Bike choice - Norco Threshold A3, Pinnacle Arkose One, etc.

tangled_metal

One bike, commuter with guards & rack, same for touring and take guards and/or rack off if needed to take onto easier off road routes.

I'm thinking gravel racer/CXers like Norcross threshold a1, pinnacle arkose one or possibly Norco search a1 or specialized diverge.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/norco/threshold-a3-2015-cyclocross-bike-ec072589

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/pinnacle/arkose-one-2015-adventure-road-bike-ec071305

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/norco/search-s3-2015-adventure-road-bike-ec072577

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/diverge-2015-adventure-road-bike-ec070561

Any views on these? Budget is £800 but I'd rather be able too afford rack and guards out of that too. It's a drop bar replacement for a stolen hybrid, specialized Crosstrail Sport Disc 2013, that worked well but I now know I prefer drop bars.

I need to order it this weekend since I've been looking too long and need to decide. These seem a good bunch to decide from. BTW anyone got any idea if a 425 to 430mm chainstay could result in heel hitting my panniers? Plan to put on a reasonable rack like super tourist dx and use my Ortlieb classics if that's relevant.

The Rookie

The Spesh is 8 speed, so that's that one off, the others are all Sora and 9Speed but I like the Norco S3 for the better rear hub (the one which takes most hammering) while the Pinnacle has a Carbon fork, on balance I think I'd take the Pinnacle, Joytech hubs are decent enough.

tangled_metal

Seems Evans are Norco distributors in the UK and their site has expected date for the threshold of 2 months! Only 10 days for the pinnacle. I like the carbon forks too but reading the marketing blurb for the threshold it sounds good. Sealed cable and that pull out rear rack/guard on the dropouts seems neat touches. Not sure the other bits are anything special. The curved seat stays thing sounds a bit like spesh zertz inserts to me which I've read don't amount to much except for the hole they go into could allow for flex but not the inserts on their own.

Can't think of any other bike at £600-800 that's any better than these. Well not in shops near me.

I think pinnacle will take my money despite being close in spec to the Norco threshold which is £100 cheaper.

The Rookie

Evans are sole distributor for Norco in the UK, yes, and Pinnacle is of course their own in house brand.

Internally routed cables are a neatness improvement but little practical benefit, especially when they require full length outers.

Boardman CX Team is the obvious one to consider
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/r ... -2014#tab2
£899 but use Quidco and BC membership and the effectyive price is below £800 for you.

The Rookie

This just came up, looks like it will take rack and guards
http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXLDNRDT ... c0a4e5df20

tangled_metal

I was interested in the kaffenback once but out of my range in drop bar format. Do you think the London Road would be ok as a commuter.light tourer? I think so but curious about the fit, no gemoetry data.

The Rookie

Looks ideally suited, definitely has at least one mount on the rear dropout and appears to have a guard mount on the fork leg, otherwise you can use straps, disc brakes I would always have on a commuter and it will take 38mm tyres as well.

tangled_metal

Gearing seems a bit high on the London Road with a chainring of 50-34T and 11-25T cassette. Based on this you get between 1.36 and 4.5 revolutions of the rear wheel. Assuming the further the rear wheel is turned per pedal revoution the harder the gear i think this is quite a high low gear as a common low gear is 32T chainring to 34 cassette like the Pinnacle Arkose (0.94 revolutions of the rear wheel). The Norco Threshold is 1.125 revolutions of the rear wheel per pedal revolution but at the top gear it is a lot lower than the other two options (london road and arkose).

Am I just going too deeply into this? Am i right in thinking the London Road is higher geared overall than the other bikes? Basically the lowest gear might not be low enough for steep hills or if I'm on a long ride and tiring (especially if I am trying a little light touring).

BTW I saw a norco threshold in commuting mode recently, rack and guards. Older model but it looked good (kind of similar to the silver of the London Road argento model).

The Rookie

The LR has typical road gearing, a 34 sprocket like on the Arkose is MTB gearing.

My commuter has a lowest gear of 46:27, it depends very much on how steep a hill you think you'll be climbing!

I have climbed some pretty steep hills (2000ft in 8km with a steepest grades on strava segments of 18%) and the gearing on the LR is the same the lowest gear I used, I think it will be fine for UK road use!

tangled_metal

Thanks for that Rookie. I was hoping someone would be able to reassure me that the gearing is not an issue with the LR bike.

I am tempted but not sure I can reach a PlanetX shop. i think the nearest is in Manchester. I know they can supply mail order and a phone call with them probably would sort out the sizing but that leaves me with sorting out the final fit. I've only ever used the experience of an LBS for bike fitting. I think it is better groupset than the Pinnacle Arkose for less money. Not sure if the Arkose or the LR has the better frame and fork though. I have seen the Arkose and it does look a nice bike for the money. I think the 2015 looks better made than the older models (the one I saw back a couple of years ago when looking for my last bike was not as well finished/made/welded). The Threshold from Norco is a nice bike but out because it is May before it lands in the UK. I'm hoping for many rides before then on a new bike.

Thanks for your comments Rookie, appreciated.

The Rookie

The Tiagra on the LR is better than the Sora on the Arkose (higher number, Shimano make it easy!), the LR is 10 speed v the 9 on the Arkose, the LR has the best mechanical disk callipers you can get as well, all round its a much better specced bike, its also got more road orientated tyres than the CX SB8's on the Arkose.

tangled_metal

Did you say you had a LR? If you do then was it bought at the shop or online? Not sure I can make a Planetx shop so think I'd have to take a punt that it'll fit and suit me. A bit wary about that.

The Rookie

I didn't and don't, still waiting for the C2W scheme at work.....

It has an inline seatpost, so if in any doubt go a size smaller as you can then lengthen the cockpit with a setback post by effectively one size.