Road Bike Help
- Thread starter Noobie1983
- Start date
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SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
I don't recall anywhere in this thread the OP saying what sort of commute distances are involved and whether the bike is going to be ridden or parked up at work in a hostile environment where theft or accidental/malicious damage is a risk.
For a start, if you have to lock a bike up where you can't keep an eye on it, or worse still on the street in a risky area, it's pointless using anything other than a virtually worthless, ratty looking, station bike. In some areas, other people decide your realistic bike choice, not you!
Getting your expensive new bike stolen or damaged is not going to do much to encourage you to stick with cycling as a long-term activity.
The other aspect is wear & tear and the cost of maintenance. A commuter bike needs to be specified with parts that cost as little as possible to replace when they wear. For this reason I would not be choosing anything with an 11-speed rear cassette, single front chainring, and requiring a narrow chain. All this stuff is several times more expensive to ride on than a hybrid style transmission that will have a much cheaper to replace 6/7 speed arrangement at the back and run a standard chain.
For a start, if you have to lock a bike up where you can't keep an eye on it, or worse still on the street in a risky area, it's pointless using anything other than a virtually worthless, ratty looking, station bike. In some areas, other people decide your realistic bike choice, not you!
Getting your expensive new bike stolen or damaged is not going to do much to encourage you to stick with cycling as a long-term activity.
The other aspect is wear & tear and the cost of maintenance. A commuter bike needs to be specified with parts that cost as little as possible to replace when they wear. For this reason I would not be choosing anything with an 11-speed rear cassette, single front chainring, and requiring a narrow chain. All this stuff is several times more expensive to ride on than a hybrid style transmission that will have a much cheaper to replace 6/7 speed arrangement at the back and run a standard chain.
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DRM
Guru
- Location
- West Yorks
Have you considered the London Road from Planet X?
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXL...272727093&mc_cid=7ac3f69bd0&mc_eid=365b44eb76
£799 rack & guard mounts, SRAM rival 22 speed & hydraulic discs, helmets £15 only thing is you’ll have to internet order and can’t test ride, but you could compare with something similar sized that you can test, ideal commuter bike for peanuts
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXL...272727093&mc_cid=7ac3f69bd0&mc_eid=365b44eb76
£799 rack & guard mounts, SRAM rival 22 speed & hydraulic discs, helmets £15 only thing is you’ll have to internet order and can’t test ride, but you could compare with something similar sized that you can test, ideal commuter bike for peanuts
Noobie1983
Regular
Thanks for your help, but ive booked a test ride a week on saturday or this
https://www.evanscycles.com/cannondale-topstone-disc-105-se-2019-cyclocross-bike-EV338216
https://www.evanscycles.com/cannondale-topstone-disc-105-se-2019-cyclocross-bike-EV338216
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
I commute on a road bike (at the moment its a cheap Triban 500). I prefer the ease of it over a 28-30 miles round commute, for me that outweighs the things that the Hellfrauds shop said 
Nothing wrong with commuting on an 11 speed 1x set-up. I commute on an 11 speed (though 2x) carbon bike when it's nice, and a 10 speed aluminium cx when the weather is a bit grim. My commute is 25-30 miles round trip (depending which route I take home), sometimes extended to around 50 miles on the way home. I don't spend loads of money in upkeep. 2-3 chains a year, which cost £10-£15 each, and a service a year (£60/bike, although my carbon bike is getting a full rebuild this year because it's nearing the 10,000 mile mark). Not everyone wants a bike they've found at the tip or abandoned in a river
nickAKA
Über Member
- Location
- Manchester
Your tale is practically identical to a mate of mine who was ready to pull the trigger on a Boardman 9.0 earlier this week. He's 36 and been using my hybrid for the last few months to get fit. He, however, has damage to his lower back (join the club) so his flexibility is an issue. I'd been telling him to test ride it before buying one for this reason alone but it was falling on deaf ears simply because he liked the look of the Boardman, which is fine, but it ignores the actual reality of riding & living with an 'aero bike'.
Anyway, he borrowed a more sportive-shaped road bike for the Manchester-Blackpool run last weekend to get a proper feel of things... I swapped the stem for something shorter where he'd be a bit more upright to see how he coped with the distance on a more 'comfortable' bike. It all went OK thankfully and he wasn't put off by the miles. One of the other lads in the group also asked if an aero bike was really right for him for the same reasons I had (no collusion, honest) which lent a bit more gravitas to my concerns, but his heart was still set on the Boardman.
He's limited by C2W scheme so we went up to cycle republic in town to see it in the flesh on Tuesday. Lovely looking bike, decent price, but you could see when it was stood next to the other bikes how aggressive the riding position was comparatively. Still no budging... we had a chat with the lad who sells the things, gave him the background on my mate and asked his opinion. He basically said the same as me & the other lad - probably not right for you, given your flexibility issues.
We had a look at a few of the other bikes and it looks like we've made a bit of progress, there was an orbea that looked bang on, slightly cheaper and a very similar spec. Out of stock in the colour he'd like (naturally) but at least he's going down the 'head over heart' route now.
TL;DR - It's a nice bike, but is it right for you? Weigh up what you want to do on it before buying because if it ends up crippling you with discomfort you won't use it, end of.
vickster
Legendary Member
OP has moved on I think from a pure road bike and is test riding a Cannondale gravel bike soon instead...which could also be on the aggressive side presumably, hopefully a decent test ride will show
Noobie1983
Regular
Thanks for the message, yeah i was really set on that Boardman, but when i got to the shop to buy the 1st thing i noticed was the tyre size and how thin they were, even joined this forum to argue my point against the guy at the shops point of view haha.
Im hoping when i test ride the Cannondale Topstone its fine, cos if its not im gonna be starting right from the beginning
raleighnut
Legendary Member
- Location
- One of the 'Elite'
Might be worth asking how much to supply and fit 'crosstop brake levers' on a new bike, they might even throw them in as a 'sweetener' when you buy it.
View: https://youtu.be/gtPBPn3kXlM
nickAKA
Über Member
- Location
- Manchester
Sorry about the late response, it was so similar to my recent experience I felt duty bound to comment.
The Cannondale should be a bit more practical; it may take a while to get it 'just right' for you but you won't truly know straight off the bat. Take advice from the staff, they should be able to guide you as to the suitability when you finally get to sit on it.
Noobie1983
Regular
Thanks for the advice Nick
Noobie1983
Regular
Bike bought last week, pedals delivered today, 1st go on it and shift gears wont change, no click. Any advice? Evans Cycles said i need to bring it back in if theres no 'click'.............not great when only rode it once for 5mins
Noobie1983
Regular
Thanks Alicat, will go out now and give another go, if not off back to York :-(
