N+1 to equal 1 for life.
tim_wand
Posts: 2,552
Turn 45 this week, Been riding bikes since stabalisers. Nowadays with Family and Work , cant really do justice or justify current fleet . which is as follows.
Cannodale Evo Six
Ribble Audax
One One 456 MTB
Planet X kaffenbach.
Club rides on a Sunday, when little un isn't Pony Riding. Fast Chain Gangs on a Wednesday night when it aint too dark and Slippy. Sprint Tris in the summer, Racing myself and no one else.
So the question is. I want to cash all my chips and get just one bike.
My thinking is Titanium, No discs. Probably a frame which will take an Electronic group set in the future.
What would you go for folks? I was thinking Lynskey Sportive or a bit racier Van Nich Zephyr.
Cannodale Evo Six
Ribble Audax
One One 456 MTB
Planet X kaffenbach.
Club rides on a Sunday, when little un isn't Pony Riding. Fast Chain Gangs on a Wednesday night when it aint too dark and Slippy. Sprint Tris in the summer, Racing myself and no one else.
So the question is. I want to cash all my chips and get just one bike.
My thinking is Titanium, No discs. Probably a frame which will take an Electronic group set in the future.
What would you go for folks? I was thinking Lynskey Sportive or a bit racier Van Nich Zephyr.
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Comments
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Sounds like your having a mid life crisis, I like the current line up you have.0
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Sounds like your having a mid life crisis, I like the current line up you have.
This, lol, and buy another bike, it will get your enthusiasm back ;-)0 -
[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19750893#p19750893]DavidfromWarboys[/url] wrote:Sounds like your having a mid life crisis, I like the current line up you have.
This, lol, and buy another bike, it will get your enthusiasm back ;-)
I was thinking full sus MTB as our club tends to do more off road than on in the winter.
But the Evo has sat there Since end of October. Was going to put it on the Turbo but heard that Cannondale will not validate warranties for any frame used on a turbo.
I Picked up a cheap Allez frame to run on the turbo, but the courier bent the seat stays, Hence the Ribble Audax when I already have the Kaffenbach, they kind of over lap, but now the Kaff frame is on the Turbo and the Ribble Audax is a Winter Trainer.
It is kind of Mid life crisis but I m always playing about with the Spec on the Evo.0 -
Personally I'd stay away from Ti. Get someone like Tom Sturdy or Ricky Feather to build you something out of steel aero tubes. If you go electronic then a 5 port junction box would allow you to run aerobar shifter which would be helpful.English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg0
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Love Ricky Feathers stuff! and a Stainless 953 or Columbus XCR with custom paint would be great!
But defo coming across a bit Mid life crisis if not Rob Penn wannabe.0 -
Van Nic Astraeus - Great bike, fast and looks good too. (oh and it's also electronic group set ready)Brian B.0
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Van Nic Astraeus - Great bike, fast and looks good too. (oh and it's also electronic group set ready)
Good call, this frame could probably do it allI'm sorry you don't believe in miracles0 -
Kinesis Gf Ti disc gets a very positive review on Road.cc at the moment.0
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Personally I'd stay away from Ti.
Why?0 -
Personally I'd stay away from Ti.
Why?
I don't see the benefit. Not really any lighter than steel, doesn't ride any better, far more difficult to work on, much more fragile, and way more expensive. The only reason people buy it over steel is just to say they have a Ti bike.English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg0 -
Perhaps that's more from perspective of racing and very fast riding in general where limits are pushed and crashes are hard to avoid? I don't have much experience with titanium bikes, but bought Lynskey Pro Cross for commuting and it fits big tyres and shrugs off the dirt, grit, salt and what not. Obviously, if i mangle it in a crash, repairs would be more expensive or less viable. I rode a steel bike in the past and have not noticed it being less fragile.0
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Nope. You'll see just as much, if not more, steel than Ti in races.English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg0
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That's what i meant, titanium is less viable in racing due to more frequent crashing.
But thanks for your insights, i would agree with you in general regarding Ti value.0 -
I'll disagree with Grill, and say Enigma Excel. Proper racing geometry, 6Al 4v Ti (the stronger, lighter, harder to work with stuff). Mine's about 7kg in road trim, about 9.5 with rack, guards, dynamo wheels & lights and Audax saddle. It does both jobs rather nicely.0
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I'll disagree with Grill too, in that I think Ti is the way to go for what the OP wants. But I'll disagree with 964Cup about 6/4 Ti and say that most builders believe that 6/4 Ti is perfect for drop-outs and head tubes, but 3/2.5 Ti is better for frame tubes. I'm not a metallurgist, so I don't know. Anyway, like the OP I wanted just one bike for life but I didn't want the usual Ti offerings (Van Nic, Enigma, Lynskey etc), so I bought a Spin Spitfire. If the OP wanted a bit of fun, he could get a custom frame direct from China (Walty, or some such) and then build it up to whatever spec he wanted. MontyDog has posted a lot of stuff about that on these forums.0
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I'll go ahead and agree with Grill. Although he's led me astray before, he's always there when I need him. Plus he's handsome. Like ridiculously good looking. I'd totally give him a throw.English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg0
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Nor am I. I am a sucker for anything that's a bit special, though.I'm not a metallurgist, so I don't know.
Also Wittson, Burls, Spa - quite a few custom Ti builders closer than China. While I currently am very much of the N+1 camp, I am seriously toying with getting another Ti frame, this time properly equipped for guards, rack etc (I have to use P-Clips and Raceblades on the Excel), and just having the two bikes - one sporty, one for distance/commuting etc. N=2, I know, but N=9 for me at the moment (just counting road bikes / CX) so it would be a significant reduction.If the OP wanted a bit of fun, he could get a custom frame direct from China (Walty, or some such) and then build it up to whatever spec he wanted.
ps. won't happen. I think I like buying and building bikes as much as riding them.0 -
What you want to buy may suit you now but in a few years your needs will change and the bikes you currently have you may wish you had jot sold.
Buy another if you want but don't sell everything you have. Maybe sell the cannondale as it sounds like you will 2 bikes that will be very similar.http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.0 -
If I was going for one bike, I'd probably get a CAAD 12 with mechanical ultegra and Fulcrum Zeros.
Stick some raceblades on for the winter months, along with some decent lights and you'd be set.0 -
Not having a dig but...You don't have time any more but still race and club riding? That to me isn't giving up on it.
Get one bike you will be bored of it and hate it. Personally I don't think you can race and winter train on the same bike and get the best out of it and enjoy it. Only positive from having one bike it only having to maintain one bike.
But if you want to ditch racing and just ride then one bike is feasible.0 -
Don't agree with Grill that Ti is necessarily blah...
A few years back I had the opportunity to ride Columbus Max, Easton Elite, Sandvik 3/2.5 and Sandvik shaped 3/2.5, same geometry, same components back to back. MTB but illustrative.
Didn't like the standard 3/2.5 at all, very flexy and just felt slow. The other three had more in common than not, being picky, the alu felt fast, delivering all the power you were laying down but it was noticeably harsh. The steel took the edge off that harshness but lacked the snap of the alu. The shaped Ti was a lot stiffer than the standard Ti, it delivered most of the pop of the alu and all the comfort of the steel. I ended up riding the latter for a few years.
With regard to the Ti's, I guess it showed me that like anything it's not so much the material but how it's implemented.
As for the OP, fast club runs and pushing personal limits screams to me good carbon rather than Ti0 -
Sounds to me like a carbon race bike is the thing to go for and just throw a bit more money at it in terms of replacing cassette, chain, cables etc than you would a winter bike. As you aren't doing huge miles thereis no reason why you can't ride your race bike all year round - well apart from lack of mudguards - but that aside surely the best bike for fast club rides, chain gangs etc is a race bike especially as it sounds as if you'll be short of miles and in need of evwry advantage you can get.
If you want mudguards than something like the Dolan Dual or maybe get a frame made in steel - bit I'd keep one eye on the factthebikeis a tool first and foremost rather than an ornament.[Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]0 -
Sorry Lads, Been making a bit of me time celebrating 45 th birthday ( hence the mid life crisis)
When I say I don't have much time , it really comes down to the fact that I work most Saturdays, I don't race, try to be competitive I.e ride to a decent time in the few sportive I do. And I do a Sprint triathlon series during the summer which totals 4 races , fortunately all falling on a Sunday.
I love my Evo but don't feel I do it justice, the bike I probably get the most out of is the Kaffenbach but then again I ve owned in nearly a decade and always had one in the fleet from the Earliest blue dragon framed ones.
I read the Road CC review on the New GF TI and it did strike me as a bike that would get close to almost everything I currently own and probably cover the majority of my current riding.
I ve seen few frames with Discs that have actually appealed to me yet. and I don't know if we are not all getting sucked in to markets for bikes we don't actually need. Every month I pick up Cycling Plus e.t.c there seems to be a test on Gravel bikes or a feature on were they have just taken the GT Grade, Besides the weight differential and Improved braking I don't see what it gives over my Kaffenbach, but then again I like the GF Ti for the versatility it offers, but again I cant see how its £1500 frame only more of a bike than my Kaffenbach.
I looked at a Pickenflick early on but at that time they had limited the gearing that could be used on the front ring because of the chainstays, Don't know if that's been sorted now or the current trend for 1 x 11 with a wide range cassette would give me a variety of gearing for all I think I want to do.
In the future riding will definitely be more leisure and recreation based, Will still go on Club runs but I ll leave the Strava Queens to sprint the lamp posts.0
