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Help me spend a grand...

by alansmurphy
Tue, Jun 20, 2017 13:26
5

It's cycle  work time and I nee some wheel and/or bike advice:

 

Bike: I have a Specialized Diverge claris gravel bike similar to the link below as my winter/commuter, I don't know why but I just don't love it:

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Specialized-Diverge-A1-CEN-2016-Road-Bike_81309.htm

 

Is it potentially the weight of the bike that bothers me, are there any full carbons that would make a good winter bike? Alternatively, should I go the other way as the Holdsworth Elan at £500 from Planet X has caught my eye and some swear by the steel...

 

My summer bike is a Cannondale Synapse, full carbon, 105 and am very happy with it. The weak point is the wheels. How much sould i really spend on wheels - north of £350 / £400 seems wrong.

 

And finally, if I do go withthe Planet X option, anyone anything good/bad to report on their wheels?

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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5 comments

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HalfWheeler | 6 years ago
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My winter bike is a Cube cross bike, alloy frame with m/guard eyelets, 105 mostly, mechanical discs. From Oct to Mar the road tyres and mudguards go on and it's my winter hack. Weighs a fair bit (which is good!).

Come spring time the cross tyres go back on  and it's a gravel/cross bike. Weirdly it feels more nimble with the 35 mm tyres...but it's by far my fave bike. Cross/gravel spins in the summer are awesome.

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sergius replied to HalfWheeler | 6 years ago
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HalfWheeler wrote:

My winter bike is a Cube cross bike, alloy frame with m/guard eyelets, 105 mostly, mechanical discs. From Oct to Mar the road tyres and mudguards go on and it's my winter hack. Weighs a fair bit (which is good!).

Come spring time the cross tyres go back on  and it's a gravel/cross bike. Weirdly it feels more nimble with the 35 mm tyres...but it's by far my fave bike. Cross/gravel spins in the summer are awesome.

 

I'm going to take delivery of a Canyon Inflite cross bike tomorrow - with exactly the same thought in mind.  Ordered it with hydro disks, 28mm tyres and mudguards; should be a simple matter to swap the tyres/remove the guards when I want to head offroad (not that I do that much).

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kil0ran | 6 years ago
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Hunt wheels are in your price bracket for the summer bike. That's what I'd be getting with that budget, or possibly ones from Kinesis - as a heavier rider and crap roads I'm interested in durability more than weight saving

As to the bike Full Carbon and Winter Bike seem a bit diametrically oppposed. So few carbon frames come with decent mudguard mounts, and fork crowns often aren't drilled for dyno lights.

Your needs might be different but a winter bike for me means:

Full-length mudguards bolted to frame/fork (i.e. no SKS Raceblade bungee types_

Dyno lighting 

BSA bottom bracket

Robust rather than lightweight with neutral handling (slack frame geo)

Disc brakes

Personally quite tempted by the Holdsworth Stelvio as I like to run 32mm+ tyres for the gravel bits of my commute.

Avatar
The _Kaner | 6 years ago
2 likes

"Help me spend a grand..."

 

I have a bag of magic beans, yours for the princely sum of £995....

The remaining fiver can be used as a tyre boot, should you choose to accept my trade....

Avatar
StraelGuy | 6 years ago
0 likes

I'd take another good look at the Holdsworth, they get great reviews. My cheap winter bike is heavy steel but I love it more than my carbon summer bike. There's just something 'right' about the feel of a steel bike, especially on the UK's crappy roads - much more forgiving than carbon.

 

You could move as much of your Specialized kit onto the Holdsworth as you can (you mat need new bottom bracket and seatpost) and flog the frame to someone looking to build a fixie or whatever.

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