircut, kid, it's all over buddy!
Thanks to this video, I’m now even more in love with my Triban RC120 (that is shown in this video). I use it to lost weight, send my son to school and do grocery with it. As another comment rightly put, if you ride it often, sometimes you can even ride faster than those with better bike.
Thats great Vincent, Enjoy your bike !
I bought this same bike recently. I love it! It was about $600 (American). It’s the disc brake version. The only thing I upgraded was the tires and I plan on changing the cassette from a 11-34 to a 11-28.
Triban RC 520 (or RC 500 just below it)
Best value available currently
got it and love it
Got one, excellent bike with infinite upgrade availability - i changed microshift cassete to original shimano 105 and tyres for tubeless gravel ones.
I have ridden thousands of Km on it, climbed some of the highest mountains around (over 1700m), I've done several triathlons with it (it is so satisfying over taking people that has expensive carbon bikes 😎) . And I've had zero issues besides an inner tube blown (over night). So yes, you can have plenty of fun with it for less than 500 €.
I bought one a few weeks ago from Decathlon USA for $1200. Great ride and plan to use it as a mostly road/gravel bike as it can take around a 36/38 tire. Just going to upgrade the saddle and wheels and tires.As I already have wheels and saddle and just bought some new wider tires.
Love my 520 but had real problem changing tyres - wheel rim walls too high and unfortunately discovered this when got a puncture on the road and it took me an hour to get tyre off. Thought it was the tyre, so got a new one - couldn't get it on. Read about others having same issue, so bought cheap Shimano wheel - tyre on in less than 90 seconds.
Worth also mentioning the 11/34 cassette which is a big help on steep climbs.
Still riding the 80s 7 speed. Works as well as anything else I could afford new. At the end of the day, the best bike is the one you can afford and will ride.
For local runs and an occasional commute I have an old Claud Butler oddesy hybrid with 3x7 shimano sis, and I must say it is surprisingly good, absolutely fine for general use. A mate who is really into gravel bikes was really surprised how positive and direct the shifting is.
Everything’s relative, esp for the financially challenged. I caught the bug 2 years ago riding a 30 year old Schwinn hybrid. Managed last fall to score a 2016 Allez - for about $600 - aluminum w carbon fork blades, Claris groupset, rim brakes, and I am still in love with it. Lighter bike with disc brakes & 105 etc can remain a long term wish, but this was plenty to make a a full fledged MAMiL.
i think 105 WAS the groupset of the people. when i got 105 5800 it was $500 USD. but now its gone up too much. id say tiagra or claria is now the groupset of the people and they also have amazing performance
I dunno what the price is, but it'll be an aluminum frame with Shimano 105(Groupset of the People).
I would argue the Sora groupset offers quite as good a package in the braking and Shifting department
Groupset of the people!
105!!
Thats what i riding ✌
@Stuart Griffin 12 speeds in terms of servicing vs 8 spd is a nightmare. I still feel that around 2x 10 is the best. If you have more speeds does not mean that you will be faster, just that you will carry a heavier cassette. The only difference is at 11 speed is the availability of parts in the future.
Probably the same as supercars. You can get 80% of the functionality for 20% of the cost. Totally agree with the analysis.
$80k Corvette - $400k Ferrari
Most cheap, old 1000cc motorcycles vs ... pretty much anything! ;-)
The best bike, all depends on how often and the type of riding/racing you're doing
For most people (not hardcore cyclists), a Sora groupset will be more than they need.
As for 105s, I've had a few, and love them. They can take a beating, and keep on ticking (I also have Ultegra, which is, sensitive).
Most cyclists will never see a performance difference between the 105 and Dura-Ace, let alone Ultegra. Bif problem is with cycling, the image, and want to look good/fit in (with everyone else, who wants to look good and fit in).
And good thing about the 105s vs lower end, is that you can mix and match with higher end components as well.
Living and working in an eastern-european country, 1000Euro is even hard to spend on a bike.
hear hear neighbour...we know its just 1000 euros someone will steal lol
I have that triban rc500 in all black, I could hardly afford it... Nevertheless I m lovin it to pieces😃
Hmm, somthing for Daniel Lloyd to look into.
I am looking for an RC520 on the market second hand, still 800+ euro
Aaaand you don‘t have to. Most fun I‘ve had was on a used bike with Sora for 190€! Greets from Germany
Thank you for the information about Tubolito. I prefer a tubeless setup but I'm tired of puncturing my tires and using a repair kit or replacing the tire. This may actually aid me in getting a full year out of my tires and save me money overall. Thank you for what you do, all of you are great.
Just got back into cycling and got a £220 second hand specialised allez it’s amazing.
Still have a giant ocr Once from the year 2000, 11.6kg 3×9 campagnolo
I am glad that Decathlon's bikes (Triban, Van Rysel and potentially Rockrider) are now recognised by GCN. Under 1000€ there is hardly anything better. I hope bike companies like Trek, Cannondale and Giant will recognise that and will start to produce affordable bikes with reasonable components too.
I’d add vitus from wiggle / chain reaction to that too, as their ‘in house’ brand you get a bit more value as you are essentially buying direct. I’m very pleased with my Vitus Razor, great value for £600 when I bought it last year
This was really interesting! I have a theory that i call the "laptop theory" that we always talk about in my family when you're buying something. You find something you like but for just a little bit more money you get something better (better wheels or groupset etc on bikes) so you up your price. Then for just a bit more something else gets better, and so on. Suddenly you've spent way more than you had planned but only gone up in small jumps each time. Its always good to hear things like this to appreciate where you can jump off and get something really good that does the job for you but without breaking the bank! :)
With the trickle down tech, the new 105 (even Tiagra) is as good as yesterday’s Ultegra. The difference is between the club rider and the racer.
I had a microshift 3x8 system with campag style shifters. Tuned properly, even an old SiS will do the job -- If it doesn't, you need to re-learn how to shift.
Currently I'm on a 105 5700 and it shifts like a dream. They say even the new Tiagra 4700 is better, but I've never tried any better, and also can't wrap my head around this. The 5700 is orgasmic.
My Tarmac has the Tiagra R4720 groupset, so hydraulic disc. Its a brilliant deal!
@@ArnageLM Tiagra 4720 is a little heavier than 105 7020, but otherwise almost just like a 10 speed version. It's very good.
Aside from weight, Sora is really good these days. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a Sora equipped bike for casual rides.
I agree. Being a cyclist who happily started off with a 5 speed freewheel on a bike with downtube shifters, modern 9 speed Sora really is 'the regular people's' groupset. Sora rocks!
1x9 Sora .
Great stuff.
Cycling is too snobby.
As nice as expensive things are.
Same. Rode the 5 speed in the 80's.
2006 - now - shimano 9 speed. Hard to beat. Cheap to replace.
I recently investigated how much weight I would save by upgrading the R3000 Sora components on my bike (shifters, derailleurs and cassette) to R7000 105 equivalents - and it turned out to be almost nothing. The only notable difference was about 40 grams in the rear derailleur. Combined with the groupset's solid performance, it makes it very hard to justify an upgrade.
It seems the only component that has a significant weight penalty between Sora and 105 is the crankset. (My bike came with an even heavier FSA crankset, which I upgraded).
I’m pretty happy even with my eight speed Claris double.
Then again my other bike is a fixed gear townie, so any amount of gears is an upgrade.
I was amused by the fiscal optimism of you two young men, Alex and Ollie. What you spend on a cycle surely can depend on its amount of potential usage, the terrain it is likely to encounter, and the personal circumstances of the buyer.
To me, unless you are into competitive cycling, a bike near or over £1500 is merely self-indulgence coupled with a certain amount of gullibility. Cycles are a bit like trainers - 'brands' can usually mean 3-500% more than they are worth.
My previous bike was a Dawes 'Streetwise' back in the mid-90s when my sponsor spent approx £350. With improved bars and a Brooks B17 it was a cracking bike that took me from Land's End to the top of Shetland (unfit and overweight) with only one broken spoke that was my fault due to luggage overload which I soon ditched half-way. It was as smooth as silk and perfectly comfortable.
I also learned the myth of mega-multi-gears. So many are duplicated, sometimes twice. All the drivetrain components were Shimano mid-range and totally reliable. I probably effectively used 10-15 of the 27 gears, if that (and there were some 'interesting' inclines along the way!).
I'm now an aged pensioner and getting back into cycling and the thought of spending extravagant amounts on a steed is pointless. I will likely do far less than 1000mls pa (I don't do KM) and can still pedal my weight with a fair bit extra.
Don't forget, your £6 bottle of wine ends up in the same place as your £2 bottle. Can be the same with bikes.
You also seem committed to drop bars when half the cycling public don't use them - for very good reasons!
My current steed is a Chinese copy which had hardly touched the road and ended up in a Church Jumble Sale for £40!!
(NOT because it was rejected by its previous owner but because his heart condition said 'no undue exercise').It has a Shimano mid-range SIS drivetrain and other components and I've added another B17 and better bars. I also swapped to Schwalbe Range Cruisers K-Guards. It sings like a gentle humming bird and rides like a dream. It's not ultra-light but it is certainly not heavy. With all the add-ons, and the TLC, it has probably cost me about £100 over a period.
This may not be typical but there are tens of thousands of cyclists who are simply looking for reliability, comfort and safety to give them the enjoyment they seek. They want to own a bike and not have the bike own them.
Why do we have to reduce cycling to some sort of machismo where one has to have the 'designer' bike to match the 'designer' trainers and baseball cap? It's a crazy world where the market is dictating the style rather than the consumer getting good value for money for them to get just out on the road and enjoy.
When you got to the clothing, my heart sank deeper. 'Patchwork' for sustainability? Get real. Off-cuts to maximise profit and start a new silly trend for discontented cyclists. I repeat my comment about a crazy world. I'll stick to my basic long-sleeved T-shirt, my Coolmax underpants and my budget Lycra tights and Shimano shoes.
As for 'qualifying' to wear certain gear. Well - I ask you. I rest my case. Cycling machismo rules!
I flew down the incline around Dunblane at approx 43mph but I wouldn't wear their jerseys if they gave them to me!
£79 for a rear light + £36 pa subs? What a scam! My rear lights cost far less than a fiver and a Gold Standard lock costs about £25.
You seemed to let go a half-snigger on mention of rim brakes. Some of the descents on the End-to-End - Navidale, Glencoe, and Dunblane etc are not insignificant and some decent pads in my cantilevers worked perfectly.
I give up on what goes for some areas of 'cycling' today. Trends, marketing, consumer expense and undiluted fashion.
£30 per inner tube? - I'd like to see the company's response when you tell them they punctured.
Thanks for the video - Alex and Ollie - you taught me a lot about current trends.
I think a modern £500 entry level Road bike with shimano claris and alloy frame and basic wheelset is the best all round bike!
Don't forget that Claris is a re-issue of the 105 group set of 30 years ago, which can still hold its own.
Just stay away from the cheapest "Tourney" tier. A €15 rear mech really can't be good.
I rode a giant tcx with claris for many years but now that I've upgraded to 105 I can't go back.
I had a Devinci Tosca S equipped with Claris for years that gave me zero trouble. Claris worked fantastic.
I definitely agree, exactly what I have Fuji brand and I run head to head with carbon trex 105 group sets and smoke them at their own game. Its not always the bike it's the riders ability to ride the bike that gets the edge 👍👍
@@Stoney3K exactly so definitely. It really holds it's own. I fine it shifts very well and stayed indexed very long as well. Little service is needs very little
I don't know if quality has changed but my Tiagra group set has worked flawlessly for the last 10 years. I live in the mountains so those shifters get a lot of use. My bike was in the $1100 range. I tend to commute, ride on and off road, CX bike. Having something I can lock to a pole downtown or take on a long ride is an important consideration for me.I don't think I would feel comfortable locking up a carbon frame.
If the person can afford it, I'll always recommend to get at least alloy frame + carbon fork and shimano 105. (Triban rc 520 or van rysel alf 105 for around 1k €). That's a bike they won't want to swap (except for wheels maybe) for a few years if they get into cycling.
If money is tighter, getting at least sora + carbon bladed fork seems wise (so around 750€ at decathlon), anything less is dodgier components territory.
If you have time and know a thing or two about bikes buying second hand is great. I got my main bike for less than half its price, 6 months old.
And you can have fun for much less, my second bike is a fixed gear with a reynolds 531 lugged steel track frame, miche pistard wheels and decent components. It cost me 150€ and two afternoons at my local self repair place.
I've done evening group rides and solo rides of up to 150km and got a few koms around Paris with it.
I spent about $850 for a Raleigh Merit 2 disc. When I could afford them, gradually ugraded with Selle Italia saddle, DTSwiss C1800 wheelset, Schwalbe MPlus tires. Comfortable and capable of everything except pure racing, which I don't do anyway. Why would I spend $$-thousands? Buy whatever you can afford, and then upgrade or trade-up later if/when you want to. JUST RIDE !!
I just bought my first road bike for 380 and that thing is so dam light and fast and weighs in at 23lbs! Love my 7 speed Triban! My first road bike and I came from riding mountain bikes all my life and I’m 37 yrs old.
Enjoy.
When I first bought a thousand-pound GT bike second-hand for a 250-pound carbon fork, 150 etc It blow my 400 bikes out of the water, then I tried my friend's cheap Apollo which he had for 15 plus years and added parts, all in for about 350 and the bike 250, for 15 years riding. It was just as good as my GT. I was amazed, better bearings, hubs etc can make that massive difference. He did maintain his bike it religiously thou.
It's was so sweet, I tried to buy it as a training bike. Ended up with a single-speed specialised globe and had nothing but problems.
This is exactly the kind of video I’ve been looking for, I just got posted to a big cycling city through the military and decided I should get into cycling
Even though I worked in a bike shop for a long time and already have a fleet of (old cobbled together but still decent) bikes I find something oddly comforting in watching these videos where youtalk about stuff I already know.🤔 I'd say anything with even a claris groupset will do the job well enough for most folk.
What about buying used? I got a 90s aluminum trek with old 105 for like 150 bucks then repairs and upgrades about 400 all in.
SHHHHhhhhh!!!!
When? The thrift shops are now selling used 💩 bikes for $200 plus!
@@apm9507 about 2 months ago, craigslist is a friend. Guy hoped in to try to fix some stuff but didn't have the tools or knowhow so it was in pretty rough shape but with some time and money i got a sweet bike.
@@lifeisgood12341 again SHHHHhhh!!!!
In Stockholm , people just don't sell "good used" bikes, drive trains are ruined by the ubiquitous 3-5 mm granite gravel, people don't change chains or maintain brakes, etc. Starting price for a Specialized or Scott brand used bike is about $500, and it will need another $100 in parts to be reliable. Same bike new is about $1100 and most shops offer 3 years service contract.
I know that Bicycling Magazine did a survey of the readership. And the average price paid was $1,500. The last road bike I bought was used on ebay. I was the only bidder at $1,000. I don't typically buy bikes that are already built. I prefer to buy a frame and fork and buy the components separately. This way you can save money in one area, and spend money on a component or area you feel important. If I were going to buy a bike already built up I'd go for about the $900 to $1000 mark. Something with Shimano 105, or Campy Daytona/Centaur. I wouldn't even consider anything with Sram. What I've done on two of my road bikes, that I bought used, is buy older Shimano Dura Ace. My LOOK KG 361 has Dura Ace SL 7700 and my ORBEA has Dura Ace SL 7800. My mountain bike has Shimano XTR M952. Thanks.
first bike I bought myself was aluminum, carbon fork, Sora. Second bike was all carbon with Ultegra. My next will be all steel 3 speed with a banana seat and ape hanger bars.
Your next bike was my first bike, except it was single speed with coaster brakes.
add a noisy horn for safety and a front basket for groceries
Your first bike is my first bike as well, and i am still riding it. I got the Triban rc 500
@@jameswitte5676 right on!
I got a Focus Izalco Max with sram red for 700AUD. I got it so cheap because I pointed the fork was bung. I got a near new safe BMC fork for 50AUD and swapped them over.
This was 7 years ago when I started riding again, and the difference between a $80 Walmart bike and the heavy as heck $400 bike I bought was huge. That $400 bike was solid and could handle any power I could put out. I then got my wife a $700 bike with Shimano Claris groupset and it was better still but not nearly as huge of a jump. Next was a $2000 bike for me. Nicer still, but for me, well into the diminishing returns area. That $400 bike was solid if not fun. So, I think with price increases the last couple of years, a range of $800 to $1,700 would be the sweet spot where you really feel and see the benefit from spending more versus a much cheaper or more expensive bike.
The Tiagra 4700 groupset is vastly under rated. Put that together w/ good tires/wheels and an aluminum frame like and Allez or caad = a really great bike for reasonable price.
I'm currently running this groupset, which is totally OK for very recreational road cyclists that don't need to upgrade.
But I won't be using it for long.
An aluminum-framed road bike with Shimano Sora and caliper brakes is the best bang-for-buck bike out there, I think. I rented a cheap bike spec’d as described to ride up Mt. Evans, and it was flawless. Shifting was good, brakes were good, frame was good, and the only weak link was me.
Good chemistry developing there, plus welcome value-sympathetic content. Dont forget, its all about authenticity..and as soon as you learn to fake that, you’ve got it made!😉
Buy the latest used bike your budget can buy. I recently bought my first bike which was well under £1500 and got a 2022 TCR with carbon frame/forks, disc brakes and 105s. Just buy wisely,know what to look for and get as much help from any experts you know.
5:17 Canyon bikes are at least as expensive as bike shop bikes. They just cash in more money, direct sales doesn't always pass on savings to the consumer.
They also spend a lot on marketing. Sending out bikes for reviews and getting them reviewed doesn't come for free. They spend and charge a premium for their bikes.
Really? I have been looking at Canyon bikes because people say it will get you a lot of bike for a reasonable price, Do you recommend a different brand?
@@nealb6974 where are you based? If in UK, take a look at Dolan Bikes.
Where are these inexpensive bike shops? Because when I was looking for my first road bike there wasn't one in range of 400km, that wasn't selling the same equipment as on a Canyon Endurace 105 for at least 30% more. The only other price per performance rivals were Rose bikes and Decathlon's Triban series (not coincidentally, both brands are direct sales too).
Your comment just so vastly differs from my experience, that in my opinion you are either from a completely different part of the world, know about some secret bike shop, or is just plain making it up.
@@nealb6974 I agree with people who say that you get a lot of bike for a reasonable price. You now unfortunately have a pair of contradicting opinions from two randos on the internets, which doesn't really help you much.
To test the field for entry level road bikes you can compare prices of Canyon's Endurace AL series to equivalently equipped bikes in other shops. This is what I've done and is the basis for my statement.
Given the high demand and difficulties in supply chains, bikes are too expensive at the moment in general. Maybe, the introduction of E-Bikes also raised the prices for normal bikes (by raising the tolerance levels of customers).
Having said that, I think for non-competitive cyclists (who do it to stay healthy and have fun, but not to win races), too cheap is when parts break down too quickly.
About 30 years back I bought a VSF Fahrradmanufaktur ATB bike for around 1000DM (the currency in germany before the euro). It was expensive for me, back then but maybe middle class on an objective level. The first parts breaking down were the spokes and the rim. I replaced the factory default wheels by some back then 400DM Mavik parts and now, 30 years later, both rim and spokes still work. So, the factory default parts were too bad by my definition. And back then I should have aimed for some 1500DM instead of for a 1000DM bike in the first place.
What good is this retrospect description? It is about progress (in technology, materials, manufacturing costs) vs inflation. Without having done the math, I think, paying for more than 2000€ (which would have been 4000DM back then when the currency still existed) is clearly too expensive. So my strategy would be to aim for a 1000€ bike, and plan another 500€ for upgrades of the weakest part, once the factory default taps out.
Found an inflation table over the past 30 years. If my calculations are correct, pure by inflation, my 1000DM (500€) bike in 1991 would cost now in 2022 around 880€. So, if the industry for bikes got better, you should get equal quality now for less than 880€. But as it is a sellers market right now, you will have to pay way more.
In my opinion the best "bang for your buck bike" is easily going to be second hand... My bike, which I bought about 2 years ago, is made up of a 10-year-old high-end frame and a top tier Campagnolo groupset from the same time. It cost £1000 and I have to say that it feels a million times better than a brand new £1500 bike...
I have a Triban RC500 for commuting and pub trips and it is spot on for my needs, considering I'm strapping lights a lock and a top tube bag for it, I'm not fretting about gram savings (that's not even accounting for sitting 94kg on the saddle!)
Yeah lol, I'm at 105 kilos, so I'm standing to make a lot more weight savings by continuing to lose weight!
Excellent choice Dan, the growing #Tribanati no coincidence!
Bit tubby mate
Any bike in good condition is better than no bike, especially if you don’t have any big climbs. Yes, you get more when you spend more, but walking is always worse.
My sweet spot is 150-200€.
At this price point I get really good aluminum frames with maybe even a carbon fork.
They have Ultegra (but 2/3x9)
Rim brakes
External cables
I get a sub 10kg bike that’s ready to get the maintenance done on. With TPU tubes and modern tires they are fun to ride on.
Whenever my son or I will put out pro-level watts I might reconsider, but meanwhile we have fun riding our bikes and have some money left to spend on other hobbies, as well.
That pickup truck segment gave me a good chuckle
I found my bike next to the dumpster. Heavy as hell and I love it. More resistance for my muscles. Perspective is everything.
I'd quite enjoy a tour of the Hank Manor wine cellar...
I was a Specialized rider for years now and loved my aluminum Allez and it did a great job for me at about $800 US. But I bought a Ruby Elite Carbon with Shimano 105 for $1300 US, and it has been revolutionary for my cycling and time spent on the bike. I totally agree with the statement that Shimano 105's are the key thing to have on any bike in this range.
Definitely true now. More than 2 years ago, there was a good reason to go up to Ultegra; now the difference is just a few grams of weight and $$$$. When my Ultegra cassette needed replacing this past summer and I saw the current price of Ultegra and knowing from GCN how far 105 had come, I switched to 105.
I wouldn't describe decathlon as a direct to market brand, they definitely have physical stores and the cost associated
However the costs of keeping the store is greatly distributed among other goods, as well as logistics, so it is even more favorable then direct stores.
Same goes for the infamous halfords and walmart: one bike box per thousands of fruit crates hardly cost them anything
Just got the Decathlon RC120 for my dad with a deal price of about 230 pounds (1900 RMB, list price is 2500 RMB when not on sale) from my local store. The RC120 is the ONLY bike that feels RIGHT at this price point. The geometry is really good, smooth and stable, feels just like any "more serious" bike from much more expensive brands, if not even better. With this price, you got a CARBON fork, which is the highlight of this bike, and a relatively light aluminium frame and everything else. For me this is the unbeatable bargain.
I don't agree with the opinion in the video that the Microshift shifters are a deal breaker. For any more experienced rider, you'll agree that from all the components, the shifters are the least important from a performance perspective. It will not make you faster, it won't save any watts. All you need is something that just works, so you can ride with different gradient. So for a budget bike it's really smart for Decathlon and good for we customers to prioritize on other things (fork and frame) rather than the stupid shifters, which is the only obvious but WRONG thing that new riders and non-riders focuses on when they are trying to shop a bike.
The cheapest Shimano shifters are at least 2x the price of the Microshift R8 on the RC120, and I'm talking about the Claris and Sora not even the 105. However the difference is actually MINIMUM, that is to say if you are not deliberately try to figure out a difference, they are the SAME. That means out on a ride, when you are focusing on riding, you won't feel a thing about it, it's just like a Shimano.
If you are trying to maximize the bang for the bucks, you should really focus on the things that are really matters, like the tyre and the wheels. Get yourself a Conti GP5000 TL, this may cost as much as you upgrade to a Shimano, but this will immediately makes you faster. Then get yourself a deep carbon wheel, this may cost you as much as upgrade to a carbon frame, but this again will immediately makes you even faster. That's how you should prioritize things if you are trying to make the best of the limited budget.
At 55 yo, I rediscovered cycling. Test rode a fixed gear Langster and it was a blast! My 2 cents for budget cycling...if you think you are interested in cycling, save your money and buy a single speed/fixed gear. They are simple bikes, low maintenance, relatively light, great for fitness, and will determine your commitment/passion for cycling. The Ribble 725s, at £599, looks to be a sound investment and great entry into cycling. You're welcome!😊
this is what I did. Bought a Liv/Giant hybrid. Was abt 500 usd and is very simple to use (and take apart to transport). Wish I could've found it used, but was a great first investment.
I think the Canyon Grail 6 is a great price point for amateur cyclists like me. Durable alloy frame, awesome GRX groupset, with most the functionalities of a top-end bike (like CF SLX) at a fraction of the price.
I spent around 1500 on a neo retro build with a 105 groupset. I could have bought a new bike for that but you don't see very many people riding around on Reynolds 531 frames anymore.
Steel is King
@@denverspin 531 was expensive for a kid still in primary school.
Here in the States, a good bike from a major manufacturer and equipped with 105, will run about $1500 to $2100 USD - which converts to £1100-£1500.
CGN on the difference between £4 wine and £10 wine: "6 quid".
I was going to say "not sharing"
Not sure the buy cheap buy twice works for inexpensive bikes. When I upgraded my first bike to more expensive one, the chainrings wore out after a couple of years, on my first bike they hadn't worn out in 5 years. When I mentioned this at the LBS they said the lighter components were less durable than the cheap heavy ones. It was buy dear buy twice.
I have Dura-Ace chain rings for 7 years now and they didn't wear out a lot. But don't forget to check your chain wear and be sure to take a compatible chain. Using a wrong or used chain will wear out your cassette and chain ring faster.
I bought a frameset from a factory I feel they make quality frames, and put it together with the cheapest shimano groupset (Claris, and some used Sora). 8 speed is so much cheaper to replace chains, cassettes. And if something breaks I won’t be crying for months to replace it. All in all I figure I must’ve spent 500 usd. I’d say less than a 1000usd is perfect to buy a new bike
Interesting trivia: The new dual pivot brake caliper that eventually became standard on Dura Ace was first introduced in the Shimano 105 line in the early 90s.
I ride a 70’s Peugeot with down tube shifters. Paid $50 at yard sale invested about $300 dollars into refurbishing it and even converted 10 to 14 speed and love the bike.
I think £1200 - £1500 seems to be where the diminishing returns really start to kick in. I've often wondered what the real weight difference would be if bikes all used the same components on different frame materials?
Glad to see Steve Bilenky mentioned on the GCN show. Bilenky Cycle Works has been building bespoke bicycles for almost 40 years. I have a road bike frame from his shop that is a great ride. I could not believe how light the frame is when I treated it with frame saver. Bilenky is from the Philadelphia, PA area in the USA.
big difference between 750€ and 1500€ lmao. I'd just get the Triban RC 500 or 520 but none of them are in stock.
The boys in the Bullington club were spending £25,000 for single bottles of wine and daddy was picking up the tab,
Johnson PM was a member of the Bullington club when it was at Eton.
It doesn't matter what the cost of the wine, when you're drinking from someone else's cellar.
So what I didn’t hear from either of you in the commentary, was just having a bicycle to have fun on. Yes Shimanos 105 group is the middle ground for a great entry level bike or SRAMs Rival group set. Now Aluminum is a great entry level material, I did start with an Allez from Specialized with a carbon fork and carbon seatpost. That Allez cost me around $900 USD. It came with the 105 group set and I rode a couple thousand miles before buying my first full carbon frame. The key to introducing a rider to the bike is the level of fun, not the watts or the grams to shave.
Can you do a blind test: 105 v tiagra v sora?
Everyone says it's all about 105 but let's put that to the test.
105 (11s) is the lower groupset to only differ by weight. Tiagra (10s) and Sora (9s) are not even with the same number of speed. Hence chain is wider, more rigid and (a bit) harder to shift.
@@nounours2627 I know. But a blind test only needs to test the shift and not all 11 cogs need to be accessed to be able to do that.
Tiagra 4700 is highly under rated groupset.
I would definitely be interested in such a comparison!
@@chrisscott8362 Just broke a FD-4600 and replaced it wit a FD-5700. 🤷♂️
Best bike I've ever owned is a Specialized Roubaix that I bought several years ago for around 2000 USD, maybe a little more. I read all of these magazines where bikes are $4K, $10k plus and I cannot imagine that those bikes are THAT much better than my Specialized. I would imagine the "sweet spot" for a bike would be the same - around $2000.
I just want to see gcn convert mtb to a gravel bike
Yes
My gravel bike is a XC frame with a rigid fork and 29x2.6 fast rolling tires. Really soaks up the bumps, and no stupid fork maintenance schedule. Jones Loop bars are a happy spot for multiple hand positions without drops that I'll never use. Puts me in an good up-right position to watch the scenery.
They did a 90s Saracen to gravel bike.
As did I.
@@123moof gravel bike with with 2.6 tires? Jesus Christ
@@lossantoscity3249 Hell’s yeah! Fast rolling high volume tires is where’s it’s at. My cargo bike for around town has 29x3.0, I float over branches, pot holes, small children, and not so small animals.
Have money to buy whatever, but being money-wise is always good. Like the approach. And we are fortunate that bike tech has improved tremendously since I bought my first road bike back in the 1980's.
My first bike came from bikes direct. $1250.00 full carbon, ultegra and I have ridden it alongside my friends Cervalo for five years now. Seems to go just as fast.
mine is a $100 mtb, that I converted to a gravel and repainted it myself
Decent cheap carbon bikes aren't beyond the £1500 mark. I bought a viper carbon frameset (mould) for £300 off wiggle, then got some mavic aksium wheels off ebay (£70), gatorskin tyres (£60), deda aluminium handlebar (£20) and seatpost (£15), proloqo alloy saddle (£25) and a carbon stem (£30) and built it up with the groupset of the people (£450), so total of ~£1000 including cables and housing, inners etc. At 8.2 kg it is heavier than a £12k super bike but puts a smile on my face! :)
I recently purchased a road bike from Walmart for $200. After a few months of riding I’ve been passing most people and can even compete with people with nice trek bikes and I kept up with someone who had what seemed like one of those time trials bikes. Seems like fitness level is more important. Unless you’re elite I say keep your cash 🤭
You are fast. With a better bike($3000), you will be 5% faster and that is huge!!!
1yr later than this video, and I've been looking for a gravel bike. Lots about (new) but some with mixed groupset bits, and prices up. Opted for a Merlin G2P with Tiagra groupset and I'm well chuffed with it. Changing to 105 or the new GRX equiped bikes pushes the budget further than I wanted.
An Aluminium frame,carbon fork and 105 was my first bike and I was sooo slow at first.And every time I would go riding I remember thinking "I wouldn't be so slow if I had one of them fancy bikes...'. Two years later,it turns out that it wasn't the bike that was slow,it was ME(OMG!). Just train hard and the speed and fitness will come.
P.S Have you noticed that the more expensive bike is, the older is the rider on it?Is it because they are the ones who can afford them or is it like a middle age crisis thing so instead of sport cars people are buying fancy bikes?
As a middle aged person that has just bought a bike (after the last one I bought 20 years ago), I'd support the "affordability" theory. I didn't buy an ultralight frame or went for top-of-the range componentry (even though I could probably afford it), it is a mid-high range bike which I test rode and I enjoyed riding. I don't think it's a particularly showy bike, but it is meant to last the rest of my riding lifetime... slow as it may be!
@@dlevi67 Totally agree with you,I was just joking about the middle age thing.
@@Shomi_brat ... but you are right - middle-aged people tend to have more money available, and spend it on things like bikes. A few years ago I've splashed out on a sporty car with red seats too... largely because it was available as an ex-demo at a very good price, but that was far more of a 'mid-life crisis' purchase than the bike. 😁
@@dlevi67Nice! 👌😁
A small cabin in the mountains with a nice view will do for me...and a nice bike.
Look, I have a Fuji Touring I bought with a flatbar, maybe a 2010 model, got it around 2013. It probably needs new chain, cogs, and derailleurs but I recently got back on it and have started towing my little girl around in a trailer and, within reason, I think the best bike is the one you want to ride.
I'm here for the Bike Vault roast.
They should go back, way back, to all the bikes that never made the vault and really, really roast 'em, like look at the loser bike, no wonder we never featured it. And I'd be hoping to see mine, with panniers and non-drive side and the whole bit. And I'd reach for a cup of tea and a biscuit and cheer in a rather upper-crust manner, careful not to spill any crumbs. And I'd hope against hope that it got a splendid, but I'd be okay if it didn't. It doesn't matter if nobody else likes my bike.
The best bang for buck is training properly with structure and consistency.
“Resistence is butyl… “ 😍. Love it.
Also if your price range doesn't extend to 105, Tiagra shifts equally as well and is as durable. Going from 11 to 10 speed is not that much of a difference you'd notice and replacement 10 speed cassettes are cheaper.
@10:11 Ollie NAILED it.
I have 5 rideable bikes and a couple projects. 1)95’ Nishiki Colorado $525 New Chromoly
2)2002’ K2 Zed Team Hardtail $1800 New Al.
3)Early 80’s Trek 500? (dt shifters 2x6) suntour $65 offer up special Chromoly
4)2008 Specialized Allez Elite w/105 Aluminum $600 Craigslist special
5)Masi Uni Riser fixed gear Chromoly
$200 Facebook Marketplace special
Masi is most fun to ride (40 miles no problem)
Nishiki Colorado>K2 Zed Team
Trek 500?>Specialized Allez
Conclusion, I enjoy my cheaper bikes far, far more than the ones I spent significantly more on with higher end components. Chromoly>Aluminum comfort and confidence wise. Added advantage is I feel a lot safer if I need to lock up my bike to run in the store when I take the more enjoyable bikes. Bottom line is have fun, be safe and get your exercise in. Dont take yourself too serious and you definitely dont need a ridiculous outfit to go on long rides unless you enjoy looking like a kook.
Generally speaking, anything with the Shimano 105 groupset is a “good bike” and it costs what it costs. No one who buys less and gets hooked on riding doesn’t wish they had at least that much bicycle.
Facts..
Agree, you can get a good quality carbon frame, 105 drive train, and just upgrade your wheels when you can afford it and you'll have a really good bike for a long time.
Even £500 is unobtainable for most these days, let alone £750.
I've had my £200 bike for 6 years of daily use, still going strong on all the original parts because it's been well maintained. The only thing that's needed replacing is the brake pads and wire.
How does one get non biking friends into biking?
Tell my friends I did 30 miles. They think I'm Insane.
Start with a slow 10 miles, or whatever they are comfortable with. Talk, laugh, hang out while riding. Then slowly invite them on longer/faster rides. If they don't like it, that's fine, not everyone will be in to cycling.
Buy some friends
I think you guys are right. $750-1000 USD is a great price point for an optimal first-time road bike experience and like everything else, if you want more go for more. Heck, we picked up a 2007 Specialized Ruby Comp (Full carbon + 105 $3000+ new!!) for $700 back in 2014. 2021 isnt the year for used bikes though with covid. Buy new.
$1000 is way more expensive than need be for a first-timer. You could buy used bike for $100 and have loads of fun on it.
I don't think Alex has failed to showcase his love for tubeless in any recent video
Sora Groupset and above for bang for buck
Single speed, you’ll be looking at Good Chromoly Steel, lightweight or Good Aluminium with or without a carbon fork, and a $130-150 Crank ie Miche Primato/Pristard level
You don't need to go for the primato/pista, even the miche x-press is damn good.
Hell, you can find a very functional crankset for 30-50 USD if you are lucky.
@@bruhmaxxer this is very true, I was going off more MSRP pricing
But you’re absolutely correct, and would definitely advocate going used if It’s in good condition (more so applicable to Square taper)
"The difference between winning & loosing. " Well, I'm so far away from top 3 or even top 20, I'll save my money
Losing.
Also, keeping your budget limited to the midrange means you have more money you can spend on important upgrades you may want (tyres, saddle), on better cycling gear, and on accesories like a cycling computer or clipless pedals.
You can buy a *lot* of good starter kit for a total budget of 2000 pounds, when compared to a 2000 pound higher tier bike with rubbish kit.
We once bought a cheap Triban bike for our son, which was the worst purchase ever. Literally all components were crap after two years and beyond guarantee, despite proper maintenance. The balls in the cup and cone bearings were eroding by losing LAYERS of metal, despite proper greasing. Never again.
Buy a vintage lightweight steel framed bike like an old Schwinn, Fuji, Bianchi or almost any other quality brand name bike. Then put some ergo-shifters and clipless pedals. Get it tuned up with new tires and tubes. You'll have a basically brand new bike that will last for years to come! This should cost you no more than six hundred dollars (U.S.).
I would say about 300. My wife's carrera zelos got plenty of great miles in and she wasn't suffering on it. Its more then enough bike for most people realistically and very durable
Also to add i think you guys are great but maybe spend too much time with higher quality bikes. I have a 105 bike and its is great but when we're talking beginner shimano tourney/claris and into sora are plenty and on bikes less then half that of a bike with 105
I am from South Africa. I bought a Bianchi Trepida on a sale for the equivalent Br Stg 1250. Carbon Fibre and Shimano 105 groupset. Very satisfied.
Just avoid brands like Specialized where 50% of the price is for the name.
Get Merida instead, they own Spesh anyway and therefore share most tech