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Second bike advice welcomed - multiple uses

Morning all. This is the first time I've added a new topic.

I'm looking for a bit of advice for a second bike I'm getting. Does anyone have good or bad experience with either of these or other advice they would like to pass on?

Currently, I have a De Rosa 838 Athena as my only bike, which is great for triathlons and summer riding. My young son has now started riding and it would be nice to have a bike I can go on trails and paths with him. This got me thinking about having a second bike for three purposes

1.) riding with him on paths and flat trails (he's only 6)
2.) commuting into work
3.) winter training for triathlons, both on my own and group riding

My company has just setup a cycle to work scheme with Evans so I am limited to what they have. I placed an order for the cheapest cyclocross bike they had- a Jamis Nova sport reduced from 650 to 400. The guy in the shop tried to talk me into the Pinacle Arkrose One but it was more than I wanted to pay at the time. Both have road friendly compact 50/34 chainsets.

I'm now wondering if I've made the right choice. The pinnacle now is on offer at £630. The main differences is as follows:

Jamis - aluminium fork with Cro-mo steerer, claris groupset, double butted frame.
Pinnacle - all carbon fork, sora groupset, triple butted frame, tektro cable disk brake.

Is the extra £230 (minus cycle to work discount) for the pinnacle worth it? I am collecting the bike tomorrow but they did say I could change it if I wasn't happy when I try it in the shop (they didn't have one in to look at when I ordered it with them).

I don't really know Shimano that well, preferring Campag. The trek I borrowed to get back into cycling did have ultegra and that seemed pretty good. No cyclocross bikes in this price range have veloce.

Any advice people would like to share would be gratefully received.

Thanks in advance.

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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4 comments

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Dr Mcr | 8 years ago
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Thanks for the feedback guys. Just got home from a day out doing another triathlon.

I'll take a look at how a genesis stacks up against the Pinnacle. I need to sleep on it but at the moment, I think I'm moving away from the Jamis.

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mike the bike | 8 years ago
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A couple of years ago I had a shortlist of bikes as I searched for a rugged, do-it-all machine. The Arkose came second, just pipped by a Genesis, which I still ride and am very happy with.
But sometimes I wonder .........

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Argos74 | 8 years ago
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From personal experience, I'd say go with the Arkose. Solid warhorse of a bike, compared to your current Italian racehorse. At £630, is an absolute steal. It'll take mudguards and a rack quite happily. Had a quick look at the Jamis, is not a bad bike, and at less than £500, is well worth looking at, even without mudguard eyelets.

Big difference for me would be the forks (my hands get numb very easily), and the brakes (I get some right walnuts on my commute), so personally I would splash the extra £150. But your mileage may vary.

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Derny | 8 years ago
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If you're planning to use the bike for winter riding, I would want to know whether one of the bikes is better suited to installation of full mudguards.

Personally I would opt for the 9 speed bike but both sound like a bargain.

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