Any road racing cyclists here?

Shak

Shak

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I'm looking to get into some competitve road cycling next year, including the 24hr Rad Am Ring. Ideally, I'd like to stick to the £750 mark for a bike and current choices include the 2008 Specialized Allez Elite (£640 at my local bike shop), which is now discounted due to being 'old' stock, or an entry level Wilier, which is around the £800 (upwards lol). The Wilier is a full carbon fibre body. I picked one up today... it felt like a piece of paper and make the Allez Elite feel like my mountain bike! :eek:

Any suggestions from you guys?
 
I am planning to upgrade my bike to a road racer next month. Been looking round and current favourite is a Bianchi Coast to Coast Via Nirone 7 Alu Carbon (£950).

I have discounted full carbon frames as the weight difference from a alu/carbon hybrid frame is small.

A lot of frames I looked at were plain ugly, Bianchi make a good looking as well as good performing bike.
 
tarmac_chaser said:
A Specialized Allez would be a good basis for your first race bike. The alu frame would make it responsive when accelerating and tougher than carbon fibre (chance of coming off when racing, especially against inexperienced fellow racers)
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Yep, Spesh Allez is a good choice, very good value for money. Treks are very good bikes as well.

I have a carbon fibre 2007 Trek Madone but wouldn't dream of competing with it, for reasons stated above. I do mountain sportives instead, consisting of routes I have decided upon.

Williers are extremely good and very trick, but I'd be scared of ruining it in a race.

Other brands to look out for are Bianchi, Orbea, Cannondale, Scott and Focus. The latter can be bought from www.wiggle.co.uk and they really offer a big bang for the buck, but as far as I'm aware, there's only a 1 year frame and fork warranty, whereas Trek and Specialized have lifetime F+F warranties.

Hope this helps!
 
I've made my decision. This!

Wilier%20Mortirolo%20Big%20White.jpg


Full Carbon Monocoque main frame. Wishbone seat stays and a mono box bottom bracket and chain stays reduces flex when climbing.
1 1/8 integrated carbon fork
Campagnolo Mirage 10 speed compact groupset
Fulcrum Racing 7 wheelset
CST Ultra Speed tyres
San Marco ODS saddle
ITM Racer oversize bars and stem
Deda seat post

I think the total weight is just under 2kgs!
 
Was looking at road bikes earlier in the year but decided to wait as it was a bit late in the year. Are you willing to say how much you paid and where from??
 
Carbon fibre bikes are more comfortable to ride the Alu frames, but are very brettle if crashed, get a slight crack and the frame is pretty much for the scrap heap. The other thing to bear in mind is to check minuim weight limits of any event your planning on racing in, some Carbon frames are under the weight limits, meaning you need heavier wheels or fit other bits to it to bring the bike back upto the min weight.

Id highly recomend a cheaper Alu frame bike and get an extra set of areo wheels, ideally 2 sets of rears, with different gearing. Do not under estimate the differance a set of wheels can make to the performance of a bike.

Thats from some-one having owned a full carbon racer, and Alu frame trainer, although the trainer has full carbon forks, seat post, seat, drops, etc.

Both mine where Scotts, the trainer is about 4years old ok the frame is the only original part left, but its still more feels like new to ride, i had to sell the Carbon as i can no longer think about competing at the moment.
 
russdaz said:
Id highly recomend a cheaper Alu frame bike and get an extra set of areo wheels, ideally 2 sets of rears, with different gearing. Do not under estimate the differance a set of wheels can make to the performance of a bike.
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Very true. I competed at a reasonable level in the 80's and despite spending over a grand in them days on a Tommassini with Record groupset the bike I won most races on was a locally built bike (Thornhill). It was only when I swapped the wheels over to the new bike did I realise that my Capmag hubs were rubbish compared with the cheaper 105's. Those hubs stayed with me for years after that. Spin them wheels up.
 
Veracocha said:
Very true. I competed at a reasonable level in the 80's and despite spending over a grand in them days on a Tommassini with Record groupset the bike I won most races on was a locally built bike (Thornhill). It was only when I swapped the wheels over to the new bike did I realise that my Capmag hubs were rubbish compared with the cheaper 105's. Those hubs stayed with me for years after that. Spin them wheels up.
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Yeah i had a different wheels for different conditions, a set of tri-spoke, set of shallow dish areo, set deap dish areo, and a disc rear, and a number of cassetes rangin from 11 - 21, through to 11 - 27.

Disc wheels roll alot easier in good conditions but can be almost unriderable in heavy winds, but id easily be 5-10mph faster down one hill when running a trispoke front and disc rear, then i was on the shallow rim areo's.
 
The way that you fit on the bike is very important for power output, a well fitting bike will bring better results then a very light badly fitting one.

money spent on good wheels is money well spent.

good cycle shoes is a must and spend time on the position of the cleat and the tightness of the clips - get it wrong and you will loose power and get knee problems.
 
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