Winter bike that doesn't weigh a ton!

Cmonlegs

Looking for a fairly cheap bike to ride till the spring that doesn't weight a ton.

Any suggestions?

Looked at a canyon ultimate al but at 1500 bit more than I want to spend for 4/5 months use.

passout

Ribble 365? http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sed/road- ... =conf_SERW or if you want discs I like the look of the planet x london road for a grand - Whyte Road bikes too.

Dommy

I had no problems with a cheap entry level Boardman that I used over winter. A lighter option for a bit more money I would have gone with a Trek Madone 2.0 for 1K it comes with 105 on it.

stueys

Caadx rival disc, you can try your hand at cross as well

passout

Speaking of cross: http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/produ ... cross_Bike

mitchgixer6

Your winter bike is meant to weigh a ton! Makes the summer bike all the more enjoyable! Plus you'll get stronger riding the heavy bike all winter. I know a guy who puts concrete in a spare bottle over the winter to make his bike as heavy as possible!

cookeeemonster

Rose dx pro - can get full ultegra, hydraulic disc brakes and mudguard mounts for £1370 (or lesser spec for much less) with road tyres you're looking at just over 8kg...am waiting for mine

luv2ride

passout wrote:

Speaking of cross: http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/produ ... cross_Bike

That Bianchi looks great! If I wasn't already sorted with a Crosslight Pro6 disc I'd be pressing the "buy" button, just the right size too.

I'm current running a Tifosi ck7 as a winter trainer (full guards and 28mm tyres). Doesn't feel heavy when riding, although my CR1 SL feels like it flies if I ride them back to back 8). I'm trying to sum up the courage to say Goodbye to the Tifosi and just use the Cross light (with a 2nd set of disc wheels with road tyres) but can't quite bring myself to do it - the Tifosi looks and rides great, feels really solid, but I wouldn't be too cut up if I mashed it during an 'off' which, during winter, is a distinct possibility lets face it. Don't worry too much about the weight.

bartersb

I have a Canyon Inflite AL--it's basically a cx bike that they have set up with mudguards, compact gearing as a winter trainer. I think it's great for its purpose. However, you will notice a big difference coming off a bike like Scott CR1 SL (like I have too). Train heavy, race light!

cycleclinic

tifosi CK6 is a good not so expensive CX bike. Tifosi CK7 and Genesis equilibrium, ribbles............................

nferrar

The Inifinte AL 8.0 S is 'only' £1199 though (+ delivery) and is the spec designed as a road winter trainer. I have the 2014 model and it rides well, it's not exactly light but I don't notice a huge difference (over my Look 695) out on the road (and the 2015 model seems to have shed some weight anyhow). It's comfy and has a decent spec for the money. I looked at the Rose option to but there were next to no reviews at the time which put me off.

jordan_217

Ribble 525, it's not going to trouble the UCI weight limit but it's lovely to ride and will take mudguards and rack. I now prefer riding it to my Enigma Echo.

Bordersroadie

Kinesis 4S

bendertherobot

I commute a lot. I've had various things which weigh a lot. Day One singlespeed was probably the lightest but so hard to keep going. Croix De Fer heavy but sooo comfy. Currently my Bivio is sub 10kg but I kill it with wider tyres that have more rolling resistance. Even my 11kg MTB is damn quick and not overly heavy.

Don't sweat it. Get what works.

duncan-m-w

I bought a Croix de Fer frame and built it up myself with the parts I wanted (SRAM mostly). Still a touch heavy, but mine came in much lighter than the standard model and not much different in price. Would be even cheaper if you bought used (there are a few kicking about) and just changed key parts. Plus the disc brakes come into their own in winter.

I love it - built as a winter bike, but I actually ride it throughout the summer too (my nice carbon bike rarely sees daylight now - which actually makes it feel even more amazing than if I rode it ll summer). If I could only have one bike, it would be the Croix de Fer!

Banno

Bordersroadie wrote:

Kinesis 4S

Best winter bike ever! Their T2 is a close second.

bendertherobot

duncan-m-w wrote:

I bought a Croix de Fer frame and built it up myself with the parts I wanted (SRAM mostly). Still a touch heavy, but mine came in much lighter than the standard model and not much different in price. Would be even cheaper if you bought used (there are a few kicking about) and just changed key parts. Plus the disc brakes come into their own in winter.

I love it - built as a winter bike, but I actually ride it throughout the summer too (my nice carbon bike rarely sees daylight now - which actually makes it feel even more amazing than if I rode it ll summer). If I could only have one bike, it would be the Croix de Fer!

I did much the same. Added Apex and hand built wheels. Ritchey components. Takes a lot of the weight out.

The new one should work brilliantly because of the additional weight you save with the new carbon fork.

meanredspider

Luv2ride wrote:

passout wrote:

Speaking of cross: http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/produ ... cross_Bike

That Bianchi looks great! If I wasn't already sorted with a Crosslight Pro6 disc I'd be pressing the "buy" button, just the right size too.

Blimey - £1800 RRP for an aluminium frame, BB5 and SRAM Apex!! - on paper, at least, the spec is pretty much exactly the same as the Boardman CX Team at nearer half the RRP.

Just me but if I was looking to buy a winter bike, I'd be looking at secondhand. I bought my Focus Cayo in perfect nick, recently serviced, with upgraded saddle, bars and pedals for £700. You'd have done well then to spot that it wasn't new and, a couple of years later, you'd never know I bought it secondhand.

NaishTT

I'm in the same boat and needing full mudguard capability and fancy minor off-road capability too. I have come to the following conclusions:

- Arkose and Pinnacle - no fork crown drilling for mudguards
- PX London Road - can't get past Big Ben graphics!
- GT Grade AL 105 - great spec and value but camo and matt grey! Tiagra?
- Whyte Dorset/Suffolk - very long top tube? Dorset now Sora and Suffolk over budget
- Canyon Inflite - over budget
- Rose Pro DX - looks good but very short top tube/upright position?
- Genesis too heavy
- Kinesis - over budget
- Cannondale - BB30 horror stories
- Bianchi Zurigo poor spec for the money
- Ribbles and similar no off road/bigger tyres

Does anyone have any brainwaves? If anyone has any feedback on the geometry of the Rose or the Whyte regarding ride position and sizing that would be great. Cheers

src1

How tall are you/what size bike are you looking for?

NaishTT

I'm 1.79m and a size 54 (Trek and others) is normally fine for me.

vs4b

Giant defy.

cycleclinic

I have 2 winter bikes. One is a steel framed bike and with mudguards that ways under 10kg (steel fork in fact fame and fork weight nearly 3kg) The bike has campagnolo veloce on it and I have no weight weenied it either. It is a 59cm frame too and it is quick when I want it too be.

The other one I have is an old Trek 2300 (1992) which I have fitted a mixture of Athena 11 speed, chorus/record 10 speed too and 32 spoke wheels. It weighs under 9kg and again nothing weight weenie is fitted to this bike. It even has 27mm tyres which are not light.

So it is easy to build up a lightish winter bike that eat up wet miles. My advise is find a frameset new or used that fit you and buy a groupset, get some solid wheels built and put it together. Finish of with deda's bar, stem and seat post and a saddled you love and hey presto a winter bike that will be a joy to ride. Just get something with lots of clearance and if it has disc brakes even better.

iron-clover

IMHO
Trek 1.1 (or 1.2 if you want a carbon fork) Weighs about 9kg stock, the new Shimno Claris is leagues ahead of the old 2300 that came with mine and can even be raced with only a change of tyres if you so desire.

I've had mine for 4 years this winter as my only bike so far, and it's been an awesome bike for the cost and the frame is well worth upgrading as parts wear out.

That, and for only £600 or so it blows most of the other training bikes out of the water price wise- if you can put up with the Claris groupset (like 8 speed modern Sora, and cheap and chips to replace consumables) and will make for a very capable winter bike.

There are also plenty second hand if you wanted a better deal, although the frames are surprisingly light they are also very sturdy so you shouldn't have any issues.

skeetam

I have a Whyte Suffolk with 105 11 speed. I normally ride a 54 but had to size down to a 52 (I'm 5'10") but it's nice and comfortable. The position is a little more upright compared to my Canyon Ultimate CF SL so I imagine the geometry like a sportive/endurance bike.

NaishTT

Thanks SkeetAM for the geometry feedback on the Whyte. That's interesting - a 52 sounds like a strange proposition but as long as it fits it could be an option although the 2015 Dorset has Sora which isn't on my wish list! Did you change the stem or stick with the standard one?

skeetam

The Dorset also has an alloy fork which will add some weight but I didn't want anything less than 105 so that's why I got the Suffolk. I thought I might have to change some of the cockpit and the seat fore and aft position but it wasn't necessary. The stock stem for the 52 is 110cm and the reach is fine. Lovely bars and tape BTW.

When I put both of my bikes side by side the only noticeable difference is that the Whyte has more seat post showing. I still would try sitting on one and taking it for a test spin (if possible) before buying.

NaishTT

Thanks for the detail on the riding position. It seems the only difference this year between the Dorset and the Suffolk is Sora 9 speed v 105 11 speed (and presumably a few unconfirmed grams) for £200. You're right about geting a test ride or even just a sit for sizing but would love to do the same with the Rose Pro DX Cross-200 which looks better value for a 105 groupset.

Is the considered opinion that it is any cheaper to build up your own bike? Obviously you can choose your own spec but when I add everything up using new components then buying a complete bike with a few mods seems cheaper?

src1

NaishTT wrote:

I'm 1.79m and a size 54 (Trek and others) is normally fine for me.

Are you only looking for new? A quick search on eBay shows some good options. Kinesis TK2 in your size for example...

NaishTT

Thanks for the top SRC1. Its an outside chance although I'm really looking for a new bike and with wider tyre room + disc + light offroad capability.

cookeeemonster

NaishTT wrote:

Thanks for the detail on the riding position. It seems the only difference this year between the Dorset and the Suffolk is Sora 9 speed v 105 11 speed (and presumably a few unconfirmed grams) for £200. You're right about geting a test ride or even just a sit for sizing but would love to do the same with the Rose Pro DX Cross-200 which looks better value for a 105 groupset.

Is the considered opinion that it is any cheaper to build up your own bike? Obviously you can choose your own spec but when I add everything up using new components then buying a complete bike with a few mods seems cheaper?

Unless you're very patient over a period of time and get the bits you need in the sales then no, normally it's more expensive to build a bike with RRP parts.

Can't tell you much about the Rose as my DX-3000 is a month away but if I were you, I'd test ride both the Whyte's and see what you like. They got a very good review in road.cc. My last 2 bikes have been Sora and I wanted something better (I did look at the Suffolk - looks good)...plus hydraulic disc brakes which is why I choose the Rose (and it was over a kg lighter).