Bicycle Purchase Recommendations (Flat Bar Road Bike, Budget ~ $2,000)

• 

  NotAnAudiophile on 24/07/2019 - 08:13

  +3

  I like the fastroad. Giants are always value for money in my opinion. For shops I like giant in Hampton. I didn't buy anything from there but feel their service is top notch.

• 

  Bid Sniper on 24/07/2019 - 08:53

  +1

  Look at Polygon. https://www.bicyclesonline.com.au/bikes/

  I bought a daily hybrid from them. I compared it directly to the Giant equivalent and found Polygon bikes to be pretty good and 1/3 price, I found polygon less twitchy. Uses all same Shimano running gear too.

• 

  Fergy1987 on 24/07/2019 - 09:37

  +1

  Yeah I reckon go with the Giant - go take it for a ride, and see if you can get a 2019 model on sale because the new ones are coming out.

  I'd also take a drop bar bike for a ride too just for comparison sake. I ended up upgrading from a flat bar to a drop and the difference is night and day. But it all comes down to what you're comfortable on.

  • 

    17833 on 24/07/2019 - 10:56

    Thanks, the bike I had was a drop bar, I was automatically thinking of getting the flat bar as it might be more versatile and comfortable. I might have to compare the two when I go looking.

    • 

      grizzle on 24/07/2019 - 11:48

      Not sure what your previous bike was, but a couple of notes.
      It may be more comfortable, which could be down to a couple of things:
      * More upright seating position. You might also be able to get this from an 'endurance' road bike or gravel/all-road type bike
      * Wider tyres. This makes a big difference. A lot of drop bar bikes are on 23 or 25mm tyres. Increasing this to 28 or 30 should give more comfort while still being relatively quick (after a point wider tyres = more rolling resistance = slower). A lot of endurance or gravel drop bar bikes are now designed to take larger tyres, up to 30-32mm, sometimes more.
      * Also worth noting that drop bars give you more variety in hand position - on the bars, on the hoods, in the drops. Though I guess if you're mostly on the bars, the gear shifting position of a flat bar is better

      Versatility will probably come down to the individual bike.

• 

  grizzle on 24/07/2019 - 11:18

  +1

  Nothing really off-road? Want any rack-mounts?

  Another range similar to the Giant would be Canyon Roadlite. Carbon and Aluminium models under $2k. Probably slightly better value than the Giants. E.g. the CF 7.0 probably compares to the Fastroad Advanced 1 for $500 less. Or save another $500 for the aluminium version.
  https://www.canyon.com/en-au/fitness-bikes/onroad-bikes/road…

  There's also Specialized Sirrus. Probably not as good value, may be similar to the Giant. May be easier to find in store than Canyon if that matters.
  https://www.specialized.com/au/en/shop/bikes/active-bikes/fi…

  This article lists some under $1000. You might be able to look at some higher end versions of these if any appeal.

  A lower maintenance option would be to find a belt drive bike with a internal hub gearing. You'll lose some gear range, but the system requires less maintenance and should run smoother for longer. This article is a useful overview with some models
  https://www.bikeexchange.com.au/blog/best-urban-belt-drive-b…
  E.g.:
  Canyon Commuter Sport 5.0
  BMC Alpen Challenge

  There are also bikes from Avanti and Apollo that might be worth checking out in both categories.

  • 

    17833 on 24/07/2019 - 11:29

    Wow, thanks for such detailed advice. I already have a mountain bike for off road and commuting, this one will be for fitness/recreation.

• 

  tsunamisurfer on 24/07/2019 - 11:58

  I really wanted the Giant Fastroad (the full carbon model), but none of the Giant Fastroads have the holes in place to mount a rear rack (for my commute bag).

  • 

    cynicalmike on 24/07/2019 - 12:05

    you can get seatpost adapters and quick release adapters to add rack mounts to normal bikes.

    • 

      tsunamisurfer on 24/07/2019 - 12:26

      Are they the ones only from Giant that is suitable for the D Post?

      • 

        cynicalmike on 24/07/2019 - 13:40

        didn't know Giant made one, but yeah if you've got a D post then you'd need something that suits it. I was thinking tubus for their racks (among the best).

        a cheap commuter accepting wide tyres and has built in rack and fender mounts that was on sale recently (around $1500) is the Specialized Sequoia range (steel is real)

• 

  Euphemistic on 24/07/2019 - 12:21

  +1

  If I was in the market with a $2k budget I’d be seriously looking for a belt drive/hub gear bike.

  I like my flat bar road bike, it’s fast and comfortable. I bought a Giant Roam with frame damage and transferred rhe components to a Planet X London Rd frameset. Dropping the suspension forks lost some weight and the new frame has a more aggressive geometry. It feels a lot faster than the Roam and with its hydraulic brakes stops so much better than the old drop bar roadie I had.

  I recommmend getting a ‘fast’ flat bar roadie, otherwise it will be too similar to your MTB. It should also make a fewer commuter.