[the little onion]

Right then, I need a new bike for winter/rainy day riding, and for commuting 13 miles each way. Something that is fun to ride but can also handle crap weather with lower amounts of maintenence. Please help and advise on what you think best suits my needs

Non-negotiable must-haves:

-disc brakes

-ability to fit ‘proper’ full length mudguards (i.e. eyelets, not clip on), with 27mm clearance

-reasonably road-bike-race-y geometry. So not something overly sit-up-and-beg. I currently ride a cross bike on the road in winter, and even with road tyres I find it a little unexciting. So something closer to a ‘normal’ road bike than to a touring bike.

Nice-to-haves

-budget of under £2k, preferably quite a bit under

-wheels which are easily compatible with tubeless setup. I can bodge tubeless, but would prefer something than can run tubless out of the box

-lower maintanence options on gearing and BB. I’m open minded about 1X gearing, even though my riding is pretty hilly.

I’m generally looking at the CAAD13, Bowman Weald, Kinesis bikes, but I welcome your thoughts.

Topic

[Sniffer]

I have a summer bike with

I have a summer bike with SRAM Red so I am used to Double Tap and get on fine with it.  Thanks for the feedback.

I have Tiagra on the current winter bike.  I thought Shimano 10 speed components were easy and cheap to get until I looked at replacing the shifters in the middle of a pandemic!

[wtjs]

My choice would be 105 for

My choice would be 105 for all but a best bike, tbh; it shifts really well, is reliable, and spares are readily available and not expensive

The same can be said even more economically wih the excellent Sora 9 speed. I went to 9 speed when it was cutting edge and Ultegra. I stayed with 9 on my recent new gravel bike with a double 48/32 (to go to 36/40 when it wears out) and 37mm tyres, and have been very pleased. Oil that cable and it changes very smoothly, and components are cheap!

[Recoveryride]

I’ve not used the R1, but

I’ve not used the R1, but Apex 1x is a good shout for a commuter, I think. Double tap is a bit marmite, but I quite like it. Slightly gappy on the cassette, but then an 11 sp 1x is going to be. Older SRAM stuff I thought wore pretty quickly in British conditions, but whether that’s changed I couldn’t say.

My choice would be 105 for all but a best bike, tbh; it shifts really well, is reliable, and spares are readily available and not expensive.

[EddyBerckx]

If you’re looking at a

If you’re looking at a fairlight strael bear in mind you won’t get a new one until June next year – they have a big backlog!! 
 

A few of the smaller companies I’ve seen are the same at the mo. 

[Sniffer]

As Kinesis and the Fairlight

As Kinesis and the Fairlight Strael are mentioned in the comments and I own one of each I though I would give you some thoughts.

I ride my Strael regularly through the winter, but don’t commute on it.  It is just too nice a bike to throw back in the shed on a dark night and haul out again in the morning still filthy from yesterday.  It is my winter and poor weather weekend and club ride choice though.

I have a Kinesis T2 for commuting.  Kinesis make good bikes for British winters.  Now that bike is rim braked and not suitable for your spec.  I am at a decision point with it as I will have to replace much of the drive train soon and one of the shifters is dodgy.  If I don’t spend the money on it I am considering a Kinesis R1 complete bike with SRAM Apex 1x.  Ticks all the boxes on your list.  Anybody got one that can provide feedback?

[MacBad]

Well! My hobby is outing by

Well! My hobby is outing by bike any season of winter or summer or rainy day.When you are looking a tubless bike i am highly reccomend a popular brand. The brand name is Vitus Mach 3 VRS. It is very fast and furious. So when you buy the bike , i think you should riding with helmet.

[Tom_77]

I’m also on the lookout for a

I’m also on the lookout for a new bike along similar lines. I’m not bothered about tubeless, but basically I’m looking for a road bike with disc brakes that will take wide tyres (preferably at least 32mm) and full mudguards.

So far my shortlist is:

Decathlon RC520 + better wheels

Ribble CGR – not sure exactly how I’d spec it, but probably aluminium frame and 105.

Planning to use the bike to work scheme, so I’d probably go for the CGR – I can get a discount on a whole bike but I wouldn’t get one on the wheels for the RC520.

[joncomelately]

Yep, I’ve got the CGR AL with
Yep, I’ve got the CGR AL with SRAM Apex 1. It’s a bit stiff but otherwise comfortable and hard-wearing. Budget should give you room to upgrade the wheels if necessary which makes it more fun. Customer service there was pretty good once they realised I wasn’t happy.

[Secret_squirrel]

+1 for the Strael I got mine

+1 for the Strael I got mine from eBay for £1000 and it’s been stunning fun.  It is easily good enough to be “the One Bike to rule them all” and fast enough with road tyres to scare anyone on a Carbon pocket rocket with a similar level of fitness.   Drop the wheels down to 650b and it will take 38c (1.5″) tyre with mudguards if you don’t mind taking a file to a set of Bluemels, then it’s an accomplished Strada Bianca gravel basher. 
 

It’s geo is the fast end of endurance too but sublimely comfortable. 

In 105 guise with Hunt 4 season disc wheels it’s probably the best value bike I have ridden or owned. 

Mine is a 51R and will be on eBay soon! For n+1 reasons – solely because I’m going more gravelly. 

[Recoveryride]

If you get lucky on Ebay or

If you get lucky on Ebay or similar, then you should be able to find a good condition, 1-2 year old, mechanical geared Mason Resolution or Definition 2nd hand for the top end of your budget. They are superb, genuine 4 season bikes, disc-only, have decent tyre clearance and mudguard eyelets. If the original owner has kept the original Hunt wheels, they’ll either be tubeless ready or setup tubless. Both models have the same geometry (racy end of endurance IMO) and are little better quality and finish than the Kinesis and Bowman (though they are correspondingly more expensive). That said, both the Bowman and Kinesis are perfectly decent bikes and more than adequate for the purpose.

I’d give the CAAD a miss. BB30 issues are far too common, Cannondale are b*ggers for pushing back on legitimate warranty claims and this is a bike that’s going to get some fairly challenging use. You want a threaded BB (or at worst a T47).

On that note, I might just question the overall purpose of the bike. If I were you, I’d decide whether I wanted a ‘4 season’ bike that I’d happily ride in the summer as well, or a pure winter and commuter workhorse. Also, how long are you expecting it to last? My own point of view is that regular/daily commuting and all weather riding is pretty hard on bikes, even if you are religious about maintenance. So I’d either spend the top end of the budget on something that will last, or alternatively go pretty cheap and cheerful with a view to flogging in the small ads for not very much in a couple of years. It’s the bike version of Sam Vimes’ boots theorem 🙂

A final option for you: During lockdown, I built up an intended winter/commuter from a 2nd hand Brian Rourke steel frame bought on Ebay, and the components were a mix of new but on sale, second hand, and bargain bin stuff at the LBS (i.e. a £10 3T stem). It cost me about £1200 all in, though I did 95% of the work myself which did save money. It was a great little workhorse in the relatively little riding it got (see below). There’s plenty of stuff out there to do something similar if you have the time and patience, together with a little bit of savvy to know you’re not buying junk.

As it happens, post lockdown I’ve been moved to working at new premises 2 days a week, 2 days working from home, and just 1 at the old place. The new location is a little too far easily to commute, and the new journey involves a pretty hairy motorway junction roundabout and stretch of dual carriageway, so I sold the bike (for within £100 of what I paid, happily) and reinvested 2/3 of the proceeds on a smart trainer for the winter.

[Recoveryride]

Fairlight would be a great

Fairlight would be a great option, and here’s one for sale: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fairlight-Strael-54T-touring-racing-steel-bike-UK-EU-SHIPPING/254303915765?hash=item3b35b1cef5:g:F74AAOSwRn5dbnDw

No, it’s not mine! Great spec as well.

[Inder]

I can recomend the Kinesis 4s

I can recomend the Kinesis 4s, ticks all your boxes. Not sure many people are offering complete builds but if you are happy to build it up yourself it should come in comfortably under £2k if you shop around for parts.

[kil0ran]

Fairlight Strael if you can

Fairlight Strael if you can find one?

I love my Bowman Layhams (rim brake audax) and the Weald looks a great option seeing as you need discs. 

PlanetX Hurricane possibly – not sure on tyre clearance though

[EddyBerckx]

Check out Ribble – they have

Check out Ribble – they have a couple of ‘race’ bikes that take mudguards and have discs. The endurance looks great else for a cheaper model, the r872?

 

ive gone backwards and forwards over this issue the last 8 years. From exciting ‘race’ bikes to heavy, slow but practical.

 

finally…I’ve settled on exciting/fast for long distance commuting/winter riding even if it means no mudguards (these days you do have a choice, finally)

 

 

[Author]

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