looks like the bike brands have collectively decided to provided people with less bike for the entry level bikes than what you could have gotten a few years ago
I mean has it? Sora and Tiagra from the "big brands" and 105 from Decathlon. Seems like the exact same options at the £1k pricepoint since forever. When you consider inflation, if anything the value for money has gone up...
Decent selection here. Also, like you say looking in the sales (especially right now) will get you model or so above all of these. I wouldn’t feel that great getting a £1k bike with Claris
At the minute the Boardman 8.9 SLR is £1080 you get a full carbon frame and mostly 105 and it's infinitely upgradeable I have one and it's been a great bike.
Trek Domane AL2 a coupla three years ago was only 550 quid ... it had Claris and some heavy but dependable Bontrager wheels on ... ive since upgraded to Shimano 105 mechanical and rim brakes and some Aksium wheels and that would make the bike under 1k still-ish overall .. and it feels more than that for its value and ride 👌👍
I got a 2021 Sora Razor Disc from CRC in May 2022 for £629.... Upgraded to DT Swiss P1800 32mm wheels(£215) shortly after with Hutchinson tubeless tyres , and at Xmas put on a full 105 groupset from CRC (£299)... bike came with excellent TRP Spyre flat mount dual side calipers and when I fitted the groupo I added the better TRP Compressionless cable kit (£25). Brakes are as good as any hydros on my MTB's... (Sora going on a gravel bike I'm building as is the Vitus wheels .The hubs are from the MTB range anyway)....but the Razor in it's new guise is 9kg without pedals, and is superb to ride(105 is a huge jump in quality from Sora I have to say!)...Oh- and I was pleasantly shocked to discover the steerer was carbon as well..... Been eyeing up the Carbon Zenium but not sure if I could justify it, any gains now really have to come from my weight tbh...
Nice selection! The Triban RC520 looks pretty appealing, but I wonder if it suffers from the wheelset issue that they had before. Namely, those wheels were (are?) so narrow that getting tires off/on is a real pain. I have an RC500, which is fairly similar, and it took me 45 minutes to replace the inner tube last time, and I was at home. Heavens forbid you get a flat tire in the middle of nowhere.
Allez is the best entry level bike one can get at 1000 quids. Upgrade those caliper brakes to 105, or ultegra, get a lighter set of wheels, and change that sora drivetrain with a 105. I love it. It is great as it is, but it is also worth upgrading as much as you can afford.
@@jojokimbo Absolutely, but then again only if you have 1700 euros to spend. When you are short on money, buying a good base and start building on it is a great option. Plus, the Allez has a better AL frame and a carbon fork that the Canyon doesn't have. Allez has not been praised like that by luck. It fares better of many more expensive bikes. Also, that Canyon sells in my country for 2000 euros. It is quite a big deal.
@@cauldron101 It's an option. I am sure that allez has a better frame. But I prefer to buy the already upgraded bike if I know that I will upgrade it. Canyon has a carbon fork. Decathlon NCR is full carbon. In general you save money buying directly from the factory (Decathlon doesn't have the top bikes in the stores anymore), it's a good option but only if you have a chance to try the bike before buying it
How is Scott speedster 20 endurance? Is it worth buying over Triban RC 520? Triban specs are better as compared to Scott. But is it worth buying Scott ? Please let me know your recommendations.
@@ryanterence471 'Primary', but not 'only'. The plural use of 'other things' was deliberate as I choose my words very carefully. If it has 8 other factors (for simplicity: let's say each factor has a negative 10% affect on the primary decision). These factors could be: cost, ease of maintenance, cost of parts, weight, aerodynamics, lack of rubbing/ mechanical tolerances, modulation, cross-compatibility with other bikes I own...). In this example, that's 8 * -10% = -80%. 'Stopping power' may well be the main factor and so worth, for example: +30%. Minus 80% + (+30%) = -50%. So the net is negative, even though the main factor is positive. I don't choose my braking system merely on the fact that the main functionality of the item is positive: to the contrary, I tend to always calculate a weighted cumulative total before making decision on the logic that "one aspect is 'the main function', and if it is positive then I automatically discount all other factors on this basis".
You cannot beat Polygon bikes and what they offer at their price points. Instead of Sora or Tiagra at that price point, why not get 105 or Ultegra group sets on carbon frames w/ hydraulic brakes for the 1k - 2k price point? Puts every one of these lists to shame. I rode and reviewed the Polygon Bend R5 GRX800 series gravel bike which was $1500.
$1000 is a lot of money for me and sadly this is the ''entry level'' ... No thank you butch of elite stuffy road warriors...bikes are only expensive because fools throw their money at all this without second thoughts...
@Ryan Terence I don’t understand why brakes are such a divisive subject. It gets a bit tedious. At this price point you’re unlikely to get full hydraulic disks. I have rim brakes on my roadbike, but my other bike with mechanical disks definitely stops better in the wet weather.
Instead of saying ‘you know the comments won’t like the disc brakes’. Why don’t you listen to your audience: we don’t like mechanical disc brakes on our Road bikes.
Simple - pretty much all media channels are obliged to push disc models by manufacturers / distributors. They never seem to mention the various downsides to them...
@sandywatson1082 1 second ago it is a shame that the bike industry throw disc brakes at us especially when most of the bikes bought will only use during dry conditions, the weight savings on rim over disk entry bikes would benefit most riders. the cost of upgrading, to a better rime brake would not brake the bank either.
looks like the bike brands have collectively decided to provided people with less bike for the entry level bikes than what you could have gotten a few years ago
I mean has it? Sora and Tiagra from the "big brands" and 105 from Decathlon. Seems like the exact same options at the £1k pricepoint since forever.
When you consider inflation, if anything the value for money has gone up...
Decent selection here. Also, like you say looking in the sales (especially right now) will get you model or so above all of these. I wouldn’t feel that great getting a £1k bike with Claris
At the minute the Boardman 8.9 SLR is £1080 you get a full carbon frame and mostly 105 and it's infinitely upgradeable I have one and it's been a great bike.
I am new on the Rose Pro SL with the 105 group set. Feels awesome! And is really close to the 1k
Trek Domane AL2 a coupla three years ago was only 550 quid ... it had Claris and some heavy but dependable Bontrager wheels on ... ive since upgraded to Shimano 105 mechanical and rim brakes and some Aksium wheels and that would make the bike under 1k still-ish overall .. and it feels more than that for its value and ride 👌👍
The rc 520 colour is horrible, why they didn’t give the 520 that dark charcoal paint job that’s on the rc 500
agree. Blue is disgusting
I have a triban 520 given to me as a gift. It feels good and solid for descending but it's SO heavy.
I got a 2021 Sora Razor Disc from CRC in May 2022 for £629.... Upgraded to DT Swiss P1800 32mm wheels(£215) shortly after with Hutchinson tubeless tyres , and at Xmas put on a full 105 groupset from CRC (£299)... bike came with excellent TRP Spyre flat mount dual side calipers and when I fitted the groupo I added the better TRP Compressionless cable kit (£25). Brakes are as good as any hydros on my MTB's... (Sora going on a gravel bike I'm building as is the Vitus wheels .The hubs are from the MTB range anyway)....but the Razor in it's new guise is 9kg without pedals, and is superb to ride(105 is a huge jump in quality from Sora I have to say!)...Oh- and I was pleasantly shocked to discover the steerer was carbon as well..... Been eyeing up the Carbon Zenium but not sure if I could justify it, any gains now really have to come from my weight tbh...
Nice selection!
The Triban RC520 looks pretty appealing, but I wonder if it suffers from the wheelset issue that they had before. Namely, those wheels were (are?) so narrow that getting tires off/on is a real pain. I have an RC500, which is fairly similar, and it took me 45 minutes to replace the inner tube last time, and I was at home. Heavens forbid you get a flat tire in the middle of nowhere.
Allez is the best entry level bike one can get at 1000 quids. Upgrade those caliper brakes to 105, or ultegra, get a lighter set of wheels, and change that sora drivetrain with a 105. I love it. It is great as it is, but it is also worth upgrading as much as you can afford.
And then you spent 1700 euro and you could have get a 1700euro bike such as the Canyon Endurace Al 7 or Decathlon NCR CF
@@jojokimbo Absolutely, but then again only if you have 1700 euros to spend. When you are short on money, buying a good base and start building on it is a great option. Plus, the Allez has a better AL frame and a carbon fork that the Canyon doesn't have. Allez has not been praised like that by luck. It fares better of many more expensive bikes. Also, that Canyon sells in my country for 2000 euros. It is quite a big deal.
@@cauldron101 It's an option. I am sure that allez has a better frame. But I prefer to buy the already upgraded bike if I know that I will upgrade it. Canyon has a carbon fork. Decathlon NCR is full carbon. In general you save money buying directly from the factory (Decathlon doesn't have the top bikes in the stores anymore), it's a good option but only if you have a chance to try the bike before buying it
Trigger's broom 🤔
or go Polygon at the $1000 price point and get all of that already out of the box.
Not gonna pay 1000 for a Claris bike that was 600 just a couple of years ago, no way.
Cervelo R5 with SRAM Red, Quarq, Zipp 404 for $950.
How is Scott speedster 20 endurance?
Is it worth buying over Triban RC 520?
Triban specs are better as compared to Scott. But is it worth buying Scott ? Please let me know your recommendations.
What about Dolan, Ribble, Merlin? Why not support bikes from the UK?
I have an possibility to buy Cannondale Endurace 6 al on full Shimano 105 and Mavic Rims for 700$. Should I go for it?
Claris for £1000?! In 2012, I got Sora for £400 on a new bike. Not a fan of the disc brakes either.
@@ryanterence471 …or I value other things more. A braking system has far more attributes that it brings to a bike than it’s efficacy in ‘stopping’
@@georgec2894 a brakes ability to stop you is kind of it’s primary purpose really
@@ryanterence471 'Primary', but not 'only'. The plural use of 'other things' was deliberate as I choose my words very carefully. If it has 8 other factors (for simplicity: let's say each factor has a negative 10% affect on the primary decision). These factors could be: cost, ease of maintenance, cost of parts, weight, aerodynamics, lack of rubbing/ mechanical tolerances, modulation, cross-compatibility with other bikes I own...). In this example, that's 8 * -10% = -80%. 'Stopping power' may well be the main factor and so worth, for example: +30%. Minus 80% + (+30%) = -50%. So the net is negative, even though the main factor is positive. I don't choose my braking system merely on the fact that the main functionality of the item is positive: to the contrary, I tend to always calculate a weighted cumulative total before making decision on the logic that "one aspect is 'the main function', and if it is positive then I automatically discount all other factors on this basis".
You cannot beat Polygon bikes and what they offer at their price points. Instead of Sora or Tiagra at that price point, why not get 105 or Ultegra group sets on carbon frames w/ hydraulic brakes for the 1k - 2k price point? Puts every one of these lists to shame. I rode and reviewed the Polygon Bend R5 GRX800 series gravel bike which was $1500.
I was considering the RC520 but now you’ve got me seriously looking at the Path X5 and Bend R5…
Agreed. Polygon bikes are so underrated.
the subtitles are close enough i suppose
$1000 is a lot of money for me and sadly this is the ''entry level'' ... No thank you butch of elite stuffy road warriors...bikes are only expensive because fools throw their money at all this without second thoughts...
Mechanical disc brakes. No thank you. That’s the problem with these budget bikes.
Tbh, I have them on a bike, don’t have an issue with them
@Ryan Terence I don’t understand why brakes are such a divisive subject. It gets a bit tedious. At this price point you’re unlikely to get full hydraulic disks. I have rim brakes on my roadbike, but my other bike with mechanical disks definitely stops better in the wet weather.
Mechanical discs are terrible. Got to be hydro on a road bike.
Instead of saying ‘you know the comments won’t like the disc brakes’. Why don’t you listen to your audience: we don’t like mechanical disc brakes on our Road bikes.
Simple - pretty much all media channels are obliged to push disc models by manufacturers / distributors. They never seem to mention the various downsides to them...
moan moan moan
@@cappaculla shut up! You 'disc-pickable'
@Ryan Terence they’re pretty good on alloy rims, in the dry but not carbon rims or anything wet!
@@cappaculla Yes, I do tend to moan when being force feed garbage from big coorporations for their own Financial benefit
@sandywatson1082
1 second ago
it is a shame that the bike industry throw disc brakes at us especially when most of the bikes bought will only use during dry conditions, the weight savings on rim over disk entry bikes would benefit most riders. the cost of upgrading, to a better rime brake would not brake the bank either.
Tbf ultegra rim calipers can be had for a steal right now and they are fantastic.