[Kenny@kgool.net]

Hi all,

My current road bike (a 2015ish Specialized Allez Sport) is getting a bit old and battered, so I’m looking suggestions for something new in the £1500-£2500 range. Most of my cycling is commuting, but I’m prone to going for the odd longer ride (200km+) and the occasional multi-day trip.In the past, I’ve found that a lightly loaded pannier rack worked really well for the multi-day trips, and I’d like my new bike to be able to take one. So, I think my bike needs are:

• Relatively nippy (so not a touring bike)
• Robust enough for crappy Edinburgh roads
  • It won’t be going off road. At all. Not even farm tracks.
• Able to take a pannier rack occasionally (once/year). The load on it will be ~6-7kg, in a bag strapped to the top of the rack.
• Ideally 105 groupset (but I’m used to Sora, so anything will be an upgrade)

I think the pannier requirement means that I’l be going with an alu frame.

Any suggestions? Right now, I’m looking at:

• Another Allez Sport
• Trek Domane AL5
• Ribble Allroad 105
• Merida Sculptura 400
• Giant Contend

Topic

[Shades]

Tom_77 wrote:

If you don’t have rack mounts you could get an Ortleib Quick Rack.

I fitted a Quick Rack to a Genesis Equilibrium, but where the lower lugs attach on the dropouts meant that the release levers (on the rack) fouled on the frame; fitted some lugs on the seat stays (Ortlieb gear) which meant the rack worked.  Have to make sure my bag is set well back (on the rack) or else my heel clips it so may be worth checking clearances.  It was only to allow me to use a pannier for commuting, as I’m not a fan of lugging a laptop in a rucksack, so I stuck with the Quick Rack.  A few people at work have the Tailfin system which can be quickly taken off; not cheap (carbon) and you do have to use their luggage system (I think a particular Orltlieb pannier system works as well) but it does look good.

[the little onion]

Kinesis gtd or rtd might be

Kinesis gtd or rtd might be ones to look at

[Pub bike]

Condor Fratello.  There was a

Condor Fratello.  There was a time when it seemed like almost everyone in the London CTC had one.

It is not heavily overbuilt at the back like a touring bike so heavy panniers will feel a bit wobbly, but it is fine for everything lighter than that.

[brooksby]

I’ve never had a problem with

I’ve never had a problem with cotton duck, tbh.

[Spangly Shiny]

For such a light payload,

For such a light payload, allow me humbly to suggest the following: https://carradice.co.uk/products/seatpost-quick-release-saddlebags
Used by me for many years with a Lowsaddle longflap saddlebag.
https://carradice.co.uk/products/originals-nelson-longflap-saddlebag
It covered me for daily commuting and credit card light touring duties  and no pannier rack required (used with an alloy seat pin, not sure about using a carbon one).

[wtjs]

I regularly write the same

I regularly write the same recommendation- especially now that Carradice has now branched into proper nylon, as opposed to almost-useless ‘cotton-duck’

[Steve K]

Tom_77 wrote:

If you don’t have rack mounts you could get an Ortleib Quick Rack.

I was coming on to make the same recommendation.  Even if you have mounts, not a bad idea if you are taking the rack on and off.

[Tom_77]

If you don’t have rack mounts

If you don’t have rack mounts you could get an Ortleib Quick Rack.

[mark1a]

If you’re only looking at 6

If you’re only looking at 6-7kg on a bag mounted to the top of a rack, you might not necessarily need rack mounts. I’ve just ridden the South Downs Way on a hardtail MTB, with (obviously) no rack mounts, I used a Topeak MTX BeamRack II fastened to the seatpost, with a Topeak MTX TrunkBag EX attached using their slider system. Worked well and can be fitted/removed in minutes.

Some like that could widen your options for your other criteria.

 

[the little onion]

Boardman bikes and some

Boardman bikes and some cannondale models often have hidden rack mounts. 

[Author]

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