Perhaps it's time to look for a fender+rack bike

[mustang1]

I like riding road bikes for the commute. I had a couple of cross bikes in the past which had mudguards and rack/panniers but they seemed sluggish so I reverted to my road bike plus ruck sack. Nowadays I'm kind of annoyed carrying such a heavy bag so I started thinking about a new bike which must have rack and fender mounts and have drop bars.

I was thinking something like a Condor Fratello but a cheaper alternative. Something that can take 28 or 30mm tyres with fenders, a rack. Spyre mechanical disks would be nice and I don't care what the frame is made of. Sora or Tiagra, around 8-10 speeds would be great but I'd like the bike to have some "kick" though I think I won't get that in a bike that takes fenders+rack.

Can you suggest something close, something that has "kick" but still takes F+R? Trek has a nice bike selector tool and it points me to their Crossrip which is a CX style bike. Cheaper bikes (you know, like cheaper than a Fratello) are better as I'm more likely to use them around town and lock them up. And it has to be a new bike.

Ps: I know some of you will helpfully ask why the bag is heavy and if I can leave stuff at work but no, not really. And the bag is just heavy, it just is.

 

[vickster]

Genesis equilibrium disc

Fenders = mudguards presumably?

Frankly mine (non disc) is almost as quick loaded (even with work stuff, laptop, Abus granit d lock) with me on it as my 8kg carbon

Given your spec, buy a new old model frame from eBay and build it up with exactly the parts you want?

Why does it have to be new though?

 

[JhnBssll]

How about a Charge Plug? http://www.chargebikes.com/plug/

The 0 and 1 are single speed but the 2 and up seem to fit your bill... For what it's worth I've got a 2016 Plug 2 that I use for commuting and it's great. A little heavy perhaps but it whips along very nicely Aluminium frame, carbon fork... I think the Plug 5 is Titanium...

 

[amasidlover]

I'd take a look at the Whyte RD-7 range (Devon or Dorset); I had pretty much the same wishlist is as you and the only thing I tried that came close to the Whyte was a Focus Mares (a CX bike).

 

[tincaman]

Something based around the
Kinesis Tripster AT frameset
Flat mount discs, thru axles, all the mounts for racks and mudguards, 27.2 seatpost, BSA threaded BB
Or the SRAM Rival 1 build kit is £1000

 

[confusedcyclist]

Also consider steel touring frames, they are better suited to carrying heavier loads than CX bikes. They also tend to have longer chainstays to prevent heel strike on pannier bags, which if you ever experience it is really really annoying. Typically they have clearance for bigger tyres and mudguards too. You will notice you have a less aggressive riding position, something more suited to long days in the saddle. If you are prepared to spend more, you can get some really nice lighter but still stiff alloy frames, but weight isn't my priority on the commute so I saved £££ by avoiding fancy branded alloy frames.

My personal favourite commuter was my old Surly Disc Trucker. It isn't the lightest frame, but it's a very utilitarian steel touring bike. https://surlybikes.com/bikes/disc_trucker. It's ideal for commuting. If silly commuter racing isn't a concern and you want practicality, comfort and dependability, you won't go wrong with a steel tourer, the extra weight shouldn't be an issue. They make great winter bikes too. I still keep my road bike for fine summer days and other special occasions, but most of my commuting gets done on a heavy practical bike.

 

[mustang1]

Genesis equilibrium disc

Fenders = mudguards presumably?

Frankly mine (non disc) is almost as quick loaded (even with work stuff, laptop, Abus granit d lock) with me on it as my 8kg carbon

Given your spec, buy a new old model frame from eBay and build it up with exactly the parts you want?

Why does it have to be new though?

Dont have time/patience to look for a used one.
Yeah, Equilibrium is on the short-list.

 

[mustang1]

I'd take a look at the Whyte RD-7 range (Devon or Dorset); I had pretty much the same wishlist is as you and the only thing I tried that came close to the Whyte was a Focus Mares (a CX bike).

I used to have a Focus Mares. It was a lot nicer than I thought it was when I had it. Also checked out the Whyte bikes and they sure look good.

 

[mustang1]

Also consider steel touring frames, they are better suited to carrying heavier loads than CX bikes. They also tend to have longer chainstays to prevent heel strike on pannier bags, which if you ever experience it is really really annoying. Typically they have clearance for bigger tyres and mudguards too. You will notice you have a less aggressive riding position, something more suited to long days in the saddle. If you are prepared to spend more, you can get some really nice lighter but still stiff alloy frames, but weight isn't my priority on the commute so I saved £££ by avoiding fancy branded alloy frames.

My personal favourite commuter was my old Surly Disc Trucker. It isn't the lightest frame, but it's a very utilitarian steel touring bike. https://surlybikes.com/bikes/disc_trucker. It's ideal for commuting. If silly commuter racing isn't a concern and you want practicality, comfort and dependability, you won't go wrong with a steel tourer, the extra weight shouldn't be an issue. They make great winter bikes too. I still keep my road bike for fine summer days and other special occasions, but most of my commuting gets done on a heavy practical bike.

Yes those Disc Trucker and LHT are very highly regarded bikes (as is the Surly brand). THanks for the recommendation, I had forgotten about them.