Commuting hack suggestions...
Discussion
...please!
Discovered today that my employer is in with the C2W scheme. Brilliant. I was half-heartedly considering buying a bike and resuming commuting anyway, so this just nails it.
But, typically...what bike? Remembering the £1000 limit of course.
I've a 12-15 mile (depending upon route/traffic/mood) commute, a little bit lumpy and downhill out/uphill back. I'm after a road bike that has eyelets for full mudguards and a pannier rack. Gears would be nice (for hills and weight, plus track-ends annoy me so SS/fixed is out), although no triples nor 10sp needed. If anything 9sp is better as I swap bits with my main road bike and mountain bike should the need arise.
Not bothered whether it's steel or aluminium, not fussed re. carbon forks, etc. No discs: as good as they are, it's early days AND again, it'd be handy to have some parts overlap with my road bike.
So far, the most suitable bike appears to be the Kona Honky Tonk, at £850. Can anyone suggest anything else?
Discovered today that my employer is in with the C2W scheme. Brilliant. I was half-heartedly considering buying a bike and resuming commuting anyway, so this just nails it.
But, typically...what bike? Remembering the £1000 limit of course.
I've a 12-15 mile (depending upon route/traffic/mood) commute, a little bit lumpy and downhill out/uphill back. I'm after a road bike that has eyelets for full mudguards and a pannier rack. Gears would be nice (for hills and weight, plus track-ends annoy me so SS/fixed is out), although no triples nor 10sp needed. If anything 9sp is better as I swap bits with my main road bike and mountain bike should the need arise.
Not bothered whether it's steel or aluminium, not fussed re. carbon forks, etc. No discs: as good as they are, it's early days AND again, it'd be handy to have some parts overlap with my road bike.
So far, the most suitable bike appears to be the Kona Honky Tonk, at £850. Can anyone suggest anything else?
I ride a Cyclocross bike as my commuter/road bike.
With slick tyres and drop bars it was a decent road/touring bike.
It's now fitted with a rack and sometimes a child seat. With 35mm touring tyres, it's still a decent road/touring bike (fast enough for my urban commute) that is a bit more forgiving of potholes and can grip reasonably when you go off-road.
You can fit off-road tyres, but they restrict the all-rounder nature of the bike.
Check that they have eyelets for racks and guards. Racing-orientated bikes don't necessarily have them.
The Kona Jake or Specialized Tricross might be worth a look.
With slick tyres and drop bars it was a decent road/touring bike.
It's now fitted with a rack and sometimes a child seat. With 35mm touring tyres, it's still a decent road/touring bike (fast enough for my urban commute) that is a bit more forgiving of potholes and can grip reasonably when you go off-road.
You can fit off-road tyres, but they restrict the all-rounder nature of the bike.
Check that they have eyelets for racks and guards. Racing-orientated bikes don't necessarily have them.
The Kona Jake or Specialized Tricross might be worth a look.
Edited by MC Bodge on Tuesday 24th April 12:08
Plenty of bikes to choose from.
Personally, I prefer larger volume tyres (700 x 32) with carbon seat post and handlebars.
I have an On One Inbred, Surly forks and 700c touring rims on XT hubs. Has a rack and mudguards. Currently s/s with a tensioner. But has been used with gears in touring mode. Indeed, it will be again for next years (2013) ride to Le Mans. It also has disc brakes - all be it 160/140mm set up.
Are you after a 'flat bar' or a 'drop bar' bike?
Personally, I prefer larger volume tyres (700 x 32) with carbon seat post and handlebars.
I have an On One Inbred, Surly forks and 700c touring rims on XT hubs. Has a rack and mudguards. Currently s/s with a tensioner. But has been used with gears in touring mode. Indeed, it will be again for next years (2013) ride to Le Mans. It also has disc brakes - all be it 160/140mm set up.
Are you after a 'flat bar' or a 'drop bar' bike?
Drop bar:
mk1fan said:
Plenty of bikes to choose from.
Personally, I prefer larger volume tyres (700 x 32) with carbon seat post and handlebars.
I have an On One Inbred, Surly forks and 700c touring rims on XT hubs. Has a rack and mudguards. Currently s/s with a tensioner. But has been used with gears in touring mode. Indeed, it will be again for next years (2013) ride to Le Mans. It also has disc brakes - all be it 160/140mm set up.
Are you after a 'flat bar' or a 'drop bar' bike?
Drop bar: I want something as close to a "normal" road bike as possible so I can use it as a winter trainer, too. Personally, I prefer larger volume tyres (700 x 32) with carbon seat post and handlebars.
I have an On One Inbred, Surly forks and 700c touring rims on XT hubs. Has a rack and mudguards. Currently s/s with a tensioner. But has been used with gears in touring mode. Indeed, it will be again for next years (2013) ride to Le Mans. It also has disc brakes - all be it 160/140mm set up.
Are you after a 'flat bar' or a 'drop bar' bike?
Just to complicate things further, I've all but ruled out CX bikes. As handy as they are, I find the canti brake typical of such machines an utter ball ache.
I got a Dolan Preffisio with full rival gruppo for training in January.
It's aluminium, it ain't light but has taken thousands of miles already, little soggy in the handling stakes (front doesn't turn in all that great) but is well finished/put together cost £800 and looks set for years of abuse.
Comes with mudguards (but cheap flimsy ones) and I believe (haven't been out to the garage to check) comes with pannier eyes.
It's aluminium, it ain't light but has taken thousands of miles already, little soggy in the handling stakes (front doesn't turn in all that great) but is well finished/put together cost £800 and looks set for years of abuse.
Comes with mudguards (but cheap flimsy ones) and I believe (haven't been out to the garage to check) comes with pannier eyes.
How about this little steel beauty at £899.99
Says there is mudguard clearance.
Probably a bit lighter than the Honky Tonk (but I must say the Honky Tonk looks a nice bike).
http://www.probikekit.com/uk/bikes-frames/bikes/ro...
Says there is mudguard clearance.
Probably a bit lighter than the Honky Tonk (but I must say the Honky Tonk looks a nice bike).
http://www.probikekit.com/uk/bikes-frames/bikes/ro...
Jimbo. said:
The Equilibrium is a steel-framed thing of beauty. Having looked at one at my LBS, I was tempted...but no upper eyelets for racks 
If you want to carry stuff you need a 3-point/seat-post mount rack and appropriate fitting gear.
I have a rack and rear mudguard on my hack bike (a 1989 531 tubed training frame), which has only one set of rear eyelets. If you want to carry stuff you need a 3-point/seat-post mount rack and appropriate fitting gear.A longer bolt that goes through both mudguard supports and rack supports is the solution.
I have even been a week touring with full panniers, and it was fine.
mk1fan said:
I think Boardman do a drop bar with discs and eyelets.
Might be worth checking out the Cotic Road Rat too.
Forgot about the Boardmans. Stonking VFM, and eyelets on their ally road bikes too. Result! But no rack mounts Might be worth checking out the Cotic Road Rat too.
V. annoying as the Comp is a rather pretty bike too.re. the Road Rat. It used to be offered in "short" TT trim, suitable for drop bars. Sadly it seems it's "long"/flat bar only.
Jimbo. said:
re. the Road Rat. It used to be offered in "short" TT trim, suitable for drop bars. Sadly it seems it's "long"/flat bar only.
Unfortunately correct, otherwise I'd have said it would've been the perfect option. If you'd been after a flat-barred bike for commuting with eyelets, mudguard clearance, etc then a Roadrat would be perfect, but they've stopped making the shorter top-tube variant of the frame that was suitable for drop bars. I love my "long" flat-barred Roadrat though - best commuting bike I've had so far.
mk1fan said:
i like your style but the Apex looks so much more bad ass! http://chargebikes.com/bikes/filterapex/
slap on some raceguiards and you're laughing....
The search continues! Refined my criteria a touch and went bike shopping ye olde fashioned way, i.e. going into some of these "real" shop things.
Looked at:
Cannondale Synapse Alloy Tiagra: £949, room for mudguards, but no rack eyelets on seat stays. BUT, with the addition of one of these:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/mpart-single-bolt-seat-pos...
...that could be resolved. Does anyone have experience of these mounts?
Trek 1.5: Tiagra, £800 mudguard mounts, rack eyelets, room for guards. The most boxes ticked thus far. Being an utter tart, however...I can't say it was the most "interesting" of bikes to look at.
Giant Defy: £999, mind boggling spec for the money with Shimano 105. BUT, can't say I was won-over by the shop. And when they tried to steer me into more expensive, C/F framed bikes (instantly forgetting the £1K limit), that was enough.
I've ruled out the Kona Honky Tonk, as no (decent) shop I know sells them. Plus they have Sora shifters...no thanks.
Looked at:
Cannondale Synapse Alloy Tiagra: £949, room for mudguards, but no rack eyelets on seat stays. BUT, with the addition of one of these:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/mpart-single-bolt-seat-pos...
...that could be resolved. Does anyone have experience of these mounts?
Trek 1.5: Tiagra, £800 mudguard mounts, rack eyelets, room for guards. The most boxes ticked thus far. Being an utter tart, however...I can't say it was the most "interesting" of bikes to look at.
Giant Defy: £999, mind boggling spec for the money with Shimano 105. BUT, can't say I was won-over by the shop. And when they tried to steer me into more expensive, C/F framed bikes (instantly forgetting the £1K limit), that was enough.
I've ruled out the Kona Honky Tonk, as no (decent) shop I know sells them. Plus they have Sora shifters...no thanks.
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