First road bike.
 

Hey,

I'm currently looking for my first first road bike for commuting, but also for seeing what proper cycling is all about. My budget is anything up to £700, although I would prefer not to hit £700. I've narrowed down my choices to these bikes.

Format - Name : Size : Price : Groupset

Giant Defy 4 Compact (2011) : XL : £395 : Shimano 2300

Forme Vitesse (2011) : 60cm : £629 : Shimano 105

Specialized Alez Sport 18 (2011) : 61cm : £600 : Shimano Sora

Cannondale CAAD 8 : 60cm : £589 : Shimano Tiagra

Ribble 7005 Audax : 62cm : £580 : Shimano Tiagra

I'm really tempted by the Forme Vitesse and the Ribble 7005 Audax.
Any suggestions? Bike I havn't considered?
Also, I'm 6'5", so and suggestions on frame size would help. Measurements suggest I should be a 62cm frame, but I got on a XL (58.5) Giant Defy 5 and it felt ok.

Thank you,
Jacob

I don't know anything about the Forme Vitesse, but out of the bikes you've chosen, it has the best components. 105 is a great group set. If you're already tempted to buy the Forme Vitesse then go with that one over the Ribble, in my opinion. You want good components for sure.

Thanks for your reply, surfer777.
Yeah, I am pretty tempted by the Vitesse. Here is a review; http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/catego...esse-11-43327/

I only worry that maybe it is a bit 'hot' for me. As long as I take care of it, I'm assuming that no harm should come from being caught in the rain on a bike like that? My other fear is that, looking quite flash, it's going to be a prime target for theft, although where I will be locking it up is pretty secure.

CAAD8.
/Thread.
:D

But ride them all, then decide.
All seem to be equal quality.
Buy the best "frame" you can get.
Components can always be upgraded,
but the frame is the heart of the bike.

Yes getting caught in the rain won't cause any damage to that bike so long as you take proper care of it. Mostly common sense, dry it off when you get home, etc. All the stuff you would do to anything else made of metal that gets wet haha. As far as theft...would you be able to lock it up inside wherever you commute to maybe? Theft will always be an issue when commuting. I ride an old Schwinn to class every day so the concern isn't as big but the threat is still there. I think as long as you have a beefy lock you won't have any problems. If I were to steal a bike, I wouldn't go for the bike with the most secure and difficult to get through lock. I would go for the vulnerable bikes. So just make it a pain to steal haha!