got to be the perfect winter commuter bike frame.....

geordiefella

http://www.kinesisdecade.co.uk/product.php?id=1

Tripster Frame

Plus points
Cyclocross clearance
mudguard fittings
Alu w/ carbon fork
faster than a hybrid
discs or caliper brakes (internal fittings)
flat or drop bars
black (cool and urban)
can use 35mm tyres (choice of knobblies, studded schwalbes or slicks)

Whats not to like. I want one. Looks lovely. There's one pg 27 of the commuter pics.

Roastie

There is a cooler one coming soon.

ps. I do think the Tripster is a seriously cool concept.

whyamihere

I'm intending to have one for next winter. Looks perfect.

downfader

Price..?

whyamihere

downfader wrote:

Price..?

Around £450 for the frame, fork, seatpost and headset.

downfader

whyamihere wrote:

downfader wrote:

Price..?

Around £450 for the frame, fork, seatpost and headset.

I was tempted until you said that.

Saw a Kona Dew for £250 in Halfrauds today and was very tempted to get that for a winter ride. Bright white frame would suit dark nights.

For me a winter bike should have several functions/features
-bright coloured frame ideally for night
-space for mudguards and decent rack gear so you can stow your waterproofs
-strong frame. But one you dont mind getting scratched up if you slip on ice
-knobblies for dead leaf sludge, mud thats slid into the road. Maybe studs on the tyres for ice and compacted snow.

Fixedweasel

Cotic RoadRat

secretsam

For £450 you can get a really decent Steel frame

vorsprung

It even looks like a Roadrat in gloss black!
Cotic Roadrat list price is 299 for frames + fork. It's all steel. And it is available now.

Stevo_666

Looks good - when you say ' faster than a hybrid', is that what they claim or what you reckon?

roger_merriman

Stevo 666 wrote:

Looks good - when you say ' faster than a hybrid', is that what they claim or what you reckon?

since it is one, (at least one of it's forms is that) be hard for it faster than it's self.

looks a nice bike, 29inch cross/hybrid. not bad weapon of choice for city work.

Mickey Eye

The website says max 32mm tires not 35mm? Got me all excited there. I'm really looking for a cyclocross style bike with discs that'll take 700cx40 (good luck with that right) but I'd accept 35mm in a pinch. Sadly the studded 32mm Nokians have far too few studs for the conditions I ride in. It's a pity cause I really want to stop using my MTB for commuting.

Anybody got suggestions for a bike that can do that. Kona Honky looks interesting but I can't find clearance numbers for it.

roger_merriman

Mickey Eye wrote:

The website says max 32mm tires not 35mm? Got me all excited there. I'm really looking for a cyclocross style bike with discs that'll take 700cx40 (good luck with that right) but I'd accept 35mm in a pinch. Sadly the studded 32mm Nokians have far too few studs for the conditions I ride in. It's a pity cause I really want to stop using my MTB for commuting.

Anybody got suggestions for a bike that can do that. Kona Honky looks interesting but I can't find clearance numbers for it.

I think the 32mm 1.5inch is the norm as they say 1.9inch as the max.

tomb353

quite happily running 35mm tyres on mine. I can also confirm faster than any hybrid on my route

I went for it in part because I already have a steel framed commuter and was convinced by someone that a modern aluminium frame with carbon fork would give as good a ride but less weight. Variety is after all the spice of life. £200 difference on the price of frame / fork to the roadrat is significant, you might manage it cheaper by pairing the planet X uncle john frame with the kinesis fork, but what the hell got it now and enjoying it.

(I'm paranoid now, keep expecting to see geordiefella out the back of my work with a set of bolt cutters making off with my new toy).

geordiefella

Roastie wrote:

There is a cooler one coming soon.

ps. I do think the Tripster is a seriously cool concept.

Which cooler one? New one from Decade? More info fella please....

geordiefella

(I'm paranoid now, keep expecting to see geordiefella out the back of my work with a set of bolt cutters making off with my new toy).

Ha, well, you've got my number now so i wouldn't worry about that. wouldn't mind a little spin though if you have a few minutes.

If you do see a guy with boltcutters you'd better get down there quick. Abus Granit X plus should sort that with a little anti-seize you can leave it out there all weathers so you don;t have to carry it around.

you might want to add a touch of class with a nice brown Brooks B17.

geordiefella

Mickey Eye wrote:

The website says max 32mm tires not 35mm? Got me all excited there. I'd accept 35mm in a pinch. Sadly the studded 32mm Nokians have far too few studs for the conditions I ride in. It's a pity cause I really want to stop using my MTB for commuting.

well, i think they do take 35mm fella, as i had an email from decade to say they should do, which means you could use the more highly studded 35mm Schwalbe winter tyres. Tomb Boy (above) has them fitted. There is more clearance up front but he's running a 35mm cx tyre at the rear as a winter set up. Nokian studs are poor and a rubbish shape you're right, not good for cornering safely.

I'm looking for a cyclocross style that will take discs and guards. Most cx don;t even have boss for bottle cages unless someone like ridley puts them on but then you're talking £1900 for a finished bike. cx are versatile but not for mudguard commuter types and you're stuck with pully brakes. Coltic Roadrat is a weird shape but steel is cool.

You can't deny, the tripster is cool looking. I wonder how fast it is compared to my Bad Boy Rohloff. Tomb Boy, race you home!? (whats your av speed on your commute?)

tomb353

not racing this week as my back is giving me problems, just slow and steady and as situp & beg as I can.....

usually i manage between 30 & 40 mins for 9 miles, depending on tyres & weather (the snow is back this week....). Hoping the Tripster will trim some of that off once I fit 28mm conti tyres as the weather warms up.

Roastie

geordiefella wrote:

Roastie wrote:

There is a cooler one coming soon.

ps. I do think the Tripster is a seriously cool concept.

Which cooler one? New one from Decade? More info fella please....

I don't think we're allowed to pimp on this forum, but if you look at the "Call from the mailroom" thread ...

Mickey Eye

Thanks for the info Geordie, I'll certainly consider it then. Still looking for things with big clearance. Anybody have any experience with the Salsa La Cruz? Seems like it'll support a tire in the range I'm looking for.

To put it into perspective for you my current spiked tires struggle in the brown car churned powder on ice that sits at the top of my commute for a several months and they are 53mm off road snow tires, whatever I do I'm going to be making it harder on myself*. I'd prefer not to make it too hard.


*But also easier because god damn they roll like cycling on treacle for the 65% of my ride that has no ice.

vorsprung

Mickey Eye wrote:

. I'm really looking for a cyclocross style bike with discs that'll take 700cx40 (good luck with that right) but I'd accept 35mm in a pinch.

Cotic Roadrat or Singular Peregrine

Mickey Eye

vorsprung wrote:

Singular Peregrine

I'm going to get in to so much trouble with the fiancée.

Jamey

I thought Decade did a titanium frame but I can't see one on there.

Both the one in the OP and the Roadrat frame are close to my ideal commuting bike though. I definitely want discs now but having the V-brake mounts going unused (on the Roadrat) would look ugly I reckon.

Also, how do you use horizontal drops-outs with gears/QRs?

geordiefella

Mickey Eye wrote:

vorsprung wrote:

Singular Peregrine

I'm going to get in to so much trouble with the fiancée.

"Honestly dear, I'm not riding a new bike locked up next door. I just like going out to work in Lycra. Its warmer"!!

Jamey

Just re-reading the Decade specs again... What's the deal with inboard caliper mounting for disc brakes? There are no images of complete bikes built using the frame so i can't see how it affects things. What's the difference between that and normal mounting?

Underscore

Jamey wrote:

Just re-reading the Decade specs again... What's the deal with inboard caliper mounting for disc brakes? There are no images of complete bikes built using the frame so i can't see how it affects things. What's the difference between that and normal mounting?

From what I can see, it means that the calliper nestles between seat stay and chain stay rather than sitting on top of the seat stay. Probably useful if you want to put a rack on it...

_

Edit: Ah yes:

Jamey

Very nice. I want one of those now.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Jamey wrote:

Just re-reading the Decade specs again... What's the deal with inboard caliper mounting for disc brakes? There are no images of complete bikes built using the frame so i can't see how it affects things. What's the difference between that and normal mounting?

Maybe I'm getting forgetful, but didn't at least one of the On-One frames have its rear brake disc mounting between the chain stay and seat stay, in order to keep the rotational forces in check when the 'anchors' were put on at maximum?

The 135mm rear spacing opens up possibilities of an Alfine hub gear (perhaps the upcoming 11 speed), or one could buy one of those killer MTB Deore groupsets from Merlin.

With the 57cm and 60cm black frames reduced to £375 at CRC, this looks a promising commuter steed!

Mountainboy2465

I have 37mm & SKS mudguards on my Kona dew drop, looks like room for lots more but I can't see me going any fatter - can't wait to drop about 10mm when the weather improves!

Jamey

NitrousOxide wrote:

With the 57cm and 60cm black frames reduced to £375 at CRC, this looks a promising commuter steed!

Hmmm... Extremely tempting... My Tricross is 61cm frame size and I'm wondering if the 60cm Tripster would fit as for £375 I'd happily snap one up now and build it up later in the year.

Annoying thing is there's not going to be any way of test riding one as they're just frames, not whole bikes.

Jamey

Ok so the temptation is really creeping in now... But I've done some reading and discovered that many people say you should go a size down for Tricrosses so given that my 61cm feels about right I'm guessing that a 60cm Tripster would be too small and I'd need the 63cm.

The Tricross was / is my first ever drop-bar bike so I've got nothing to compare it to really. Although prior to purchasing I did test-ride a 59cm Tricross in addition to my 61cm one and in all honesty I couldn't tell much difference tbh. Plus my current bike set-up may well be far from ideal as I do get some back and arm pain while riding - considering going for a bike fitting at that West London place mentioned in the other thread on here.

Anyone got any advice / thoughts for me? I'd like to grab a bargain if it can possibly be made to fit at all.