Winter training frame.

BOB GREENWOOD

I'm looking to build a new winter training bike (road), utilising existing equipment, including record chainset and B/B. Can anyone recommend a good quality frame, with mudguard clearance / eyes and rear rack eyes? I'd pay up to about £300. My weight is 71kg, height 5'10", and I'm a fairly strong rider.

Smokin Joe

I've had the Ribble winter frame for eighteen months now and can't fault it. £130 with carbon forks and a headset means it is well within your budget.

fizz

You probably wont want to do what I did. My dad went to our local tip and pulled out a batered old Peugeot, it cost £5 I've re wheeled it with some old Mavic's off my old road bike and with some TLC on the gears and re-conversion back to drop bars ( bits sourced from ebay )

It rides like a dream and it was cheap which were my requirements for a winter bike.

Bronzie

Tifosi CK7 audax aluminium frame c. £250 with carbon forks with mudguard eyes and clearance front and rear. Also has frame fixings for a rack if you decide to a bit of light touring in the future. Needs long drop (57mm) brake calipers available from Shimano and St John Street Cycles.

Not the lightest or most comfortable ride, but does the job quite nicely.

Imported and branded for RJ Chickens wholesalers who supply a lot of independent bike shops.

Pagem

second the ribble suggestion.

JWSurrey

Condor Fratello - I'm pretty sure they do frame only...though to be fair it's made of steel.
Condor Agio - Enough clearance to run 23c only - so maybe not.

There's a Ribble here at work that looks quite nice.

I also looked at a Kinesis model, though can't remember which.

blackhands

I've got a Surosa Audax - plenty of room for guards and fat tyres:

http://www.surosa.co.uk/

giant_man

The Racelight T and Tk from Kinesis are both around £300 I'm sure, nice frames by all accounts.

John.T

Another vote for the Ribble. I have used mine all last winter ( and far too much of the summer) and it has been very good. Just make sure you check the sizing as my 52cm is 56cm to the top of the seat clamp and has a top tube to match at 55.8cm. You may need to fit 57mm drop brakes or file a little off the top of your blocks. The frame has rack mounts at the top of the seat stays.

colint

the ribble is good value, but the Kinesis Racelight TK is a cut above, great frame

peanut

fizz wrote:

My dad went to our local tip and pulled out a batered old Peugeot, it cost £5 e.

which tip was that wizz ? my local one at Crewkerne would put you in thumbscrews for taking anything out of the skips.m They won't even take money

MartinL

I bought an audax frame from Nelson cycles in Llangynidar. They've got them for £230 on the website, but I got mine for £160 which included picking my own colour scheme. One of the guys in the club has the Ribble frame and the Nelson one is a lot nicer. ( I'm probably biased though )

Might be worth giving them a call and see what price they are actually doing them for.

giant_man

Looks good for 160 quid, cheap enough for a winter hack methinks. Thanks for the heads up/

cswebbo

If you can still find them, a Pinarello Sestriere with Mudguard eyes is a great winter frame.
Edwardes of Camberwell did have stock, also Cycles Dauphin in Surrey.
Horizontal top tube, so you probably need a 55 or 56cm.

rjeffroy

I would think that Dauphin are out of Sestrieres by now - I think I had one of the last. Shame, it is a great bike. They are now selling a similar frame that they have commissioned from Wilier.

Monty Dog

Bob, you don't happen to be from Bracknell and trained with Farnham Tri? Depends on how much you want to spend - given todays US$ exchange rate, you could go far wrong with getting a custom titanium frame build by Xi'an titanium in China. For £300 landed UK cost you could specify exactly what you want in terms of geometry, clearances, mudguard and rack mounts etc. These guys make frames for the likes of Setavento and other OEMs. Look to get something like a copy of a Van Nicholas Amazon or Yukon, or one of their racier models - the only constraint is your imagination. I had them make me a custom frame a few years - apart from racing, it's more than adequate for any training, touring or even cyclo-cross duties. - apart from tyre changes, I've ridden chain gangs with elite cat riders or 60km off-road excursions.

Gypsies

Yes i have a sestriere, very pleasurable to ride

Burghley

Hi

I second the custom Ti from XACD recommendation (but the cost is around £370 delivered now).

Rgds

Pete