please recommend a C2W bike

bunter

I would like to buy a road or CX bike for summer commuting, weekend rides and for the coast to coast ride I will be doing in August. Can you help me shortlist some bikes to try?

I currently ride an XL Giant Escape M2 hybrid with skinny marathon+, which I can get up to a decent speed, and is a reliable commuter, but it is a heavy, harsh ride and not so good for long distances.

I am 6'3", weigh around 110 kg (yes, I am a bit overweight but I also do some weight training). I seem to destroy pedal bearings, bottom brackets etc pretty quickly. I am guessing I need something sturdy.

I will need bottle mounts and mudguard mounts would be a plus.

I live in Lancashire and will need something that is geared for hills (trough of bowland, pendle 'hill' etc).

what you think?

mr_poll

Lots of threads about this topic on here so might be worth a search around. However the common consensus seems to be the CAAD 9 - well rated in the magazines and by people on this site.

As you live in Lancashire why not pay Ribble a visit - they will measure you for your bike and this would meet your requirements and budget, with plenty to spare for upgrading

http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/specialedition.asp?action=showframes&sub=conf_SERW&type=RIBMO

Formby cycles have a good offer on this which has the spec you mentioned, but not sure if you can get it on the C2W scheme:

http://www.formbycycles.co.uk/product/5499/Dolan_Prefissio_WinterTouring_bike

Good luck whatever you decide.

Butterd2

I am new to the roadie thing can cannot comment on any other bikes but I share your "stats" and have been riding the Scott CR-1 for a year now, seriously quick and (touch wood) does not appear to have any issues with my size.

As a general point though, talking to others who have bought bikes recently I would recommend going straight to a road bike and a decent one at that, too many people I know have gone hybrid or even CX and then quickly realised it is not as good as the real thing and then incur the expense of changing it.

tomb353

what version of the C2C are you doing? Will you be taking luggage? If its the standard cycle path / off road route you'd struggle on a road bike.

bunter

tomb353 wrote:

what version of the C2C are you doing? Will you be taking luggage? If its the standard cycle path / off road route you'd struggle on a road bike.

err, good question :oops:

I thought the off road bits were kind of optional. Perhaps I should have checked all this out myself instead of relying on the rest of the group. We are lucky enough (and there are enough of us) to have a van to carry all our gear - we won't need to carry much. Is the standard route mainly tracks or is it proper off road?

If a road bike is really out of the question for C2C I will probably just ride my hybrid and get a road bike anyway because I... just really want one.

lost_in_thought

bunter wrote:

and get a road bike anyway because I... just really want one.

Just get a road bike! Doooooo eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.

Although you're an inch too short to join the club, this thread may have some relevant recommendations:

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=12667317

tomb353

you might struggle on 23mm tyres on some of the C2C even if you avoid the off road options. some of the mudguard capable road bikes above would have clearance for X tyres if you left the guards off which might help.

desweller

You could consider something in between, for example a heavy tourer like the Dawes Galaxy or Kona Sutra (which, let's face it, wins points for its name), or a lighter tourer like the Condor Fratello (which I looked at last Saturday and is very, very nice) or Dolan Preffisio. You get a bit of cargo capability for your C2C or if you want to do some light touring and these bikes are still pretty swift if you strip the mudguards and racks off 'em.