Find me a new bike

[Serge]

Now that IS nice! It actually looks like a proper bike, which is more than be said for 99% of what is currently on offer.

I agree, that is a beautiful looking bike. It looks like it deserves Sophia Loren perched on the handlebars.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I agree, that is a beautiful looking bike. It looks like it deserves Sophia Loren perched on the handlebars.

If you perched Sophia Loren on it, I wouldn't notice (or care) how aesthetically pleasing the bike was. My attention would be distracted elsewhere!

 

[Sandra6]

Maybe I'm reading a different message but nothing in the OP is saying "sports" to me! However, the only bikes at treads which are steel, racked and hub geared are the expensive Pashleys which are over budget and I'm not sure about the aluminium alternatives like the bobbin brownie (needs extra rack) and Raleigh Fern plus it looks like there's only step throughs in budget. Maybe they're there and I'm just not seeing them but it'd help to know what brands the independents stock. Gazelle, perhaps?

I'm not sure what you mean by "sports"? I do love a nice Pashley, and I've seen a few cute bobbin bikes, but they're not really suited to the length, incline and speed I need to do the commute in. Or may be I'm not suited to doing it on one.
@Serge You'll do for me as a personal shopper I really like the look of the cube.
Not at all keen on the look of either of the cheaper bikes to be honest, but I'm a bit of a snob.

 

[rivers]

My wife has an older and slightly cheaper model of this: https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-neon-3-2018-hybrid-bike-EV275612

She uses it a couple of times a week for a short commute through town, and we go off several times a month on all day adventures. Has rack and mud guard fittings.

 

[Serge]

I'm not sure what you mean by "sports"? I do love a nice Pashley, and I've seen a few cute bobbin bikes, but they're not really suited to the length, incline and speed I need to do the commute in. Or may be I'm not suited to doing it on one.
@Serge You'll do for me as a personal shopper I really like the look of the cube.
Not at all keen on the look of either of the cheaper bikes to be honest, but I'm a bit of a snob.

Always at your service ma'am.

 

[mjr]

I'm not sure what you mean by "sports"? I do love a nice Pashley, and I've seen a few cute bobbin bikes, but they're not really suited to the length, incline and speed I need to do the commute in. Or may be I'm not suited to doing it on one.

Serge seemed to be recommending a "sports hybrid" from Tredz.

What length, incline and speed do you need to do the commute in? 6 miles and 20 miles (the distances mentioned so far) are nothing to roadsters. Even I'd concede they're not as easy to accelerate as a full-on road bike (but they're far more comfortable), but there's not much to choose between them and many hybrids in that regard. I think most roadsters would beat hybrids for comfort and ease of maintenance.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Serge seemed to be recommending a "sports hybrid" from Tredz....
6 miles and 20 miles (the distances mentioned so far) are nothing to roadsters. Even I'd concede they're not as easy to accelerate as a full-on road bike (but they're far more comfortable), but there's not much to choose between them and many hybrids in that regard. I think most roadsters would beat hybrids for comfort and ease of maintenance.

The hybrid is really just a development of the old sports roadster, but with derailleur gears. Come to think of it, a lot of early fully rigid MTB's have frames whose geometry has come straight from a sports roadster or traditional Tourer. you can see that in the slack head tube angles.
The main reason traditional roadsters were rather heavy is they almost always had steel rimmed wheels fitted along with pressed steel mudguards. If those bits are substituted with lighter alloy wheels and chromo-plastic mudguards there's a substantial instant weight reduction. Build the frame out of double-butted tubing rather than plain gauge steel and you save at least another pound.
The main downside of the traditional roadster was the 3-speed gears, because the overall gearing was rather high and the gaps between the ratios rather large. That means hills are a hard slog and it's difficult to optimise cadence. If the 3-speed hub gear is replaced by something with 5 or 6 closer-spaced gears and the top gear is kept under 90 inches, those disadvantages disappear plus you get the durability benefit of not having a derailleur mech hanging down where it can get bashed. I've often thought that if the rear wheel on my Reynolds 501 framed Raleigh Pioneer was replaced by one fitted with a 5 speed hub gear, essentially it would become a lightweight sports roadster with decent gradient climbing abilities.

 

[Sandra6]

Weve done the rounds of bikebshops today - evans, wheelbase, bike trek, kmb and scotby cycles. There really arent alot of flat bar bikes on offer. But ive narrowed it down to the Whyte r 7 just because it was shocking pink and looked awesome. Specialized sirrus because it's well below budget and the diverge because it's beautiful.
Only thing is the diverge has a " road" profile with a drop bar and I'm not sure I'm confident with braking in that position.
Test rides are next on the list

 

[vickster]

Weve done the rounds of bikebshops today - evans, wheelbase, bike trek, kmb and scotby cycles. There really arent alot of flat bar bikes on offer. But ive narrowed it down to the Whyte r 7 just because it was shocking pink and looked awesome. Specialized sirrus because it's well below budget and the diverge because it's beautiful.
Only thing is the diverge has a " road" profile with a drop bar and I'm not sure I'm confident with braking in that position.
Test rides are next on the list

If the Diverge has rim brakes or mechanical discs, you can add crosslever brakes

 

[Blue Hills]

Now that IS nice! It actually looks like a proper bike, which is more than be said for 99% of what is currently on offer.

I agree absolutely. Good folks cinelli. Their tourer has a square taper bb.

I think the OP would be better off with a flat bar though from what they have said.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Halfords = Boardman Team bike,excellent bikes thou the whyte @vickster mentioned is a good choice.
The Boardman will take a rack and guards easily. And sensible money

 

[mustang1]

Giant Rapid 1 is £900 but I think they have one model down which is closer to your price. The reason I like the One is Shimano hydro disk brakes .