Time Waster
Veteran
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.
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.