Recommendations for a tourer / hybrid / utility bike or frame please!

[wafter]

So, seems the Croix de Fer flat bar project may be dead in the water, so I'm looking at alternatives.

Non-negotiable needs:
- Steel
- Disc brakes
- Long (c. 450mm plus) chainstays
- Mounts for mudguards
- Mounts for racks front and rear


Negotiable nicities:
- Flat bars (will be fitting these anyway but it would be nicer to start as I mean to go on)
- Through-axles
- Flat-mount calipers
- Horizontal top tube
- Mudguards
- Rack
- Low cost
- Low theft appeal


Tbh I'm not sure I'd find something that ticks all of the above boxes at any price, but it's all worth mentioning. I'm open to anything that comes close to fitting the required criteria although appreciate that certain required facets will rule out picking up an old cheap frame as a base.

Current favourites are the Genesis Tour de Fer (looks good but falls down on sloping top tube, IS-mount calipers, QR wheels and to an extent cost depending on age / variant) and the Fuji Touring disc (similar thoughts to above; 450mm chainstay length makes viability a bit more marginal but I prefer the aesthetic of the lugged fork).

Yet to look at stuff from the likes of Surley although they're likely to be pricey and have an inkling that something like a Ridgeback Panorma might make a good budget choice; while it appears that some of the late Dawes Galaxies could be had with discs but again need to do my homework.

I'd be happy with a frameset only or complete bike as I already have / have in mind much of the groupset and finishing kit, while I also have a spare set of wheels that could be put to use if necessary.

Thanks

 

[Punkawallah]

I doubt you’d have much luck with a horizontal bar and disc brakes. Both disc brakes and sloping top tubes came in about the 90’s.

 

[wafter]

I doubt you’d have much luck with a horizontal bar and disc brakes. Both disc brakes and sloping top tubes came in about the 90’s.

Indeed; I can think of one or two exceptions but they're certainly niche and probably a load more money than I'd like to spend on a utility bike.. but there's no harm in asking

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

https://www.halfords.com/bikes/mountain-bikes/voodoo-loco-mountain-bike---m-l-frames-272459.html

Mullet wheelset with smaller 27.5" at rear, surprised it's only 430mm chainstay.

 

[biggs682]

Why not get disc mounts fitted to a non disc frame IE old steel galaxy..... Just a thought that I keep getting

 

[wafter]

https://www.halfords.com/bikes/mountain-bikes/voodoo-loco-mountain-bike---m-l-frames-272459.html

Mullet wheelset with smaller 27.5" at rear, surprised it's only 430mm chainstay.

Thanks - while totally unsuitable for what I want I appreciate the thought and it ticks more boxes than I'd have expected from the link.

Interesting to see them doing something in steel and as usual it looks like great value; thankfully I already have that base covered

Why not get disc mounts fitted to a non disc frame IE old steel galaxy..... Just a thought that I keep getting

Interesting thought but other than getting the coveted horizontal top tube it would also bring a lot of issues; time, cost and grief of getting the work done, safety concerns of running discs on a fork designed for rim brakes, liklihood that other areas of the frame would need addressing / updating such as axle spacing..

I'm already expecting to replace half the bike to address the issue that seemingly no manufacturer wants to give me what I want out of the box; so let's not complicate things further

 

[All uphill]

I'd be looking at some of the deals available on Marin bikes, new or secondhand.

How about a Salsa Vaya frameset and transfer across everything from the Genesis?

 

[Punkawallah]

Why not get disc mounts fitted to a non disc frame IE old steel galaxy..... Just a thought that I keep getting

RJ the Bike Guy tried this, and while it is ‘do-able’, it’s not recommended because the forks and stays are not designed to take the braking forces.

 

[wafter]

I'd be looking at some of the deals available on Marin bikes, new or secondhand.

How about a Salsa Vaya frameset and transfer across everything from the Genesis?

Cheers - good shout on the Marins as I've been impressed by what they offer at various price points in the past - will add them to the list

The Salsa looks nice for what it is, however I'm put off by the placcy fork and the chainstays looks suspiciously short (there don't appear to be any figures on their site). Plus, I suspect they're probably not that easy to come by and would realistically be out of my budget new.

I intend to flog the Genesis complete as I suspect this will be easier; plus this whole situation has arisen from my desire to bin most of the parts on the bike so I have little desire to keep owt!

 

[Dogtrousers]

Would Spa do something in that line? Wayfarer or Elan or something. The top tube will slope a bit but not drastically. If buying a complete bike they'll build it up with whatever bars you want probably. Dunno about axles.

Edit. Maybe not. Wayfarer has 450mm stays but is QRs. Elan has thru axles and flat mount brakes but only 440mm stays.

 

[All uphill]

Cadence LBS in Bath have this at £550 on eBay. Ex demonstrator.

Edit: cancel that, it's ally!

 

[wafter]

Cadence LBS in Bath have this at £550 on eBay. Ex demonstrator.

Edit: cancel that, it's ally!

View attachment 778997

Thanks - got quite excited until I saw it was ally and probably too big. Looks nice for what it is though and I love the colour

That's definitely another avenue to explore; I know Genesis have done some often short-lived city bikes in the past and that's really what I'm after. If I can find something suitable off the shelf, why build it when you can buy it?

 

[IanSmithCSE]

So, seems the Croix de Fer flat bar project may be dead in the water, so I'm looking at alternatives.

Non-negotiable needs:
- Steel
- Disc brakes
- Long (c. 450mm plus) chainstays
- Mounts for mudguards
- Mounts for racks front and rear


Negotiable nicities:
- Flat bars (will be fitting these anyway but it would be nicer to start as I mean to go on)
- Through-axles
- Flat-mount calipers
- Horizontal top tube
- Mudguards
- Rack
- Low cost
- Low theft appeal


Tbh I'm not sure I'd find something that ticks all of the above boxes at any price, but it's all worth mentioning. I'm open to anything that comes close to fitting the required criteria although appreciate that certain required facets will rule out picking up an old cheap frame as a base.

Current favourites are the Genesis Tour de Fer (looks good but falls down on sloping top tube, IS-mount calipers, QR wheels and to an extent cost depending on age / variant) and the Fuji Touring disc (similar thoughts to above; 450mm chainstay length makes viability a bit more marginal but I prefer the aesthetic of the lugged fork).

Yet to look at stuff from the likes of Surley although they're likely to be pricey and have an inkling that something like a Ridgeback Panorma might make a good budget choice; while it appears that some of the late Dawes Galaxies could be had with discs but again need to do my homework.

I'd be happy with a frameset only or complete bike as I already have / have in mind much of the groupset and finishing kit, while I also have a spare set of wheels that could be put to use if necessary.

Thanks

Good evening,

A completely different thought process, how about a frame build course?

Dave Yates used to do a week long one and you would leave with exactly what you want, with one caveat.

The front fork was an extra course, but maybe a bought in front fork would work.

I suspect that this would blow the frame budget, but would it blow an interesting holiday and frame budget?


Bye

Ian

 

[vickster]

No idea, but anything from Temple perhaps

 

[wafter]

Good evening,

A completely different thought process, how about a frame build course?

Dave Yates used to do a week long one and you would leave with exactly what you want, with one caveat.

The front fork was an extra course, but maybe a bought in front fork would work.

I suspect that this would blow the frame budget, but would it blow an interesting holiday and frame budget?


Bye

Ian

Cheers - nice idea but not really viable since I want a straighforward route to a workhorse that I can leave locked up. Potentially something to consider in future under different circumstances however

No idea, but anything from Temple perhaps

Cheers - I like their gear but unfortunately they don't do anything suitable.

If anyone's interested it seems they're having another 25% off sale; although the prices seem to have taken a hike since last time..