Which bike for to buy for all usage

MacMonsterUk
MacMonsterUk Posts: 16
edited April 2010 in Road buying advice
Hi

After years of good service my GT ZR-3000 was stolen from outside my work a couple of weeks ago :cry:

My MTB is about to bite the dust and with limited storage at home, I think I am only going to be allowed one bike to replace the two. My usage these days is about 90% commuting (five days a week) with some time thrashing out a few miles on the road on the odd weekend. Up til now I have been sharing my commute between my road bike and my crumbling old MTB when the weather turns foul.

I'm looking to get a replacement road bike and have narrowed it down to either the Planet-X SL Pro Carbon with SRAM Rival or the Ribble winter bike with Campag Veloce. My heart is saying go with the Planet-X but my head is telling me to go with the more practical mud-guarded Ribble.

I would just go with the Planet-X but I'm worried that using such a nice bike in all weathers might destroy it eventually and perhaps I should go with something cheaper. On the other hand, how much more practical is the Ribble over the P-X with clip-on mud guards? Does anyone have any advice on the matter? I think my desire for a sexy carbon framed racer might be clouding my judgement and I feel like I'm going round in circles.

Thanks in advance.

Comments

  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Do you have secure bike parking at work ?

    If its a commuting bike mainly - then guards are a must. The clip on ones will do the job fine - they'll keep the spray off you, but they're not good enough for club runs - but thats not an issue for you ?

    If there is salt on the road - that WILL destroy the shiny finish on any nice groupset - so dont go OTT on that - I'd go 105 tops.

    You'll need lights for the commute bike but its easy to unclip for the weekend rides. I think the PX would be fine with some sturdy tyres.
  • Variado
    Variado Posts: 107
    I've been spending a lot of time looking into this too, as i'm also after a year-round commuter bike.

    At the moment I'm looking at CX bikes with 105 and a solid set of wheels (30 or even 35 tyres in midwinter and switching to 25 or 28s in summer). It'll give up a bit on a real out and out road bike, but round here the roads are awful and midwinter brings mud and potholes aplenty along with lots of gravel across the roads - i'm not sure a road bike will cope day in, day out.
  • The Spiderman
    The Spiderman Posts: 5,625
    Might be worth looking at a steel framed bike like the Genesis Equlibrium.Takes guards and a rack too.

    More upright geo and buzz absorbing properties of steel are a real boon on a commuter.
    2006 Giant XTC
    2010 Giant Defy Advanced
    2016 Boardman Pro 29er
    2016 Pinnacle Lithium 4
    2017 Canondale Supersix Evo
  • mik82
    mik82 Posts: 38
    How about a Kinesis racelight T2 or TK2? I bought a TK2 to be an everything bike. It takes full mudguards and up to 28s as well as a rack if you want to do a bit of light touring. Strip it down a bit and it can be used for racing (apparently). I've got mine set up with 25s and guards and its been great through the winter. I did look at the Ribble winter bike and decided that the TK2 better suited my needs.

    Review of TK (TK2 has updated graphics and paint)
    http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/road/product/racelight-tk-28905
  • tenor
    tenor Posts: 278
    Kinesis sounds a good option as a better frame than the Ribble and can be specced to suit. Handbuilt wheels based upon Open Pro rims and group set or Ambrosio hubs will be a good choice. Full gaurds provide more protection to the mechanical parts also.
    Also look at the Tifosi range as they do a similar all weathers option for decent money.
  • Thanks for all the replies.

    I have got secure storage at work now otherwise I wouldn't consider getting anything remotely flash. My commute isn't particularly long or arduous - about five miles along inner city cycle path and road but carefully planned to provide the opportunity to avoid traffic lights so I can get a rhythm going. In that respect I think I could get away with any bike most of the time. Just on those days when there is snow on the ground I would be a little nervous on a CF for fear of dropping it.

    The kinesis looks a great bike - it's a little more of a traditional commuter bike than I had in mind but I'm definitely going to give it some thought.
  • guilliano
    guilliano Posts: 5,495
    People are going to think I work for Genesis........ but

    http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/roa ... /overview/

    Looks a good bet to me
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    My CF bike is easily a far better ride than my 853 steel frame - even though that had a CF fork. Theres just no road buzz from the carbon.

    To be honest - I'd not ride any bike in snow other than a fat tyred MTB - and certainly not my CF bike.
  • Thinking about it, riding in the recent snow on my knackered MTB with slick tyres was pretty hairy. If I got myself any shiny new bike I don't reckon I'd be taking the risk. I could borrow my wife's MTB for such occasions. She can't really refuse after instigating the 'one bike each' rule.

    I think I'll have to give it some thought. I can't help being drawn towards getting a CF racing machine and the planet-X looks like such good value; but I've now seen some very good practical compromises, especially the kinesis.
  • Lillywhite
    Lillywhite Posts: 742
    I wouldn't have a decent bike for your short commute to work with decent grippy tyres. Buy a second hand one for £200-300 and then save your pennies for a Sunday best road bike that you'll never leave unattended. :wink:
  • That's the ideal situation and kind of what I've been doing for the last X years, just using my old MTB as the commute bike. However, now my 'best' bike has been stolen my wife has decided that it's much better with just one bike each and that's the way it's going to stay. Thus, I need one bike to do for both the daily commute and 'sunday best' with a view to racing the odd triathlon if I ever get my fitness back up.

    Whatever bike I get, at work, I'm now going to keep it in the office next to my desk - where I can keep an eye on it so security isn't so much of an issue.
  • Lillywhite
    Lillywhite Posts: 742

    Whatever bike I get, at work, I'm now going to keep it in the office next to my desk - where I can keep an eye on it so security isn't so much of an issue.

    Wise man. There's too many thieves about particularly in larger towns and cities .
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    The Kinesis is a winter trainer. It has quite a low front end so it's closer to a race bike than a commuter.

    I have a Tk and love it