Reccomendations for a Fast All-Year Bike / Build

[crazyjoe101]

Alright, so as a bit of background my current stable is listed below:
SuperSix: Straightforward summer miles in fair weather
Surly Crosscheck: Built up as a tank of a road bike - Light touring, wet rides, commuting and utility but not particularly quick coming off of the Supersix.
MTB: for some fun

I'd like now to have something in between these two so I can set the Surly up further geared for Touring/Utility/Commuting and get the SuperSix into a more aggressive position and keep it for sub 200k rides.

My basic criteria are:
Hydraulic disk brakes (preferably Shimano as I have it on all my bikes)
Full mudguard mounts
Clearance for 28c with mudguards MIN
Preferably not carbon because this bike will take some abuse

I was initially set on thru axles but at the minute I think this is a big ask given the price and selection of current models and if I stick to QR I can have a dynamo wheel then which is a big bonus for what I plan on using this bike for.

So far the best candidate I've seen so far is a Lynskey Cooper CX frame as I could even convert it to 12x142 thru axle later on if I wished to and the only real disadvantage seems to be the fact that I'd be dropping £1.4k on a frame alone and still need to purchase every other component which pushes the possible cost to about 2,500 (!) which is very high BUT it would let me put parts of my Ultegra off the SuperSix on during the build and give me an excuse to upgrade the SuperSix to DA and have 2 dream-bikes.
This for me would be the most I'd ever want to spend on a bike but it seems to fit all my requirements and looks like it would build into a very capable bike that could last for years, perhaps decades.

I just wanted to make a thread here and see if anyone else has spotted anything similar in the sales etc (even though I've missed most of it searching for thru axle bikes).
Short version:
Any recommendation for a sporty all-use road bike in the same category as something like the Cooper CX for distance and winter riding?
Budget is 1-2k really, but I just made an exception for the Cooper CX because it's Ti and I have some parts I can use if I'm building ground-up.

Thanks a lot for any suggestions!

 

[steveindenmark]

Ive just been looking at the Cannondale CAADX 105 and am very tempted. It ticks all your boxes. As does the Genesis Croix de Fer 20. Both well below your budget.

 

[HLaB]

I was going to say Ti but you've already identified that. The Kinesis Tripster ATR fit the bill.

 

[dim]

specialized Allez sport .....

cheap as chips, very good and can be had for as little as £200 on ebay ..... upgrade the groupset to a 105 or Ultegra, add a decent saddle, add 700cx25 or 28 tyres, mudguards and a rear rack and you have a very good all rounder (even good for long Audax rides) .... add decent wheels and it will even be better... no disk brakes, but do you really need them?

 

[mattobrien]

I was looking for a bike to fill a similar gap in the stable and ended up with a Cannondale CAAD12 Dura Ace disc. It doesn't have mudguard eyelets but I use raceblades if I need them.

It is faster and lighter than my previous winter bike (now commuter) but not as nice as the fair weather carbon.

It has served me very well, completing the Double Dunwich Dynamo this year (224 miles) amongst other things.

You may need to look out for a 2016 bargain or the Ultegra version if you are wedding to sticking to budget though.

 

[biggs682]

As does the Genesis Croix de Fer 20.

would be my vote as well or why not get somebody like Lee Cooper to build you a frame to match your spec etc and then build around it ?

 

[Fab Foodie]

Custom Rourke 853 with mudguard clearances for 28c tyres.
Lightweigh hand built wheels on 23 mm rims say Pacenti. Good hubs and spend on a decent headset, Hope as a minimum.

 

[mythste]

Genesis Eqiullibrium

I think the new 30 would come in under budget with hydraulics and would tick all the boxes. The carbon fork is a bonus for me as I found the ride a little smoother than the CdF and the only benefit of the steel fork would be luggage options, which it sounds like you have boxed off on the Surly.

 

[jowwy]

A custom built Ti frame from Waltly Ti, shimani di2, hydraulic disc brakes..........job done

Frame approx £600 and could be with you inside 4wks.........the bike then becomes more personal to you, rather than something off the shelf

 

[biggs682]

I cant see someone having a Surly Crosscheck and a CDF, its like the same thing bar the disk brakes.

and why not ???

 

[crazyjoe101]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions & advise. Having had some more time to think about it, I'm decided at the moment on the CAADX Sora which I'll strip back to the frame which matches the geometry on my SuperSix quite closely, and then I'll build a bike up from there - if it doesn't work out then I have a cheap CX bike with the original parts! I think what I will do ultimately is wait to see what happens with Thru axle and pick myself a Ti frameset or custom build when there's a more common/accepted standard, I can then keep the 'Dale for cross.

Ive just been looking at the Cannondale CAADX 105 and am very tempted. It ticks all your boxes. As does the Genesis Croix de Fer 20. Both well below your budget.

I'd completed ignored the CAADX as the previous model didn't have the eyelets. I test rode one the other day and although the whole set up was wrong for me, the bike got up to speed quite nicely even with the treaded tyres and should build up nicely for what I need it for.

no disk brakes, but do you really need them?

If I don't need them then I definitely want them. I'm sick of picking stones and aluminium out of brake pads and constantly clearing contamination from the road off the rims. Even though decent pads like Koolstop Salmons provide enough performance, it's just a lot less hassle having properly set up disc brakes in my experience.

I was looking for a bike to fill a similar gap in the stable and ended up with a Cannondale CAAD12 Dura Ace disc. It doesn't have mudguard eyelets but I use raceblades if I need them..

No doubt it's an excellent bike, but I've had mixed results with clip on mudguards in the past and having got used to full guards which I have not fettled once in months and months, I am set on not using clip on ones again.

@biggs682 I still have the Aende in the stable but not build up at the moment because it's being built back up with the original parts to gift the bike to my Granddad who never stop raving about it!

 

[Venod]

OK its outside your budget but a nice frame, I have the MK 1 non disc version it has guard and rack mounts, I keep up with all the carbon boys including Super Six's.

http://www.kinesisbikes.co.uk/Catalogue/Models/Racelight/GF_Ti-DISC

 

[Elybazza61]

Shand Stooshie;

http://www.shandcycles.com/bikes/stooshie/

Something from Mason;

https://masoncycles.cc/shop

 

[Venod]

This doesn't fit your criteria at all but what a beauty from Bordman.

https://www.boardmanbikes.com/gb_en/products/296-ti-9.4.html

 

[crazyjoe101]

OK its outside your budget but a nice frame, I have the MK 1 non disc version it has guard and rack mounts, I keep up with all the carbon boys including Super Six's.

http://www.kinesisbikes.co.uk/Catalogue/Models/Racelight/GF_Ti-DISC

That's a very nice bicycle for sure but I wouldn't spend that much for a QR based frameset, it's personal preference as much as performance based as QRs seem to serve just fine but for me especially going forward a few years I'd want thru axle on something that price.

Shand Stooshie;

http://www.shandcycles.com/bikes/stooshie/

Something from Mason;

https://masoncycles.cc/shop

It's a duel between the thru-axelled and rather costly Bokeh and the more economic QR CAADX stripdown option now.