Commuting/Winter/do-it-all bike recommendations?

[Yazzoo]

@vickster I don't know what 'ftw' means but I def don't want a Brompton lol can't imagine it being much cop as a winter bike! Although would solve my bike shed issue. Maybe I need both, and to move house to store them all ...

 

[vickster]

For the win

 

[vickster]

Back to the Whyte carnaby if you can live with flats?

 

[vickster]

Or I dk what size this is but maybe something like this? http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Raleigh-RXW-Elite-Cyclocross-bike-/162126088892?nav=SEARCH

 

[annirak]

If you want a winter-capable do-it-all bike, then getting something with a derailleur dangling your chain in the spray, flimsy plastic guards and a thin rack is probably going to be disappointing.

Sadly, my recent research has not been promising with regards to disposing of the derailleur.

• Single speed: most people's knees don't want that
• Alfine: No road shifter from Shimano means few bikes with drop bars have it fitted (for 2016, only the Genesis Day One 20, it seems), complaints of poor reliability
• Alfine di2: No bikes with it equipped this year. Nearly as expensive as roh loff. Same reliability complaints as Alfine
• Rohloff: very expensive, no road shifter, poor workarounds.
• Pinion: No road shifter, complaints of early wear on the crank arm. At least as expensive as rohloff, weighs more. Can't use a standard frame since the gear box is in a modified bb shell.
• NuVinci: No road shifter, not possible to test ride, since no bikes in the uk have it. Gets good reviews from recumbent riders though.

Maybe a Sturney Archer is the way to go?

 

[Yazzoo]

@User46386 no front mudguards sadly

 

[vickster]

Bit over your £500 but available in XS?

http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/80506/Genesis_CdA_20_2016_Bike

 

[Wobblers]

To contribute my £0.02 to the thread, I'm a happy owner of a PX London Road. It's a very good winter bike, and ticks all the boxes. In fact, it's a pretty good summer bike as well. It's surprisingly fast and nimble and will certainly handle any offroad sections with ease - as long as you use the right tyres. It'll fit 32 mm tyres with mudguards with ease - I'm running the stock 32 mm Hutchison Kelvar tyres with a set SKS Bluemels mudguards. Despite other peoples' experiences, I've found the BB7 disc brakes very much superior to any rim brake I've used in the wet (there really is no difference between disc and rim brake in the dry). The one bit of advice I would give is to go for the Sram Apex version: I'd avoid an 11 speed transmission for commuting as the tighter clearances mean it'll wear more quickly and be more problematical to keep adjusted, which aren't good atributes for something you're going to be riding in all weathers. Plus it's a good deal cheaper!

 

[Tin Pot]

I need someone to get one of these and review it:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/...gclid=CIr_pqGOg84CFWYo0wodDQEPmA&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[vickster]

I need someone to get one of these and review it:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/...gclid=CIr_pqGOg84CFWYo0wodDQEPmA&gclsrc=aw.ds

Other than those who have on the CRC site? http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/...8_1469082571_83004844dcbda99352133eb06dc9a2b9
Yazzoo wants drops

 

[Tin Pot]

Other than those who have on the CRC site? http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/...8_1469082571_83004844dcbda99352133eb06dc9a2b9
Yazzoo wants drops

Yeah, I don't get much from shop website reviews

 

[mjr]

Maybe a Sturney Archer is the way to go?

That would be a traditional way. Sturmey Archer's AW hub is amazingly reliable and repairable if you can cope with 3-speed and squirting oil in. Some of the higher speed ones are good but it's more mixed.

I think some of the other hubs you mention (definitely Rohloff) have bar-end shifters that will fit drops.

 

[annirak]

That would be a traditional way. Sturmey Archer's AW hub is amazingly reliable and repairable if you can cope with 3-speed and squirting oil in. Some of the higher speed ones are good but it's more mixed.

I think some of the other hubs you mention (definitely Rohloff) have bar-end shifters that will fit drops.

http://www.cyclingabout.com/rohloff-hubs-with-drop-handlebars/

Maybe that article is out of date, but it sure doesn't look like Rohloff considers it a viable use-case. The problem is the same with Shimano (alfine/nexus). The options are Versa shifters or the J-Tek bar-end. I've not heard much good about Versa, I've not heard much about the J-Tek shifter at all. The Alfine di2 option is viable, but there are no bikes that come so equipped this year and, if there were, they'd be quite expensive.

As it is, the only production hub-gear, disc brake, drop-bar bike I've found this year is the Genesis Day One 20 (Nexus 8/Microshift BS-N08 (Inter 8) Bar-End/Promax Render-R). I was tempted until I saw that they've switched to own-branded steel instead of the Reynolds they used to use.

 

[Yazzoo]

Thanks all, still not sure which way to go with this! So far the genesis has my heart but am still looking for other options. Having just spoken to Freeborn they have told me the new 2017 range should be on their website in a few weeks and given me a discount code to use once the new ones are posted!

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Do this:

Buy the Genesis and whilst you're agonising over whether you made the correct choice you can already be bonding with it