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New racer

L

-LJ-

Guest
My brother wants a racer.

He is set on the Malvern Star OPPY A4. This is $1,299 but has also looked at the Giant Defy 2009 for the same price.

What do you guys think? He can't go over $1,299, so while a carbon frame would be nice, its just not possible as he does not want second hand.
 
Is it the Defy 2 or the Defy 1?

If it is the 2, then he would be better off with the Malvern Star as it has a better component range in the Tiagra groupset. If your brother wants to race, this is a much better groupset to start with.

If it is the Defy 1, then it also has Tiagra. The frames are both aluminium alloys but the Malvern Star is triple butted, whereas I think the Aluxx is only double butted (not sure how many tubes for each frame thoug...) Wheels are much of a muchness - similar spec frpom Mavic and Shimano. I'm not sure if the Malvern Star comes with pedals though...To be honest, at this price range, with alloy frames and the same components, your brother would be better off making his selection after test riding both bikes to see which one feels better.

Also, he should buy from a dealer he feels comfortable with - one who will spend time with him answering questions and supporting his purchase rather than rushing him or being pushy. If your brother gets into the sport he will most likely spend A LOT of money there in the future and having a shop he feels comfortable with and who will look after him better is very important. If he is into the sport, it is likely that he will only keep that bike for a short time before he will be keen to upgrade anyway and then a relationship with the team at reputable bike shop is even more important.

Also remind your brother to budget for all the other inconsequentials - pump, saddle bag, spare tube, shoes, helmet and anything else he might need to get started.

sorry for the long winded reply, hope this helps

Also remind your brother to budget for all the other inconsequentials - pump, saddle bag, spare tube, shoes, helmet and anything else he might need to get started.
 
challs said:
Is it the Defy 2 or the Defy 1?

If it is the 2, then he would be better off with the Malvern Star as it has a better component range in the Tiagra groupset. If your brother wants to race, this is a much better groupset to start with.

If it is the Defy 1, then it also has Tiagra. The frames are both aluminium alloys but the Malvern Star is triple butted, whereas I think the Aluxx is only double butted (not sure how many tubes for each frame thoug...) Wheels are much of a muchness - similar spec frpom Mavic and Shimano. I'm not sure if the Malvern Star comes with pedals though...To be honest, at this price range, with alloy frames and the same components, your brother would be better off making his selection after test riding both bikes to see which one feels better.

Also, he should buy from a dealer he feels comfortable with - one who will spend time with him answering questions and supporting his purchase rather than rushing him or being pushy. If your brother gets into the sport he will most likely spend A LOT of money there in the future and having a shop he feels comfortable with and who will look after him better is very important. If he is into the sport, it is likely that he will only keep that bike for a short time before he will be keen to upgrade anyway and then a relationship with the team at reputable bike shop is even more important.

Also remind your brother to budget for all the other inconsequentials - pump, saddle bag, spare tube, shoes, helmet and anything else he might need to get started.

sorry for the long winded reply, hope this helps

Also remind your brother to budget for all the other inconsequentials - pump, saddle bag, spare tube, shoes, helmet and anything else he might need to get started.
Click to expand...

Thank you Challs, yes it is the Defy 1 2009 vs the OPPY A4 2010 model. He took the OPPY for a ride and loved it. He also rode an OPPY C7 and he said it was unreal, as light and flickable as a toothpick!
 
for what its worth my first bike was an avanti carbon fibre - did the job well!
 
Tiagra is MUCH better than 2200 - 2200 is, put simply, base model crap - avoid it if you can afford it
 
challs said:
Tiagra is MUCH better than 2200 - 2200 is, put simply, base model crap - avoid it if you can afford it
Click to expand...

If this is the case then the OPPY A4 with the Tiagra groupset seems to be a lot better than the Avanti Sprint 09 with the 2200 groupset. The OPPY A4 is only a hundred bucks extra.
 
The base road bike component group is 2200 - and it is really base... not something I would recommend anyone to start out on. Sora is he next model up, it has come a long way and is OK for a start, but if you can afford it, Tiagra is a much, much better to start with. With cycling, you get what you pay for.
 
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