Oh noes! Not another 'which bike' thread

[nigelnorris]

'fraid so; and this might be better placed in either the beginners forum or the touring one, but whatever direction I go my new bike will be a commuter tool first and foremost so here I am.

I've been commuting on a Halfords steel hybrid for the last 2 years and am really keen to step up and get some weekend miles in, maybe join a club and do some social runs or similar. No intention of even being competitive or going particularly quick.

THREE months ago I started the C2W process of and am finally expecting my Evans vouchers (£700) to arrive in the next week or so. From the beginning I had set my heart on a Trek 1.5.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/trek/15-compact-2009-road-bike-ec016474

Then I came here and started reading the Touring section, started reading the crazguyonabike journals and thought that maybe a bit of holiday jaunting would be fun, I'm a school teacher so get plenty of opportunity. I figured once I bought my Trek I'd post here to see if I should mod it in any way to make it better for a bit of ultra-lite camping use. [Beyond adding mudguards and a rack which I'll do by default.]

But I was just idly browsing Evans and came across this Kona Sutra well reduced in price and I'm wondering if it might be a better buy. I've read lots of good reviews about it so I'm sure it's good value and just as good for my commute. Less modification required for touring but would it be any good for club runs if I go that way?

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/kona/sutra-2008-road-bike-ec000821

After adding mudguards, a rack and so on the price for either will be near enough identical, so am I being suckered by sale price advertising in considering the latter or should I go with my original choice? Is either of those bikes better suited for the commute/weekend/touring trinity?

I was intending to make a deposit and order my bike this weekend anyway, but I figure the remaining stock of the Kona bike won't last long so I need to make a decision pretty quick.

 

[Woz!]

I feel your pain! I'm going through the same process - so far I've had eyes for various Charge singlespeeds (sadly impractical for my 26 mile round trip), a Roadrat (I think it's going to be too expensive once I put gears on it) and now I'm looking at trourers like you.

Hate to add confusion to the mix, but have you looked at the Ridgeback Voyage?
http://www.ridgeback.co.uk/index.php?bikeID=87&seriesID=41&show_bike=TRUE
It's bang on budget for you and one of my local bike shops thinks it's a very well specced bike for the price.
I'm going to have a look at one this weekend.

 

[nigelnorris]

Haha all the old hands here with their seven [ok insert random number between 3 and ten here] bikes in the garage have probably forgotten the agony of getting a first 'proper bike', so it's good to hear from someone in the same boat

That looks like a nice bike and no mistake, but fortunately for me (in the sense of narrowing the search) I'm locked into Evans via my scheme, who don't stock it, so it's not an option.

 

[Woz!]

You need to take Evan's stock levels with a pinch of salt - I was this >< close to ordering an 08 Dawes Galaxy at a bargain price from them until it turned out they didn't actually have any! It's mercifully gone from the site at last because it kept drawing me back even though I knew they had none.

 

[nigelnorris]

Useful to know, thanks.

 

[vavatch]

I have a kona sutra that I bought early this year. I like the bike a lot but it is worth noting a couple of things about it.

1) You will need to purchase mudguards for it because it seems to be made for the american market where it never ever rains, ever.
2) Fitting said mudguards will be a pain, because of the disc brakes getting in the way. Especially on the rear wheel where there is disc brake, rack, gears etc. It is very busy there.
3) There have been complaints about the rack - at least there were on early models. Problem with it is the disc brakes necessitate the use of spacers to attach the rack, at bottom. The older kona sutras were only rated to 20KG weight on the rear and there were reports of it breaking off. But the newer 09 model seems to be rated to 30KG and a bit sturdier. I haven't heard of problems with the more modern models. Still has spacers tho.
4) It is a relatively heavy bike as you would expect from a sturdy steel frame - but I have found it to be a very pleasant and sprightly ride, and fairly fast too. As I understand it tho steel frames are overkill even for touring - the only upside to them is that you can get any old pipe fitter to do a quick fix if you have a problem whilst touring afghanistan or outer mongolia. Otherwise, they might be a bit pointless.

The kona is nice for a tourer. Most tourers seem to be targetted at people who hate modernity of any sort and also targetted at people who will be touring across asia or south america. For me, I only cycle north of glasgow sometimes on camping trips, and don't ever plan to tour anywhere more remote and backwards than france or holland.

Apart from the steel frame the sutra is a step forward for tourers in this sense. It is a good bike!

 

[nigelnorris]

Thanks for the detailed response vavatch

What you've said about the slightly heavy frame and pita mudguards had put me off a little bit, doesn't sound ideal for Saturday morning runs, or at least not as good as the Trek hopefully will be.

What's confusing me more now is that Evans seems to be sticking sale prices on loads of stuff. Hardly any stock of the right size but it's got me checking every day now to see what else might come up.

 

[Sittingduck]

Hi Nigel

Have you asked Evans if the Trek (that I really like the look of BTW) has clearance for guards and fixings for a rack? I can see what look like mudguard eyelets but nothing for the rack and those brakes dont look long-drop either. Might be worth checking - could throw a large spanner in the works if you order one first before knowing it will take guards & a rack

Best of luck whatever you decide though and keep us updated
SD

 

[nigelnorris]

Hi Nigel

Have you asked Evans if the Trek (that I really like the look of BTW) has clearance for guards and fixings for a rack? I can see what look like mudguard eyelets but nothing for the rack and those brakes dont look long-drop either. Might be worth checking - could throw a large spanner in the works if you order one first before knowing it will take guards & a rack

Best of luck whatever you decide though and keep us updated
SD

Rats

You know I just assumed that because it had muguard eyelets that it would accept mudguards, seems logical enough. But now you've said that and I've had a bit of a google it does indeed look like clearance causes problems - can't find a single site/blog/review that says it can be done. As for the rack I'd got it into my head that would fit into the same holes, but clearly not. I feel a bit silly now for not having thought about that properly and just making assumptions.

Thank you so much for pointing this out in time, better to find out these things now than when I've got the thing at home and have just fished the guards and rack out of a bag. As a n00b the last thing I need is complication so I'm clearly going to have to rethink this.

[And now I go browse the Evans site and it doesn't look like any of the bikes I have been looking at allow for this. Is it that road bikes don't come this way. Puzzled now where to even look, hopefully the Evans shop staff might have a bit of a clue for me when I get there.]

Just thinking out loud, I guess I could manage without mudguards and just ride my current cheap hybrid when it's really wet, getting caught out occasionally wouldn't be such a disaster. The rack is an absolute must though, have to carry stuff to work almost every day.

 

[HJ]

When you get to Evans ask if you can take it out for a ride before you handover any money, it is probably worth taking a Dawes Horizon for a ride too, as it is the same price (and it comes with mudguards)...

 

[Sittingduck]

If there are definitely mudguard eyelets then it should take guards... My eyesight isn't the greatest so it's probably not wise to rely 100% on my peepers
For a bike that will take a rack though - look for the fixings on the seat-stays (the sections of the frame that slope down from under the saddle secion to the centre of the back wheel). You could of course get a rack that attaches to the seat post but I believe they can only accept a relatively light load.

Have a chat with them in Evans - they can provide the definite answer and possily offer a suitable alternative.

Good Luck,
SD

 

[nigelnorris]

What's a cyclocross bike? Apart from the knobbly tyres this Evans own brand bike looks like it might be what I need, a nice light aluminium frame, fittings for guards and a rack, and sturdy enough to tour on if I felt the urge? Is it just a hybrid with drop handlebars fitted?

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/pinnacle/expede-00-2009-cyclo-cross-bike-ec018116

The reason I'm still edging towards lighter looking road bikes is that i think that weekend jaunts are going to feature more prominantly than touring.

 

[HJ]

A cyclocross bike, is basically a road bike with knobbly tires. Cyclocross is a way of getting muddy without the indignity of riding a mountain bike ...

 

[nigelnorris]

A cyclocross bike, is basically a road bike with knobbly tires. Cyclocross is a way of getting muddy without the indignity of riding a mountain bike ...

Useful. Ah, and now I know what it is I can see the cyclo cross bikes ection of Evans. And lo and behold there's a bunch at or just above my price range with all the relevant fittings for guards and rack.

Might be the way forward. Are they normal road bike geometry, as in anything to stop me swapping the tyres and using one as a road bike? Is it implicit that cyclo cross bikes have sturdier frames, and would that be an advantage as touring potential?

 

[HJ]

Useful. Ah, and now I know what it is I can see the cyclo cross bikes ection of Evans. And lo and behold there's a bunch at or just above my price range with all the relevant fittings for guards and rack.

Might be the way forward. Are they normal road bike geometry, as in anything to stop me swapping the tyres and using one as a road bike? Is it implicit that cyclo cross bikes have sturdier frames, and would that be an advantage as touring potential?

You wouldn't be the first to do that and I doubt you'd be the last... If you prefer drops to flat bars, cyclocross bikes are a very versatile alternative to a hybrid trekking bike, IMO...