Carbon sportive bike

[Percy]

I want lightweight comfort for long mountain rides, and a bit of style if possible. I'm keen on independent options for something a little different, and a decent bit of service/fit of course (I already own a Hewitt tourer). Here are my main three options - anyone got any others I can look at? Or opinions on these?

Onix Aurious
Dolan Mythos
Hewitt sportive setup

I'm just looking at frame options at the moment - components/wheels I'll worry about later (although I am thinking Ultegra/Ksyrium, out of interest)

Cheers

 

[Rob3rt]

Cannondale Synapse is an option if you want a sportive bike (road bike with tallish headtube).

 

[Sittingduck]

I have a Verenti Millook and it's very comfortable and quite light too. Not really designed for flat out speed but you can ride it all day long in comfort and it climbs like an adventurous chimp.

 

[vickster]

Pearson - 2011 Pave or the 2012 Iamnotanumber (although not sure only as a frameset)

http://www.pearsoncycles.co.uk/store/product/24776/Pearson-Pavé-Frame-540mm/

http://www.pearsoncycles.co.uk/store/product/40412/Pearson-ImNotANumber/

The Dolan Mythos is a grand at the mo with Ultegra - edit, the offer seems to have ended at the weekend

 

[P.H]

The Dolan Mythos is a grand at the mo with Ultegra

Is that on offer somewhere? Please say yes and show me where!
It's £1,350 on the website.

 

[vickster]

Yes...

Oh, it was...must have finished yesterday...

 

[StuAff]

What's your budget? All three of those you mentioned aren't that different, in the sense that they're from the usual Far Eastern frame makers.

 

[HLaB]

I own a Bianchi 928 C2C, the coast 2 coast series was Bianchi's relaxed geometry sportive bike when I bought it, the bike's no slouch though

 

[Percy]

What's your budget? All three of those you mentioned aren't that different, in the sense that they're from the usual Far Eastern frame makers.

I don't have a particular budget - I'm prepared to pay more for quality, if it's justified. Do you have other suggestions?

What are the implications of them all being from the 'usual Far Eastern frame makers'?

 

[StuAff]

All I meant was that they're not 'independent' in the sense that they, like so many other bike brands of all sizes, get their product from the far east, and the same factories often supply the exact same frame to different brands. The Hewitt Alpine Carbon frame is, for example, also sold by Surosa, and I think Pearson as well. I'm certainly not disparaging the quality, Dolan and Hewitt are well established and Onix seem to be following suit. And if it's what you want at the price you want to pay, no-one here will argue. But 'something a little different'...not really.

 

[Percy]

All I meant was that they're not 'independent' in the sense that they, like so many other bike brands of all sizes, get their product from the far east, and the same factories often supply the exact same frame to different brands. The Hewitt Alpine Carbon frame is, for example, also sold by Surosa, and I think Pearson as well. I'm certainly not disparaging the quality, Dolan and Hewitt are well established and Onix seem to be following suit. And if it's what you want at the price you want to pay, no-one here will argue. But 'something a little different'...not really.

What would you suggest, in that case, for something truly 'a little different'?

 

[Rob3rt]

If you really want something different, you will want to contact some boutique brand, many of which exist, but very few I can remember since they are so particularly uncommon and you will pay accordingly.

If you just want a bike that isn't your typical Specialized as piloted by the majority of cyclists, then there are many brands that are less common, Colnago, Cervelo, Cinelli, Look, etc

 

[StuAff]

If you really want something different, you will want to contact some boutique brand, many of which exist, but very few I can remember since they are so particularly uncommon and you will pay accordingly.

If you just want a bike that isn't your typical Specialized as piloted by the majority of cyclists, then there are many brands that are less common, Colnago, Cervelo, Cinelli, Look, etc

+1. Time, Storck, Orbea...(to name but three) all do off-the-peg frames that would possibly suit but are rarer. If you want something truly bespoke- i.e. custom fit and possibly geometry to boot- you'll pay much more. For example: Viner do custom fit carbon from in the region of £1500 for frameset only, though they currently seem to have no UK distribution. Formigli frame sets (available from Comtat & Le Beau Velo among others) start at £2k for made to measure. You'll have more bespoke/custom options if you include steel and titanium.

 

[Percy]

OK, thanks. My motivation to look at independent options was really so I can get a more tailored build, rather than simply wanting a 'different' bike. The experience of buying my tourer from Hewitt taught me the benefit of that so I guess I'm after something similar - not necessarily a 'unique' frame or entirely custom machine, but a collection of components put together to specifically suit the ride I want. Hewitt does it well, as I've said, and I believe the other two I mentioned do also (Dolan and Onix). I was just after some others in a similar vein to consider.

 

[Rob3rt]

You could buy any frame you want, decide on components you want for the build, talk it over with the LBS if you are not sure of what will work and what wont, then buy all the bits and have a LBS build it up for you. Or build it yourself, if you feel competent enough.