Drop bar, STI, Disc Brake, rack capable bike

[amasidlover]

Well, my current commuter is coming to the end of its life (as my commuting bike anyway...); looking like needing new STIs, cassette, chain, frame respray and rack bosses repairing/replacing. So I want something that has:

• Drop bars
• Disc brakes
• Rack mounting points (and mudguard points)
• 'Proper' STIs, i.e., not with the silly thumb shifter.
• Dynamo lights
• Double leg kick-stand

Same or lower gearing than my current 28 x 28 lowest gear (for pulling a loaded trailer)
I'm aware the last 3 are pretty much not going to be available as standard with anything that has drop-bars and STIs, but I need something that I can afford to do these to and it is possible to do them to.

In terms of budget; I'd love to get under £500, but think that is unrealistic - in practice I'd be looking at getting the whole lot on cycle scheme so the total spend (including replacement front wheel to be compatible with existing lights) would have to be under £1000.

My short list so far is:
Revolution Cross Sport '13
Norco Threshold A2
Genesis 2014 CdF
Planet X Kaffenback 2 2014
Specialized Tricross (in some guise - I'll test ride it, but it looks poor value for money on paper...)

and if I come in to money suddenly ... Genesis 01 Alfine DI2

So, is there anything else I should be looking at?

 

[Adam Parker]

Really like the PlanetX.... I have the carbon PlanetX XLS cyclocross... Good gear, and a British brand
Adam

 

[tribanjules]

got the revolution cross sport - very happy with it indeed.a real go-anywhere bike - pop more road orientated tyres on and some crudcatchers then off you go

 

[vickster]

@Leodis had a poor experience with the kaffenback

I'd add a deal on a 2013 whyte cx to the list. Cyclesurgery had some reductions

I am going to build a genesis equilibrium in the new year, another gb brand

 

[Leodis]

The Kaffenback was a nice ride overall but I wasnt impressed with the BB7 brakes. The main thing was me coming from Hydr discs on my commute to a set of Mech brakes which imho needed faffing around with each week and sometimes each day.

I thought the reflective decals made it look cheap and the steel for the frame wasnt the highest standard. When mine arrived I thought the rear was out of true so took it to Evans and it turned out to have a flat spot which they mainly fixed but was still out of true slightly. I had ordered the carbon post for £25, it was set at the lowest setting que raising post with a couple of nice scratches right down it (they did replace the post). Also must point out, the paint job marks really easy due to the matt finish.

Overall it wasnt a bad bike overall, the service from PX was great but it wasnt for me. I used cyclescheme so paid an extra £87 due to some upgrades and I really didnt think the bike was worth the £965 I was getting it for (though minus the tax & NI).

If I was you I would go with either the Narco or CDF.

My next one is either the Whyte Sterling, Eastway FB 2.0 or the Specialized Sirrus Comp Disc, flat bars and hydr discs for me in future in my quest to be a urban cycling warrior

 

[ianrauk]

The Kaffenback was a nice ride overall but I wasnt impressed with the BB7 brakes. The main thing was me coming from Hydr discs on my commute to a set of Mech brakes which imho needed faffing around with each week and sometimes each day.

Blimey, the BB7's are usually rated & reviewed the top cable pull disc brakes available.
The ones I have on my commute bike need very little, if any adjustment. Certainly never on a weekly basis. Only just to tighten a little as the pads wear.

 

[Leodis]

To get the bite I wanted rather than the the brake lever feel like a sponge and to stop the constant rubbing when set 1mm from inner pad, too much bother for me, give me hydr discs which need little messing with and work so much better in the wet. There is a Whyte CX bike which now has hydr discs but its £1300 I think, Whyte Saxon Cross.

Overall I wasnt impressed but I was coming from hydr disc but if you moved from rim to mech brakes they would be a cracking set of brakes in the wet

 

[amasidlover]

Interesting replies so far; I've been browsing reviews and do have some concerns about some of the lower end disc brakes specced on some of the models. I currently have a Sturmey Archer XL-FDD on the front (hub brake/dynamo) and cantilever brakes on the back with Koolstop salmon pads and the rim brakes are just hopeless in the wet compared to the hub brakes. I'm hoping that even mechanical discs will be closer to the hub brake than the rim brakes...

I've also added a couple more to my short list:
Charge Plug 3
Trek Crossrip Comp
Revolution Cross Pro
Unfortunately Cyclesurgery don't seem to have anything other than 51cm in the Whyte Charing Cross (I'd need a 54 or 56).

 

[vickster]

There might be other Whyte retailers if you Google

 

[tribanjules]

my revolution cross sport was just over £600 so well within cycle to work scheme

 

[amasidlover]

For various reasons I'm no longer quite so tightly tied to a £1000 limit and have found quite a lot more bikes that fit the bill. I've started test riding and so far have tried:

1) Genesis Croix de Fer 2014 - Certainly an attractive bike and comfortable, but a very 'languid' ride; I felt I could have ridden one day in day out, but wouldn't have had much fun...

2) Specialized Secteur - much 'livelier' front end, but still didn't feel like it had much 'get up and go' (at least compared to my Klein mountain bike which is a bike that feels like it just wants to be ridden fast with instant reaction to any acceleration...)

3) Trek Crossrip Elite - I wasn't expecting much of this (it looked dull and had very little written about it), and although it wasn't as 'nimble' as the Secteur it felt lighter and quicker to ride - although I still wasn't wowed by it.

Other things I observed; Tiagra 2014 is very smooth, Sora 9 speed is OK and Sora 8-speed is really quite clunky... All of the bikes felt like they put me in a very upright position (although all of them had a few headset spacers that could have been removed).

So I think I need to test ride a few more bikes - this may be a slow process as its taken 5 weeks to find the first dry, daylight hour where I didn't have to be doing something else (and that wasn't on a Sunday...) I think something more racy may be required, my current list of bikes to try and get test rides on is:

1) Cannondale Synapse 105 disc
2) Giant TCX SLR 2 2014
3) Whyte Sussex/Dorset/Suffolk
4) Revolution Cross Pro

 

[atomic]

I've been looking for pretty much the same bike: http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/new-bike-for-c2w-cx-or-touring.146687/

Most of the bikes I found you've already noted, but I also saw the 'Focus Mares AX 5.0' in my LBS which is an interesting option...
http://www.focus-bikes.com/gb/en/bikes/2014/cyclocross/mares-ax/mares-ax-50.html

 

[Peteaud]

For various reasons I'm no longer quite so tightly tied to a £1000 limit and have found quite a lot more bikes that fit the bill. I've started test riding and so far have tried:

1) Genesis Croix de Fer 2014 - Certainly an attractive bike and comfortable, but a very 'languid' ride; I felt I could have ridden one day in day out, but wouldn't have had much fun...

2) Specialized Secteur - much 'livelier' front end, but still didn't feel like it had much 'get up and go' (at least compared to my Klein mountain bike which is a bike that feels like it just wants to be ridden fast with instant reaction to any acceleration...)

3) Trek Crossrip Elite - I wasn't expecting much of this (it looked dull and had very little written about it), and although it wasn't as 'nimble' as the Secteur it felt lighter and quicker to ride - although I still wasn't wowed by it.

Other things I observed; Tiagra 2014 is very smooth, Sora 9 speed is OK and Sora 8-speed is really quite clunky... All of the bikes felt like they put me in a very upright position (although all of them had a few headset spacers that could have been removed).

So I think I need to test ride a few more bikes - this may be a slow process as its taken 5 weeks to find the first dry, daylight hour where I didn't have to be doing something else (and that wasn't on a Sunday...) I think something more racy may be required, my current list of bikes to try and get test rides on is:

1) Cannondale Synapse 105 disc
2) Giant TCX SLR 2 2014
3) Whyte Sussex/Dorset/Suffolk
4) Revolution Cross Pro

I have the Synapse 105 Disc on order.

And it is available at under the £1000 mark.

 

[amasidlover]

I have the Synapse 105 Disc on order.

And it is available at under the £1000 mark.

I'd be interested to hear what you think of it - plus where have you seen it under £1000? It seems to be coming up at £1099 from all the usual suspects and Google...

 

[amasidlover]

I've been looking for pretty much the same bike: http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/new-bike-for-c2w-cx-or-touring.146687/

Most of the bikes I found you've already noted, but I also saw the 'Focus Mares AX 5.0' in my LBS which is an interesting option...
http://www.focus-bikes.com/gb/en/bikes/2014/cyclocross/mares-ax/mares-ax-50.html

Added to my long list, thank you - its now standing at 40 bikes (!); it seems to be a lucrative market and more and more manufacturers seem to be getting in to the multi-use/commuter market. In fact I'm seeing lots more people out commuting on drop bar bikes on my own commute in the last few months...