Which audax bike??

[banger]

Looking for an audax type bike, thorn not an option on CTW

Looked at
Giant SCR (sora equiped) - has eyelets for mud guards and rack
Giant Defy1 (101 equiped) - mud guards not an option
Spec alese - not seen yet but on the list ?

Choices limited in ROI so anything from main manufacturers
budget about £800 ish

 

[simon_brooke]

I'm afraid my answer is pretty much 'none of the above'.

For audax you want something which is all-day comfortable, has clearance for mudguards, and can mount a decent lighting rig. You may also want to consider that audaxes don't always run on perfect roads, so you may want clearance for 28mm tyres and mudguards. Most of the current run of consumer racer type bikes don't have the clearance, don't have mudguard mounting points anyway and aren't particularly easy to mount lights to.

Also, for audax you want something to mount your maps and somewhere to carry your spare gear and food, and for me a bar-bag is the obvious solution to both problems; however, you can't use a bar bag conveniently with the low end Shimano groupsets because of the gear cables coming out of the side of the hoods and cluttering up the space between the handlebars. So for audax, Campagnolo or SRAM are definitely to be preferred.

I'm sorry this isn't very helpful. If I had to start with an off-the-shelf under-£1000 bike for audax my own choice would probably be something sold as a cross bike (Spesh Tricross, for example). It has the clearance and non-racing gearing without being as sturdy as an all-out tourer (although the Tricross has Shimano gears and thus has the bar-bag problem).

 

[banger]

Thanks Simon, that is very helpfull, I did consider a cross bike, and havent ruled it out yet, a lot of negative coments on using a cross bike as a touring bike on here and elsewhere I may have let that colour my judgement, as Im not after a full touring bike, It will be interesting to see what others think...........

Thanks again

 

[Bugner]

I currently have the Spesh Tricross, I commute 100 miles a week on it and have done 3 x 100km Audaxes on it. Doing my 1st 150k this weekend. It does the job quite nicely. Carbon forks and carbon seat post reduce road buzz and find it comfortable enough. Although I have just ordered a Condor Fratello (through the cycle to work scheme) steel frame and SRAM groupset so hopefully my Audaxes will be even more comfortable in the near future.

I do have a barbag on the front of the Tricross, a small 7litre Vaude one, and as said in previous post re shimano cables, it just fits in. But is just the right size for spare food and bits and bobs, plus map case on top.

Tricross will also take panniers for lightweight touring

 

[Tynan]

I commute on a Fratello and it takes full guards and a rack and a pannier lovely, I've carried the pannier heavy on occasion too

and it's comfy, carbon post and forks, it ran 25s when i bought it, I'm guessing that it'll take wider

Condor called it 'audaxey'

 

[Scoosh]

I commute on a Fratello and it takes full guards and a rack and a pannier lovely, I've carried the pannier heavy on occasion too

and it's comfy, carbon post and forks, it ran 25s when i bought it, I'm guessing that it'll take wider

Condor called it 'audaxey'

I ordered the Fratello with 28s and full guards. There's not much clearance but perfectly OK.

 

[WindyRob]

When you say Audax do you mean the 100k ones or the serious stuff that only leg-ends ride? If like me you do audax rides of 100k but really only ever aspire to a 200k at some point then i'd say you'd be ok on any of the bikes you have mentioned. if you want to do the stuff that will take you all day and more to do then you need to be looking at the stuff the first reply is talking about.

Windy

 

[vorsprung]

windyrob is right

For the 100k or 200k rides then any bike is ok. It doesn't matter how comfortable it is, if it can carry lots of "stuff", how indestructible the wheels are, how wide the gear ratios are, if it has mudguards and tri bars or if it is made from steel, carbon, aluminium or Titianium.

Over 200k there is some agreement that the bike should be comfortable. This implies "wider" tyres, a good "bike fit" to your body, a relaxed geometry and a flexible rather than stiff frame.

Luggage carrying should be enough for a night time set of clothes, emergency food and a few tools/spares.

The wheels should be able to take a few pot hole hits and it's probably a good idea to have 36 spoke hand made wheels that will work fine with a couple of spokes missing. 20 spoke super light wheels are not good in this context.

Wide gear ratios are necessary. You need a big gear for speeding over those miles. Or you will never get there. Tiny gears are for the 2nd day of a 600 when you have 80km left, you can barely stay conscious, you are climbing a mile of 1:6 and your legs feel like old rope.

A good bike fit makes for more comfort than the frame material, how much padding is on the handle bars and a lot of other factors. And comfort is key

Mudguards are good as they keep the rain off. Fit a mudflap and you can be in a group following wheels in the rain.

Tribars give an extra hand position and are good for riding into the wind

Steel vs Al vs Ti vs Carbon for audax bikes? Usually the answer is steel or Ti. But carbon has it's fans too. And an Alu bike that fits properly beats a Ti bike that's just wrong

 

[Randochap]

There is plenty of discussion and illustration of what makes an ideal "audax" or "rando" bike at VeloWeb. Simon has listed the important points above.

I'll warn that £800 is a tight squeeze for a good audax bike. Plenty of people use bikes like the Surly Cross Check and Pacer mind you, and these are in that range, though not the lightest and, depending on distance, terrain and approach, gearing might need to be modified. Some also use the Surly LHT, though it's a bit of a tank.

I'm a Campag man myself for my rando bikes, but note that Shimano STI cables can be redirected with brake noodles.

 

[gavintc]

In addition to the mainstream manufacturers, have a look or google winter bikes. In many cases, an audax and winter training bike are synonymous. The Ribble range is good, reliable and not expensive. I have just upgraded my old Ribble to a Kinesis TK frame. But the T is worth considering.

 

[Zoom]

+1 for Ribble; they are a very good value frame that can fit mudguards racks and wide tyres; and also you can build them to order with whatever groupset you require rather than having to upgrade an off the shelf bike.

I've done vitrually all my Audaxing including PBP on an alloy one so I can confirm that you don't need a steel frame.

 

[banger]

Update - bought a 2010 Giant defy 2 - waiting delivery

 

[Ian H]

In addition to the mainstream manufacturers, have a look or google winter bikes. In many cases, an audax and winter training bike are synonymous. The Ribble range is good, reliable and not expensive. I have just upgraded my old Ribble to a Kinesis TK frame. But the T is worth considering.

My previous audax bike was a semi-bespoke Ribble, when they still built their own in steel. It was okay, took 25mm tyres, which I find large enough, and mudguards. I rode all distances on it without any issues. Can't say I ever really warmed to it, though. I still have the frame.

Now I use a custom Ti Omega (yes, I know) which is superbly comfortable and handles extremely well.

I recently renovated my old Gazelle road bike, 20mm tyres and no guards. I rode a 200 on it without any real issues apart from bar position and padding - since sorted out.

My 'other' audax bike is a 40yr old frame built as a fixed-wheel. Again it's on 25mm tyres though the clearances are pretty huge. And again, it's okay for all distances.

 

[bonk man]

I would agree with Ian H on the old steel bike thing, you can't go far wrong as they tend to be comfortable and as long as you don't mind the extra weight over a modern alloy bike they are great, I wouldn't not have one in the shed for winter rides etc.

If you are only doing shorter audaxes then the Defy will be fine and you will fly round but over 120 miles it might get a bit jarring so seat choice and comfy tape on the bars is important.

I have a Giant TCR [ old alloy one ] and I have to have extra insoles in my shoes as the bottom bracket area is so stiff it numbs my feet on longer outings, I don't know what the Defy is like on this score..

When you are totally addicted to audaxing get a nice shiny Ti bike... I did...mmmmmmmmmmmmmm ... Nice

 

[zigzag]

frame material is a personal choice and in my opinion doesn't matter that much as long as it is higher quality frame. the main requirements that i have for my bike to ride long distances (over 300) are:

*good fit
*clearance for 25-28mm tyres and mudguards
*mudguard eyelets
*carbon seatpost and comfy saddle
*carbon or steel forks
*shallow drop handlebars with extra padding
*reliable drivetrain and wheels

i inflate tyres to 100psi rather than to the maximum 125psi, and this alone improves the comfort a lot. i also use a small 2l bar bag which is big enough but aerodynamic and it doesn't get in a way of shifter cables. i have considered campag shifters, but from what i heard and read they seem fail more often than shimano. i prefer shimano stis and the recent higher end versions come with same hidden cable routing as in sram and campag.

my friend for example was riding 1001 miglia on specialized tricross with brooks saddle and slick 35mm tyres. it worked very well for him. so there are many options available - all winter/training, touring and cyclocross bikes can be customised for long audaxes.