Croix de Fer decade, Boardman CX or Synapse Tiagra

Mr Biscuits

I'm after a bit of advice from you guys and girls out there who know about these things.

I'm in the market for a winter Road bike for occasional use on forest trails with my son - although i could use my old mtb for that!

I've come up with 3 options - I guess I'm not sure about which is best value and also how suitable SRAM Rival 1x11 will be for road rides up to 50 miles. Long mudguards will be fitted for those ones.

Croix de Fer decade. Steel frame and 1x11. Feels quite heavy? £1000 (down from 1500).

Boardman CX Team bike. Alloy frame and 1x11. £800 (down from 1000).

Cannodale Synapse Tiagra 50/34. £650 (down from 850). Brakes not as good but could upgrade.

Any advice / suggestions will be gratefully received!

trek_dan

All good bikes, test ride them and see if you which one you like most. Synapse probably the pick of the bunch if used on road 99% of the time. Only thing that puts me off the Synapse and the Boardman is that pressfit bottom brackets and winter riding don't really mix. I'd also be wary about using hydraulic brakes on road, dangerously overkill for me.

Mr Biscuits

Many thanks Dan.
I've just found Genesis Equilibrium Disc. 105 groups and TRP HyRd brakes at £999. Yes quite a bit more than the Synapse but wouldn't need to upgrade brakes or botton bracket at a later date.
Any views please??

http://www.tweekscycles.com/Product.do? ... 0wodqTYJSQ

graeme_s-2

trek_dan wrote:

I'd also be wary about using hydraulic brakes on road, dangerously overkill for me.

Seriously? I can see the argument that they might be unnecessary for most road riding, but dangerously overkill? I've ridden 2500 miles on my hydraulic disc braked London road now, almost all on road and haven't found there to be anything remotely dangerous about them. In perfect conditions they're not much different from rim brakes, and in the wet they're considerably better in my experience.

bendertherobot

Discs. Dangerous on road, not aero, cut off your appendages, kill old people and put up house prices.

bendertherobot

The Croix and Boardman are better suited for the occasional off road foray. The Synapse and Equilibrium are essentially road disc bikes. Different animals. They will go off road, given suitable tyres, as most bikes will but fitting bigger tyres onto either isn't as easy as the others, probably a max of 28c or 30c (particularly with guards). If it's just the odd lane, fire road then 28c is fine. If you want to get really off the beaten path then 30c plus is wise, something like the Schwalbe S-One. So you really need to decide what you want to do with the bike.

daniel_b

bendertherobot wrote:

Discs. Dangerous on road, not aero, cut off your appendages, kill old people and put up house prices.

And they are immigrants too I think.

Stolen from another thread, you can nab a Synapse Adventure, comes with custom guards, for £899 in a 51 and a 56cm frame, not sure what size you need?
The custom guards will only really 'work' with tyres up to a 25mm width though - believe the bike as a whole will take 32\30mm tyres, but yet to try it for real.

SRAM Rival with hydraulic brakes - I've never found anything dangerous about discs, hydraulic or otherwise, on the road, or off it come to that.

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Cannondale-Synapse-Disc-Adventure-2016-Road-Bike_83230.htm


I love my Synapses, they are stupendously comfy, pretty nimble, and I reckon rather nice looking.

trek_dan

Graeme_S wrote:

trek_dan wrote:

I'd also be wary about using hydraulic brakes on road, dangerously overkill for me.

Seriously? I can see the argument that they might be unnecessary for most road riding, but dangerously overkill? I've ridden 2500 miles on my hydraulic disc braked London road now, almost all on road and haven't found there to be anything remotely dangerous about them. In perfect conditions they're not much different from rim brakes, and in the wet they're considerably better in my experience.

I found them too grabby. Very easy to lock a wheel up. But then again I've never had a single issue with rim brakes either on road or for CX. Opinions are like a**eholes and all that

graeme_s-2

trek_dan wrote:

I found them too grabby. Very easy to lock a wheel up. But then again I've never had a single issue with rim brakes either on road or for CX. Opinions are like a**eholes and all that

Just out of interest were you using them with wide, or narrow tyres? I've only used disc brakes on a bike with 37C slick tyres on. I have wondered if they could potentially be a bit grabby on narrow tyres, but on my bike they're so progressive and give you so much control it's hard to imagine.

Mr Biscuits

Thanks Daniel B - unfortunately I'm a 60/61 cm frame!

trek_dan

Graeme_S wrote:

trek_dan wrote:

I found them too grabby. Very easy to lock a wheel up. But then again I've never had a single issue with rim brakes either on road or for CX. Opinions are like a**eholes and all that

Just out of interest were you using them with wide, or narrow tyres? I've only used disc brakes on a bike with 37C slick tyres on. I have wondered if they could potentially be a bit grabby on narrow tyres, but on my bike they're so progressive and give you so much control it's hard to imagine.

I used them on a road bike with 25C tyres and they were slightly terrifying, I wouldn't fancy doing a fast descent on them as all you'd have to do is pull them slightly too hard and you'd lock the wheel straight away :shock:

apreading

trek_dan wrote:

Graeme_S wrote:

trek_dan wrote:

I found them too grabby. Very easy to lock a wheel up. But then again I've never had a single issue with rim brakes either on road or for CX. Opinions are like a**eholes and all that

Just out of interest were you using them with wide, or narrow tyres? I've only used disc brakes on a bike with 37C slick tyres on. I have wondered if they could potentially be a bit grabby on narrow tyres, but on my bike they're so progressive and give you so much control it's hard to imagine.

I used them on a road bike with 25C tyres and they were slightly terrifying, I wouldn't fancy doing a fast descent on them as all you'd have to do is pull them slightly too hard and you'd lock the wheel straight away :shock:

I wonder if the issue there was a bit like the first time everyone drives and automatic car and nearly goes through the windscreen because the brakes are so sharp...?! i.e. you are just so used to having to pull hard on stiff cable operated brakes that your brain did the same and you were shocked by the result but never gave your brain time to recalibrate.

People who ride flat bar bikes have a similar effect when first riding a narrow, drop bar bike - it feels way too nervous and as though its hard to stay upright. I found that scary and couldnt ride out of the saddle for a while but now its fine.

passout

I like the Decade myself - I have the model below and it really nice frame that holds speed well (heavier than alu but you don't really notice that unless at a virtual standstill IMO). Hydraulics are fine + you'll probably have wide tyres anyway. I run my croix de fer with 40mm tyres. Great off road.

ovi

how about this kona http://www.wiggle.co.uk/kona-esatto-disc-2016/

joelsim

If it's just for use on trails and stuff with your son, get a light mountain bike. I use a Kinesis Maxlight for exactly that and it's perfect. It's only 11kg, I weighed it.