Ride To Work Scheme - New Bike or Components

fusionsplice

Afternoon All,
After giving up commuting by bike about 19 months ago and selling my bikes (due to two drivers deciding me and my bike would look better on our side in the middle of a road)...I have decided that Southeastern is so awful (and costs me £12.80 per day) that the bike is the only really viable commute.

So I have dusted off an old Orbea Asphalt bike my dad gave me a fair old while back, but it needs work as I used it as a back up bike as I had a nice shiny Carbon Fibre one, so did the bare minimum to it.

Anyway essentially it needs a new saddle, new groupset and all cables (apart from brake calipers - they are relatively new), but that little lot is likely to set me back about £500+ all on the old frame.

So I have two questions:

1. Is is really worth it or should I just find a decent bike and get it on the Ride-to-work scheme?
2. If it is worth doing the works - how do I know what is compatible with my frame? (I think I can buy the components on the same scheme which seems sensible)

I should also note I am not a DIYer, so would need to add cost for getting it all fitted too.

Any help or advice greatly appreciated.

FS

lakesluddite

Well if you want to stick to the old frame, I'd try and get decent second hand components if I were you - plenty out there that will be far less than £500. You could probably get a half decent second hand full bike for that.

Of course these days there is a good choice of carbon framed bikes at around the upper CTW limit (although I don't think the £1000 limit exists any more does it?).
Eg: https://www.cyclerepublic.com/boardman- ... -2019.html

https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-r872/

keef66

+^ It's easy to get carried away with buying new kit for an old frame, and you end up paying nearly as much as a complete new bike would've cost, but you've still got an old bike.

So tart up the old bike cheaply using Ebay bargains, or get a whole new bike on CTW

If I was considering a commuting bike I'd want fatter tyres, proper mudguards, hydraulic discs.

shimanobottombracket

keef66 wrote:

+^ It's easy to get carried away with buying new kit for an old frame, and you end up paying nearly as much as a complete new bike would've cost, but you've still got an old bike.

So tart up the old bike cheaply using Ebay bargains, or get a whole new bike on CTW

If I was considering a commuting bike I'd want fatter tyres, proper mudguards, hydraulic discs.

I already do commute by bike, just not everyday. I also recommend fatter tyres, fitter women, proper mudguards and disc brakes. Not necessarily hydros altho they are definitely better. F'k rim brakes, they suck in the wet. For regular commuting get a rear rack and panniers and a decent lock. All gets expensive as f'k but still cheaper and less miserable than driving. One big reason drivers are arsy is because cars cost a lot of money, only to be stuck in a traffic jam. That would make Santa Claws go mental, not that he has that problem because of the flying slay thingy.