Newb needs advice on components - please :)

[Shandos]

Hi all,

I am shortly to join the ranks of you healthy commuter types.

My commute will be pretty short, 3.4 miles. Nearly half will be on dirt farm tracks and the rest on tarmac.

I am pretty much decided on a cotic roadrat frame but I know nothing about which components to put on it! I do know I would like hydraulic brakes. After £300 for the frame and forks I have £700 left for everything else, including locks, lights, etc.

Can anyone offer me advice on how and where to spend the remaining £700?

Many thanks,
Sam.

 

[vickster]

Are you wanting flat or drop bars? The latter costs more as the shifters are costly.

Have you considered an off the peg cx bike'?

 

[Shandos]

Hi, thanks for the reply.

I was planning on flat bars but I had a go on a friends Specialized XL frame with drop bars last night and while I think the frame was probably a touch too large I did quite like the drop bars. It did feel a bit skittish though for riding down dirt tracks, I suspect that was the frame and quite thin tyres though.

I have thought now I might look at CXs I have been recommended the roadrat by a friend who loves bikes. His advice was, components will break start with a really good frame and maybe trade up components as you need to. Rather than buy a Boardman or such with good components for the money but perhaps not the best frame.

I am going to get down my LBS today at lunch and have a chat but they don't sell cotic or specialized or cube which were the bikes I had been considering. I was going to ask them about giving them the frame and having them build the bike with components bought from them.

 

[Shandos]

I see you don't get hydraulic brakes much yet on CX bikes I wonder if I am being silly to focus on having them?

Probably seems like the likely answer.

 

[Kestevan]

Have a look at this.
http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/CBOODDRIVFB/on_one_dirty_disco_sram_rival_flat_bar_gravel_bike

The brakes are cable disk rather than hydro, but everthing else is spot on, and you get a seriously light full carbon frame and good components.

 

[Shandos]

Hi, thanks for that. All carbon certainly seems tempting.

But this is where I get into trouble, I have never heard of that make before and have no idea on the quality of components...

They seem to do the same bike for £1250 with drops which is also tempting, if a touch over budget.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Hi, thanks for that. All carbon certainly seems tempting.

But this is where I get into trouble, I have never heard of that make before and have no idea on the quality of components...

They seem to do the same bike for £1250 with drops which is also tempting, if a touch over budget.

That's more than a touch over your budget there - I thought it was £1k inc' accessories.

Planet X make very good bikes - the components on the linked model are v.good.

Do you really want to build a bike? Why Cotic? I am aware of the brand from my MTB days but it is not a popular brand on this side of the cycling fence.

Hydraulics for road/CX are just about getting in on the act at the high end of the market. CX are fairly new to cable operated discs and there's very few pure road bikes with them.

If you want a good starter CX bike that will get you going and take a few upgrades later then Giant/Trek/Spesh/Boardman all have something to offer at say the £8-900 price point.

 

[Shandos]

You are right, but I have never been very good at budget control!

I am looking at building a road rat on the advice of a bike nut friend who has a thing for UK hand built steel frames. His brief comments on a £1250 carbon bike were it is going to be bottom end of the market a possible not the best frame. His argument against the bikes you mention above were pretty much the same, comps may be good but will eventually brake and frame won't be as good.

I on the other hand am entirely lost.

 

[vickster]

If you want a super flat bar bike with hydraulic discs and carbon forks, look at the whyte R7 range

 

[SpokeyDokey]

You are right, but I have never been very good at budget control!

I am looking at building a road rat on the advice of a bike nut friend who has a thing for UK hand built steel frames. His brief comments on a £1250 carbon bike were it is going to be bottom end of the market a possible not the best frame. His argument against the bikes you mention above were pretty much the same, comps may be good but will eventually brake and frame won't be as good.

I on the other hand am entirely lost.

Your BNF sounds a bit blinkered to me. I accept that he has his thing as you put it but if his major concern is that the carbon frame on a £1250 bike is bottom end of the market then a Cotic Roadrat is not exactly an upscale steel frame is it? At £300 for frame and forks it sounds pretty cheap and cheerful to me in the grand scheme of things.

NB: not saying the Cotic RR is a bad frame btw just I fail to see the sense in your BNF's argument.

 

[Shandos]

Much discussion and a visit to some bike shops later, I am now looking at a Genesis Criox De Fer.

Also found some money so all in is now £1500.

 

[jugglingphil]

There's nothing wrong with flat-barred bikes. If you have bar-ends then you have 2 hand positions.
How rough is the dirt farm track? Will you need suspension?
What will it be like in winter? Will you need mudguards?
Will you use the bike for anything other than the commute to/from work?

 

[Shandos]

I had a go on some hybrids with flats at the weekend and much preferred the riding possition on the cyclocross style bikes with drops.
Track doesn't require suspension, presently not planning to bother with mud guards as a change and a shower will be had at work anyway.

Current plans do not involve anything more serious than riding to work, but who knows.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Much discussion and a visit to some bike shops later, I am now looking at a Genesis Criox De Fer.

Also found some money so all in is now £1500.

V.nice!

 

[Shandos]

Ah I'm glad you said that as it makes me tingle in my trousers.

That said I think the saddle needed some adjustment.