Well as you know I bought myself the Trek 1.2 bike just a few weeks ago. And overall I have to tell ya that I had no Idea about cycling and stuff on that time and just followed the advice of the clerk in the local cycling store.
I felt good about the bike and everything – I rode quite some kilometers (for a beginner) and everytime I look at the bike it makes me just feel glad.
But if you get more interested in bikes and their technique you might, as I did, come to the conclusion that the shimano Sora is probably not the best choice. This is probably wrong as you will see when you go on and read ahead but for the first glance it really pissed me off since the one thing I hate to do is safe some (small amount of) money and buy the cheap stuff and don’t be happy with it. Or put it the other way round, one thing I learned in my life is:
Better invest a dollar (or Euro) more and get high quality instead of the cheap shit which is not worth half it’s price.
This holds for me for any tools, knifes, car parts, computer parts and now bikes as well. So you probably can imagine how upset (not to say pissed of) I was when reading that the 105 is the much better choice than the Sora. I thought that this is again a case where I could have invested a bit more and got so much more … Ok next best bike worthwhile thinking about is the Trek 1.7 which costs twice as much (approx 1000 € compared to the 599 € special offer of the 1.2) so thats quite a bit more.
Aditionally I refocused on what I told the clerk as my requirements for a bike:
- beginner
- No bike racing (just a variation to my training, and maybe a few triathlons
- mixed underground (asphalt, also mud …) -
- Not too expensive
And here is my opinion on the bike, my decision to buy it and the opportunities: The Trek 1.2 is a very good decision for beginners.
- The bike is visually a beauty (I like it best from the Trek 1.X series).
- The frame is the same within the whole 1.X series. So you won’t get better even if you buy the 1.9
- The wheels and rims are not the system whels but robust and long lasting. And , as I now know, easier to adjust ..
- saddle and bracket are to my mind not so important if you are a novice
One main point about a racing bike is the gears and the whole component group on the bike. Talking about shimano there are probably only two groups you could take into account, when you are a beginner. The shimano Sora and the shimano 105 (probably you’ll find bike with the the shimano ultegra as well in the price limit up to 1000 € max but I leave it out here).
Reading about the poor quality of the Sora in some of the racing bike forums made me really think about selling the bike again and buying a Trek 1.7 with the 105 group. But after buying some books about racing bikes and reading a bit more on the internet I am very convinced that the sora is a good choice for beginners. My personanl feeling after some weeks now tells the same. I do really not think that currently a diffenrent group would make any diference for me.
You can read it in much more detail here (link to: bikeforums.net)
Essence is:
- The Sora is not ultra premium but good quality
- It’s major drawback is a little more weight
- It has a different way of handling compared top the 105, ultegra and above that is not so good for racing. You cannot shift as easily while in racing position – but it’s possible, though.
- Shifters are easy to use and work very well. There can be much more trouble with the more expensive groups.
Conclusion on the Sora:
Cheap, reliable, bullet-proof.
Conclusion on buying the Trek 1.2:
Beautiful, excellent mixture of old style and easy to manage yourself and hightech, very robust. To make it short: The Trek 1.2 is the deal for beginners.
If you still like the sport after a year or two you can probably switch to another bike but just to begin it’s the ultimate combination of technology, quality and price.
What is your opinion ?
Just leave a comment.
Keep on sporting,
Klaas
