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As above, I'm sat in hospital feeling a little sorry for myself and talking myself into a replacement bike to work racer. Budget £1400 max (technically our scheme goes up to £2k but I can't justify going that high and I'm sure the wife will disagree I need a new one).
I work for HSBC but I don't know which bike scheme provider we use at this moment in time. So at this stage assume no manufacturer limitation and I'll worry about that later.
I'm currently on a Boardman Team Carbon 2010 model which I've changed the wheels on to Mavic Aksium as the previous ones died. It weighs about 17.6lbs so is pretty light and fast. Despite upgrading the brakes they're still a bit crap in the wet.
So thinking about looking at a new Carbon racer with hydraulic discs - probably with Shimano stuff as the Sram Rival hoods on my current bike have never been very comfortable. I like the double tap though to be fair.
Ideally I'd like to hit a similar weight (or optimistically lighter?) to what I've got now.
So far I've got one bike under consideration which is the Boardman Pro Carbon disc for £1350. Probably a little heavier than my current racer (weights quoted are all a little vague) but ticks the rest of the boxes I think.
Its genuinely mainly for commuting - either 8.5 miles primarily on a cycle track or a shorter 4.5 mile route wih one really steep hill on it. I use it occasionally for recreational rides, but most spare time I get is on the mtb.
Im in no way interested in singlespeeds / flat bar bikes / fixies just to put that out there. A nice 2x11 with a compact chain set would be just lovely.
There's probably not many mainstream brands to match Boardman's bang for buck. Ribble Grand Fondo disk, but you'd have to downgrade from the recommended Shimano 105 build to get to your price limit. Other than that, I think you are looking at clearance deals.
I guess that's what I thought the case would be - I guess it depends on the b2w provider as to whether clearance bikes can be included.
And remember that road hydros are a decent whack heavier than rim brakes. If you’re after lightweight, make sure you don’t get tempted by a gravel bike, they’re tested to MTB standards and as such are usually heavier.
Not much chance for an off the shelf bike at that price I say.
Totally screws you up with regards to C2W, but I built a Deng Fu frame with an Ultegra Di2 groupset and some 50mm wheels. Comes in about that weight and cost about £2k. Shallow wheels would be a chunk lighter, and a mechanical groupset would bring the cost down.
Also, I’d be looking at the Genesis Carbon bike’s.
Genesis too expensive after a quick look.
The Boardman is looking a strong favourite unless I can get a sale bike.
This for 1kg over but £300 under?
There was an SL model with Ultegra on sale for around 1400 think but look to have sold out
As above, the Cube, I've got the 2016 version.
Weighs ~9Kg, but the default wheels are ~1.9Kg, £400 could buy you a nice lighter set.
I think Paul's do cyclescheme but would maybe add a bit to their sale prices
Usually a bargin or two on there though
There are potentially a few options on Paul's - the ones outside the scheme seem to be labelled on their website - cheers. There's a nice looking cube on there - and even though they're aluminium I do have a thing for Cannondale. Had a caad9 in Liquigas before the Boardman and loved it (apart from the toe overlap - that my Boardman doesn't have).
HSBC use cyclescheme - plenty of options so you shouldn’t be limited on brand. Paul’s cycles certainly take the vouchers, plus Evans, CRC etc. There is a reasonable wait between ordering the vouchers and receiving them!
Cheers acsevens, that's great to know!
Probably opens up plenty of options then 😃
Found Ribble do a racer aimed at sportives rather than being really racey which might do a job well.
Downside is for my budget I'd get tiagra instead of 105. Still hydraulic brakes, but a group down and 10 speed rather than 11. Whilstvthats not manybtatios less in reality, does anyone know if it effects the shiftquality and power of the brakes much?
Incidentally I've just twigged Shimano (the t*ssers) have created a new brake calliper standard on racers. The Boardman is on standard post mount but the Ribble has the new flat mount calipers. The main benefit seems to be that they look a bit nicer 😡 - as if that's worth creating a new standard for.
I think I'm having to reset my 8kg / 17.6lb want, to keeping it 19lbs or below.
I got a GTC pro disc and really like it. Good riding position for commuting plus 142 rear, thru Axel's, flat mounts, Internal cables etc.
Plenty of scope to knock off a few lbs from the stock parts, wheels as mentioned, tyres, carbonise the chunky post stem, bars, new discs and what not.
Does it absolutely have to be a full carbon frame/fork for commuting 8.5 miles?
If you're looking at Ribble the 'CGR' with a hydraulic brakes/105 spec pretty much hits your budget and is designed to be a commuter rather than a weekend sportivist bike, but it has an aluminium frame.
It doesn't have to be Carbon if the weight is still low I guess. I loved the snippy handling of my Caad 9 which I had before the Boardman. Only thing is the Boardman definitely seems to get more Drive forward for the effort put in - so maybe the carbon frame is stiffer / twists less?
Maybe it sounds overkill for a commute - but I tend to hit it really hard for training purposes to get fitness better for mtb. I don't get enough time on bikes for fitness since I had a little girl, so I grab every moment possible to up my game. As the days get longer I may extend my commute bit by bit as there are easy ways of joining the cycle track further and further up it to add mileage.
I'll check out the aluminium ribble suggested.
Looked at the CGR and I'm a little bit unexcited about it despite the practicalities. I know I don't need a full Carbon bike for my usage, but it excites me more when out on the bike - it sits there looking great / sporty, and when you go for it, the response is so instant it really encourages you to go harder. I don't want to lose that feeling as it makes me go for more random rides once the weather improves too - when I don't have time to get out on my Bird Aeris.
Ultimately I really like my current Boardman Team Carbon and would like something similar in feel (or better) but with hydraulic disc brakes as the commute in wet weather can get a bit hairy at times.
Wiggle do cyclescheme with no surcharge on sale bikes - a couple of ideas:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/eastway-zener-d2-105-2017-road-bike-1/
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/vitus-venon-disc-105-2017-road-bike/
No idea on weights though...
Not cyclescheme but you could get a chinese carbon fork for my road bike. I did, <span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">so I have a (cable) disc on front but rim brake on back</span>
That's absolutely fine by me and cost a couple of hundred quid (I already had a disc-ready wheel though)
and when you go for it, the response is so instant it really encourages you to go harder
... but I'm not buying that one
Maybe I'm projecting a bit, but a daily commuter should be more workhorse than thoroughbred (IMO of course)...
If you want a nice weather, carbon bike, why not simply treat the boardman to a new groupset, and buy a sensible, £1k disc braked commuter for the daily trudge to work...
Nice bikes are more likely to be stolen from work anyway so why not use a (relative) beater most of the time?
Of course you might not have the space or desire to store 3 bikes... In which case splurge away.
I don't need a nice weather carbon bike / commuter bike- most of my spare time riding is on one of my mtbs (I already have 3 bikes). It would be the Boardman out / new bike in.
The Vitus above might be an option - but the Easywau is a bit heavier than other options. I maybe being ignorant but I have no idea who Eastway are - there's one in the car park at work but the font on it makes it look really cheap.
In terms of work security there's a pass accessed underground car park to get into, then there's a bike cage that has limited pass access to it. There's cctv in both corners of the bike cage and I use a Krytonite NEw York short lock round one of the bars in the cage plus a cable round the front wheel. Even with the new bike it wouldn't be the flashiest bike locked up in the cage - there are a couple of Carbon bling machines with di2 and aero wheels etc.
I bought a Cannondale CAAD12 Ultegra recently reduced from £1900 to £1250. Superb bike. Loads of deals around.
Cheap carbon cube frames of bikediscount.de
Does it have to be new?
just in case 2nd hand works you could have a bone fide superbike - my Dad is about to sell his 2016 Giant Defy Advanced pro 0 - 8kg, full carbon frame forks, carbon wheels, hydraulic discs and full Dura Ace - it’s 12 months old immaculate and he’ll be looking for £1600. £3.5k rrp!
Unfortunately it will need to be new to go through the bike to work scheme yes.
I am very partial to a Cannondale - I've been a bit fixated on carbon as I really like the feel of my current bike in terms of directness and how well it gets the power down. I would say my previous Caad9 felt a bit more playful in the corners - but on the commute home the Boardman felt a little bit easier (this could be placebo though - I don't have any figures or science to compare).
I have looked at a few of the Cubes online - they aren't outrageously cheap - but if I could pick up a good sale bargain then it might do the job nicely.
Caad12 looks great but I think I'd need to find a 2017 one on sale to get 105 instead of tiagra.
I'm quite keen to have the 11'speed 105 rather than tiagra - especially if going aluminium over carbon on the frame.
Is the flat mount vs post mount disc brakes on racers something to really worry about for future compatibility? I see Shimano have invented flat mount and going forwards that's the only option with their groupsets - so say I went with the boardman and got post mount Shimano am I going to have a drama in a few years time if the calipers fail?
At least Sram are currently supporting both standards - but most of the bikes in my budget are Shimano rather than Sram.
canyon bikes outlet
ex demo
endurance CF SLX ultegra disc £1499 £700 off and ready to ship, depending on size others on there too 105 and the alu version as well, 7,6 kgs i think they list it at
I don't think Canyon are available on cyclescheme from what I can find online 😞
So far my shortlist if I up the budget to £1500:
Boardman Pro Carbon Disc
Cannondale caad12 105 disc 2017
Cannondale Synapse Carbon 105 disc 2017
Then look at other sale bikes - maybe a Cube or Giant could be an option.
£1400 I’d be looking at alu not carbon tbh. Chances are it will ride and last better.
Regards flat mount vs postmount, if you buy a postmount bike and want to replace the group in the future for any reason and PM brakesets aren’t available off the peg, it will be possible to swap your calipers for suitable PM units intended for a mountain bike. Once you sell the direct mount calipers on you won’t necessarily be too far down. Obviously not the neatest approach in terms of easy experiences but very doable.
Know what you're saying - if aluminium the caad12 is in pole position I think - especially as I love the Cannondale brand having had a Caad9 previously.
My only worry is I've been on my Boardman Carbon frame since 2011 and gotbused to how immediate it is accelerating - and I'm not sure if I go back to aluminium if I'm either going to notice road buzz more or notice some flex. Hard to tell - unless I source a bike through Evans (who do Cycle scheme) and get some test rides first. Only thing is Paul's have some better deals than Evans and I'm not sure if Evans will price match them.
The Synapse on the list was £2199 reduced to £1500 so it isn't a really cheap carbon bike so might not be a fair comparison.
Vincie- thanks for the comment on post mount too 😃
Get the Cannondale - awesome bikes. When my caad10 dies it will be replaced with a caad12. Just unfortunate the cyclescheme won’t stretch to the Dura ace version!
I'm massively swinging to the Cannondale over the Boardman - just because more people think they are credible as a brand.
That said, the Boardman has been faultless (other than the rim brakes and slightly uncomfortable rival brake hoods), has lasted really well (circa 7 years so far) and is pretty light. Weighed it myself and it came in under 18lbs which for a bike 7 years ago for £999 with heavy (crap) Ritchey wheels is pretty impressive.
Decision is which Cannondale though - Caad12 or Synapse Carbon - both disc braked with 105? The caad is £300 cheaper which appeals, but could e less comfortable for commuting on than the Synapse. I don't see myself racing - at most I might be persuaded to do a sportive or a triathlon I reckon.
Just stick a Zertz / quality carbon post on the alu CAAD frame - probably possible to shave a few grammes there, but I'd take the extra for the comfort.
My last full carbon bike was in no way comfy. My Ti one with Ti post is much nicer, even with meatier tubing. All this proves is material isn't really the point. it's how its implemented.
If you go for the Caad 12 option then your worries about flat mount or post mount disc brakes will be a thing of the past , you will get a post mount on the front and a flat mount on the back . I know that this may sound stupid but that would put me off buying one . The 2018 Synapse carbon disc comes in at about 21 lbs by the way , we weighed a 56 on the shop scales .
Just stick a Zertz / quality carbon post on the alu CAAD frame – probably possible to shave a few grammes there, but I’d take the extra for the comfort.
careful now. 25.4 post - cannondale save & hylix are the only options afaik
That's quite heavy for the Synapse - I had a £500 Giant ocr about 13 years ago that only weighed a lb more than that. Puts me off the Synapse a bit.
Ive just noticed in the last hour that there's post mount on the front of the caad12 but flat on the back. Seems very odd - the Synapse has a carbon fork but that's flat mount from what I can see.
No bike decision is ever easy!
Caad has a weird small seatpost it's true - might be a limited choice of replacements. I don't know why manufacturers have to go out if their way to make weird new standards.
Any other options for max £1500 with hydraulic discs (105 or Sram equivalent - so 11 speed) that come in under 19lbs?
I'l leaning towards getting a voucher and purchasing from Paul's bikes as they seem to have a lot of discounted bike options within budget. Just a shame I'm too far away to visit them in person for a look.
How strange that you noticed the mismatched brakes after I mentioned it 🙂
It was really bizarre, I was looking over the specs and it jumped out at me - then flicked back to here and saw your comment.
Struggling to find any other options that really excite me - leaning towards the caad12 - although mentally I'm struggling with the idea of going from a lighter carbon bike to a heavier alloy bike. Although I think most of the weight is actually in the wheels and disc brakes rather than the frame.
The Cannondale having proprietary seat post / cranks / BB and odd brake standards is quite annoying though. And I thought MTB standards were backwards.
So I’m now down to:
Caad12 105 Disc 2017
Boardman Road Pro Carbon Disc
Cube Agree C62 Disc
All have 105 Shimano stuff. Some have post mount some have flat mount discs - I’ve decided I don’t care about that. There are loads of post mount Shimano brake calipers around should one break.
Went and looked at Cannondale and Boardman today - the Synapse was indeed heavy like someone commented a few posts back so it’s been ruled out.
I could only see a caad12 without discs - in a size 58 it was comfortably lighter than the Synapse was in a size 48.
The Boardman impressed me more than I expected - Matt black with Matt grey wording was subtle and I think that’ll draw less attention to itself - which I like. It also felt really light - it was a size 51.5 according to the sticker.
I’m torn between the caad12 and the Boardman big time. I really need to find the model in the right size and with discs to get a proper feel for it.
Which just leaves the Cube which is also pretty lightweight and looks nice - but again I can’t find one to look at so far.
So difficult to choose!