Ok folks, so after months of research and browsing used bikes, I've found the following selection for my first real carbon road bike. I'm planning regular multi-hour tours around my hometown, with little to no elevation and hopefully on ok roads:
Merida Scultura 5000 (2020), Ultegra mech, disk brakes, one-sided inpeak powermeter
Radon Valliant 8.0 (2019) in standard config, Ultegra/105 mech, disk brakes
Cannondale SuperSix (unknown), Ultegra Di2, rim brakes
Felt F4 (2013), Ultegra mech, rim brakes
Cube Attain GTC SL (2021), Ultegra mech, disk brakes
Asking prices are ludicrous around here, but I'm certain I can get each one for 700-800€ and the Felt for around 500€.
Is there any one of the bikes that stands out as a great/good or terrible deal?
Thanks so much in advance, do your thing!
by Awkward_Picture_5541
4 Comments
Hi from France, had a Cannondale and a Felt i preferred the Felt they have great frame and all the components seems to work very good together, not that the Cannondale are bad but for me the Felt is better.. good luck
Brand doesn’t matter as much as style and components. Definitely choose a disc brake bike. I’m not familiar with the brand but the green Radon with 105 looks worth a look.
I would choose Radon or Cube. Comfort is better on Cube but speed on Radon due to more aggressive sitting position. Comes down to which fits better to you particularly. Fulcrum wheels on Radon are better than Cubes. Meridas DT Swiss wheels are the best of all these.
That Cannondale SS is a HiMod model, which was the best you could get back in 2012 (that’s about the year of that frame).
I adore the geometry, it was the perfect race bike for me. Specialized Tarmacs are damn near identical. I don’t think two highly-regarded bikes would be like that if it wasn’t objectively good.
Also, that Ultegra Di2, while older, is still “e-tube”, which makes it forward-compatible with newer Di2 (until the newest semi-wireless model).
It depends on what you’re looking for – those cannondales are “long and low”, meaning they work well for younger, more flexible riders who want an aggressive race fit. But the handling is really solid – responsive without being nervous.