Thoughts on a new Winter Bike

ayjaycee

I had played with the idea of fitting some rigid forks to my Specialized hybrid in order to improve the ride, shed a lot of weight by binning the existing Suntour suspension forks and giving myself a proper winter bike. However, the price of any decent replacement forks makes the idea fall into the ‘not worth it’ category,

That said, I have now got the itch for another bike and started looking at a couple of options:

The first frame that caught my eye was the Ribble 525 steel. The frame and forks can be had for £215 and I was thinking of just buying that and transferring the wheels, Tiagra 4600 groupset and all other stuff from my Allez and then selling the Allez frame to recoup some of the cost of the Ribble (and probably sell the hybrid as well as it is only lightly used and in VGC)

I have also looked at a Kinesis Racelight 4S which is a lot more money but might also turn out to be a lot more bike in the long run. Again, I could transfer all the kit from the Allez in the short term but in the longer term, might fit some disc brakes (and wheels) as the 4S seems to be pretty unique in that it is suitable for either rim or disc brakes with supplied adapters for the former – it’s not so much that I can’t afford the whole lot in one go, more that I would swing it past the Mrs by stealth if I did it in stages.

Both options would need me to buy some long reach brakes, mudguards (if those on my hybrid didn't fit) and, probably a BB and cables but not much more.

Has anybody here got experience of either bike and what do you think of it? I suspect the Kinesis will be reasonably light (in comparison to my Allez which is under 9Kg) but the Ribble might be a fair bit heavier.

Any view please or further advice please. Sorry for the long post.

akh

I spent quite a while considering a Ribble 525 before going for a Genesis Equilibrium (used). It put me off that there doesn't seem to be any stack and reach information for the 525 frame on the Ribble site and I didn't fancy a drive there to test the sizing. I believe the Genesis has more tyre clearance. Mine can easily take 28mm tyres without mudguards, or 25mm with full mudguards.

The Kinesis geometry is too racy for me, which is mainly why I discounted it. Not sure I'd buy a bike with discs that wasn't using 12mm thru-axle, as it seems that's going to be the dominant standard now. Not so much because I think a quick release is significantly worse, but I think it might limit wheels choice in a few years.

arlowood

For a cheap frameset to build into a winter bike why not check out Planet X. The RT-58 is on offer at £100. Has increased tyre clearance and mudguard mounts

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/FRPXRT58A ... d-frameset

What's not to like at that price. Cheaper than either the Ribble or Kinesis

jgsi

arlowood wrote:

For a cheap frameset to build into a winter bike why not check out Planet X. The RT-58 is on offer at £100. Has increased tyre clearance and mudguard mounts

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/FRPXRT58A ... d-frameset

What's not to like at that price. Cheaper than either the Ribble or Kinesis

Because people are fussy nowadays wanting discs or fat tyres and this and that.
Main priority for a winter build is , yes it takes mudguards of some decent spec and that it is a simple setup to keep running when winter attacks.
I've just built up a Ribble 7005 frame as a replacement for a deceased RT58.
Ribble is superior quality - but just my opinion of course

bmxboy10

The Dolan equivalent is on sale if I recall at around £150. I was having the same dilemma but saw this an bit the bullet. More
Money than the bikes referenced but I’ve always wanted a stainless frame and this is about as cheap as they get https://www.moda-bikes.com/products/mod ... o-frameset

That said I am expecting this to be more than just a bad weather bike.

Matthewfalle

Ribble blue thing like this.

viewtopic.php?f=40044&t=13094493

Job jobbed.

ayjaycee

arlowood wrote:

For a cheap frameset to build into a winter bike why not check out Planet X. The RT-58 is on offer at £100. Has increased tyre clearance and mudguard mounts

Arlo, I have heard that RT-58 V2 is still not too good at soaking up the lumps and bumps and also that there might be issues with tight clearances using mudguards and 25mm GP 4 Seasons which are my personal tyre preference (although it might also be nice to be able to move up to 28mm version). I wouldn't want to drop down in ride and road handling quality from my Allez which is actually pretty good and clearance issue is one of the reasons why I want to change. From what I have read / heard, the Ribble 7005 Audax and Dolan Prefissio have the same problem. In any event, the former seem to be out of stock in 56cm which I think I need. Also, I sometimes can't help thinking that cheap frames are just that and it shows (I could well be wrong there but life's just too short to be riding a poor bike).

Has anyone got direct experience of either the Ribble 525 or Kinesis 4S as mentioned in my original post please?

ayjaycee

Apologies but this is an unashamed bump to get the topic back on the front page - I am still hoping that someone will post to give their direct experience of either of the bikes that I mentioned (or suggest any other viable alternatives). Perhaps nobody on BR has bought or even ridden either but it's hard to believe, particularly in the case of the Kinesis.

sloppyschleckonds

I wouldn't want to ride a heavy steel or alu bike in winter. There are some days where you think 'i need fat tyres and disc brakes" but they are not the norm.

A lightweight alu frame, (Caad12, Canyon Ultimate Al, maybe Trek ALR) is sufficient ideally that can take 28mm tyres and almost full SKS race blades will see you through 95% of an English winter.
Add some enhanced brake track carbon or alu rims and you'll be fine. DT Swiss Oxic or Mavic Exalith but some cheap carbon basalt rims will do the same.

svetty

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

I wouldn't want to ride a heavy steel or alu bike in winter. There are some days where you think 'i need fat tyres and disc brakes" but they are not the norm.

A lightweight alu frame, (Caad12, Canyon Ultimate Al, maybe Trek ALR) is sufficient ideally that can take 28mm tyres and almost full SKS race blades will see you through 95% of an English winter.
Add some enhanced brake track carbon or alu rims and you'll be fine. DT Swiss Oxic or Mavic Exalith but some cheap carbon basalt rims will do the same.

A well thought out, multi-paragraph posting! Who are you and what have you done with the real SS? :P

ayjaycee

Svetty wrote:

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

I wouldn't want to ride a heavy steel or alu bike in winter. There are some days where you think 'i need fat tyres and disc brakes" but they are not the norm.

A lightweight alu frame, (Caad12, Canyon Ultimate Al, maybe Trek ALR) is sufficient ideally that can take 28mm tyres and almost full SKS race blades will see you through 95% of an English winter.
Add some enhanced brake track carbon or alu rims and you'll be fine. DT Swiss Oxic or Mavic Exalith but some cheap carbon basalt rims will do the same.

A well thought out, multi-paragraph posting! Who are you and what have you done with the real SS? :P

Svetty, Well I would agree apart from the fact that I do not believe the Kinesis to be a particularly heavy frame relative to others on the market and I have never felt the need for fat tyres or disc brakes on my road bikes. Also (although they are very personal views) it will be a cold day in hell before I use Raceblades again as I have always found the unsatisfactory to say the least and where carbon rims enter the equation on a winter bike is beyond me (indeed, I have never even considered them for the summer!)

Pituophis

I have used an ally Ribble Sportive 7046 as my winter/wet weather bike for around five years now. I only run 25mm Gatorskins, but there is plenty of room for mudguards and standard 105 brakes. It has been a great frame for the money and if push came to shove, I wouldn't loose too much sleep if it had to be my only bike. (Clearly, I am not a racer! :oops: )
A pal of mine has had the dedicated steel winter bike for about the same length of time, and again has had no issues with it what so ever.

Ribble seem to be a bit of a marmite company. I have read posts on here where people have had issues and don't like them, but I have yet to actually meet any owners in the flesh who have anything bad to say about them. And being a poor, norther lad, I have met quite a few!

supermurph09

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

I wouldn't want to ride a heavy steel or alu bike in winter. There are some days where you think 'i need fat tyres and disc brakes" but they are not the norm.

A lightweight alu frame, (Caad12, Canyon Ultimate Al, maybe Trek ALR) is sufficient ideally that can take 28mm tyres and almost full SKS race blades will see you through 95% of an English winter.
Add some enhanced brake track carbon or alu rims and you'll be fine. DT Swiss Oxic or Mavic Exalith but some cheap carbon basalt rims will do the same.

You make a good point about riding a heavy bike all winter. For a long time I've always thought about the Ribble Audax as a second bike, even more so after I saw it in the flesh at the cycle show last year. With the cyclescheme just launched at my place of work I could get one with R8000 on for just under £1k, I'd then think about swapping the R8000 onto my Canyon Ultimate and putting the Ultegra 6800 on the Ribble!

However, a CAAD12 with Tiagra for £750 (less cyclescheme benefit) might give a few more winter smiles. I've messaged Ribble to see if they are going to stock the Audax with the R7000, if they do I might just plump for that and keep the groupset on it.

(sorry to hijack)

keef66

ayjaycee wrote:

Svetty, Well I would agree apart from the fact that I do not believe the Kinesis to be a particularly heavy frame relative to others on the market and I have never felt the need for fat tyres or disc brakes on my road bikes. Also (although they are very personal views) it will be a cold day in hell before I use Raceblades again as I have always found the unsatisfactory to say the least and where carbon rims enter the equation on a winter bike is beyond me (indeed, I have never even considered them for the summer!)

I have 11 years experience riding a Kinesis Tk, which is the grandfather of the 4S. Initially it was to be my only bike, so it had to be winter proof. Rim brakes, Chromoplastics and GP4S tyres. Occasionally the mudguards would come off if we had a dry summer, but most years they stayed on. It will also take a rack if ever I get round to fitting it.

It was designed as a winter trainer, so it's long and low, but also light and racy. It's still a hoot to ride. Summer bike is a CR1-SL, but I reckon I do more miles on the Kinesis most years.

I've watched the evolution of the frameset into the current 4S. Headset is taller and now tapered, cabling internal / Di2, dedicated carbon fork, rim and flat mount disc brake compatible, clearance for wider tyres. Oh, and the paintjobs are much improved.

If mine got flattened tomorrow I'd buy a 4S in a heartbeat.

clubsport

I bought a Kinesis 4S on ebay a few weeks ago to replace my damaged Caad 10.

Early days, so far but I like the ability to take full guards and the non BB30 bottom bracket.

The first secondhand bike I have bought, but I don't need too much £££ tied up in a winter bike and there were deals to be had when it was 30 degrees, nobody cared about winter bikes.

alan_sherman

Clearance for wider tyres and guards is an issue with some of these. The Ribble blue and 525 are 25c max with guards. I think you really need long drop brakes for 25 plus guards to work well.
I think the Decathlon Triban 520 at £500 is a great option allowing 28c with guards. I've been debating whether to get one on Cycle to Work which would be amazing value, or whether to consolidate bikes into a 'one bike to do it all"

keef66

Or if you really want to commit to discs straight away and have just had a small windfall, one of the Masons Cycles framesets??

https://masoncycles.cc/shop/categories/frames

I may have a Resolution frameset as a retirement present. Give me something to build up at my leisure instead of watching Jeremy Kyle and Crap in the Attic. Then I'll grow the beard and have a go at Audax...

shamrock134

I've just taken delivery of a Bowman Pilgrims Disc frame.

A bit more £££ than a 4S but supports thru-axles and less £££ than the Mason frames.

ayjaycee

I think I've talked myself out of the Ribble but into the Kinesis. The only trouble is that the one that I was eyeing up has now been sold so I will have to look out for another - bugger!

rwoofer

Can thoroughly recommend a Genesis Equilibrium as a winter bike. I run mine with GP4S 28mm and SKS Longboard mudguards, just. GP4S are spot on sizewise so something like GP4000s would not fit with mudguards. I rides better than my best bike, but is obviously not as light. In summer i take off the mudguards and run it with 32C tyres as a gravel bike.

ayjaycee

This is just to say thanks for all the responses to my original post. As mentioned above, the Kinesis frame that I was looking at sold before I could get to it but that actually turned out to be a good thing as I have now talked sizing with Kinesis UK and it would appear that it would have been just a little too small for me anyway. Their advice of getting a 57cm prompted me to look again and I have now picked up a 2017 model Kinesis 4S frameset (with original parts kit) at what I consider a good price. I now look forward to getting it next week - should be interesting as I haven't actually built up a complete bike for a lot of years. I think I've got all the parts that I need except for a pair of long drop brakes. That's what my next post is about.

clubsport

Good move, I took my, "new to me" 4S out yesterday. I think I am getting to like it.
It is fairly comfortable, you can definitely feel the weight up steep hills (despite lightish components), but when you put the effort in it picks up really well and is far from slow!

Good luck with the build.