sairam6087

Hello all,

I'm a newbie who's just joined this forum. I'm in the process of getting my first road bike and I was hoping I could get some input on that from all of you. My main needs are for a bike that's versatile and is comfortable over longer distances. I've heard that there's always a trade off between speed and comfort, but I'm open to suggestions and advice that you guys may have. I'd also like to know how the choice of bike affects the types of roads I can use the bike on.


As far as budget goes, I'm looking for something at a max price of $2500.

Here are some bikes I have shortlisted. Please feel free to add any recommendations to this

1) Giant Defy Advanced

2) Merlin Nitro SL 2017

3) Jamis Renegade Elite

4) Kestrel Legend Ultegra

5) Giant Defy 3

6) Giant TCR advanced

7) BMC Roadmachine 3

8) Cannondale Supersix evo ultegra

9) Cannondale synapse carbon disc 105


Thanks very much in advance
Sairam

zymphad

Wow... If you found Jamis Renegade Elite that comes with full Ultegra and hydraulic disc for $2500, good deal to me. Though comes with rubbish MTB wheels, definitely throw those in the trashbin.

Joeyseven

Test ride A few.Do you have A favorite LBS,what do they sell?

Chandne

I'd vote for the BMC first, and the Cannondale Synapse and Giant Defy...in the order. Personally, I likely would not buy any of the others and would look at the BMC, Roubaix, Domane, and Scott Solace. Read reviews to start with. Trends in reviews will give you an idea of what people like and do not like in a particular model...front/rear compliance, stiffness, tire clearance, etc. Then I look at the geometry though most will be very similar. Still, I like looking at geometry since I come from the MTB world where head angle, chain stay length, BB height, are all very important to me. Fit is key but you can make two similar bikes fit with some simple changes. The true endurance style bikes will have slightly taller head tubes and possibly slightly longer chainstays. They will also feel more compliant over bumps and road irregularities and more stable (though I don't like overly "stable" bikes).

sairam6087

@zymphad: I saw a used one being sold for $2600, but it's gone now. Is the Renegade Exploit good?

@Joeyseven: I have visited a couple of stores; The Bike Shop carries Jamis and Scott, Performance Bikes carries Kestrel and mostly Fuji. I found a LBS which carries Cannondale, BMC and Giant. I need to go check one of those out. Any guidelines on what I need to check for while test riding these bikes. I'm sure I can't use them for a longish ride.

@Chandne : Good to know! I've been poring over reviews on websites like bikeradar and road.cc to narrow down choices.

Generally speaking, is there a big difference between the 105 and Ultegra sets? I heard Shimano usually trickles down when they upgrade so last year's Ultegra could be this year's Shimano.

Appreciate any insights.

eabeaj

No. The 105 5800 is as good as Ultegra in every meaningful respect, as far as I'm concerned anyway (the main exception is weight, hence "meaningful".)

But there a million threads here and a billion other websites on this question, so feel free to make yourself dizzy.

Cigarguy

If you're looking for a bike that others like then pick the highest reviewed one. If you want a bike that you like and one that fits you, take the time to know your LBS and take the time to test ride a lot of bikes. Find one that fits. Fit is most important, brand name is secondary in my books. Most bike will have similar material and components within X price range. The difference is fit. If you're currently not used to turning a bike wrench, having a good relationship with a LBS will come in handy down the road.

sairam6087

@Cigarguy : I'm definitely going to test ride a few before settling on one, but I wanted to get a sense of which bikes I should test ride based on what I want. A lot of LBS tend to push their main bike on you. I want to go in with a reasonably informed opinion.

@EABaej : That's good to know. This is my first bike. I'm totally fine with a 105 IF the bike feels comfortable and switching is solid

Cigarguy

I've been riding 105 components on my road bike for 10+ years now. Still works, shift and sound as good as ever. By all means go with better components if budget afford. However, 105 is good stuff. By all accounts the new 105 is miles ahead of my ancient 105. I'm good at and do regular bike maintenance which helps.

BluFalconActual

Im going to go a different route and vote for the Trek Emonda ALR 5.
-FULL 105 groupset
-Aluminum, but extremely nice aluminum. I see this a "pro" for a first road bike. It's also much lighter and rides better than a most carbon frames that fall in the 2k range.
-H2 fit. This means that it falls between the "race" geometry and "relaxed". For a beginner, I think this is perfect because the frame geometry wont be the limiting factor as you put in the miles and become more comfortable going fast.
-Lifetime frame warranty
-At $1650 bucks, it will allow you to invest some money in the other necessities such as pedals, shoes, bibs/shorts, saddle, tools, helmet, lights, computer, and a better wheel set. Nothing is worse than maxing out your budget on a bike and then not being able to afford the things that make the bike personal to you.

caloso

1) Whichever fits you best.
2) Whichever is sold by the LBS you like best.

Philly215

The ALR5 is a sweet sweet bike.

Joeyseven

That BMC does look nice. And lots of good advice.
Flatmount disc brakes
• 12mm Thru-Axles
• Hidden fender mounts
• Hidden rack mounts
• Tire clearance 32mm (with fender 30mm)

My 2017 Raleigh Merit 3 has Thru-Axles and rack and fender mounts.Not many miles yet.I'm new to disc brakes and kind of on the fence right now if I like them or not on A road bike.

My first endurance bike was A 2015 Scott Solace.I changed the tires,wheels and saddle put a lot of miles on the bike and about half of them in the rain.And I'm no light weight. 6' 3" at 225.

Really no problems.Did not care for the low mount rear brake(changed to disc in 2016).Also the Solace has A shorter wheel base then most other endurance type bikes.*sign* Looks like you have option of rim or disc brake for their 2017 models.Lots of good choices and happy hunting.

That is A nice bike.Might be limited to tire size.

Danny01

Those bikes have very different geometries and purposes.

For crappy roads, bad weather, or gravel the Jamis Renegade will be superior to any of the other listed.

For some rain here and there, the Defy and Road Machine, and Synapse are nice.

For pure fast road riding, go with the TCR, Legend or Supersix. However, you must have the flexibility to be able to ride comfortably for more than a few miles.

You're really all over the place with that list.

IMO, if you want a bike that you can take out any day on any road, the Jamis awesome. If you want an aggressive bike the Kestrel, Giant, and Supersix are all very fine bikes. I'm a fan of all 3.

jordanair45

Specialized roubaix or Cannondale synapse. Also giant defy. Cannot go wrong all awesome bikes. The roads aren't that bad in the states to need a bike like this however.

Dean V

What is this about choosing the ones that fit best?
If you are of reasonably normal proportions and your fit requirements are not unusual any mainstream bike of the appropriate size will fit.
In saying that it is worth getting a basic bike fit to make sure you are not an outlier and also get informed of what frame size you need.

sairam6087

Thanks for the input guys.

I visited a couple of bike shops nearby and tried out the Roubaix, the Synapse and the BMC. I will be trying out the Giant later this week.

I really liked both the Roubaix and the Synapse.

Has anyone got some advice on whether the Roubaix Elite is very different from the Roubaix Comp? The elite is more in my price range. Also, will there be a big drop in price when the 2018 Roubaix line up is announced for these 2017 models (I heard they may announce it in September?)

Thanks!

Dirt Farmer

The Jamis Xenith Comp looks nice.

Bikeracer123

The Merlin probably blows the others away, the frame is a repainted Ridley Helium SL, it even comes with Ridley parts and components and has the same UCI code. It also looks like it comes with great components.

QuoVadis

In terms of the ride quality, they should pretty much be the same as the it is the same frame. But Comp has Ultegra derailleurs, better wheels and hydraulic brakes. I have a 2016 Elite and very happy with it.

sairam6087

Awesome! That's great to know. I'm not too bothered by the 105 to Ultegra difference, but having those Hydraulic disk brakes and better tyres would be nice.

Anyone have info on when the 2018 Roubaixs will be announced? I'm hoping there will be a price drop in the 2017 models.

T2theK

Fit is the most important aspect. You'll be more inclined to ride a bike more often if fits you and is comfortable. You can always upgrade to a better group set later on down the road if you want. I bought my 1st road bike (BMC teammachine ALR01 w/ 105) at the beginning of the year and I think my wife hates me for it as I want to go riding all the time now. Don't forget to budget in all the other stuff you're going to need too (bib's, jerseys, shoes, pedals etc etc.).