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Road bike beginner
Hi, hoping you guys can help me. I currently own a mountain bike and am now looking for my first road bike. I have £1000 to spend at evans cycles with the ride to work scheme and just acquired an old bike to trade in so my budget can go up to £1100 before it costs me anything. I also get £60 of accessories which I intend to use for pedals, mudguards etc as I already have clothing and helmet.
I'm looking at the following 2 bikes. Both the same price both have hydraulic disc brakes. Beyond that I know nothing, the specification may as well be written in Chinese for all the sense it makes to me. The bike would be used for riding with a local club and some of the evans sportives plus obviously going out alone if only for the thrill of risking my life 
So my question is, how do these bikes compare on spec? Obviously I will be visiting my nearest store before making a final choice.
Also I know the cube has its own specific mudguards from the manufacturer but these are currently unavailable due to a product recall. I can't find anywhere that someone has used alternatives, does anyone know if this is possible? Would I be able to fit clip ons for example?
Any other possible options gratefully received but please bear in mind that I know nothing so anything technical will go over my head.
https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-dolomite-4-2017-road-bike-EV275636
https://www.evanscycles.com/cube-attain-race-disc-2017-road-bike-EV287828
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
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82 comments
The "sounds like" is about the worst thing you can hear. There's no replacement for going and having a test ride on a few bikes. I've had relaxed geo bikes and race geo bikes and I find them pretty much of a muchness once I've fitted them properly; I honestly couldn't say I'd want my now-dead Synapse back over the CAAD10 or KTM Revelator that I have now. It wasn't THAT much easier on the body on a long ride.
If you get set on that orange bike, why not ask them to do you a deal in a compact chainset when buying it?
Also, test a few other bikes out from the store at a higher price point.. Maybe add a bit of your own cash to the bike scheme..
I have bought from Evans several times now - in Sheffield as they are very relaxed and at one point I'd tried around 5 bikes over a week or two before I decided.
They let me test three back to back and were only happy when I was happy. They were also great when I helped my sister get a bike.
Bottom line go with what makes you smile lots as you'll ride it more and form your own opinion and listen to them. Best also if they have a female member on the team to deal with as she will be able to steer you a little better on options.
As others have said buy what makes you happiest and the test ride is the only way to find out.
Only part with cash when you're totally happy.
Well I pootled over to evans in Leamington this morning and spent a couple of hours in the store. They were nice and relaxed with no pressure which was lovely. Set the Arkose up on the turbo trainer and I have to say I wasn't too sure, it felt short and as though I was being pushed forward. Anyway he set it all up to fit me and I went off on my test ride...... I managed to do three laps around the block with a couple of small climbs but 10 seconds in I was grinning like the village idiot on a day trip, I actually didn't want to take the bike back to the shop if I'm honest. So I bought it. They threw in pedals and I bought mudguards, saddle bag and bottle holder with my accessories allowance. I've just taken it out for a quick spin at home, just 11km but even in my unfit state I took 15 minutes off my MTB time on the same route. Saw a few cyclists out and about and got a couple of grins as we went by in all our orange glory. I liked the colour on the website but it looks even better in the flesh. I can't stop smiling
20170325_123615.jpg
Fantastic, I hope you enjoy it.
Great news, I'm glad you found your bike!
That is a fine looking bicycle.
It's lush. I've seen a few bright orange mountain bikes and always thought they looked really good but it's definitely a marmite colour. Off out properly tomorrow and already looking for my first evans sportive to aim for
I'm glad you're so thrilled with your new bike. Ignore any comments about weight. I've been on my steel winter bike since last autumn. It weighs abour 8 lb more than my carbon summer bike but it's just as fun to ride
.
Orange is boss. It's the colour of the moment right now. Everyone wants the Open UP, and mostly because it's bright orange.
Good call. Enjoy it. My bike's black, but thinking to stick some pink stickers on the top tube to liven it up. Seriously
I have the 2015 model which is lime green so another marmite colour but I love it
I'm out on a little jaunt on it today in fact
20170325_155908.jpg
If this is the cycle to work scheme you don't own the bike, your company does. So throwing £100 in is only worth it if you are will to buy it at a later date. The value falls off pretty quick.
i think it falls from 25% after a year, to 7% after 4 years.
Road bikes are for road racing. Cyclo-cross bikes are for cyclo-cross. Most are designed with a goal in mind. For less than £1000 you are not get the design that gives that statement it's full clarity.
You are of course court that the terms of the Cycle to Work scheme do state that the bicycle isn't yours and that a final payment has to be made to your employer. That amount decreases to nothing I believe within 5 years. In reality though I do not personally know of anyone that has had this amount taken from them even when they leave the company within the extended period. To my mind so long as you don't leave your employer within the initial 12 months there is nothing to worry about. Even if you do you still will have got an interest free loan and a £60 (if with Evans) accessories voucher.
My options at the end of the scheme are; buy the bike for 25% of its original value (£262.50), hand it back and pay nothing OR continue to use it but with no further payments. I will be keeping it. The payments are taken from basic pay before tax so as well as interest free they're tax free. It was definitely worth £50 of my own money after trade in. The only downside was being limited to evans and not able to look elsewhere.
I have just completed my first Sportive of 62 miles/100km on my Pinnacle Arkose 3. Previously I had not done more than 40 miles in a day and that was almost a year ago during a weeklong bikepacking tour of Islay. Between then and the Sportive I have made a few changes and they made a huge difference to riding comfort. I thought you may appreciate the insight (if not feel free to ignore
).
I do love the Kenda Small Block 8 tyres that came with the Pinnacle (I'm assuming the Kenda flintridge are similar), they are absolutely perfect for my Autumn/Winter cycling along the canal and through the park where the tracks can have Ice/Leaf Mulch/ Mud etc. I decided to get some touring tyres for Spring/Summer though and after a lot of research decided on the Vittoria Voyager Hyper 700x35. This is really an oversized road tyre but as such has a very low rolling resistance and as a great bonus has great puncture resistance. I rode them yesterday on the Sportive and instantly noticed how much more supple they were compared to the Kenda, they just soaked up the pot holes to the point where I just wasn't bothering to avoid them! I have also fitted a VCLS 2.0 seat post which also helps with soaking up the bumps but as I had this on, before the switch over, with the Kenda tyres I can definitely say that the Vittoria's made a bigger difference and are substantially cheaper (~£15 each at PlanetX depending on current promotion).
Very nice!
What mudguards are those? They look a good halfway solution
Pink stickers eh.......Nice to know some men are in touch with their feminine side
£11.99 at planet X. Shame they don't have inner tubes to go with them unless I'm looking in the wrong place? Just seen there's a bikeathon locallying in July with different distances, 16/45/64 miles for a local hospice. I should be up for doing 45 by then
Thanks! They are the SKS Velo 42 Urban with the optional/additional stays
They do have innertubes to fit that size, Vavert 700c Inner Tube 35c-43c 40mm (http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TUVAV700/vavert-700c-inner-tube) but as you already have innertubes on your wheels you do not need them unless you need spares.
Or did you mean that they do not have any Vittoria inner tubes in that size?
The Bikeathon in July looks like a great event to aim for and gives you a good amount of time
I need spares to carry in case I get a puncture on the side of the road. I was looking in the wrong place
Love that lime green
I would caveat that if you do go for the 2016 Pinnacle Arkose 3 then you will probably want to change the chainset pretty quickly as although the Cyclocross geometry will (IMHO) suit your needs I am not sure that the 48/32 chain rings will. I think you may be better off with a compact (50/34) set up which is what you will find on most bikes. As I pointed out before though, you can change this over with a massive upgrade and still come out with change from you cycle to work scheme voucher (don't forget to use the price match though).
Enjoy!
With regard to the chain rings, what does that actually mean?
The chain rings are the gears that you have on the front cranks (the pedal arms). The 2016 Pinnacle has lower number of teeth (are smaller) which means that it is easier to pedal. This is so it can go up hils in mud for the cyclocross purist but will mean that you will not be able to go as fast on the roads. A compact chain set of 50/34 (50 teeth on the bigger cog, 34 on the smaller) is a good all round middle cround between the 53/39 of the standard road chain set and the 48/32 cyclocross/mountain bike chain set.
While the pedaling being easier may sound like a good thing, imagine cycling down a hill in the same big gear you used to get up the hill and how fast you would have to pedal to engage the rear gears and I think you'll start to understand the issue.
Did that make sense?
That actually does make sense and I didn't have to read it twice..... I must be learning!
Anything that helps me climb up hills would be a good thing for sure as 4 months off means my legs are definitely not as strong as they were. I'm not too worried about speed as I'm never going to be the fastest on 2 wheels. It does depend of course on how much it slows me down. Maybe I could leave it as is and think about changing once I'm fitter and hills are less of an issue?
I've just called Leamington and have to say the guy I spoke to was a little easier to deal with than the one in Cheltenham. They have the Arkose in stock in all its orange glory so I'm off over there bright and early to have a go. If I end up grinning like a loon it will be because my brains have fallen out and I'm being carted off to the loony bin or I've got myself a bike and Cheltenham will be refunding my deposit. Unfortunately the ladies 2016 bike is now sold out
Just out of curiosity Bouncetastic, where abouts in the world are you going to be cycling?
I'm just outside evesham in Worcestershire
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