Commuter bike

Having a cyclo-cross bike in your possession during the wettest drought in history is a godsend. After the fun I'd had with the Decade Tripster I was looking forward to testing its slightly racier sibling, the Kinesis Crosslight FiveT, for commuting and general day to day riding duties.

The 2011 Whyte Montpellier was a three grand exercise in brand awareness as much as it was a bike for sale, but the 2012 incarnation comes in at only just over half the price whilst keeping some of the aspirational componentry bolted to Whyte's MTB-derived urban frame. Overall it's a cracking bike, fun and versatile, although the existence of the £999 Stirling is for a lot of people going to provide the biggest disincentive to buying one.

The Pinnacle Dolomite One is Evans Cycles' entry level sportive bike. It's a good looking bike with a lovely curved and sculpted fork. Unfortunately the ride quality doesn't deliver on the promise of "the ideal introductory bike to the world of sportives" though, if you're not going a long way, it could make a cheap fast-ish all weather commuter.

Trek Portland - tyre and rim