Cannondale R600

cycle to work schemes are a cracking way to get a decent new bike cheap so if you've got one on offer you should definitely consider it. the boardman is fantastic value but my pick of a sportive bike under the grand would probably be the genesis equilibrium. I would say that though, since i just bought one

no reason you couldn't do a sportive on the R600 though. if you're looking for a new wheelset for sportives then i'd look no further than the magnificent pro-lite braccianos, which are £100 off at CRC right now (£250)

With so many nice bikes available it's a hard (but fun) choice to make.

I'm considering something like a Jake, Vapour or Ridgeback Century to be fitted with rack & 'guards for daily lane-bashing duties... but then I get distracted by the prospect of riding an 8kg race bike every day B)

Dave, would be interested to know why you chose the Equilibrium.

Also, with cycle to work, you need to check your entitlement for expenses when riding for work business. If I were to purchase a bike through the cycle to work scheme my employers would not give me any of the expenses that would be available to an employee riding a bike they bought in a traditional way.

With regard to the bikes you can get, the equilibrium looks nice, boardmans have amazing specifications as do planet x's for the price. It is tempting to ride a race bike every day!

"do I keep the Cannondale & swop the wheels or sell it & get a new bike on the cycle to work scheme"

keep the Cannondale and get a new bike on the C2W, and if you.ve still got some spare pennies left get the pro-lite braccianos as well.

easy

i love steel bikes, me. If i had more money to throw at it right now i'd maybe have gone with a salsa pistola which i tested last year and loved to bits. but really i wanted a frame that i could build up into a nice comfy long distance machine. The equilibrium gives a great ride and descends superbly, something which i'm particularly keen on and, since i'm heavy, something the bike has to do well...

built up with Ultegra and RS80s it'll probably weigh in at around 19lb which is light enough for a big lad like me. plus, i think it looks smart.

my Trek 1.5 will likely be pressed into service as a fixed wheel TT bike - i can drop the bars and get a pretty decent position on it. just weighing up the options for fixed drivetrain on a vertical dropout bike, prob go for an ENO hub

Thanks guys, you have all given me lots cake for thought (sorry "food")