Winter frameset

craigus89

I’m fed up of my constant bodging of the mudguards onto my old defy using zip ties. I had my second roadside abandon of a busted mudguard last night which was the final straw. It isn’t suitable for me as a winter and commuting bike.

I’m after a frameset that I can transfer everything over to that has better clearance for proper mudguards, rim brakes and 25 tyres – preferably 28’s but may be a stretch with rim brakes.

Does anyone know if the Dolan RDX frameset will accept rim brakes?

I don’t want a Genesis, and I’d love a Kinesis 4S but at that price I would probably just as soon get a whole bike and keep the defy as a spare.

Any other suggestions for around £350?

asprilla

Craigus89 wrote:

Does anyone know if the Dolan RDX frameset will accept rim brakes?

RDX doesn't but the Prefissio does. And it's currently only £199.

keef66

If you're a shortarse like me somebody on here is selling a pristine 4S disc frameset in a size 51 and asking £275 delivered

alan_sherman

If you have access to cycle to work then it'd be hard to ignore the decthlon triban 520 or 500. A whole bike would be the cost of a frame outside of the cycle to work scheme.

craigus89

Asprilla wrote:

Craigus89 wrote:

Does anyone know if the Dolan RDX frameset will accept rim brakes?

RDX doesn't but the Prefissio does. And it's currently only £199.

Nice, does it actually take 25's with full guards do you know?

My defy does apparently, but can guarantee you it doesn't!

asprilla

Craigus89 wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

Craigus89 wrote:

Does anyone know if the Dolan RDX frameset will accept rim brakes?

RDX doesn't but the Prefissio does. And it's currently only £199.

Nice, does it actually take 25's with full guards do you know?

My defy does apparently, but can guarantee you it doesn't!

The first sentence on the page says it will take 28s with full guards.

https://www.dolan-bikes.com/dolan-preff ... meset.html

A quick google of 'dolan preffisio tyre clearance' shows loads of folks saying they are running 25s with full guards and there is still room.

The one thing I don't know is if needs long drop brakes.

craigus89

They're out of stock in anything bigger than a 52cm frame, I'd need a 56cm. Emailed them and they said a new model will be launched later in the year but no news of when.

Back to the drawing board.

Unless I went with the Dual which is carbon and only slightly over budget, not sure what the real world clearances are though.

clubsport

Craigus89 wrote:

They're out of stock in anything bigger than a 52cm frame, I'd need a 56cm. Emailed them and they said a new model will be launched later in the year but no news of when.

Back to the drawing board.

Unless I went with the Dual which is carbon and only slightly over budget, not sure what the real world clearances are though.

I have a rim brake 4S, I bought it secondhand last summer when nobody was thinking of winter bikes.

As for size, I ride a 56 Madone & Cervelo,,, it turns out my 4S is a 57cm.

I understand the 4S is available in either 55.5 or 57cm, just in case you are struggling to find one in 56cm.

A good frame by the way and for me a perfect winter bike with full SKS guards and 25mm 4 Season tyres.

craigus89

Yeah I like the 4s, but the frameset being £750 I feel I just as well pay a few hundred quid more for a whole bike and keep the Defy as a spare/crit bike.

bobones

Craigus89 wrote:

They're out of stock in anything bigger than a 52cm frame, I'd need a 56cm. Emailed them and they said a new model will be launched later in the year but no news of when.

Back to the drawing board.

Unless I went with the Dual which is carbon and only slightly over budget, not sure what the real world clearances are though.

I have a Dual and 25mm and mudguards is no problem. R7000 calipers work fine so long reach not mandatory. The ride is very smooth and the fully equipped the bike comes in at around 8.5 kg, I love mine!

viewtopic.php?f=40044&t=13095302

craigus89

Another option is a Kinesis T3, by the time you've got the fork, headset etc its only just shy of £500.

I do like them though. I wonder if I should just stump up for a 4S frame though and stop overthinking it. Quite fancy a pink one...

rupert-4s-disc-3 by Craigus89, on Flickr

wotnoshoeseh

Craigus89 wrote:

Yeah I like the 4s, but the frameset being £750 I feel I just as well pay a few hundred quid more for a whole bike and keep the Defy as a spare/crit bike.

Keep an eye on eBay. I recently bought a good 54 4S rim brake frame for just over £130 including postage.

pilot_pete

I bought a cyclocross bike which had cable disc brakes and mudguard mounts in 2012. Last winter I put new 105 hydraulic groupset on. It has been my winter bike since 2012 and was in my opinion a bargain at £1100 back then. Obviously I’ve spent on it since then with maintenance and now the new groupset and some hand me down wheels from the summer bike, but it is a banging winter bike. Got a ‘Super Nice’ from GCN recently!



With a cross bike you get the clearance for 28mm tyres easily (wider if you want usually) and a full guard as long as you have the mounts. There are many more option on the market now what with gravel bikes becoming a thing etc. I’d highly recommend hydraulic discs, which are well worth the extra and aluminium is fine for such a frame (my bike feels REALLY heavy, but that’s not a problem for a winter bike).

PP