Originally Posted by
James1987
Hello, first time poster here.
I've had a look into the cycle to work scheme and my employer's registered provided only allows up to £1,000 unless purchasing directly through them. I thought I had narrowed the search and settled on a Specialized Allez Elite (£1,050 and allowable through the cycle scheme). But then going through to double triple check to make sure I came across the Ribble R872 for £999
I was hoping to get some thoughts on which of the two to choose (although I am open to other suggestions!).
I know that the Allez comes with a 105 groupset and has mounts for mudguards/panniers. At the moment I'm using a backpack, and I know they do clip on mudguards so that's not really a deal-breaker.
For the (nearly) same price, the R872 is about half a kilo lighter (although the Allez is still worlds apart from my current bike) and is fully carbon but only comes with Tiagra groupset.
Ill throw in my 2 cents.
Keep in mind that, when riding on the flat, the 500g difference in bike weight will not make any difference. Your speed will mostly depend on aerodynamics (your position on the bike mostly, and the wheels), and the rolling resistance of the tires. Most of the weight on these entry level bikes is in the wheels anyway, which you can upgrade seperately, so I wouldnt focus on weight.
I would test ride both bikes, and see which is more comfortable. Theoretically the full carbon bike should be more comfortable / reduce road vibrations more. Alloy bikes tend to give a harsher ride. So for commuting, I would choose the carbon for more comfort. Also you will be less likely to want to upgrade soon with the carbon bike.
105 vs tiagra shouldn't matter much, but tiagra is likely 10 speed vs 11 speed for 105. Again, shouldnt matter too much.
Both bikes will have heavy entry-level wheelsets. So if you want a lighter bike, just replace the wheelset with a nicer one, and that will save you a lot of weight off the bike. Also can get you more aero.
As a commuter myself:
Above all else, mounts for mudguards and panniers could be important above all else for a commuting bike, dont neglect that! You may want to switch to panniers at some point, and it is harder, although not impossible, to do without mounts.
So again, to go fast:
- Both bikes will likely be equally fast, especially compared to a 15kg hybrid.
- Get a better (aero and lighter) wheelset
- Get high quality tires with low rolling resistance.
Good luck!