New winter commuter.

asprilla

So, I was going to replace my Singular Peregrine with a Cotic Escapade, but I've decided that the 42mile round trip commute is going to need gears. Also, for the first time in a while I'm going to buy a whole bike.

Budget is about £1,200 and I'd like gears, guards and hydro discs.

Does anything beat the Plug 5?

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Couldn't say which is better, but have you seen the 2015 Pinnacle Arkose Four?
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/pin ... e-ec071308

YIMan

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXLDNRIV/planet-x-london-road-sram-rival-22-road-bike

I like this, apart from the name. Lighter and better group set than my Kaffenback 2.

asprilla

YIMan wrote:

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXLDNRIV/planet-x-london-road-sram-rival-22-road-bike

I like this, apart from the name. Lighter and better group set than my Kaffenback 2.

I was loving it until I got to BB7s. I hate them. Pity.

dhope

I plumped for a Canyon Inflite. Similar value I think.
Ultegra rather than Rival, alu rather than cro-mo, £1450 rather than £1200. Hydro discs too.
http://www.canyon.com/_en/roadbikes/bike.html?b=3618

Comes with Conti 4 Seasons and full guards though, so that's probably £70 you don't have to spend on the guards and tyres.

asprilla

dhope wrote:

I plumped for a Canyon Inflite. Similar value I think.
Ultegra rather than Rival, alu rather than cro-mo, £1450 rather than £1200. Hydro discs too.
http://www.canyon.com/_en/roadbikes/bike.html?b=3618

Comes with Conti 4 Seasons and full guards though, so that's probably £70 you don't have to spend on the guards and tyres.

I also wouldn't have to swap out the crankset for a double.

How does it ride and what's the max tyre clearance?

dhope

Asprilla wrote:

dhope wrote:

I plumped for a Canyon Inflite. Similar value I think.
Ultegra rather than Rival, alu rather than cro-mo, £1450 rather than £1200. Hydro discs too.
http://www.canyon.com/_en/roadbikes/bike.html?b=3618

Comes with Conti 4 Seasons and full guards though, so that's probably £70 you don't have to spend on the guards and tyres.

I also wouldn't have to swap out the crankset for a double.

How does it ride and what's the max tyre clearance?

Clearance will be pretty bit as the CX version comes with knobblies.
Edit: Ah - from below, it's 28s with mudguards ,35s without
https://www.canyon.com/_en/supportcente ... les_id=173


Don't know how it rides, mine arrives in 2 months :roll:
Though 'hotspanners' on the SCR thread has one

hotspanners wrote:

dhope wrote:

hotspanners wrote:

(I was on a silver Canyon with discs, black Molteni top).

Inflite? How're you finding it?

Correct. Great! Had it since last November, used it as a winter bike all last year and have an Old Man Mountain rack with a couple of old-school Carradice on for commuting duties (no rack mounts unfortunately). It's pretty much the perfect bad-weather bike - discs, mudguards, clearance for big tyres and not going to break in half if I crash on black ice or something. I occasionally put 'cross tyres on and go off-road but generally can't be arsed taking the mudguards off so run it as a road bike 99% of the time.

asprilla

2 months. Hurumph.

I feared that might be the case. Could really do with something this year.

UndercoverElephant

As always, the correct answer is an Equilibrium. I recon you could get the frame for £500, 105 hydraulic groupsets will come in about the same, then you've got £200 to get wheels. Obviously the rest can come from stores...

http://shop.18bikes.co.uk/m5b2s586p2307 ... S_GB/10597

asprilla

UndercoverElephant wrote:

As always, the correct answer is an Equilibrium. I recon you could get the frame for £500, 105 hydraulic groupsets will come in about the same, then you've got £200 to get wheels. Obviously the rest can come from stores...

http://shop.18bikes.co.uk/m5b2s586p2307 ... S_GB/10597

I thought the rear calliper position interfered with mud guards?

I'd also like something with the option for wider tyres, certainly the ability to go to 33mm CX tyres would be handy.

cookeeemonster

Check out rose bikes cx thing - discs, mudguard mounts, lightweight, configurable from 105 to ultegra to sram rival or force (can't remember, 2nd one from top) from less than £1100 to under £1400...and available now.

I'm changing my mind from day to day over what I'm gonna do (wants discs and mudguard mounts on a lighter bike than I currently have) and I'll either sell all my stuff and get the rose...or a caad10...or something else...or convert my charge to single speed and get a cheaper main bike like cannondale synapse disc...not sure yet

asprilla

CookeeeMonster wrote:

Check out rose bikes cx thing - discs, mudguard mounts, lightweight, configurable from 105 to ultegra to sram rival or force (can't remember, 2nd one from top) from less than £1100 to under £1400...and available now.

I'm changing my mind from day to day over what I'm gonna do (wants discs and mudguard mounts on a lighter bike than I currently have) and I'll either sell all my stuff and get the rose...or a caad10...or something else...or convert my charge to single speed and get a cheaper main bike like cannondale synapse disc...not sure yet

Have you got a link. Struggling to find it on Roses UK site on my mobile.

cookeeemonster

Here you go, you can change tyres for gp4000's as well and wheels for lighter ones too: http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/products/bik ... -dx-cross/

asprilla

Looks lovely but I'd be tempted to got for the £2k one just to get hydraylic brakes. The CX77 are a single moving calliper like BB7s and me no likey.

I could stick HyRds on it of course......

cookeeemonster

EDIT: reposted!

5milestogo

I've been thinking about the Genesis 2015 CDF Frameset with 2015 105 group and mechanical discs only since the ribble ended life under a car. The 2015 Equilibrium is starting to appeal though although its a bit dull. Do hydraulic discs offer such an advantage given the price they are at?

asprilla

5milestogo wrote:

I've been thinking about the Genesis 2015 CDF Frameset with 2015 105 group and mechanical discs only since the ribble ended life under a car. The 2015 Equilibrium is starting to appeal though although its a bit dull. Do hydraulic discs offer such an advantage given the price they are at?

The main advantage of hydro over mechanical is that with hydraulics both pistons move and they maintain a constant clearance from the disc so pad wear is automatically adjusted for. With most mechanicals (Trp Spyres are the exception I know of) only one pad moves as the other is static. This, for me, means that they are a pain to set up and they require regular adjustment.

I've had BB7s before and found them annoying whilst the Trp Hylex hydraulics I ran last year were just fit and forget.

DrLex

How fixed is the budget - Cube cross racer? Being Cube, you might be able to try one at a U.K. Dealer - £1,399 R.R.P. Website suggests 10-14 days.
(Personally, I'm waiting for dhope's delivery & subsequent review- I'd want the larger front rings, 'guards & slicks on the S model at £1,500, then a discussion with Ugo about a dyno hub build.)

asprilla

DrLex wrote:

How fixed is the budget - Cube cross racer? Being Cube, you might be able to try one at a U.K. Dealer - £1,399 R.R.P. Website suggests 10-14 days.
(Personally, I'm waiting for dhope's delivery & subsequent review- I'd want the larger front rings, 'guards & slicks on the S model at £1,500, then a discussion with Ugo about a dyno hub build.)

Oh, that looks nice. Looks like it will take guards, but I'll have double check.

dhope

Shame you don't like BB7's, there's a 5 month old Planet X XLS going on LFGSS for £650
http://www.lfgss.com/conversations/255148

cookeeemonster

Another one in the mix (I'm looking too) Whyte Suffolk (£1199) - mudguard mounts and loads of clearance, discs (the trp ones), 105 groupset. The model below (dorset?) got a great review on road.cc. At around 10kg not lightweight though.

If I stick to around a 1k budget I may have to test ride that and compare with the cannondale synapse disc 105 thing.

MonkeyMonster

I've love to be able to get a specific winter N+1 but alas given the 3rd steed will likely be a carbon jobbie next year it will have to be the mtb atm. I do keep catching myself on slightly dodgey cycle paths wishing for a cape though - with discs.

asprilla

CookeeeMonster wrote:

Another one in the mix (I'm looking too) Whyte Suffolk (£1199) - mudguard mounts and loads of clearance, discs (the trp ones), 105 groupset. The model below (dorset?) got a great review on road.cc. At around 10kg not lightweight though.

If I stick to around a 1k budget I may have to test ride that and compare with the cannondale synapse disc 105 thing.

I've looked at the Suffolk, but for me it's let down by the brakes and the fact it's not very pretty.

MonkeyMonster wrote:

I've love to be able to get a specific winter N+1 but alas given the 3rd steed will likely be a carbon jobbie next year it will have to be the mtb atm. I do keep catching myself on slightly dodgey cycle paths wishing for a cape though - with discs.

By next weekend I'll be N-4 from where I was at the beginning of August.

cookeeemonster

Asprilla wrote:

CookeeeMonster wrote:

Another one in the mix (I'm looking too) Whyte Suffolk (£1199) - mudguard mounts and loads of clearance, discs (the trp ones), 105 groupset. The model below (dorset?) got a great review on road.cc. At around 10kg not lightweight though.

If I stick to around a 1k budget I may have to test ride that and compare with the cannondale synapse disc 105 thing.

I've looked at the Suffolk, but for me it's let down by the brakes and the fact it's not very pretty.

MonkeyMonster wrote:

I've love to be able to get a specific winter N+1 but alas given the 3rd steed will likely be a carbon jobbie next year it will have to be the mtb atm. I do keep catching myself on slightly dodgey cycle paths wishing for a cape though - with discs.

By next weekend I'll be N-4 from where I was at the beginning of August.

I thought you liked the TRP discs? Or are proper hydro ones a must have?

asprilla

CookeeeMonster wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

CookeeeMonster wrote:

Another one in the mix (I'm looking too) Whyte Suffolk (£1199) - mudguard mounts and loads of clearance, discs (the trp ones), 105 groupset. The model below (dorset?) got a great review on road.cc. At around 10kg not lightweight though.

If I stick to around a 1k budget I may have to test ride that and compare with the cannondale synapse disc 105 thing.

I've looked at the Suffolk, but for me it's let down by the brakes and the fact it's not very pretty.

MonkeyMonster wrote:

I've love to be able to get a specific winter N+1 but alas given the 3rd steed will likely be a carbon jobbie next year it will have to be the mtb atm. I do keep catching myself on slightly dodgey cycle paths wishing for a cape though - with discs.

By next weekend I'll be N-4 from where I was at the beginning of August.

I thought you liked the TRP discs? Or are proper hydro ones a must have?

I love them. I was going to get an Escapade frame and run it a 1x5 with my existing SS (trials hubbed) wheelset. I ran single speed last year but this winter my commuter has gone from 18mile round trip to 44mile round trip and I fancy a full cassette for when the weather gets bad.

My Hylex will be on eBay shortly.

porlyworly

I've recently moved out into the sticks so this will be my first winter commuting around ten miles each way on unlit country A roads.

I built up a cross bike last year but it's too small for me so I'm planning on selling and going for something that can cope with ice / snow (studded tyres?) so will need decent clearance as well as proper guard mounts & disc brakes. Will have a look at all of the bikes linked on here and think of an excuse to tell the missus...

elbowloh

I was toying with a winter commuter myself, like a Kaffenback, a Croix de Fer or that new Planet X London Road thing.

However, I'm now thinking that I might just put some less knobbly/thinner tyres on my mtb that hardly gets used, as it has hydraulic discs (it's a Merlin Malt 2 from about 2005). Only trouble is that the front suspension fork doesn't have a lock-out. Not the end of the world though.

UndercoverElephant

That's what I do. Most days it's still the trusty Equilibrium, but if it's looking icy or snowy, then the MTB gets an airing with its studded Nokians.

MonkeyMonster

Muckynutz though... can't quite tell if they actually won't work with rim brakes.

daddy0

I too am working out if I can afford a winter commuter. I also want guard mounts and disc brakes. As I am one of those 25 mile each way commuters, and have just bought a house, I need it to be quick/light and cheap. At the moment I am thinking that I could probably stretch to a Kaffenback 2. Though what I really want, sorry need, is one of those Canyon Inflite 9s...

Anyone got any other/better suggestions?

veronese68

elbowloh wrote:

However, I'm now thinking that I might just put some less knobbly/thinner tyres on my mtb that hardly gets used, as it has hydraulic discs (it's a Merlin Malt 2 from about 2005). Only trouble is that the front suspension fork doesn't have a lock-out. Not the end of the world though.

Buy a rigid fork, added bonus that it will be lighter. Measure the distance from the axle to the bottom bearing of the headset when you are on the bike, get suspension corrected forks that length so as not to screw up the geometry.
If it's disc brake you might have enough room to get a 700c wheel and tyre in as the total diameter of wheel plus smaller tyre will not be very different to what you have now.