Giant TCR Advanced 1
Price £1,529 (was £1,799), giant-bicycles.com
Frame carbon
Gears Shimano Ultegra 11-speed
Considering cycling is at its spirit-lifting best on a dry road under a blue sky, it seems perverse that the busiest time for the bike market is the autumn. The upside to that is that the dog-days of the summer are also the best time for you to get a bargain on a new frame. As retailers clear their shelves and empty their store rooms, you can easily find reductions of up to 40% on stock which has nothing wrong with it other than the fact it’s wearing last season’s colour scheme.
My advice is to stick to your upper limit. Rather than saving money on a good bike, go for a great bike that’s now dropped into your price bracket. Better quality will reward you in the long run. Buy the most expensive frame you can afford as you can upgrade the wheel set and drive train later.
Clearly you’ll shop around, but a good place to start is at Giant. Its TCR Advanced series has won every award going. Cycling Weekly recently gave the Pro 1 a perfect score of 10/10 and described it as a ‘punchy machine that begs to be raced’. You’ll find it fast, light, stiff and agile. Be quick and you’ll even get some rides in before the rain arrives…
Cool kit
A timely revival of the 1940s metal bike flask. Cool, classic and sustainable. Coloral water bottle £35, coloral.cc
Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @MartinLove166
