Reddit reviews Giordano 42742 Libero 1.6 Road Bike, Black/Red, 56cm/Medium

This one is acceptable - Claris groupset, brakes are horrible though

Edit - it looks like that one has Promax cranks and chainrings, which are pretty poor quality. Also as I mentioned the brakes are horrible. Real Claris brakes are $50 a pair which would be a worthwhile upgrade.

If you could swing $150 more I'd go for this DiamondBack, as it's a legit bike.

Looks like it's sold out now, but is on amazon for 500 cad. For $500 it is not a good deal. For 300 CAD it really isn't that bad at all for a new bike. Shimano STI shifters, claris RD, Shimano cassette aren't common at that price range. Steel fork is not ideal though and it's not light. It'd be fine as a first road bike but wouldn't really be suitable for racing.

>Sorry for the lengthy post, but most of you are probably reading this at work anyway so why not help me spend my money.
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>Preliminary information
>Weight: 253 lbs, 115 kg
>Height: 72.75 inches, 184.78 cm
>Cycling history: off/on for 5 years
>Primary biking style: the beaten and battered roads of New England, mostly in dry weather, though as my rides get longer I may encounter some rain/wet roads
>Primary biking purpose: endurance riding, fun
>Current ride: Giordano Libero 1.6—previous model than linked 29.5 lbs with bottom-of-the-barrel 8 speed Shimano groupset (including generic crank and wheels and the worst brakes)
>Bike weight: 29.5 lbs
>Budget: Flexible, but definitely <$2500.
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>My dilemma: I have been debating upgrading my bike versus purchasing a new bike. Before I continue, I would like to state I understand the whole “upgrading the motor” is more important than upgrading the bike. However, my bike isn’t great as it is as one crank arm’s threads are destroyed and one wheel is now bent due to an ignorant lady and her unleashed dog (different story, dog okay, wheel not). Additionally, part of my rationale is that I could always transfer the updated groupset/wheels to a new frameset if I was unhappy.
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>I made an excel file comparing the cost of upgrading compared to purchasing a new bike. To upgrade my bike, including new fork, new wheels (Mavic Open Pro 32 h laced to DuraAce hubs), groupset, and tune up) would be:
>105: $556
>Ultegra: $851
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>However, there are many options for not much more than that, such as from Rose or BikesDirect, or even a used set. I’m having the hardest time deciding whether I should go for a bike with disc brakes or caliper brakes, carbon vs high-grade aluminum vs titanium (BD has a sweet deal), or thruaxles vs QR! Don’t even get me started on threaded vs press-fit BB! I guess, when buying a bike, would you rather get something that suits your needs now, or is prepared for what you face in the future (i.e. future-proofing). Stick with calipers or get a bike with flat mount discs with a lower grade groupset (as the difference between 105 and Ultegra is negligible in my case).
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>Some bikes I’m considering:
>Rose SL 3000: $1445, light, full Ultegra caliper, and great reviews
>Rose CGF-2000: $1618, full carbon, full 105 caliper
>Rose SL 2000: $1091, full 105, aluminum, and cheap!
>SL Disc 2000: $1431, full 105 disc, aluminum
>Xeon CDX 2000: $1931, full carbon, full 105 with discs
>Rose Backroad : $2372, high modulus carbon, full SRAM Force 22, amazing colorway)
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>Le Champion CF Di2: $1,999, carbon, full Ultegra Di2
>Le Champion SL Ti: $2,199, titanium, high tire size capacity, full ultegra
>Le Champion CF R8000: $1799, great price Ultegra R8000 groupset minus crank, but the FSA SLK crank is a great crank
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>Domane SL 5: $2,499, expensive compared to others, great history, full 105 and discs
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>Synapse Carbon 105 $2,499, expensive for what you’re getting compared to others, great history, full 105 minus crank (but still good crank), flat mount discs
>Synapse 105 SE alloy: $1,599, not bad price, discs, full 105 minus crank, flat mount discs
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>*2017 Giant Defy Advanced frameset for ~$800 or built with Ultegra for $1900.
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>I’m also open to other brands such as Cube or BMC as well.
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>Whew, that’s a lot. So what do you think, upgrade or get a new one? What are your must haves on a new bike?
>Thanks!