Cycling on ice

[GrasB]

This is where a knowledgeable LBS attendant who listens to you come into their own. Very quickly we narrowed down a list of bikes which met my requirements but none of them were 'classical' touring bikes, oddly they were all the more sporty hybrid city bikes that felt closer to road bikes & 'crossers.

 

[MacB]

This is where a knowledgeable LBS attendant who listens to you come into their own. Very quickly we narrowed down a list of bikes which met my requirements but none of them were 'classical' touring bikes, oddly they were all the more sporty hybrid city bikes that felt closer to road bikes & 'crossers.

Yep, I kind of got there by mistake with the Giant CRS Alliance, with the wheelset being the only significant weakness, IMO. It doesn't work well as a laden commuter(though different wheelset could solve a lot of that) but, stripped down, it's been great as a weekend bike. In fact, if I look at the new bike that has ticked all the boxes for me, it's surprisingly similar to the Giant. I've chosen a Van Nicholas Amazon, wanted a titanium bike, and it came down to the Amazon or the Yukon. The latter just lacked the necessary clearances and the fittings for v-brakes. They would have modified it for me but that would have just been chopping a Yukon to try and make it like an Amazon.

There's a few now that seem to offer the greater versatility, sticking points seem to be around brake types, clearance and bar diameters. I just wouldn't buy a bike now that didn't have decent clearance, it removes too many options.

 

[GrasB]

When I replace the Marin it's going to be built around a custom frame where I get to chose the clearances It probably won't be cheap but it will be exactly the frame what I want.

 

[valleyold boy]

Came off my mtb on ice this morning,luckily on a track not the road,cut eye,bruised knee,hurt pride,but the bike was ok!

 

[postman]

Cycling on ice .Is this a new BBC tv prog .Is Brucie presenting or that bird off x-factor .

 

[maurice]

Came off my mtb on ice this afternoon, arse still hurts.

There was a big unavoidable sheet of it on the trail, to start with it was a bit roughed up and looked to have some grip. Got about 10 foot in when the ice turned into a slick sheet, then a slight camber on the ground gave predictable results.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

I've chosen a Van Nicholas Amazon, wanted a titanium bike, and it came down to the Amazon or the Yukon.

I was wondering did you have a look at the SABBATH September Rival:

I have been looking at titanium bikes and my LBS sells the sabbaths and on paper it looks very good and ticks all the boxes i.e. takes mudguards etc

Just wondered if you had any thoughts for or against.

 

[MacB]

I was wondering did you have a look at the SABBATH September Rival:

I have been looking at titanium bikes and my LBS sells the sabbaths and on paper it looks very good and ticks all the boxes i.e. takes mudguards etc

Just wondered if you had any thoughts for or against.

Think I've had a look at pretty much all of them, I've read some very good reviews on the Sabbaths. I was originally planning on a, mega £'s, custom build but various domestic expenses and a sanity check have put the kibosh on that. I'm not yet 100% on the Amazon, there will be a test ride first. One of the reasons for going Van Nicholas is that Corridori aren't far from me, so testing is possible. I've been delayed in my progress due to injury and tinkering with bars setup. I don't want to commit to the new bike until I've finalised the cockpit on existing.

My utility leanings have come more to the fore again as well. I need to verify but am now having concerns on tyre clearances on the Amazon. Have read a couple of comments indicating that 32mm is biggest you can go. The Amazon will really have to outperform the Crosscheck significantly to make the spend worthwhile. For example the Xcheck is currently fitted with Marathon Winter studded tyres at 35mm, and could take tyres up to 45mm with guards. There's just under 1lb difference in weight between the frames so the Amazon needs to be a big notch up comfort wise as well to get the nod. If I can't get the tyre clearance I want and the comfort isn't night and day difference(which I find hard to imagine) then we're only left with corrosion resistance. At 4x the price for the titanium over the steel I'm not sure how big a factor the corrosion can be.