Deciding which bike to go for

wide phil
wide phil Posts: 51
edited January 2016 in Commuting general
Im using my 29er HT for commuting at the mo and its fine for the job now I put some shwalbe land cruiser tyres on but its having a hammering on the commute and I would like to keep it for XC riding on mtb tyres. I have a giant defy 3 for road riding, but thats been upgraded with 105/ultegra components and a handbuilt set of wheels, so I keep that for nice road rides with the mates
Been looking at cyclocross bikes for the commute but Im no speedster uphill and use all the gears I have, my 105 is 11sp 11-32 and I need it ! When I look at cycloX the gears look to me like hills will be painfull for me, with my 17st frame and smashed knee from rugby.
Also looking at Charge Grater2, but wouldnt mind any advice

Comments

  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    Crunch the numbers as to what gears you use now and see what you would have to do to any bike you buy to get that gearing, it's just maths!
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • kajjal
    kajjal Posts: 3,380
    Good advice from rookie, get the gear ratios that work for you.

    I am 16 stone and bought a specialized diverge which is robust, has good brakes, smooths out the rough and handles well. It is faster than my mountain bike off road until the going gets rough or muddy. A little slower up hill than a road bike but fast otherwise. The gravel bikes can better on the road than cx bikes but it depends on what you prefer.
  • imatfaal
    imatfaal Posts: 2,716
    http://www.bikecalc.com/speed_at_cadence

    For those allergic to mathematics
  • skooter
    skooter Posts: 264
    Another vote for the Diverge..

    I got a claris model and upgraded to 105 and its brill, I think its a lot of bike for the money?

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