New all year around, all weathers commuter bike

[John_S]

Hello All,

I've been riding for years but I've never owned many bikes so I'll appreciate any advice/thoughts because I'm currently saving up hoping to buy myself a new bike.

As background when I was much younger I did a mixture of off-road and also road riding and had two MTBs a Raleigh Mustang followed by a Raleigh Apex. Now I've got a Trek 7.1FX hybrid which I bought secondhand and I thinks it's from around say 2006 ish.

In terms of use 99% of the bikes use will be for commuting on a daily all year around all weathers 25 mile round trip commute. The commute is on a mixture of unlit rural road and also urban stuff once I get closer to work. Thinking of the roads that I use as is the same for all of us the roads that I use aren't great. There are numerous potholes, ruts and gullies to avoid plus the rural roads can often be covered in mud plus other debris as well being covered in lots of loose gravel in some places. Th journey I do is pretty flat so I don't have to worry about hills to get over. I'll also do the odd pleasure ride with friends of say up to 100 miles but this is restricted to say only two or three times a year because between work and having two young kids at home time for myself is pretty much a non-existent dream.

Now after a lot of use my Trek 7.1FX is at a point whereby lots of worn parts need replacing all at once plus I bought it from a friend who is a fair bit taller than me so although I can ride it it's not the ideal size/fit for me. Therefore I'm saving towards a replacement. I want a sturdy, reliable commuter and my current bike has mudguards plus a rear rack on which I use a rack top bag and so I'd want to replicate that. When it comes to parking it although a bike could be stolen from anywhere I at least have use of a place to lock my bike at work which is not in a public place and is out of sight so at least it's not as if I have to lock it up in a public place in a city centre.

My first thoughts were to replace the bike with say a fairly direct replacement (albeit it a nicer upgraded version) of the Trek 7.1FX because it's what I'm used to and what I've commuted on perfectly well for quite a while now. I'm not concerned about weight because I'm not racing anybody and a sturdy/reliable bike that will hopefully last a long time is much more important to me and at first I was thinking of things such as the following:-

Cube Travel SL
http://www.cube.eu/uk/products/trekking/travel/cube-travel-sl-black-grey-flashblue-2016/
Pros =

• Comes with dynamo hub and dynamo lights which I'd happily have on my commuter.
• Comes with a carbon gates drive which would hopefully be durable against the worst of the UK winter and the salty drive train killing roads.
• Hydraulic disc brakes

Cons =

• Aluminium frame. Although that's the same material as my current Trek 7.1FX I don't like the look of the fat oversized tubes and I'd rather get a steel bike next.
• Alfine IGH. At first I really wanted an IGH on my next bike because I thought that having the gears tucked away nicely in the hub away from the worst of the elements and the salty roads etc. would be a really good thing on a commuting bike so this was going to go in the Pros box. However the more I've been reading about these makes me doubt its long term reliability because I've read that going through standard UK winter conditions can be enough to wreck these hubs.
• The mudguards that come with the bike are not long enough and so would either need to be extended or replaced.

VSF Farrad Manufaktur T-500 (ignore the photo on the link because it shows the step-through frame but it's available in both)
http://www.fahrradmanufaktur.de/katalog/trekking-2016/t-500-shimano-alfine-8-gang
Pros =

• Steel frame and from reading about these bikes they are meant to be a pretty sturdy
• Comes with a dynamo hub and dynamo lights

Cons =

• No disc brakes. Riding in all weathers, all year around I'd like to move away from rim brakes and try disc brakes on my next bike.
• As above the Alfine IGH which initially I'd wanted but I'm now going off.

Following the above idea of getting another flat bared hybrid bike I've been wondering instead about getting a drop bared bike. This is because for example I like the idea of being able to get down a bit out of the wind. However I have borrowed a drop bared bike from a friend just to try on a long ride and at first I liked it but by the end of the ride my fingers & hands felt numb and tingly like pins & needles. I don't know if this is just because the bike that I used wasn't the ideal fit or because I just don't suit being in a more stretched out and aerodynamic position which I felt put more weight and pressure on my hands & wrists compared to the more sit up & beg style of a hybrid. If it was perhaps just the fit of the bike that I tried and that could be solved with a better fitting bike then I've been thinking about the following:-

Genesis Day One Alfine 8:-
http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/urban/urban-cross/day-one-alfine-8
Pros =

• Steel frame. Ready to take mudguards and a rack

Cons =

• Potential risk of Alfine 8 IGH failing due to exposure to the UK winter weather.

Jamis Aurora Elite
http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/auroraelite.html
Pros =

• Reynolds steel frame
• Comes with mudguards and rack
• Bar-end shifters instead of STIs which could arguably be more reliable/durable in the very long term although I appreciate that this would be down to personal opinion.

Cons =

• Cable actuated hydraulic disc brakes instead of full hydraulics

Genesis Equilibrium Disc 10
http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/road/road-disc/equilibrium-disc-10
Pros = Steel frame. Ready to take mudguards.
Cons = To me looking at the photos of the bike it looks like the disc brake calliper is on the outside of seat stay and not on the chain stay (or sort of in the triangle) which restricts your options of racks because you have to search for a disc specific rack.


The next two options are maybe a bit living in a dream world if I save for an extremely long time or win the lottery.

Kona Roadhouse
http://www.konaworld.com/roadhouse.cfm
Pros =

• Reynolds steel frame
• Hydraulic disc brakes
• Thru-axles both front and rear. Now I've not had a disc brake bike before but reading a few things it sounds to me like if you have to repair a flat tyre at the side of the road then having thru-axles makes it easier/more likely that you'll get the wheel back on with the disc brake in the correct place as opposed to with a QR. Also there appears to be an argument that having a thru-axle at the front is safer because they provide a firmer fitting than QR although I think that the instances of QR release issues would be small.
• This is an aesthetic personal thing but I really love the look of this bike!

Cons =

• Tubeless tyres. Although I've never had them I appreciate that the idea/hope is that you're less likely to have a puncture. However when you do have a puncture it sounds like a very messy problem if you have used the tyre sealant and it also sounds like the tyres can be very difficult to fit.

Genesis Datum 10
http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/blog/28/06/15/un-gravelling-the-new-datum
Pros =

• Now I'm not entirely certain about all of the pros of this bike but reading early reviews it seems to be well received. Now I've never before wanted a carbon bike because I don't want a race inspired bike with narrow tyres etc. However reading about this bike the idea seems to be much more of a comfortable all day ride bike. Also this is an aesthetic thing and this is just my personal perspective but I've never liked the look of carbon framed bike. I don't like the look of this as much as say the Roadhouse but if the bike performs its purpose well then it could be worth consideration.
• It can take mudguards.

Cons =

• Being a carbon frame it can't take a rear rack for my rack top bag so I'd need to come up with an alternative solution like the frame bags as shown in some photos of the Datum.
• The brakes aren't full hydraulics.
• Thru-axle only at the front.

I appreciate that the above list of bikes is pretty varied but I'm deliberately keeping my options open and considering a few different things. I'm having to save really hard for my next bike and it will need to last me a long time and so I want to make the best choice that is possible.

Thanks in advance for any advice/thoughts!

John

 

[samsbike]

Personally I like discs, stis and mudguards, so while the Jamis is nice, the equilibrium disc is nicer. I don't think the equilibrium disc comes with tubeless tires, I think its tubeless ready. If it does come with tubeless, given all the reports, seems like a good thing even for commuting.



My fave is the datum but its also the most expensive. So back to the most sensible which is the equilibrium disc.

I would definitely get some test rides in as they are going to feel quite different and twitchy to what you have now. In the same breadth I would also add that you are unlikely to learn a lot from the test ride. I usually find it takes me a few months of riding before I settle into a bike, but test rides are fun.

Commuting is hard work (well I find it hard work especially this time of the year) and getting something that light, nippy and fun will make you want to ride it more (well I hope it does) and on that basis the VSf Farrad Manufaktur T-500 is out. The alfine thing is supposed to be very good, but I just dont like the weight.

I am sure others will soon pipe up.

 

[StuAff]

Datum will also be available as a frameset, £999....

 

[John_S]

Hi samsbike,

Many thanks for your thoughts and advice.

I do agree that the Equilibrium is a nice looking bike! I want to go and have a look at one in an LBS though because if I'm right that the disc brake calliper is on the outside of the chainstay then that really annoys me from a design point of view because it really restricts what rear racks you can use. I appreciate that you can get disc specific racks but they end up being really wide where they have to get around the disc brake calliper and I think that they end up looking ugly as well as reducing the amount of weight that the rack can take. However if I'm wrong and the disc brake calliper is neatly tucked away in-between the seat and chain stays then I'd be much happier about considering this bike.

On the subject of tubeless tyres having read a few reports and watched a few videos I get that the people testing them seem to be pretty positive about them. They also have by now a pretty decent track record on MTBs where they can help avoid things like pinch flats. However for me personally I'm not that keen to make the switch to tubeless because if it's recommended that you should use sealant then I'm not that keen because of the mess that you'd have to face when you do eventually have to repair a flat. I understand that the idea is that you'll get less punctures however considering the sealant mess and the supposed difficulty of getting a tubeless tyre back on the rim and inflated when you're out on a ride puts me off them so I'm happy to stay with a clincher & inner tubes.

It's a good idea to get test rides of these bikes and I will if I can but I agree with you that beyond some initial impressions on say a ten mile test ride you really can't tell what it's going to be like in the long run over months of use on your own commute.

In terms of ruling bikes in or out on weight I do understand that a lighter bike should make life easier. However it's low down the priority list for me personally. I've done my best at weighing my current bike with the mudguards and rack included and it's between 15 & 16 kg. Therefore none of the bikes are heavier than what I'm already used to and I'm not worried about racing anybody so they'd all be fine from that perspective. What is high up my priority list is things like comfort, reliability and longevity because whatever bike I go for this is a lot of money for me and I need it to last a long time.

On the subject of weight and the IGH I have actually test ridden a bike with an Alfine 8 IGH before. I had no problems with the weight at all and I really liked using the Alfine 8 equipped bike. Re: the gear ratios I perhaps missed out a bit when I was say going downhill and I started to spin out but I didn't loose out by much overall. I started off thinking that this would be ideal for an all year around, all weathers commuter but the only thing that puts me over is concerns over durability. Reading more about this IGH I have doubts over its ability to withstand a UK winter and the amount of salt that will get thrown at it.


Hi StuAff,

Thanks for the advice about the Datum being available as a frameset. This would give me the opportunity to build it up to my own spec, such as including hydraulic disc brakes. However the standard off the peg Datum 10 would already be stretching my budget to the absolute max, or perhaps more likely beyond it because I may not be able to stretch this far anyway, so adding things on top like the cost of a group set including hydraulic disc brakes would definitely be a non starter unfortunately.


Thanks all for the advice!

John

 

[BrumJim]

My experience of all weather commuting would recommend the following:
Definitely disc brakes, although not too sure if hydraulic is worth that much more than cable operated, not having tried both or looked into the difference.

Aluminium doesn't rust, so is worth looking at.

Not too sure if the belt drive is any better than a chain. If you are riding with hub gears, the chain will last much longer anyway.

Wider tyres are a real benefit when the road gets treacherous. I'm happy with my 32s.

The difference between my Ridgeback Voyager and Specialized Allez is in the detail. Fixings should be stainless, not zinc coated (nice and shiny, not dull grey or yellow) or painted. Guards should be adequate under the bottom bracket, not just the bear minimum.

 

[mythste]

with regards the Genesis/Rack Issue, I have the Disk 20 and the braking unit actually sits almost completely flush with the frame if you're drawing a line straight up. The 20 has the HyRd brakes which is quite a large unit as well so I would suggest that 10 should be fine with most standard racks.

Mudguards, on the other hand, can be a B****! Got SKS Chromos on eventually but had to resort to my LBS. I'll try and get some detailed pics when I'm home for you.

 

[Andrew_P]

I have been looking at the Merida Ride range, even the Carbon ones come with hidden mudguard mounts. But again no rack. The GT Grade is another option.

Personally I would go for a nice and light bike that is enjoyable in the summer, and find a way around the panniers and rack.

My main question would be to see if you can get an extend trial of one of your preferred bikes as you are making quite a transition from Hybrid to Road bike some of your choices are Flat Bar, others drop bar? You really need to know if you are going to get on with the different riding positions, making the assumption that you have not ridden a drop bar before?

 

[John_S]

Hi Brum Jim,

Thanks for the advice. Cheers for confirming my thoughts that disc brakes are the way to go for an all year, all weathers bike. Also thanks for the tip that I shouldn't get too fixated by hydraulics and I guess that if cable actuated disc brakes are of good enough quality and set up correctly then they should work well any way. Therefore I won’t rule out any bikes for having cable instead of hydraulic disc brakes and either way I’m hoping that they are a step up, especially in the wet, from my current rim V-brakes.

In respect of the frame material thanks for the tip of aluminum being worth considering from the point of view of it not rusting. That’s a very good logical point and makes a good case for an aluminum bike as an all-weather commuter. However I’m struggling to get past the fact that I just don’t like the look of the larger tubes on most aluminum frames compared to steel ones. I know that with most of getting my next bike I need to be ruled by the head with what is practical and suitable for my commute but some of the heart also comes into and I just love the look of steel framed bikes such as the Kona Roadhouse.

I agree with you about tyres and when I was younger I used to ride my MTBs with wide tyres on 100 mile plus road rides and my current Trek has 37s so I’ve no desire to go really narrow and 32s or something similar would suit me fine.

Good tip re: looking at the details and I’ll make a point to look out for not only the headline specs but also the details such as fixings and bolts etc.


Hi mythste,

Cheers for the advice about the brake caliper unit on your Equilibrium 20 which is much appreciated because maybe my fear of having to get a disc specific rack if I go for an Equilibrium won’t be the case.

The fact that mudguards are a pain to fit is annoying but I guess that they only need to go on once and at least if you got there on there in the end it’s at least possible to fit them. However it’s annoying that the claims of manufacturers, who often make a point of saying that their bikes a mudguard ready don’t, seem to translate into the real world. I guess a manufacturer would point to an example of one set of guards being easily fitted but unless the bike is made to take a variety of guards and tyre options it can be very limiting.


Hi Andrew P,

Thanks for sending some alternative options and I’ll take a look at them. I’m not really worried at all about the weight of the bike as my top priorities are more about comfort, practicality and durability over the long term. I’m used to a bike of between 15 & 16kg and anything that I get is likely to be lighter than what I’m currently used to riding. However that’s not to say that the bike I end up with which ticks all of my top priorities doesn’t also end up being nice and light as well.

Being able to fit a rack is very important to me. I appreciate that we all have personal preferences and I see plenty of people happily commuting with a rucksack on their back. However for me I really don’t like cycling with a bag on my back and much prefer the use of my rack and rack top bag. I think that the only option for me if I can’t fit a rack to a bike is to look at other bags which attach to various parts of the frame but I’d have to research this further to see if I’d be able to carry all of the stuff that I need to take back and forth from work.

I appreciate the advice about getting an extended test ride because of the big change from flat bared hybrid bike to a drop bared bike being a big change. I’ll do the best that I can but I think that to really get to know a bike you need to use it day in day out over an extended period of time to really get to know it and whether it works for you. However seeing as now sensible bike shop is going to lend me a bike to try on my commute for a month or so I’ll do the best that I can to get the longest test rides possible.

I have ridden drop barred bikes before when I’ve borrowed them from friends to try on a ride but that hasn’t been many times. The bikes seemed much twitchier (or maybe that’s what everybody else calls responsive handling) than I’m used to but overall I really like being able to use multiple hand positions and getting a bit more down and aerodynamic out of the wind if necessary. The problem that I did have after trying a drop bared bike for a long ride was ending the ride with numb/tingling hand/fingers however I don’t know whether or not I’d get that with every drop bared bike that I ride or whether it was because the bike setup/fit of that bike was not correct for me.


Thanks all for the advice!

John

 

[mythste]

Hi Brum Jim,

Hi mythste,

Cheers for the advice about the brake caliper unit on your Equilibrium 20 which is much appreciated because maybe my fear of having to get a disc specific rack if I go for an Equilibrium won’t be the case.

The fact that mudguards are a pain to fit is annoying but I guess that they only need to go on once and at least if you got there on there in the end it’s at least possible to fit them. However it’s annoying that the claims of manufacturers, who often make a point of saying that their bikes a mudguard ready don’t, seem to translate into the real world. I guess a manufacturer would point to an example of one set of guards being easily fitted but unless the bike is made to take a variety of guards and tyre options it can be very limiting.


John

No problem!

You're right, once theyre on, theyre on. And then pretty easy to re-fit there after. As I understand it the initial fitting being a bit of a ball ache isnt unique to Genesis.

In my somewhat limited opinion, if you enjoy using a rack, its not worth going for anything other than full mounting points. Like mudguards, other options are available but unless you want a whole load of rattles and potential failures, nothing beats purpose built design.

 

[John_S]

Hi mythste,

Thanks again for your advice and I think that I'd definitely agree with you that I'll probably be best going for a bike with full mounting points so that I can easily fit both mudguards and a rack as I’m used to using now.

When considering bikes I didn't want to completely rule out the Genesis Datum due to the inability to use a rack because I could look at other bags to attach to the frame. However I'd have to look into the feasibility and practicality of this option to see whether or not I could easily transport everything that I’d need for work. My initial thought though is that I’d probably struggle to find frame mounted bags that match the performance & versatility of rack top bags or panniers for work although I appreciate that for some people frame mounted bags probably serve them very well.

My other concern is that if I lost the ability to use a rack I'd lose one of the places that I currently use to mount a light. I appreciate that a rack isn't the only place to mount a rear light but it is a convenient option.

Cheers,

John

 

[fossyant]

Get one of these. Simple. No messing

Fixed gear.

 

[Kestevan]

I'd seriously consider a Planet X Kaffenback
http://www.planetx.co.uk/c/q/bikes/road-bikes/kaffenback

Seems to tick most, if not all the boxes you want; it's available in drop or flat bar versions and it's not silly money either.

 

[John_S]

Hi fossyant,

Thanks for the food for thought idea of a different option from the bikes I'd been considering.

Hi Kesteven,

Thanks for the suggestion of the Kaffenback and I'll take a look at the link.

Cheers,

John

 

[rideswithmoobs]

On my motorbikes I use a product called ACF50. Protects aircraft on carriers at sea. Everything from rubber, to metal. It really is impressive. Check it out on t'web or YouTube. I used it on push irons before and after winter wash em down and they look like they have never been ridden. Shiny

 

[mythste]

As promised! Rack and pannier mounts for the EQ20 - disk specific rack but quite subtle and as you can see, enough room for a none disk specific one I think.