Budget road bike - commuter/tourer too

tangled_metal

Budget is up to £800 which means Claris vs sora, alloy vs carbon forks, mechanical disc brakes, tektro spyre vs bb5 brakes.

I'm guessing the best option would be sora, tektro spare brakes and carbon forks but I'll not see that at less than £800.

My question is which is more important - better forks, gears or brakes?

My choices are as follows.
http://m.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/ro ... diverge-a1

http://whyte.bike/gb/models/commuterroa ... sc/sussex/

http://m.evanscycles.com/products/pinna ... e-ec071305

tangled_metal

One potential issue I'm 6'5" tall, it seems some recommend 6'3" is tallest rider.

Also the Specialized Diverge A1 is not in stock in the UK until 6th March. I'm too impatient for that. Can't afford the next model up which is available. Will wait if it's best option for me.

KevChallis

When you say touring, do you mean full on panniers, mud guards etc... Or just want something more comfortable?

tangled_metal

I'm thinking lightweight kit on panniers not full on long tour, heavyweight kit. All my camping kit is ultra lightweight.
Mostly it's a commuter and a family leisure bike (2 year old in trailer or on partners bike child seat with kit in panniers on my bike).

Terrain mostly road, but roads near work might as well be off road trails. Would like to ride gravel trails in forestry tracks or paths like those running from Wray to ferry nab on the side of Windermere if you know it. Nothing hard as that'll bounce my kid around if it's rocky track.

KevChallis

I can't help too much as I am out and out road rider, but, I have read a review somewhere on the pinnacle, and it was a good review

iron-clover

The CAAD X tiagra isn't too far off that price point and can take guards and a rack, but if you're not going to do'proper' off road riding then a real touring bike will suffice, which will be able to take front racks and make life easier when doing a camping tour- it can become a pain loading everything on the back even if your frame can take the load unbalancing the bike, which can make fast descending can become 'interesting' as the frame can shimmy a bit. That's happened on two very different bikes so far where all the load was on the back.

For under £800 you can get the full steel Ridgeback Expidition with 26" wheels and large comfy tyres (I currently use something simillar with a flat bar for my round town and full blown touring duties), or the Voyage with more traditional 700C wheels.
Then there's the Dawes Galaxy plus with disk brakes that is selling for just over budget on Evans.

Try a few different bikes out if you can and see which style you'll prefer, either cyclocross, tourer or hybrid. Evans might be good for that with their test ride policy, but any LBS should be able to help.

Good luck!

tangled_metal

I'd probably also use frame bags and bar bags. Like the look of Alpkit's bike bags, especially the ones that can fit under handlebars and seat. My backpacking kit is 6.5kg so add a bit more for cycling I reckon not much over 10kg on the back. Doubt that'll affect the bike that much. We did think of getting a trailer, probably a Burley one since we already have the d-lite 2 seat child trailer. However we've not started touring so first trip will be hostels or a camping pod. Most riding is commuting or day rides though, touring is a plus with these bikes. Don't like the touring bikes at this price bracket. I think if I ever get a tourer I'd try to save up for a thorn one. Don't like Dawes or ridgeback. Might look at a Spa cycles tourer they do one day.

jordan_217

Not on your options list but the Ribble 525 will do everything you want and you'll be able to spec 105 and better wheels than what your looking at with the options in the OP.

I've had mine for 10 months now and I can't fault it. I actually prefer riding it to my Ti Enigma!

tangled_metal

Looked at Ribble bike builder and for the 525 I could only find fairly skinny tyres. I';m looking for a wider tyre choice of 30 or 32, at least 28, Looking at the choices when you switched from the sora gearing to 105 and the needed wheel choce change it came up with only skinny tyres.

Small thing but seriously this is more about comfort for me than rolling resistance or any of the reasons for narrow tyres. Also looking for durability, my road bike used to shake itself apart on it's 700x23c tyres on my commute. It was why I tried the hybrid with front suspension. I am sure others commute on rough roads but my route takes me down a series of roads where utilities have decimated the road surface. There are long runs snaking all over the road which are potting up badly. You seriously need something a bit fatter than 23c. Also I reckon 32 hole not 28 front is better. If I was serious about touring properly I'd prefer 36 hole rear if not front and rear however I believe I could get by with 32rear.

I have seen some nice Ribbles around. The local cycle scene group had a guy with a carbon ribble back when they first came out at sub-£1k. I must be old school or something but i still preferred my ancient reynolds framed road bike from 20 years ago in looks and it was seriously nice freewheeling downhill, lower bearing friction or something but it freewheeled faster than modern road bikes with heavier people than me riding them. Not sure why.