First road bike

Hey guys, I am considering on buying my first road bike. I really want a carbon (monocoque) framed bike with Ultegra, but with finances tight am prepared to have 105s minimum, with the option of upgrading rims and tires.

The bike I am considering is a CF Orbea Onix T105, and looking to upgrade the Shimano R500 rims to either Fulcrum 5's or Mavic Ksyriums and some quality Kevlar tires. Is that a good choice of rim to go for?. I went into 'The complete cycle' in Port Noarlunga and spoke to Peter about it. Said I could get this bike for $1999, plus the added upgrades. Is this a good price? Any room for haggling?

I am a sportive type rider with the occasional sprint thrown in for good measure, and I wanted to get a bike I can hold onto for a number of years and upgrade some components over time. Carbon framed is non negotiable in my eyes. Don't ask me why, I just want it.

Has anyone dealt with The Complete Cycle before and can vouch for their service abilities?

What about the Orbea brand, I have seen these bikes every now and again, do they have a good reputation amongst the riding elite, or is it considered 'average'? I just want to get an idea of what I should be expecting. I hear the Euskatel cycling team are being sponsored by Orbea, and that the Orbea carbon frames have a lifetime warranty. But that is the limit of my knowledge about the brand.

Any help or constructive advice would be appreciated.

Link to bike specs. http://www.evolutioncycles.com.au/cycle?page=shop.product_details&a...

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Permalink Reply by Clive Palfrey on April 4, 2012 at 17:11

Hi Shav

Re your choice of tyres, I know very little about such things though I do like my Vittoria Randonneur. But your comment that most of your riding is on the Velloway and the Linear park makes me wonder if your choice of tyre should be more suited to such riding as opposed to hard and fast road riding. Rather than being ultra puncture resistant I would suggest that grip should be your main focus given that leaf litter, sand washouts, twigs etc are going to be your main issue rather than sharp glass, nails etc, this particularly applies to the coming damp/wet season.

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Permalink Reply by Shav Bird on April 4, 2012 at 18:20

Hi clive you make some fine points. still the amount of people that I have seen walking down the veloway with bottles of beer in their hands has me thinking otherwise.
From what I have read and been told unless I'm flogging the bike at top speed and winding thru corners at a rate of knots, the stickier rubber may be overkill. I spose you could say I'm going to extremes the other way too but I put it this way, I can control speed but can't control what debris goes on the veloway.
That said, I read that its hard to find durable, hard wearing and grippy tires in one and for an affordable price. correct me if I'm wrong.
I think I'm gonna stick to the Gator skins for now until I feel the need for better gripping rubber arises. its gonna take a little while to get used to the carbon road frame as it is I reckon. so speed will be kept at a controllable level.

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Permalink Reply by A.V.O. on April 4, 2012 at 18:29

Gatorskins?

Get the GatorHardshell's (Gatorskins plus more!)

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-track-bike/Road-Triathlon-Tra...

Got them on my fixie commuter - sweet!

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Permalink Reply by Shav Bird on April 4, 2012 at 18:32

They certainly look the goods. not sure which model will be fitted to my bike Saturday. will have to ask.

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Permalink Reply by Ian Mawbey on April 4, 2012 at 18:47

I have Gatorskins on a couple of bikes. They are a tiny bit harsher ride at 110 psi than the 4000's. They are very durable though and are usually cheapish from that 'W' online shop.

The bike pic looks killer...campy is good too...you might be able to get bar-tape done black as part of a service to be in line with velominati...ie black, black, black

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Permalink Reply by Shav Bird on April 4, 2012 at 18:56

Thanks Ian. yes black bar tape will be fitted for Saturday.

Thanks for the feedback on the Gator skins too. pretty much falls in line with everyone else's perception.

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Permalink Reply by Shav Bird on April 7, 2012 at 23:17

Took the new bike for its first run today after picking it up from the bike station. noel was fantastic and did my final bike fit and helped me get used to the new feeling and riding position. I ended up getting a co2 pump canister kit and a few spare pumps with my upgraded conti gator skins. very impressed so far with how well the gator skins handled the veloway tonight. I still made a concerted effort to avoid debris and glass more so than I would with my hybrid. and I intend on making this a habit.
The ride itself consisted of me riding to friends place so I could ride with them and compare my speed and cadence with them. I didn't expect to be on their level. they are seasoned riders but I managed to keep up with them on the flat and surprised myself in the increased speed that I wasn't used to.
Anyway onto the bike, I cannot compare this with any other bike I had. so it may sound very biased but this truly is the best bike I have owned. take this little review how u will.
The bike feels fast, solid and efficient. the gear changing is precise and quick. the ride is comfortable more than my hybrid which I reckon has more to do with the carbon absorbing the shock better. I did find my lower back felt a bit sore during the ride but I attributed that to the head stem height being lower than I am used to and the new riding position. will give that a few weeks to get used before I make the lbs make and adjustments.
Other than this I love this bike. its perfect for me and suits me to a tea. I believe this has been accentuated with a custom bike fit and just having the bike adjusted and setup to suit my shape. can't stress enough how much getting that done before u buy or even to suit your current ride. it makes an amazing difference.
I spent some time fitting my lights, saddle pouch and make tweak here and there to hopefully enhance the experience.

So far its been a killer first ride and I'm looking forward to enjoying many more.