Road bike recommendations

my new company is run by a keen cyclist so the restrictions on what/where I buy the bike shouldn't be a big problem.

None of the above requirements are set in stone (i wasn't sure there was horizontal top-tubed carbon bikes)
As for steel, my other three bikes are all steel and I just wanted a bit of bling

Thanks for suggestions so far, i'm currently trawling.

Cannondale Caad 9. According to the chaps at bike forums-road section the best alu frame around.. (and a horizontal top tube) Or look for a reduced Cervelo Soloist team frame. Also alu. A grand is a struggle for carbon... Just remembered Planet x. Were they not doing some deal where you had to build the bike yourself?

http://www.planet-x-warehouse.co.uk/acatalog/C18_Offer_SL_Pro_Carbon_-_Medium.html

£999 (provided that you are able to build it yourself) - you also need to speak to them as otherwise they will charge delivery whcih will take above £1k (in effect you arrrange to pay this seperately).

Alternatively the Uncle John with a 105 groupset is 8something.

Focus might be an option, but yeah, aluminium might get a better deal for the money.

Cannondale Caad 9. According to the chaps at bike forums-road section the best alu frame around.. (and a horizontal top tube) Or look for a reduced Cervelo Soloist team frame. Also alu. A grand is a struggle for carbon... Just remembered Planet x. Were they not doing some deal where you had to build the bike yourself?

that cannondale looks like it might be the ticket if I can get hold of a white one

nice shape (for a modern bike) not carbon but I don't have anything against alu.

Budget for new wheels as well. OTP generally come with lousy wheels and saddles. How the manufacturers make the price point.

Boardman Road Team Carbon, nuff said.

AMAZING spec for the money. The one Nicole Cooke rides (Road Pro Race Prepared) had to be weighed down to be UCI legal, 14.5 lbs i think it was. That's 3 grand rrp, with about 5 grands worth of kit. That's the kind of value for money you get with Boardman.

I thought most were, annoyingly mine is linked only to Evans, not exactly a great choice of decent bikes!

Had to advise a workmate towards a Langster as the Iron Horse was out of stock.

what's wrong with the langster? they're excellent choice for those who want a bike to go from A to B.

Boardman Road Team Carbon, nuff said.

AMAZING spec for the money. The one Nicole Cooke rides (Road Pro Race Prepared) had to be weighed down to be UCI legal, 14.5 lbs i think it was. That's 3 grand rrp, with about 5 grands worth of kit. That's the kind of value for money you get with Boardman.

If only Boardman would make a carbon track bike, fancy something carbon and can't justify a C50.

i bought a ribble nero corsa with centaur compact groupset about 18 months ago ,slight hiccup on ribbles part but they soon corrected it,rides like a dream

Kerley, i can have words ;)

what's wrong with the langster? they're excellent choice for those who want a bike to go from A to B.

Wasn't complaining about the Langster at all, loverly bike for the money. More just the fact that for the sub £400 mark his amount of choice in Evans was pretty rubbish, and would be nicer to have a greater range of shops to choose from.

Budget for new wheels as well. OTP generally come with lousy wheels and saddles. How the manufacturers make the price point.

+1
Means you can buy a flash light weight pair for the weekends though, and use the cheap ones for riding over pot holes during the weekday commutes.

Personally I'd contact someone like epic cycles, who sell top name framesets with various builds. Pick the frame you like, and have them build it up for £999, with your favourate brand of groupset (in this case Shimano), albeit a cheap one. Then save up for some lightweight weekend wheels + upgrade the groupset bit by bit (ie. with sale goods, last years models etc.).

The Orbea example above has a great frame but Sora groupset and cheapish shimano wheels.

shimano???? oh dear

shimano???? oh dear

Seriously what is wrong with Shimano? Every bit of Shimano kit I have ever owned has stood upto years of abuse.

Shimano is the best all rounder, love it. Sram - lightest (that's their best selling point, and it's down to the double tap way of shifting), campy - heavy and cock rubby, but nice.

Seriously what is wrong with Shimano? Every bit of Shimano kit I have ever owned has stood upto years of abuse.

it's athestics and the hoods are like buckets, personally I don't like the shifting mechanism either, especially when breaking it doesn't feel as safe. I absolutely love the sound of the campag free wheel. They now just got their shit together for proper aero hoods as well.. that helps I guess

hey it's all opinion go with what you're happy with

Campag calling their shifters "Ergo" is the biggest misnomer ever- bio-mechanically they just don't work for me.

Shimano and SRAM on the other hand do.

Just been through this search myself. Still lots of good deals around on 08 bikes. Full carbon is do-able and I looked at Specialized Tarmac, Trek Madone 4.5 (both Shimano).Eventually went Italian with Campy on a Wilier Mortirolo Mirage at £999. As a bonus it came with Veloce shifters for some reason!

Just got Bike2work, up to £1000 in total (ideally £800) and I fancy a bit of geared loveliness. I'm not really clued up on modern stuff but here's what [i think] i fancy.

carbon
compact crankset
horizontal top tube (if anyone still does them, i just prefer the look)
shimano kit (again a pointless preference based on very little)

oh and ideally it won't look like a red/black & white advertising hoarding.

hopefully someone on here can point me towards a few possibilities

thanks

What riding are you planning to do with it ? Commuting, Racing, Sportives, Cafe Rides ?

Mainly longish (hopefully) training rides and the odd sportive (up to 100 milers).. the only thing I definitely be doing on it is riding to work on it as I live less than a mile from work and I already take my old fix.

Cafe Rides, I like the sound of that.

What riding are you planning to do with it ? Commuting, Racing, Sportives, Cafe Rides ?

If you're doing cafe rides then you need a bling bike. Best save up for a Colnago. ;-)

Orbea Onix is really nice to ride, but you dont get a huge ammount of spec for your money
http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/19839/Orbea_Onix_Vuelta_Bike_2008

If you're doing cafe rides then you need a bling bike. Best save up for a Colnago. ;-)

wheels for the colnago.. 776 grams the pair!
http://www.cyclingtechblog.com/2009/01/15/worlds-lightest-affordable-wheels/

AMAZING spec for the money. The one Nicole Cooke rides (Road Pro Race Prepared) had to be weighed down to be UCI legal, 14.5 lbs i think it was. That's 3 grand rrp, with about 5 grands worth of kit. That's the kind of value for money you get with Boardman.

Her bike is aluminium with carbon stays and it's custom. 16.67lbs
http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech/2008/probikes/?id=nicole_cooke_boardman_pro08