If I found the money for a bike, what would you advise?

[Time Waster]

TL: DR version (main post to come).

What bike would you recommend for me to get? It needs to be a commuter, leisure solo riding on roads, potential for gravel trails, and potential to tour on should we ever decide to do that again (depends on IF son can be pursuaded on that again). Commuter use is with a rucksack and via train in the middle. This is 2 minutes ride to the station then 40 odd on the train (on a quiet route outside of serious peak times) then a 10 minutes ride to work site. This is in all weathers at all times of the year.

Budget is not set at anything as it is a query to find out what is out there that is worth it for these uses. Money is not free but if I have to go up to £2k it will be hard but I might. More likely less. So you could say anything from say £650 that my current bike cost up to say £1500 if that is what you have to pay for say a Genesis Croix de fer or tour de fer that I once thought I wanted when we were still touring as a family every summer.

 

[Time Waster]

I have had my PlanetX London Road for many years now and it is getting a little creaky (matches me someone in the back shouts!!). Well, it has had a hard life over the years due to how I use it. Except for a period when I needed a Brompton to get on a train to get home I have used it for commuting all year round, road leisure riding, gravel track young child family riding, towing a child trailer (on the road and offroad too on trails like the Eskdale offroad cycle trail) and family cycle tour as the main load carrier!! Oh I also took it on blue bike park trails (and the red skills track at the likes of Gisburn forest park, possibly tried the black skills trail there for part way then walked it). On top of that I have had accidents following sabotage by someone unidentified at work where the rear wheel went flying off and I skidded on the gear hanger and big chainring along the road with my back wheel trailing behind on the snapped chain that had snagged to the wheel and my rear derailleur. Also a few grooves put into my carbon forks through wear (before I found out about helicopter tape). Plus a numerous other hard wear uses I have put it through.

So part of me thinks I could possibly be close to having had my money's worth out of that bike and perhaps I could justify a new bike for my do it all use.

This means I want a drop barred bike (fixed requirement as in non-negotiable). I want it to be able to be a nice road bike that can be used offroad to some degrees. Potential to tour but ideally not a touring bike as it will mostly be used unloaded as opposed to the possibility we go back to cycle touring. It is a pipe dream right now though. I will use it to mixed mode commmuting so a short ride to and from the station in all weathers. As in 2 minutes there and 10 minutes into work. I ride on roads near me (south Cumbria so roads are iffy at times). I might take it on gravel tracks too. A one bike to do it all almost I would say.

PS I am getting into mountain biking, as in the intention for one family trip a month with the whole family to Grizedale or Whinlatter at first but the aim is to go on normal trails cross country after learning my MTB skills (wide bars are not natural after riding a drop bar bike for 44 years). This will end up changing from hire bikes to a cheap secondhand bike (can get a reasonable hardtail for £500-600 I reckon). This is not a factor in this post as I will get the MTB at some point but this question is about finding what the bike sector is like now for the main uses. I am not sure IF I will go ahead I just want to find out what might suit should I end up deciding to go ahead.

 

[steveindenmark]

I would not buy a Genesis. Its the only bike I have sold in years.

I would buy a Koga world Traveller if you can find one in your price range.

They are excellent for everything.

 

[PaulSB]

Take a look at Kinesis. I ride an ATR-V3 which would be outside your budget. I use it as a gravel and winter bike. It would be very suitable for touring, commuter and summer road riding.

Kinesis have a range of bikes/frames at lower cost which might suit your purpose.

 

[vickster]

Spa Elan in Steel (and a second hand hard tail)

 

[Time Waster]

I would not buy a Genesis. Its the only bike I have sold in years.

I would buy a Koga world Traveller if you can find one in your price range.

They are excellent for everything.

No UK dealer so would rule it out. One thing, even the classic is 17.5kg, the new version is 20kg. That is just the bike!! The lighter one has a max rider and load capacity of 120kg or 180kg with the new version due to the rear rack being integrated into the frame.

I am not a tourer so that is overkill resulting in unloaded weight. I know my Brompton is heavier than my road bike and is very sluggish which I admit is probably due to the small wheels but the weight is not helping I reckon. I would prefer lighter and more responsive personally. The touring side is a potential requirement later on or might never be realised. So TBH I am not really looking for a tourer just one that to a limited and compromised extent be used for touring. My London Road bike was such a bike, although I reckon the modern gravel bikes now come with fork mounting points that my old bike never did. So now I think a decent gravel bike might be better than a dedicated tourer.

Of course Koga do other bikes too, just all with flat bars. Just realised that!! I don't get on well with flat bars for my main bike. Did have one for 6 months until some toerag did me a huge favour and stole it!! I then got the drop barred road bike thingy. I use 'thingy' as I do not know if the PX London Road is a true road bike, adventure road bike or gravel bike by modern bike differentiation standards. It was sold as a road onto other terrain bikes when I got it which was why I got it. That was when there was a rumour of adventure road and gravel terms coming in, but then they called it a road / CX capable bike IIRC. Now that is possibly a gravel bike. BTW there is a flat barred bike being sold as a gravel bike. I thought gravel bikes had drop bars and mountain bikes or hybrids had flat bars. I am not up to date on bike differentiations.

 

[Time Waster]

Spa Elan in Steel (and a second hand hard tail)

The secondhand hard tail is in the future that is for certain. We have only managed one of our monthly family trips but my partner had to walk the dog instead as dog sitting parents were out for that day and our other backups were busy. Since then we have had other dog sitting issues so we are almost into two months since last trip. I think once we get into a rhythm for going once a month and it becomes routine i think then I will consider looking for a secondhand MTB.

With hardtail, do you mean XC, traIL, enduro or what? What type of MTB is best for a 196cm tall man to use when riding at trail centres and then expanding into Lake District offroad routes?

 

[steveindenmark]

No UK dealer so would rule it out. One thing, even the classic is 17.5kg, the new version is 20kg. That is just the bike!! The lighter one has a max rider and load capacity of 120kg or 180kg with the new version due to the rear rack being integrated into the frame.

I am not a tourer so that is overkill resulting in unloaded weight. I know my Brompton is heavier than my road bike and is very sluggish which I admit is probably due to the small wheels but the weight is not helping I reckon. I would prefer lighter and more responsive personally. The touring side is a potential requirement later on or might never be realised. So TBH I am not really looking for a tourer just one that to a limited and compromised extent be used for touring. My London Road bike was such a bike, although I reckon the modern gravel bikes now come with fork mounting points that my old bike never did. So now I think a decent gravel bike might be better than a dedicated tourer.

Of course Koga do other bikes too, just all with flat bars. Just realised that!! I don't get on well with flat bars for my main bike. Did have one for 6 months until some toerag did me a huge favour and stole it!! I then got the drop barred road bike thingy. I use 'thingy' as I do not know if the PX London Road is a true road bike, adventure road bike or gravel bike by modern bike differentiation standards. It was sold as a road onto other terrain bikes when I got it which was why I got it. That was when there was a rumour of adventure road and gravel terms coming in, but then they called it a road / CX capable bike IIRC. Now that is possibly a gravel bike. BTW there is a flat barred bike being sold as a gravel bike. I thought gravel bikes had drop bars and mountain bikes or hybrids had flat bars. I am not up to date on bike differentiations.

Its odd that there is no UK dealer. Mark Beaumont does all his record rides on Kogas.
I am fortunate to live in Denmark, where we have dealers.

 

[MichaelW2]

I would not use an expensive bike for that commute. An old but decent hybrid/mtb with no suspension and Marathon Plus tyres would do the job. Front dynohub ( compatable with your tourer) would be ideal.
Train commuting is quite a different "use case" to a bit of Euro touring.

 

[All uphill]

I would not use an expensive bike for that commute. An old but decent hybrid/mtb with no suspension and Marathon Plus tyres would do the job. Front dynohub ( compatable with your tourer) would be ideal.
Train commuting is quite a different "use case" to a bit of Euro touring.

I like a 1990s steel bike for commuting and touring.

Here's my Marin.

 

[wafter]

A lot of boxes to tick there and probably some compromises to be made on features given the wide range of applications...

Personally I would (and did) buy a Genesis Croix.. although there are caveats. IMO they make great all-round bikes however the lower end models still run cable discs and QR axles which I find (respectively) highly and somewhat unpaletable. If you want a new one with a hydro groupset and TAs it's £2300 for a CdF 30.. which is a lot of money especially for something that's likely to take some knocks / be exposed to theft.

That said, while the '30 is a lot more than the lower end models when new this gap tends to narrow on the used market, and while the '30s are more scarce can sometimes be picked up for not a while lot more than the lower-end models.

As you say the other model worth a mention in the Genesis stable is the Tour de Fer - slower / more stable geometry than the CdF but better-furnished out of the box for touring and commuting (racks, mudguards, dynamo lights on the higher-end models).

I think a tempting proposition were I in your position might be to pick up an old CdF 20 and upgrade it with GRX components to give 2x with hydro brakes and relay levers on the tops of the bars for more control in commuter traffic..

 

[AndyRM]

Get a Kona Honky Tonk.

 

[ade towell]

I have a Kinesis Tripster ATR v1 titanium which I got used for £1k - as already mentioned would be perfect for your needs if you are prepared to go 2nd hand. New the v3 is a lot over your budget, used not so much. There are a lot of great 2nd hand bikes below £2k, Fairlight Secan or Faran are beautiful steel bikes, Genesis as mentioned above but definitely get hydraulic brakes if you can
If you would rather buy new then more limited but the Sonder Camino is well regarded gravel bike with lots of different set ups and most well within your budget

https://alpkit.com/collections/sond...pwGNGFLZOIfJdPYNISOe7hVrKjE6oN6EWTkDvQkLGYyfJ

 

[Vantage]

You're gonna get a million different answers on this as everyone has their favourite.
Here's mine...
Surly Bridgeclub. Why?
Technically, it is a touring bike. Surly say it's an all road touring bike as it has the potential for offroading which for me it has proved brilliant. It handles like a 90's rigid mountain bike.
It'll take 26, 27.5 (what I have) and 29 (700c) tyres with mudguards. Standard qr fittings.
All the bolt on brazings you'll ever need.
You'll be limited to disc brakes and it was designed for use with a one speed chain set however, there are cable guides for a front deraileur...but no cable stops for the front derailleur
Probably not the lightest frame in the world but tough as old boots and unlike the previous Spa frames I had, doesn't handle like a wet, pissed up noodle.
£550-600 for frame&fork and prices around £1200-1900 for a whole bike depending on spec and dealer.

 

[ade towell]

I love Surly bikes, been eyeing up their Krampus but thought drop bars was non negotiable for the OP, can you get the Bridgeclub with drops?