After 12 years of riding the same bike, a motobecane alum frame with a mix of Ultegra and 105 gear I have been looking for a new bike. I want to get a carbon frame because our roads suck and (rough/chip and seal). My alum frame is just to stiff and I want a more up right riding position.

It seems like all the new bikes at the lower end (1200 to 1500) price range that have 105 drivetrain also have disk brakes. I really don't want disk brakes. I think i Have settled on this. I really want Ultra running gear or a mix of Ultra and 105.

I kind of like this Giant but I am not sure about the quality or if there are better options out there. I haven't really kept up with the new bike scene or cycling in general in years.

http://kozy.com/product/giant-...anced-2-264181-1.htm

Find a Trek Domane SL5 on an end of season sale. I'd recommend the Boone or the SL5 disc version also if you can get over your dislike of discs.

There's nothing wrong with that bike.

There isn't a noticeable difference between Ultegra and 105.

I own:
Specialized Roubaix with 105/Ultegra group;
Pinarello Marvel, Prince, Rokh with Ultegra,
Pinarello Dogma 2 with Campy Chorus,
Pinarello Kobh with Campy Super Record,
Litespeed Vortex with Campy Chorus

Giant make great bikes. If you are set on this model look at a 2016 (save you some $$)

Bianchi and Orbea make great carbon road bikes too.

Bianchi has a vibration dampening system that is sweet; the test ride I took was super nice on chip seal roads.

I ride a 2013 Orbea Orca that I upgraded from 10 speed 105 to 11 speed Ultegra.

You can always change the stem to give you a more upright position.

I run tubeless tires, and love them (Maxxis Padrone 700x25).

quote:

Originally posted by KPSquared:
There's nothing wrong with that bike.

There isn't a noticeable difference between Ultegra and 105.

I really couldn't disagree more with that. Ultegra is far better than 105.

Though I'd say that the current 105 is better than the "older" Ultegra.

I have a Giant OCR limited from 2007, and it is simply a blast. Great bike, well made, comfortable, more upright than a pure roadie. I have mostly Ultegra on it. The only upgrade I would make to the grupo is I would like to replace the non Ultegra no name brakes with something stiffer. I was looking at SRAM brake sets, but then I moved and haven't ridden in a while because riding the roads around here would be suicide.

I also put a set of DT Swiss racing wheels on it which stiffened it nicely as the Xero wheels it came with were a bit spongy in a turn.

I am very satisfied with the Giant frame and forks. I also remember reading that Giant is the maker of the carbon frames for a lot of other manufacturers, but I don't know if this is still the case.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:

quote:

Originally posted by KPSquared:
There's nothing wrong with that bike.

There isn't a noticeable difference between Ultegra and 105.

I really couldn't disagree more with that. Ultegra is far better than 105.

Though I'd say that the current 105 is better than the "older" Ultegra.

How so?

Why the aversion to disc brakes? Frankly, there's a reason they're becoming so popular.

I don't think there's any question that Ultegra components are better than 105, but the question is, are they better enough to matter to you? I think the 105 groupset is the sweet spot for price and performance for most.

Biggest objective difference is weight and subjective is shifter feel and precision. 5800 series 105 is fine but the shifters are less precise than Ultegra.

Brakes are similarly powerful with equally lousy compounds compared to Swisstop.

Cranks are really similar. The biggest difference seems to be the rings. The arms I can hardly tell apart except for color. They're all just hollow aluminum so it's just a matter of machining operations.

Derailleurs are, well, derailleurs. Weight is the biggest difference due to materials used. There is some difference in bearings as well, but very marginal.

Cassettes have a big difference -- Ultegra ones are much more precisely machined. Chains as well, although I recommend a Dura Ace chain for the few dollar difference. Same goes with the bottom bracket.

But a 105 bike is still an excellent ride. Tires, wheels, and the frame matter a lot more than the groupset these days.

quote:

Originally posted by DaBigBR:
Why the aversion to disc brakes? Frankly, there's a reason they're becoming so popular.

I don't think there's any question that Ultegra components are better than 105, but the question is, are they better enough to matter to you? I think the 105 groupset is the sweet spot for price and performance for most.

I didn't like the way they felt, or the way they look. I am not a luddite but they just don't do it for me. The salesman said that every year more and more bikes have them as the only option.

quote:

Originally posted by DaBigBR:
I don't think there's any question that Ultegra components are better than 105, but the question is, are they better enough to matter to you? I think the 105 groupset is the sweet spot for price and performance for most.

That's what I mean. An Ultegra group set is a little over $200 more than a 105 group set at Ribble. Is there that much performance between the two?

My 2015 Super Record group set is the top of the line but with regards to its functional performance my 2015 Chorus is similar with a much lower price tag.

Hell the Tiagra is probably better than my 13 year old Ultegra.

quote:

Originally posted by Valpo Fz:
Hell the Tiagra is probably better than my 13 year old Ultegra.

Probably not if it's Ultegra 6600 (1st gen of the 10 speed). I've had every model of Ultegra since 6500 (last gen of the 9 speeds). Dura Ace 7800 and Ultegra 6600 were really good groupsets. Their shift performance was the first time Shimano matched Campy -- 2003 Ultegra or Dura Ace vs Chorus was not even close. Tiagra still hasn't really caught up because they use too many plastic parts in the shifters -- there's a substantial leap between 105 and Tiagra. In fact, Ultegra 6800 isn't as smooth as a well set-up 6600 because of the way cables are run under the handlebar tape (but 6800 is more precise).

What people often mistake as "groupset performance" is really housing and cabling performance. Set up a 105 bike with Shimano Optislick cables and SP41 housing and it'll run better than anyone expects. Same goes for brakes.

And that's kind of the "catch" of any production bike. Corners are cut with things like housing, cabling, and brake pads because nobody but the most esoteric bike geek pays attention to the tiny gold or silver lettering on the cables. However $100 to swap out those will usually make a bigger difference than the $500 to switch to Ultegra derailleurs or brakes.


But back to the original question...

Giant, Trek, Specialized, Cannondale -- all of them make a great bike. For their "road endurance" models, all have incorporated some amount of flex into their frames to smooth out bumps and rough surfaces. I think Trek's execution with the decoupled seat tube is the best short of actual suspension (Cannondale Slate) or a well sorted out endurance titanium frame like a Moots Vamoots Disc (which is naturally springy).

You're not going to go wrong with a 105 bike but if you are complaining about road surface, I recommend against a TCR or any one of the "road performance" bikes. Carbon bikes can be very stiff these days and everything about them is designed to transfer power from the rider to the rear wheel. The "endurance" lineup (Domane, Roubiaux, OCR, etc.) give up a tiny bit of performance and give heaps of comfort in return though changes like wider tires, a bit of flex, or a more upright position. For most, it's well-worth the trade-off.

Another vote for Trek's Domane. My frame has the decoupler on the seat post. Now with the current bikes, not only is the decoupler on the seat post but also on the headset.
Mine rides really smooth with just the one.
It's a marvel of science I tell ya!

I have a "low end" Orbea and really like it. Of course when I bought it at the end of 2015, most ANYTHING was a step up from my circa 1984 steel POS Miyata 90.

Giants are good bikes. That's not a bad bike for the price - big step from what you have. It will cost about a grand more to get an Ultegra group bike. To meet the 105 price point there are other components that are not quite to Ultegra quality, and the frame is probably different carbon. So the step between the bikes is not always the group set alone. That said I bet you on that bike and on an Ultegra your "time" would be pretty much the same. I go Ultegra/Dura-ace due to all around better frame and components. It just depends on how much you want to spend.

Disc Brakes are the best thing to happen in bicycling in the last 20years or more.

I can hardly imagine dealing with regular brakes anymore.

I'd be looking into Yamaha, Honda or Kawasaki.

What you really need is a 1991 Schwinn Prologue with STI shifters. No you can't buy mine.

I already have a Yamaha but it doesn't keep me from getting fat. I am trying to stay under $2k and preferably under $1500 but still get a good bike that is more ridBle than my current one.