New bike/frame - what you recommend to test ride?

graham_g
graham_g Posts: 652
edited April 2008 in Road beginners
I've got a few ideas of bikes that I really need to test ride as I want to sort out a 'bike for life', but wanted to see what you folks would recommend given my criteria as I'm not really all that sure of which bikes really fit the bill.

Main usage will be for road riding (all year-round, not got room for a bike for all seasons!), no racing at all, just leisure rides anything from 20 to 100+ miles. It would also be used for occasional lightweight touring and overnighters (think youth-hostels, bar bag & saddle bag or light panniers). I'd like it to be a fairly relaxed geometry as comfort is more important to me than speed plus I have relatively short arms/torso compared to legs so I struggle to get a standard road geometry comfortable without a ridiculous amount of headset spacers.

As far as I can tell, I need:

Clearance/fittings for mudguards + 25c tyres
Braze ons for rear rack
'Audax/sportive geometry'
Something available as frame only

I'm currently on a Ribble winter frame which I'm not getting on all that well with. Budget is up to an absolute maximum of £1000 (i've got groupset waiting).

What would you be looking to try out?

Thanks,

Graham

Comments

  • sicrow
    sicrow Posts: 791
    Paul Hewitt in Chorley does a well respected custom build audax frame, maybe worth a call if you are not too far away
    http://www.action.org.uk/sponsor/simoncrowther
  • Coyote
    Coyote Posts: 212
    I have a Sunday September which I love. Well worth considering. 2 of my buddies have one as well. Great people to do business with too.

    http://www.sundaybicycles.co.uk/
  • graham_g
    graham_g Posts: 652
    I take it that titanium is going to be very lightweight compared to a custom steel frame (even with carbon forks)? I kind of like the idea of going to a local (Robin Mather?) or other (Mercian?) builder over the far east titanium frames but if it offers some serious advantage then I'm not too fussed.
  • graham_g
    graham_g Posts: 652
    Forgot to mention a couple of other points - I hate toe overlap, even if only with guards fitted. Also I'd prefer a 1 1/8" aheadset so that I can fit a Chris King headset.

    This is looking like a custom jobbie as I remember more things! :D
  • giant_man
    giant_man Posts: 6,878
    What about a new sportive ti from Planet X. Ahh just remembered they don't come with rack mounts, sorry. Still the geometry is audax/sportive and they have clearance for mudguards. Frame only apparently without forks too.
  • meagain
    meagain Posts: 2,331
    "I take it that titanium is going to be very lightweight compared to a custom steel frame (even with carbon forks)?"

    Other than at the very expensive Ti end I wouldn't make amy such assumption. Doubt if at the same price point the FRAME alone will be more than maybe a WHOLE one pound lighter.
    d.j.
    "Cancel my subscription to the resurrection."
  • graham_g
    graham_g Posts: 652
    meagain wrote:
    "I take it that titanium is going to be very lightweight compared to a custom steel frame (even with carbon forks)?"

    Other than at the very expensive Ti end I wouldn't make amy such assumption. Doubt if at the same price point the FRAME alone will be more than maybe a WHOLE one pound lighter.

    I'm not really that fussed to be perfectly honest - the ability to choose the finish rather than a plain titanium frame is equally as important :D

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