Road bike recommendations

they're OM frames right? PX style?

OM or do you mean OEM? - if I understand you right yes. Such as the Ribble Stealth is a Pedal Force RS3 - same as the De Rosa R838 apart from the badges and the extra £1k on the price tag :)

http://pedalforce.com/online/product_info.php?cPath=100088_101740&products_id=18479

mmm Mythos

had a look at the Ribble special edition page? some good bikes and prices on there - Carbon frame, Ultegra, ITM wheels all sub £1.5k

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/publish.asp?what=specialedition&page=1rc

I'm currently running a Ribble Stealth with Apex as a winter groupset - been very impressed so far with bike and set up.

they could do with better frame descriptions and a compare feature......

On paper the stealth looks to be the pick of the bunch for me. Nice tight geometry, bloody light, and reportedly stiff.

Can a 2011 Giant Defy 4 (compact) (link) be beaten as a cheap/cheerful everyday beater/pub bike/3-day tourer at the moment? Can be had BNIB for £400. Never really looked twice at a Giant before, so unsure what their reputation is... The spec is the standard basic 8psd shimano 2300 and its going to be mega heavy, but that fine, I'm specifically looking for something cheap/cheerful that can be ridden into the ground (sparing the crabon bike for weekends). An Allez would be the pick of the bunch spec wise, but its £100 more and doesn't have rack/mudguard eyes, unlike the Giant...

^ Giant looks good for the money and as daily grind bike I doubt you'll go wrong plus Giant rep is ok - if Rabobank are happy riding them I doubt their lowend bikes would be a complete pile of shit.

• disclaimer - I could be completely wrong and therefore take no responsibility if it falls apart at the first site of a London pothole*
  

Giant are the biggest bike manufacturer in the world no? I'm pretty sure they know what they're doing. That said £400 is going to get you more or less the same across the board.

Cool, I'll try one out for size asap, and should hopefully be getting it on C2W, making it even cheaper/cheerful still.

Decathlon do a similarly specified 2300 based road bike for £299. Slightly less blingy looking than the Defy and no rack mount.

On paper the stealth looks to be the pick of the bunch for me. Nice tight geometry, bloody light, and reportedly stiff.

I'm looking for a slightly more relaxed (upright) riding position I reckon....hope to use on long sportive...plus I'm getting old!...don't want this to mean weight distribution shifts to the rear too much though...

There are two other frames with a similar weight to the stelath and great magazine reviews....

@konijn: the Giant Defy frames have a rep for being very nice to ride.

Decathlon do a similarly specified 2300 based road bike for £299. Slightly less blingy looking than the Defy and no rack mount.

Cheers, I already took a quick look at that ealier, but its a triple and I'm strictly after a compact double, plus rack mounts will be essential for a little tour I've got booked in June. Carbon fork is good at that price though!

• on Giant Defy, great frame, come with rack and mudguard mount which is useful.
  

Can a 2011 Giant Defy 4 (compact) (link) be beaten as a cheap/cheerful everyday beater/pub bike/3-day tourer at the moment? Can be had BNIB for £400?

^ my thoughts exactly when a friend asked me to set hers up last weekend. Nice frames.

However her bike is pre owned and has decent tyres and Orbea carbon fork. With those mods it's actually as light as the average steel road/fg bike. It takes 28c tyres if you use clip-on 'guards. I think giant make special guards to fit these bikes, but then 25c is your max?

Cool, I'll try one out for size asap, and should hopefully be getting it on C2W, making it even cheaper/cheerful still.

I know c2w is good for spreading the cost, but for £300-350 couldn't you get something a little better 2nd hand?

Or are you just after no hassles, buying from a shop, etc...

Have last years Giant Defy 2 (picked up sub £500) and cant agree more. Nice frame and rides really well.

Uprading the tyres as soon as winter finishes as the current Giant stock ones are chunky and slow it down a fair bit (although no punctures yet so they're working at least).

Hope you've got a spare tube on you TJL as you'll now be getting a puncture on the way home :-)

I know c2w is good for spreading the cost, but for £300-350 couldn't you get something a little better 2nd hand?

Or are you just after no hassles, buying from a shop, etc...

I really want something that is new, cheap and completely generic so that its easy to insure and get a no hassle replacement. I've already got blingy/lovingly selected road and cross bikes for the weekends. Despite the plethora of sub £600 bikes, only a few have rack mounts and mudguard eyes, so choice is quite limited, and since the bike is going to get no love at all, cheaper is better.

yeah, exactly - also means that although the drivetrain will be a bit shit probably, at least it will be new and shit. Infinitely better than worn second hand stuff

The fact it's 8 speeds mean the component will be cheaper to replace too, rather than 10 speed and whatnot.

I'd imagine 8 speed is probably a little less recalcitrant than 10/11 when used and abused.

Just had a thought - buy the decathlon then fit a tubus fly rack with a QR adapter - you'd still come in sub £400 and would have a very nice, light rack :)

But yeah you'd be stuck with a triple.

If you wanted to make yourself very useful Scoble, and assuming there's one kicking around the shop, could you please tell me if a Defy 4 takes a 27.2mm seatpost, and if so what length comes as standard, 350mm?

Edit - I googled it, 30.9 x 375mm. Super compact geometry is going to be a problem, sigh...

• on Giant Defy, great frame, come with rack and mudguard mount which is useful.
  
  

And mustache?

Edit - I googled it, 30.9 x 375mm. Super compact geometry is going to be a problem, sigh...

Buy my 30.9 x 410 Thomson

Would be too short I think, judging by today's test ride I'd need a 450mm seatpost on the XS frame (5ft 7 with 33" legs and preference for short reach = world of bike fitting pain)