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Considering that he's going to get a proper bike, have you thought about having him trying out the three different groupset offering and decided which is perfect for him?
Can be done easily at any Evans shop.
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I think the first bit of advice given to people starting racing is "don't race what you can't replace".
I'm not sure carbon rims would make a huge improvement in speed on a short course like Hillingdon, and I'd personally prefer reliable braking of alu, when you don't know the quality of the riders around you.
edscoble
branwen
@mespilus
Many, many ^ from last Autumn.
Recap
Son won in-school Rollapauza 250m fixed gear sprint.
Bought 48:16 fixed gear bike for practise on rollers,
didn't source shorter cranks, (thanks for all the suggestions),
just applied a big dollop of Daddy sourced htfu.
Attended pan-London final in December.
Entrants invited to warm up with a 500m (i.e. double distance), sprint.
Not too many interested.
Final: led from start to finish 26.92s.
250m Sprint: 1/4 final. Led start to finish, 12.30s.
250m Sprint: 1/2 final. Led from start to finish, 12.70s.
250m Sprint: Final. No sign of his indicating arrow till the last 50m, won 12.61s.
Prize was a GBP 400 value Raleigh bike.
None on offer were as good as the 2nd hand collection I have sourced for him.
Bit of wrangling, we now have GBP 500, (as he won 2 competitions), to put to a 'proper' road bike. (He is on the list, waiting to be assessed, to try out at the Hillingdon circuit).
So GBP 1000, (maybe 1150 at a push). Suggestions?
Planet X carbon any good?
http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXSLP105/planet-x-pro-carbon-shimano-105-road-bike#customise
and GBP 200 towards his first set of carbon rims in the Summer?
2014 Rose Xeon RS3000, (Ultegra 6800),
http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/bike/rose-xeon-rs-3000-669083/aid:721984#3H-uwMO-uwMP-uwMS-uwMV-uwMW-uwMX-uwMY-uwMZ-uwMa-uwMb-uwMc-uwMd-uwMe-uwMf-uwMg-uwMh-uwMi-uwMj-uwMk-xwNl-xwNm-1J1K4-1J1K5
Bike 24 Look 566, (105),
http://www.bike24.com/1.php?content=8;navigation=1;menu=1000%2C173%2C157;product=67930
Boardmans look expensive in comparison
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/road-bikes/boardman-road-team-carbon-bike-2014#tab2
TIA