Advice please...

[gasman712]

I'm an inexperienced cyclist and looking at a bike. Will be used for leisure and attempts at getting fitter, I'm envisioning sportive type use although in the Yorkshire Moorside I may need the the ability to traverse gravel or mud paths. Budget 800 roughly.
Looking at either a Giant Rapid 1 or a Specializeday Sirrus Elite. Preferred these two over the Genesis Cda 10 and the Cannondale Quick 1. The Ridley x-trail was too pricey.

Anyone got any other suggestions or Advice?

[anonymous-user]

Personally I'd go for the 2017 Pinnacle Neon 4, £700 from Evans, good spec including hydraulic disc brakes and they are quite light compared to other hybrids. 32c tyres are nice and wide so it will be a comfy ride on light unsealed surfaces too. Pinnacle are largely ignored by bike thieves too.

https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-neon-4-2017-h...

[numtumfutunch]

gasman712 said:

I'm an inexperienced cyclist and looking at a bike. Will be used for leisure and attempts at getting fitter, I'm envisioning sportive type use although in the Yorkshire Moorside I may need the the ability to traverse gravel or mud paths. Budget 800 roughly.
Looking at either a Giant Rapid 1 or a Specializeday Sirrus Elite. Preferred these two over the Genesis Cda 10 and the Cannondale Quick 1. The Ridley x-trail was too pricey.

Anyone got any other suggestions or Advice?

Interesting that you feel the need to post here as most members of the gas board I have known are fairly clued up on bikes, saturated vapour pressure and oxygen transport

Anyway there is no right answer to your question, its all a matter of compromise

A good start would be this CX bike from Boardman, its much better value online than via Halfords:
https://www.boardmanbikes.com/gb_en/products/845-c...

It comes from the factory with knobblie tyres which aren't ideal for the road but are pretty sweet in the rough stuff, when you do your sportive stick some slicks on it. In the meantime it has mounts for proper mudguards in winter and a pannier rack so commuting is easy and hydraulic brakes are your friend too when its horrid out there. Drop bars give much more flexibility than straights like the Sirrus and room to switch your position around for comfort on long rides. Naturally the right answer is to buy a "cheap" bike like this for winter then splurge on a carbon fibre dream machine when the sun comes out in April/May. Its what John Snow would have done..............

[gasman712]

Haha!
Most of my colleagues are into mtb and serious off-road stuff

[Google [bot]]

Sirius Elite owner and fan here, great bike.

[scrwright]

Got the Giant Rapid for my eldest earlier in the year, very nice bike, would recommend it.

[scrwright]

Also look at the Planet-x London Road, various options but can be had with flat or drop bars with hydro disks for under your budget. Its what I ride on the road.

[NatAsp]

Google [bot] said:

Sirius Elite owner and fan here, great bike.

"Sirius"? We talking about bikes or Harry Potter?

[Pothole]

pablo said:

. Pinnacle are largely ignored by bike thieves too.

https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-neon-4-2017-h...

They're really not.

[TwistingMyMelon]

OP all good recommendations , thats the trouble you are hard pushed to buy a bad bike at that price point

I would instead find a good shop with good service that is locally recommended and use them, as buying a bike from them will ensure you should have decent aftercare

[Google [bot]]

NatAsp said:

Google [bot] said:

Sirius Elite owner and fan here, great bike.

"Sirius"? We talking about bikes or Harry Potter?

If only people could imagine what's meant despite autocorrect.

[boobles]

My Specialized Enduro FSR was an amazing bike, so I personally would suggest a Specialized.

[Pothole]

numtumfutunch said:

Interesting that you feel the need to post here as most members of the gas board I have known are fairly clued up on bikes, saturated vapour pressure and oxygen transport

A lot's changed since the 1980s

[richardxjr]

OP I had a Giant Rapid, then a carbon racer and now a London Road. For an all rounder like you request I would defo go for something with disk brakes and that will take proper fat tyres, tubeless, 40mm, with guards. You won't want to venture away from smooth tarmac with 25mm tyres and tubes, but I have done the odd sportive etc (eg Ride London) on my fat tyred London Road.

If you're happy with flat handlebars then proper Shimano hydraulic brakes are a no brainer. BRM-395s are only about £40 a pair, complete.

If you want drop bars in budget you'll likely be stuck with cable disks which will likely mean regular fiddling to keep behaved.

You could build a really nice London Road with Shimano hydros and wide range gears in budget or buy a Pinnacle off the shelf like Pablo suggests.

[Woody]

richardxjr said:

BRM-395s are only about £40 a pair, complete.

Where from?
Would like some for my lads MTB.

[joshleb]

Looking at the London Road's, for the same price they either have one with cable Avid BB7 discs, but it has Sram Rival, or Sram hydro discs and SRAM Apex rear mech and stuff.

What would be better?

[richardxjr]

Woody said:

richardxjr said:

BRM-395s are only about £40 a pair, complete.

Where from?
Would like some for my lads MTB.

CRC usually, not in stock currently. 355s are the same tho, £45 on eBay, item 261466388292

Bought quite a few sets of both over the years.

[Woody]

richardxjr said:

CRC usually, not in stock currently. 355s are the same tho, £45 on eBay, item 261466388292

Bought quite a few sets of both over the years.

Thanks Richard.
I notice those ones are UK based - most of the ones I looked at on eBay were from China and never sure if they're fake.

Do the 355's have reach adjust?

[scrwright]

joshleb said:

Looking at the London Road's, for the same price they either have one with cable Avid BB7 discs, but it has Sram Rival, or Sram hydro discs and SRAM Apex rear mech and stuff.

What would be better?

Hydro first, upgrade the mech later if required

[richardxjr]

Woody, yes, reach adjust by hex key.