Sub £1000 winter bike - through C2W

[400bhp]

Speak to surosa cycles in oldham. Another take on the ribble/tifosi model but they built cracking bikes.

Greg - thank you for pointing this place out. I've been up there and been measured up for a Surosa Toledo Audax. They had a large on a set of rollers and I was really pleased with how the bike felt, extremely comfortable and it didn't feel too far away (geometry wise) from the CAAD. I've asked them to set it up as close to the CAAD as possible as this seems the most sensible approach.

What I'm likely to do is order a bike with Tiagra 10 speed compact and a set of custom built wheels (32 spoke 105 hubs and Mavic rims -can't remember which ones, & with some decent quality spokes. I suspect I was being dealt with the wheel builder as I could see his eyes light up when I mentioned custom build ). I've then asked them to take the Tiagra stuff off my Caad9 and the Smimano R501 wheels off it 2 and swap them onto the Surosa frame. Cost of doing the swap (and importantly a clean up) is about £100.

I thought afterwards that I might go for 105 levers as the cables are tucked away under the bar tape rather than looping across the bars at the front.

Nice attentive staff in there too.

Thoughts?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Thoughts?

I've yet to find anyone who can better them on remote customer service so face-to-face they should be mighty. When I took it to a well regarded not-so-lbs for a bike fit they could not believe the vfm of the build and only had to make two tiny adjustments.

I think your swapsies plan is a great way to upgrade the sunday best whilst getting a good winter workhorse in the process. Having said that it is a workhorse, mine holds its own amongst much pricier opposition on Sunday club run. I've raced and TT-ed it, FNRTTC-ed it, and London to John O'Groats too, and with a rack and panniers done some B&B based fast touring and work trips, like home to Oxford for a course, on it too. My shopping list has some lighter faster wheels for it for next season for club stuff.

I don't think you'll be disappointed.

 

[jay clock]

I have a Trek 2.1 (prob 2010 model) which takes mudguards. http://ridewithgps.com/photos/full/20326.jpg may still get one or current versions may be ok.

 

[Devonshiredave]

I went for the new Moda Bolero. (http://www.eurobike.uk.com/details.aspx?p=369). I looked at pretty much everything around this price point and kept coming back to the Moda. American Classic Victory wheel set, carbon forks, mudguards, it certainly has a lot going for it. The Microshift gear is good. I've only had one good run out on mine so far, but even not clipped in my average speed has risen by over 3 mph over my previous bike and I wasn't pushing things. It even has points for a rack should you want one. I love it.

 

[tigger]

Bit of a curve ball this but an impressive bike for the money
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_832095_langId_-1_categoryId_165710

And the staple go anywhere winter road and trail machine (just change the tyres)

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_777735_langId_-1_categoryId_165710

10% off with British cycling membership. Hard to beat for the money.

 

[jay clock]

Bit of a curve ball this but an impressive bike for the money
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_832095_langId_-1_categoryId_165710

And the staple go anywhere winter road and trail machine (just change the tyres)

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_777735_langId_-1_categoryId_165710

10% off with British cycling membership. Hard to beat for the money.

both nice bikes but the Virago will not take mudguards and thus is just another £1000 bike. I also don't think the CX bike takes mudguards

 

[400bhp]

I'm 90% of the opinion that the Surosa audax with my own special modifications is the right way to go.

However, I stumbled upon this Kaffenback disc from Planet X. Suspect thyey are pushing the boundaries of it being called a winter trainer given its weight though.

 

[jay clock]

The Kaffenback is 10.8kg and the Surosa 10.6kg so both about the same. Apart from having the word "audax" on it I cannot see what the Surosa does that a summer road bike with mudguards can do (eg my Trek 2.1). I like th Kaffenback as the idea of discs for the winter appeals a lot

 

[GrumpyGregry]

The Kaffenback is 10.8kg and the Surosa 10.6kg so both about the same. Apart from having the word "audax" on it I cannot see what the Surosa does that a summer road bike with mudguards can do (eg my Trek 2.1). I like th Kaffenback as the idea of discs for the winter appeals a lot

My guess, not being intimate with a Trek 2.1, is more relaxed, forgiving geometry, and clearance for wider tyres maybe?

The Kaffenback Disc is sweet. Steel frame and BB7's for C2W money. If that had been around when I bought my Surosa it would have run it close. Very close.

 

[400bhp]

The Kaffenback is 10.8kg and the Surosa 10.6kg so both about the same. Apart from having the word "audax" on it I cannot see what the Surosa does that a summer road bike with mudguards can do (eg my Trek 2.1). I like th Kaffenback as the idea of discs for the winter appeals a lot

Don't know where you got that from - it's 9.2kg.

A close to 11kg bike is a heavy bike.

As has been pointed out to me earlier in the thread, such a massive difference in weight from my current bike is likely I believe to mean I end up leaving it in the garage most of the time.

Certainly open to the idea though.

 

[400bhp]

My guess, not being intimate with a Trek 2.1, is more relaxed, forgiving geometry, and clearance for wider tyres maybe?

.

That would be my guess too.

 

[jay clock]

Sorry. I was right but also wrong!!! http://www.surosa.co.uk/135887/products/surosa_audax_toledo_s34c.aspx is where I got the 10.6kg, from their own site, but a bit of careful searching shows that is an old model and the newer ones are indeed lighter being down to 9.35 which is reasoanable. So I was sort of right!

The Trek is not at all aggressive in terms of position and I have done 200k rides on wit no problem, but the clearance is very tight and with 23mm tyres only just ok. So the Surosa sounds like a better choice.