Randochap
Senior hunter
- Location
- British Columbia, Canada
Paul_Smith SRCC said:
Both photos on that page show the Van Nicholas Yukon. The lower shot actually "features" the back wheel w/ 30mm tyre in situ.
Which Ti Audax/Sportive bike
- Thread starter Tombo 707
- Start date
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Both photos on that page show the Van Nicholas Yukon. The lower shot actually "features" the back wheel w/ 30mm tyre in situ.
Paul_Smith SRCC
www.plsmith.co.uk
- Location
- Surrey UK
Oh yes I see it now:Randochap said:
He/you did well getting that size in, must be quite tight interms of clearance between tyres and guards, is it quite a light tyre? Loving the mudflaps by the way
Paul_Smith
I ride my 200 and 300km Randos on a Dawes Giro 500.
Audax rides are NOT fast. I have to slow down.
The keeno's go rushing off. I take it steady and when I arrive at the controls, there isn't a queue.
At the final control, I catch the others and ride to the finish with them.
I spent £420 on my Giro 500, and that included mudguards.
Audax rides are NOT fast. I have to slow down.
The keeno's go rushing off. I take it steady and when I arrive at the controls, there isn't a queue.
At the final control, I catch the others and ride to the finish with them.
I spent £420 on my Giro 500, and that included mudguards.
Randochap
Senior hunter
- Location
- British Columbia, Canada
jimboalee said:
That's great, jimboalee, whatever gets you round the course ... but your bike is aluminium and this thread is about titanium.
Personally, I dipped deep into my bank account to buy ti because my aging carcass was getting too beat up on the long brevets on my steel bike. I figured that the superior shock absorption of ti might help.
I haven't been disappointed in that regard. Plus I saved 1.5 lbs.
If you're looking for something closer to a road bike than those suggested so far, the Planet X Ti Sportive would be worth a look. Clearance is restricted to 25mm tyres and guards and there's no rack mounts, so defiantly more sportive than Audax, though there seems to be a growing number of people riding Audax on road bikes.
http://www.planet-x-warehouse.co.uk/?page_id=1113
A bit dearer than the Van Nick or Sabbath, it’s double butted tubing rather than the usual plain gauge and the etched graphics look loads better than the stick on transfers.
http://www.planet-x-warehouse.co.uk/?page_id=1113
A bit dearer than the Van Nick or Sabbath, it’s double butted tubing rather than the usual plain gauge and the etched graphics look loads better than the stick on transfers.
Paul_Smith SRCC
www.plsmith.co.uk
- Location
- Surrey UK
P.H said:
Nearly all the popular Titanium manufacturers have a frame set with more of a road bike set up that can be used for fast days rides/sportive riding.
Enigma have the Echo:
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Van Nicholas the Euros
Sabbath have the Silk Road
Most riders will use a compact transmission on these bikes plus it is quite common that most will have more spacers under the ahead stem, this is to give a relatively higher and more relaxed position than they would do if set up for racing. As Sportive style cycling has increased in popularity then so has the demand for a bike with a fast set up with an element of comfort, most bike brands have a bike set up to cater for the demand, all be it in slightly different ways.
For example the bikes shown above all have compact transmission, with a rear triangle where the stays are shaped and often slimmer than the versions they use as their full on race bike models, yet they still have quite a race bike riding position, which is why I mentioned that riders on these bikes will often have more spacers under the ahead stem; most can indeed achieve a very comfortable position on these bikes.Specialized by comparison, who have their very popular ‘Roubaix‘ range set up for this kind of riding as you can see below have theirs set up to be virtually level
Paul_Smith
www.corridori.co.uk
Which means what exactly?
Reason for asking is that I'm shortly going to be buying exactly this kind of bike and at the moment am thinking that I will go for one of 3 bikes:
Cannondale Synapse SL.
Specialized Roubaix Expert.
Van Nicholas Euro's.
At the moment I haven't ridden any of them so have no favourite, other than that I fancy a bike speciaaly made for me (so am leaning towards the VN). Obviously that may well change as and when I get to ride them.
Reason for asking is that I'm shortly going to be buying exactly this kind of bike and at the moment am thinking that I will go for one of 3 bikes:
Cannondale Synapse SL.
Specialized Roubaix Expert.
Van Nicholas Euro's.
At the moment I haven't ridden any of them so have no favourite, other than that I fancy a bike speciaaly made for me (so am leaning towards the VN). Obviously that may well change as and when I get to ride them.
Paul_Smith SRCC
www.plsmith.co.uk
- Location
- Surrey UK
It means that all are set up to do the same style of riding, all be it that there are slight differences.wyno70 said:
The Cannondale Synapse SL shown below appear also appears to have a Sportive set up with compact transmission and like the bikes I have shown above curved rear end to offer an element of comfort, plus as you can see a more level riding position, much of that height is down to the fact that there are a few spacers under the ahead stem, which is also at a raised angle, unlike the Titanium versions above all of which have their stems position more horizontal, if the stems on those were also fitted flipped over so that they were also raised then the positions were not be that much different to the Cannondale.
Compare the Chainset and position to one of their race bikes for example
Note that the pictures may be a bit deceptive, the seat pins do look slightly higher on the Titanium bikes when compared to the Cannondale Synapse SL, highlighting the saddle too handlebar drop more, they may have done this to make the bikes look more 'racey' and perhaps more easy on the eye
; however I am reasonably confident that all would offer a similar position. The Specialized Roubaix by comparison actually has a slightly higher front end, so potentially capable of an even higher riding position, although the saddle to handlebar drop appears to be the same as the Cannondale Synapse SL you will see that the stem is level on the Roubaix, if flipped over it would offer an even higher riding position than the Cannondale.
Providing you are still relatively flexible and can manage the position on each, then all three bikes you have mentioned should be suitable for fast day rides, you are effectively looking at each manufacturers comparible models. If however, perhaps you may have a bad back, short hamstrings or poor flexabilty, or you may just like to ride in a more upright style, then the higher potential position offered by the Roubaix may appeal.
In conclusion most riders can achieve a comfortable set up on all the Sportive bikes that have been mentioned in this and the post above.
Hope this helps.
Paul_Smith
www.corridori.co.uk
Paul_Smith SRCC
www.plsmith.co.uk
- Location
- Surrey UK
wyno70 said:
Off the peg race bike double chain sets (assume that is what you mean by regular) are normally something like 39t or 42t small ring, with a 52t or 53t large ring, often set up using rear sprockets of 11 or 12t upto as large as 25t; although they can often accept a slightly larger sprocket if needbe.
Compact double chainsets by comparison are set up to offer slightly lower overall gear ratios, to achieve this they often use a 34t small ring and a large ring of 50t, set up using rear sprockets from 12t up to 27t, although again they can often accept a slightly larger sprocket if needbe.
What you need to do is work out what gear ratios you like to use and then try and achieve them, making sure they are correctly positioned, no point if mathematically you can only get your most common used gear in largest ring largest sprocket.
By way of an example that is all I have done on my current tour bike, I use a 13t-29t Campagnolo 10 speed cassette set up with a chainset that 26-36-46t chainrings to give the the gear ratios I am after
I like gears of around 60”, you will see that I have got those on both middle and outer ring. I have done this essentially because this is a bike I use for two roles, solo rides of 15-20mph and touring rides of 12-15mph, to save repeated chain ring changes I can essentially use the big ring mainly for solo rides and the middle ring for more sociable rides. Even though it only has a 96" top gear I find that easily high enough for a mid 20-25 mph work out, for 15-20mph cruising I have ratios that I like available mid cassette on the 46 ring, this I find is the perfect set up for me. Of course everyone is different, some prefer a lower low gear and a higher high gear, horses for courses as they say
It does take a bit of thought as to what you need both in terms of ratios and then equipment choices to achieve them, but it can nearly always be done. In my case for example I did invest in a high quality chainset to get the ring combinations I wanted, as for me personally I find many road specific triples have ring choices too large yet the ATB chainsets too small for what I wanted.
Note I said 'wanted' not 'needed', my tour bike is used for tours, often I want to climb a long mountain pass with little effort to take in the scenery, so I chose lower gear ratios on that bike. Sportive bikes by comparison are normally ridden with no luggage, plus set up generally for riding at a higher speed than a touring bike, you can see from that gear chart above that a 34t inner chain ring with a 27t largest sprocket, a common combination on a sportive bike with compact transmission, will give a lowest gear ratio of approx' 34", on that style of bike that is low enough for most riders, even on a mountain pass.
To try and explain what a 34" gear ratio equates to you will see a red Audax bike in my tour write ups under my signature below, the 'Lejog' write up had a higher gear than that and I rode up every climb, in that specification I also toured the High Alps with two full panniers and again rode every climb.
However, I realised when I was riding in a group I had to keep the gear turning on the climbs and ride quicker than many of my new friends, who were using lower gear ratios than me and able to ride at a slower more socialble pace, that along with wanting to take in the scenery is why you will now see that bike had a triple in some of the later tour articles. As I said gear ratio choices can take some thought, the decision may not always be down to ability.
Note my bike is an Audax bike, I have mentioned it purely to illustrate the thought process that can go into deciding what gear ratios to go for. As an Audax bike like mine is often used potentially for slower tours, many spec' a triple over a double, where as the three you are considering are Sportive bikes, as I said above normally used for a slightly faster style of riding, as such they will normally have higher gear ratios than my Audax bike as a result. Generally off the peg sportive bikes will have a compact double, seldom a triple, or the larger ratios/chainrings of a race bike double. You may note that many will use an Audax bike for sportive riding and seldom for slower touring as I do, as such it is quite common that they will have them set up like a sportive bike with compact set up.
In Conclusion all three bikes you are looking at will have compact transmission, so ridden unloaded by a some one with a reasonable fitness level should find they have a very usable set of gear ratios and be able to ride up most climbs.
Paul_Smith
www.corridori.co.uk
Paul_Smith SRCC said:
Not quite the same. None of those you've sugested will take mudguards and there are other differences. The Planet X frame is between those and the Audax suggestions. I don't know of a comparable frame (That's not to say I think it's better, just that it's different)
Paul_Smith SRCC
www.plsmith.co.uk
- Location
- Surrey UK
Yes I agree, I wasn't trying to imply they were the same as the Planet X bike you mentioned, simply that there were other bikes that also have more of a race bike style without actually being full on race bikes, these are as such also a very popular choice for sportive rides, to the extent that this is exactly the style of riding that they have been aimed at.P.H said:
The bikes I mentioned in my reply to your post fit into this catergory, although the Van Nicholas Euros shown has a race bike double fitted, I find that normally customers will spec' either a compact or even a triple.
Paul_Smith
www.corridori.co.uk
craigwend
Grimpeur des terrains plats
I've got a 'euros' with triple and extra spacers for the same reasons as others suggested; very comfortable bike (as comfortable as my galaxy) can't recomend it enough it enough, frame finish very impressive compaired to some others.
see attached pic if it works.
see attached pic if it works.
My cycling is at the moment pretty much only solo rides up to 60 miles. I'm planning to lenghten that this year, with a view to doing 100m audax/ sportive. I occasionally do the odd triathlon too (mainly for fun and fitness, not to win). This year I am doing London to Paris and next year want to do John O'Groats to Lands End (as a solo effort, camping etc).
As such, I'll need to be able to take luggage, so looking at the Van Nicholas range, i was thinking I'd go for the Euros but it doesn't appear that it can take luggage so I'm thinking either the Amazon or Yukon may be more appropriate.
I'd like the bike to be as quick as possible as and when I strip it down (remove mud guards etc) for triathlon but also good for touring. Ideally i'd like to stick with 23mm tyres.
Any thoughts??
As such, I'll need to be able to take luggage, so looking at the Van Nicholas range, i was thinking I'd go for the Euros but it doesn't appear that it can take luggage so I'm thinking either the Amazon or Yukon may be more appropriate.
I'd like the bike to be as quick as possible as and when I strip it down (remove mud guards etc) for triathlon but also good for touring. Ideally i'd like to stick with 23mm tyres.
Any thoughts??
