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Spa Audax or similar

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  • June 16, 2014 at 8:51 pm #21703
    Topcat

    I’m currently trying to decide my next purchase and looking for the input of the more experienced of you! I’m looking to build up an everyday/long distance bike. I love my CAAD 8 but carrying all my work gear or clothes for a weekend away is a real pain in a rucksack.

    I’ve really got carried away looking at Bob Jackson, Mercian and Condor frames but decided to spend less as the bike may spend time chained up outside my work or in North London; so it’s going to get knocked about and I don’t want it to be too desirable to thieves.

    Does anyone on here own a Spa Audax? It seems to be the perfect steel frame to build an all rounder on a budget. I have considered the Genesis Equilibrium but realise that it does not have rack mounts and is more expensive. The only downsides I can see is that there are a few comments about the Spa frame seeming a little agricultural and having a short head tube.

    I’m considering using Camagnolo Centaur/Veloce mix on this bike as I have Shimano 105 on my CAAD and think I prefer the shape of the Campag shifters. Does this seem like a sensible choice over Shimano for this sort of bike given how Shimano seems to be the most dominant brand?

    Any thoughts or comments are much appreciated.

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  • June 17, 2014 at 6:46 am #799587
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    therevokid

    10 speed campag mechs will do
    10 speed campag mechs will do 30t and the 11 speeds are now 29t.

    Surly are also very good long haul framesets.

    June 17, 2014 at 3:59 am #799585
    0
    Trull

    I don’t mind the longer days
    I don’t mind the longer days in the saddle, and live near the heart of the Cairngorms…so gears matter. The problem with Campag is their rear mechs can only cope with a 28T, personally I’ve always had a bail-out granny gear that I know I can grind up any hill with a wide triple, I can run 26×31 so my feet whirl faster than my wheels. Ideal for a 1:3 with 200k+ in the legs. Its perfectly possible to run even lower gears if you use Shimano.

    I’ve got Veloce 10sp on the carbon bike, its adequate, but gear range is limited and suited to sportif/racing more than distance work.

    I’m still happily eating the miles on my old Raleigh Randonneur (1988 from new), if you keep an eye open you could still pick one up for an absolute song, the spec is bang on for what you want and the Reynolds 531ST tubeset still rocks.

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