SatNavSaysStraightOn
Changed hemispheres!
- Location
- ɐᴉlɐɹʇsn∀ 'ɐɹɹǝquɐƆ
The situation is that after many years on mtb's we went off on an extended tour having sold everything we own and rode off into the sunset. After a pack of dogs decided to redesign my left leg 1 year in, we are now back in the UK after aborting the tour (see link in signature or here, but I'm warning you some of the pictures you won't want to be eating when you look at them) and the last thing I really want my OH doing is commuting on a £2,500 expedition bike (Thorn Nomad Mk II with Rohloff hub). It's OK, if a little slow, for one site which is secure, but the site he is going to be spending 3 days a week on is not secure and I would rather we purchase him another bike than risk an uninsured bike at an unsecure site (insurance is just daft for 2 * £2,500 bikes) and where we live security is not going to be an issue.
So I'm looking at getting him a road bike for commuting - it's a 22mile round trip. Having run into issues with tax and the likes last time around with his cycle to work, we are probably not going to do that, and this weekend, we have to go out and come home with a bike for him and a car I can actually drive...
He will be covering almost entirely tarmac (possible alternative route is a river side sustrans cycle route which appears to be either compacted hardcore or tarmac - we have not cycled there yet - it is out of my current range).
So my question on the bike front is this:
Remember that he loves his Rohloff hub and is dreading going back to a derailleur system again and it's a long time since he was last on a road bike... Ideally the bike needs to be able to take a lightweight pannier rack - we both prefer panniers to rucksacks having commuted to work by bike for many years previously (mtbs because of major off-road sections).
So I'm looking at getting him a road bike for commuting - it's a 22mile round trip. Having run into issues with tax and the likes last time around with his cycle to work, we are probably not going to do that, and this weekend, we have to go out and come home with a bike for him and a car I can actually drive...
He will be covering almost entirely tarmac (possible alternative route is a river side sustrans cycle route which appears to be either compacted hardcore or tarmac - we have not cycled there yet - it is out of my current range).
So my question on the bike front is this:
- What is out there for around £500 (quite happy to spend less, less happy to spend more) on a road bike for my OH?
- What are you happy with?
- Would you recommend it?
- Are there bikes/makes we should just avoid full stop?
- anything else you can think of because I don't actually know anything about road bikes?
Remember that he loves his Rohloff hub and is dreading going back to a derailleur system again and it's a long time since he was last on a road bike... Ideally the bike needs to be able to take a lightweight pannier rack - we both prefer panniers to rucksacks having commuted to work by bike for many years previously (mtbs because of major off-road sections).