All round bike??

[Metal8]

I'm looking at three bikes for all weather city riding with terrible pot holed roads.
Light to medium touring, not the alps

Canal and off road paths.
Disc brakes and comfy ride.
Budget up to £600 max.

Narrowed it down to three bikes at Edinburgh Bike Co-op:
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/marin-four-corners-16
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/revolution-country-2-16?bct=browse/bicycles/touring-bikes
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/giant-revolt-3-16?bct=browse/bicycles/cyclocross-bikes

Now looking at specifications:
Marin Four Corners looks great apart from the brakes which are Promax. Hadn't heard of them, seem to get bad press.
Sora equiped and 4130 butted chromoly

Revolution, Claris equiped, heavier but great price and Tektro brakes

Giant Revolt. Get past the odd looks and well equiped, no front rack mounts on Carbon forks. Mate has one and it seems a great ride.
Also has Tektro top bar brake levers as well as drop brakes.
I like my 80's bike 'suicide levers' for trimmimg speed on decent's/city roads.

Any thoughts?

Cheers

 

[DCLane]

I'd suggest:

Marin - OK as budget bikes.
Revolution - avoid.
Giant - they're popular and the carbon fork will be better.

Of those I'd suggest the Giant.

 

[Metal8]

I'd suggest:

Marin - OK as budget bikes.
Revolution - avoid.
Giant - they're popular and the carbon fork will be better.

Of those I'd suggest the Giant.

Thanks DCLane.
Bit concerned about the compact frame and the odd placing of the rear rack mounts on the seat stays for fitting a rack.

Interested, why avoid Revolution?

 

[DCLane]

Interested, why avoid Revolution?

Heavy and the ones I've seen, bought via my work's 'Edinburgh Cycles only' C2W scheme have had issues with rust or the non-Shimano components failing quickly.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

See, you come on here asking similar questions and get diametrically opposed advice

 

[Metal8]

See, you come on here asking similar questions and get diamterically opposed advice

Ha ha, caught me

 

[vickster]

I just got one of these, limited stocks of size 53cm

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/end-of-line-bikes/boardman-cx-team-bike-2014

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Ha ha, caught me

No worries, see it often. On balance, given your requirements and the fact you do want to tour, with everything that that entails, I'd think "the other place" might be the way to go.

 

[Pale Rider]

If you fancy the Giant, Thule make a rack designed to fit that type of frame.

Not cheap at about £85, but a mate of mine has one so I can confirm it's a quality item.

https://www.thule.com/en/gb/bike-ac...acks/thule-pack-n-pedal-tour-rack-_-pp_100016

 

[T4tomo]

I'd you want the touring bit, then the Marin is the choice. Comfort of steel plus it has rack mounts front and rear (and mudguard mounts) plus sora 9 spd gruppo. If the brakes are pants you can always upgrade, I cam see them.beung much diff to the tektros

 

[Crackle]

14kg for a touring bike is not heavy. In fact 14kg for a bike is not heavy.

 

[Pale Rider]

The Giant does at least have sensibly low gearing for touring - a mountain triple on the front.

Many CX/cross/gravel bikes have doubles, the smaller ring still being too big for loaded or serious climbing.

Several threads on here from CX owners wanting to lower the gearing, and two of my mates who have CX bikes have done the same.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

The Giant does at least have sensibly low gearing for touring - a mountain triple on the front.

Many CX/cross/gravel bikes have doubles, the smaller ring still being too big for loaded or serious climbing.

Several threads on here from CX owners wanting to lower the gearing, and two of my mates who have CX bikes have done the same.

You say that but I have replaced a chainset like that one my touring bike - the 50 was irrelevant and the 30 not low enough

 

[cyberknight]

This bike is all round ......

 

[Metal8]

I'd you want the touring bit, then the Marin is the choice. Comfort of steel plus it has rack mounts front and rear (and mudguard mounts) plus sora 9 spd gruppo. If the brakes are pants you can always upgrade, I cam see them.beung much diff to the tektros

Indeed!!
Test rode all three today. First Giant then Revolution then the steel one!
Felt like a steel bike, handled great and was so much smoother in the drive train and gearing. Felt right immediately.
Bike Co-op had two left and no more stock available so deposit down, collect on Monday.

Only slight disappointment are the brakes. They do feel more spongy and slightly less powerful than the Giant but not a huge difference than the dual piston Tektro's.
Getting them to fit the extra brake levers for £16 including fitting.

Many thanks to all who replied.
I'll post back with a review/update when I've given it some good mileage.

Cheers