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Well, i've been riding for ages, i'm 17 and only just starting to race crits etc. The Bowman is indeed £650, and (it seems) is geared towards crits. It won't just be a crit bike though, it's going to be for everything.
miloas-
Canyon geo is pretty different from the Rose and Bowman. IIRC the canyons has much headtube until you get to the aero bike.
Rose used to do a discount with BC membership on framesets.
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Not saying you shouldn't buy yourself a nice bike but I found very quickly when I started racing that nobody wins a Cat 4 race based on the standard of their kit.
The Bowman frames are lovely, I'll give you that.
Planet X Pro Carbon can be had from about £350. People love to say they're 'flexy' through the front end but I think that's because most people ride them with an inch of spacers under the stem.
I know plenty of big, punchy lads who have raced them up to Cat 2.
+1 for Rose as well. I've got a 2013 Xeon CRS. I don't know if they've changed the geometry but mine's certainly aggressive enough for racing.
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CAAD8 105 is a pretty good all round bike for the money.
miro_o
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edscoble
Arent the Bowman frames about £650?
I'd get something more affordable to start racing on. Unless you're lucky, constantly off the front or constantly off the back, you will have a crash.