grahamjenks
New Member
I've signed up to cycle to work (£800 vouchers) and am looking to get something I can cycle to work with a couple of days a week- about 14 miles all on roads/transpennine trail and also use at weekends/evenings for keeping fit and rides with friends if I get quick enough.
I've seen a few adventure road bikes/gravel bikes/cylcocross bikes and am a bit at a loss as to the best option.
I've worked out a few must haves:
I'd like some money from the £800 worth of vouches to at least buy a Helmet (what's sensible , £30?), Mudguards (£30), Lights (£20), other bits and pieces I'm happy to add more (I know I'll need some decent kit etc but can add this over the next few months).
I've got a few options but each seems to have draw backs!
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/fuji/tread-11-2015-adventure-road-bike-ec069179 - Fuji Tread 1.1 - ticks most boxes but a bit heavy and older Tiagra.
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/norco/threshold-a2-2015-cyclocross-bike-ec072588#features - Norco Threshold A2 2015 - similar to above
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/gt/grade-tiagra-2015-adventure-road-bike-ec070840#features GT Grade Tiagra - assume this is 4600, can't find much info about it
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/pinnacle/arkose-two-2015-adventure-road-bike-ec071306 Pinnacles Arkose 2 - Seems high spec but only 10 speed - will this give me less flexibility?
http://www.evanscycles.com/products...ra-disc-2015-cyclocross-bike-ec071033#answers Cannondale Caadx Tiagra 2015 - Is this a more premium brand, am I just paying for the name (probably hard to get one that fits as well as out of stock for all but the small size).
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/norco/search-s2-2015-adventure-road-bike-ec072576 - Norco Search S2 2015 - 105 Group - 11kg, does mudguards, are Hayes CX any good?
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/eastway-cx20-105-2015/ Easyway CX2.0 105 - 105 Groupset again is a bonus, lower quality brakes
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/kona-jake-2015/ Kona Jake 2015 - Gets good reviews, again older groups,
As you can tell I've looked through plenty of options, am I being too fussy, have a I missed an obvious bargain or feature to consider?
Is now the right time to be buying, looks like lots of 2015 bikes are reduced, but are 2016 bikes just around the corner that might include a greater range with the new Tiagra groupset?
If anyone has experience of any of the above it'd be great to hear.
Thanks
I've seen a few adventure road bikes/gravel bikes/cylcocross bikes and am a bit at a loss as to the best option.
I've worked out a few must haves:
- Mudguard mounts , front and back, this is essential if I'm going to use it to get to work. Racks aren't quite as essential as I leave stuff at work, but would be helpful.
- Groupset at least Tiagra feels reasonable for the money I'm looking at. (ideally 4700 version as it seems to be decent improvement over the now quite old 4600) - I have to be honest I've not got my head round the SRAM equivalents yet so there might be options I've not looked at yet.
- Disc brakes - I've been put off Avid BB5s from a bit of reading online, so BB7 or TRP Styre (which seem to get excellent write ups) seem like good options. Are Hayes Comp any good, any other good disc brakes to look out for in this price range?
- Weight to be reasonable - less than 11kg? (Which I guess means Carbon Forks and a reasonable group set). The thinking here is if I want to get out on the roads in the future with Friends (nothing too serious) who road bike then I don't want to be too far behind because I'm on a bike 3/4 kg heavier.
I'd like some money from the £800 worth of vouches to at least buy a Helmet (what's sensible , £30?), Mudguards (£30), Lights (£20), other bits and pieces I'm happy to add more (I know I'll need some decent kit etc but can add this over the next few months).
I've got a few options but each seems to have draw backs!
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/fuji/tread-11-2015-adventure-road-bike-ec069179 - Fuji Tread 1.1 - ticks most boxes but a bit heavy and older Tiagra.
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/norco/threshold-a2-2015-cyclocross-bike-ec072588#features - Norco Threshold A2 2015 - similar to above
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/gt/grade-tiagra-2015-adventure-road-bike-ec070840#features GT Grade Tiagra - assume this is 4600, can't find much info about it
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/pinnacle/arkose-two-2015-adventure-road-bike-ec071306 Pinnacles Arkose 2 - Seems high spec but only 10 speed - will this give me less flexibility?
http://www.evanscycles.com/products...ra-disc-2015-cyclocross-bike-ec071033#answers Cannondale Caadx Tiagra 2015 - Is this a more premium brand, am I just paying for the name (probably hard to get one that fits as well as out of stock for all but the small size).
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/norco/search-s2-2015-adventure-road-bike-ec072576 - Norco Search S2 2015 - 105 Group - 11kg, does mudguards, are Hayes CX any good?
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/eastway-cx20-105-2015/ Easyway CX2.0 105 - 105 Groupset again is a bonus, lower quality brakes
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/kona-jake-2015/ Kona Jake 2015 - Gets good reviews, again older groups,
As you can tell I've looked through plenty of options, am I being too fussy, have a I missed an obvious bargain or feature to consider?
Is now the right time to be buying, looks like lots of 2015 bikes are reduced, but are 2016 bikes just around the corner that might include a greater range with the new Tiagra groupset?
If anyone has experience of any of the above it'd be great to hear.
Thanks