Road bike recommendations

sleep with your knees strapped to your head untill you're flexible enough.

Cheaper.

They normally have another part which screws into the downtube bits. Like this

Depends on your frame setup, but it's good to have for on-road minor adjustments, and not too have too long a cable run, and possibly slapping against the frame etc.

sleep with your knees strapped to your head untill you're flexible enough.

Cheaper.

Carbon steerer and no room for spacers and a stem.

Carbon steerer and no room for spacers and a stem.

Ah, fail.

Still usually plenty of cheap forks on EBay especially if you dont mind a alu steerer.

They normally have another part which screws into the downtube bits. Like this

Depends on your frame setup, but it's good to have for on-road minor adjustments, and not too have too long a cable run, and possibly slapping against the frame etc.

The pic shows that they are the directly brazed on kind.

Aye - I replied befor eseeing that pic.....

£80 for like for like replacements
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-track-bike/Deda-FORKS-ROAD-Deda-Black-Blade-3K-Carbon-Forks/DEDAFORR350

Or maybe some Exotic ones, to match my seatpost.

inverse spacer under stem, giving room for a standard spacer above.

Badum tish.

Actually, I bought a top cap with a little lip, that fits over the steerer, from MrTester. This meant I could cut my steerer to only 1-2mm above the stem top, and have a cleaner look. Would this work?

Carbon steerer and no room for spacers and a stem.

If you get the right stem, you don't need any spacers under it.

I'll go and measure things.

At present the steereris 2mm under the top of the stem. No spacers have been used. I could do with 15mm for comfort reasons.

#notaroadie.

I'll go and measure things.

At present the steereris 2mm under the top of the stem. No spacers have been used. I could do with 15mm for comfort reasons.

#notaroadie.

I think the point was you could flip a standard road stem. This should give at least the 15mm you're looking for.

At present the steereris 2mm under the top of the stem. No spacers have been used.

You could spend a lot of time hunting down the riser stem with a lower stack which precisely gives your ideal position without spacers, or you could just buy a new fork.

I think the point was you could flip a standard road stem. This should give at least the 15mm you're looking for.

Look ugly as sin though.

You could spend a lot of time hunting down the riser stem with a lower stack which precisely gives your ideal position without spacers, or you could just buy a new fork.

This is the plan.

Look ugly as sin though.

The only set up which looks really good on a road bike is a -17° stem right on top of the headset. Either HTFU, or accept that your road bike is going to look like Edscobles Thorn.

The only set up which looks really good on a road bike is a -17° stem right on top of the headset. Either HTFU, or accept that your road bike is going to look like Edscobles Thorn.

Could be worse, could look like the gangstaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

Look ugly as sin though.

I was thinking quick fix (cheapo On-one stem). Also, it may give you a better idea of where you really want your bars.

The only set up which looks really good on a road bike is a -17° stem right on top of the headset. Either HTFU, or accept that your road bike is going to look like Edscobles Thorn.

.....with the saddle reaching for the skies.

I see zero spacer set-ups on retail websites and store windows all the time. Makes me think these bikes should be massively reduced, when the model is no longer shop window material. I did wonder if they've started doing this via potatoe shop on the web, to save chopping so many steerers.

tempted to buy this
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Cannondale-Cipollini-Ltd-Edition-Road-Bike-/220762409588?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item3366770a74

I'd avoid it myself. Those wheels are shit (and dangerous) and £650 for a ten year old aluminium bike is a lot of money.

I'd avoid it myself. Those wheels are shit (and dangerous) and £650 for a ten year old aluminium bike is a lot of money.

ah fair enough, will avoid.
why are the wheels dangerous by the way?

I know nothing about road bikes.

They were banned from mass start racing as the bladed spokes were responsible for a number of serious injuries in crashes, as they essentially acted as giant circular saws. The Italian rider Michele Bartoli sustained a near career ending injury in a crash and almost lost his leg, he was hit by a Spinergy wheel.

A quick'n'dirty search throws up better options (IMHO etc.)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Giant-TCR-Alliance-Zero-/160566747645?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item25628621fd

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-BMC-Streetfire-SSX-2009-Road-Bike-size-XL-59-/130495614869?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item1e62250f95

They were banned from mass start racing as the bladed spokes were responsible for a number of serious injuries in crashes, as they essentially acted as giant circular saws. The Italian rider Michele Bartoli sustained a near career ending injury in a crash and almost lost his leg, he was hit by a Spinergy wheel.

They also dont make that cool motor sound, when you clothes peg a playing card to the seatstay. This may not have been so intsrumental in their banning though.

A quick'n'dirty search throws up better options (IMHO etc.)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Giant-TCR-Alliance-Zero-/160566747645?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item25628621fd

That's a lot of bike for the money.

I'm riding an Ultegra TCR alliance and it's not bad at all. Good enough frame and components for 2+ years of only very minimal upgrades (just the saddle, bars, stem, tyres chain & cassette).

Mine was a 2007 model bought for £900 from paulscycles.com. They have usually CAAD8s at knockdown prices too.

That's a lot of bike for the money.

I'm riding an Ultegra TCR alliance and it's not bad at all. Good enough frame and components for 2+ years of only very minimal upgrades (just the saddle, bars, stem, tyres chain & cassette).

Mine was a 2007 model bought for £900 from paulscycles.com. They have usually CAAD8s at knockdown prices too.

Was just an example of what you should be hoping for, at 700 note on the ze'bay. Probably not even the right size.

A good mate just bought the TCR 0, 2011 version, with Ultegra. Looks the business. Its the exact opposite to what the salesman should have been selling him to be honest. But it should be a great bike for throwing into corners, of which we have loads. So I'm hoping it'll grow on him. Lucky fecker has started a new job with a bike nut boss. So all the work socials are based around national roadie events.