Road Cycling - Which to go with....

Just wanted to make certain about this decision.

Should I go with:

A) Devinici Chicane
http://www.devinci.com/eng/famille/routeent/chicane.htm#tuyau4

$1060 Canadian

B) Giant OCR3

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/cn/030.000.000/030.050.000.asp?lYear=2002&section=8779&range=41&model=9603

$880 CDN + $50 for new clipless pedals.

My first road bike ever, so I got no clue how big of diff is between the frame and component of each is.

Both seem to fit me just the same.

Get the Devinci. The wheels are better [much better] and you may as well keep your money in Canada.

There's not a huge amount of difference between the two bikes, aside from the Giant's no-name wheels [which I've seen and look like noodles waiting to happen]. I've always been impressed with the quality of Devinci's bikes, which are better at the lower end than most other lower-end bikes. Nice pain-jobs, too.

I would recommend going a step up with the Devinci Apex, though, if you can get the money together. It has a much better component spec [Tiagra rather than Sora] and is upgradeable with 9-speed components [Sora is 8 speed]. The Devinci RT1 frames is a very upgradeable piece of aluminum.

There is about $300 gap between the Apex and Chicane...

How much more expensive are Tiagra componensts over Sora?

A $300 jump up sounds a little high. You should see if the shop will come down in price to a $200 difference. Think about it and try the bikes before you buy. I always recommend trying a model one step up from what you expect to buy, just so you know what you're getting and won't regret it later.

I'm already getting a $90 bonus with it...
I'm not so good at haggling either.

Just how much better is Tiagra than Sora? The Chincane already comes with Tiagra rear derialeurs, but everything else is Sora.

if you think the Apex is worth the +$300 because of the all Tiagra then I'll go with it.

It's your money and your call. I pertsonally don't like Sora components for these reasons:

1. It's an 8-speed drivetrain. That means upgrading components to a higher level would be extremely difficult, requiring, at least, a new rear hub and consequently a rebuild of the rear wheel, and new shifters.

2. I find Sora to be kind of flimsy. It depends on the kind of riding you plan to do, of course, but I don't think it will hold up well to a season of hard riding. The wrench at my LBS swears when he sees a bike with Sora in the pit [the wrenching area] because it tends to go out of alignment and it can be difficult to tune.

I can't speak for you, of course, but there's a possibility that you will grow well beyond the limitations of the Sora components within a season. There's a good chance you'd grow out of Tiagra, too, but at least you could upgrade it piecemeal as needed.



Tiagra is not the best of the best, of course. I have some Tiagra bits on my cyclocross bike -- the shifter and rear hub [I had the shop swap out the Tiagra cassette and front derailleur for 105. I find the shifters quite good, though not quite as solid as 105 and the only difference I can see between the Tiagra rear hub and the 105 rear hub is the finish.

Now all of this is [i]my preference. It may just be an irational prejudice against the Sora component group. Moreover, your intentions for this bike, and your ultimate use, may be straightforward fitness riding, and you may never feel that you've grown out of Sora.

My advice would be to take both bikes for a test ride and see if you can feel the difference in the component performance. Base your decision on that and your own budget. Don't trust me.

Well, your preferneces seem to confirm just about every review of the Sora I have read... which makes me lean away from it.

This may be a stupid question, but

notice that the Chicane uses Tiagra rear deraillerus, everything else sora...

does that mean I will still have the aforementioned issues when upgrading?

Amir -

I'm in agreement with with Velocipedio (pretty much) on this one. Keep your money in Canada instead of getting something made in Taiwan.

I would suggest trying to upgrade the componentry to 105, I personally don't like Sora or Tiagra.

Those are my 2 pennies worth.

Amir: The problem is that, even if you have a Tiagra RD and even if it's capable of 9-speeds, there's be no way that you could get a 9-speed cassette onto the Sora rear hub.

Anastasia: I agree with you about 105's desirability over Tiagra. However, I wonder if Amir would be willing to pay up to that level at this point. The advantage of Tiagra is that, if he decides to upgrade components in the future -- say a new 105 rear derailleur or new shifters -- he can do it.

I find that the parts of Tiagra that are most wprth upgrading to 105 are the derailleurs and, to some extent, the shifters [although the Toagra shifters aren't too bad]. The 105 crankset is also much nicer...

Ah, I see. Learned quite a bit today (while I should I have been working) ;)

The Tiagra step-up appears to be worth the invenstment.

I'm not sure a couple of facts came through clearly:

Sora rear hubs are 8/9 speed compatible. You can put a 9-speed cassette on a Sora hub and use it with Tiagra, 105, or even Ultegra drivetrain parts.

What limits compatibility with the Sora group is the levers, which are 8-speed only. You can use a 9-speed RD with Sora levers if you wish (I know because I have a bike like this), but you'll it's the levers that dictate the spacing and number of gears indexed. So you'll have to use an 8-speed cassette.

So upgrading a Sora drivetrain is an expensive and self-limiting proposition. You could use 105 parts, say, but you'd be turning them into 8-speed parts. Upgrading to 9-speed would require replacing the levers (or at least the right lever), the chain, and the cassette.

Starting out with a minimum of Tiagra at least puts you in a position to upgrade to 105 or Ultegra a la carte.

RichC

Amir ~

Have you thought about buying a USED bike? There are a lot of great deals out there - bikes that have less than 500 miles on them b/c the original buyer decided s/he didn't have time to ride, didn't enjoy it, upgraded, etc.

I just purchased a 00' FUJI TEAM w/ full Ultergra (one step up from the Shimano 105 components) for US$750.00 (tax free and shipping included). The previous owner (a bike shop owner) had only put about 800 training miles on it - he scored a really good deal on a new bike and had no need for this one. It's in excellent shape. I've ridden about 300 miles on it w/ absolutley no issues.

www.roadbikereview.com - check out the classifieds.

Good Luck!

Karna:beer:

Karna

I have thought about it

but I'd rather go with a new one because it gives me more freedom. Getting a used bike takes a lot more searching and for most parts I will be limited to what Mister X had decided was good for him, instead of having the ability to test ride variety of models and see which is best

Yes, I may be lucky to find this absolutly perfect used bike... but the chances are low and I certainly don't have that kind of time.

And lastly, I'm a noob roadie. I certainly do not have that kind of experience to be able to tell if this used bike is worth the price or if there is something wrong with or what not.

since you are new to road biking, I think you should get the Chicane- 8 speed and all. Save the $300 and buy yourself a nice, new helmet, shades, and cycle gear. Or, pocket that $300 for a rainy day.

Since you are starting, no one can tell you how YOU will like Sora components. Get the bike, put some miles on it and see what you think. Later, if you decide to upgrade components or need to replace something you will have a much better idea of what you really want and need for your use.

IMO, spending $300 extra for something you may or maynot need is just throwing your money away. If you pocket that money, by the time you need to replace parts it might well have grown to $500.

anyway, I say get the divinci, ride the hell out of it and that will automatically tell you where you need to go from there.

Good luck!

if you know anyone with road cycling experience, maybe they could help you in finding a used bike? just a though :)

good luck though

Amir ~

Hey, I'm a newbie to the road scene too - all my previous riding has been on mtn bikes. Last month, when I made the decision to buy a road bike I started researching on-line, quizzing my biking friends, test riding bike after bike, and visiting as many local bike shops as possible. Once I had test ridden several different models and talked with other bikers I had a good sense of what I wanted (frame type, components, size) and I just looked for that specific bike in the classifieds. But, on the other hand, I understand time can be a factor too...ah well, just thought I'd suggest buying used to save some buckaroos.

Karna

If You buy a Bike and then you have it in youre mind that you will just upgrade the component later on, Bud, don't do it coz this way you will have two bikes, one a complete bike and the other one a bike with no frame, so my suggestion to you you you can buy a bike that will really meet your standard, like a mid level component or hi end component its your call