Fast/comfortable/Sportive/light tourer!? Possible in 1 bike?

[007fair]

This is a follow on from another thread I am looking at a new bike next year on the C2W scheme
I can't afford more than 1 road bike and want the best compromise between fast/comfortable/CC touring capable

I am 43 - average fitness. Not a racer!
Just got back into road biking in the last 2 years
Aims - Fitness, sportive events, weekend's away

So the bike should be
1. Fast enough to make sportive events enjoyable
I have a Giant SCR2 and this for me has been great something similar or better (Lighter) would be fine

2. Comfortable enough to do some light CC touring Am considering LEJOG at some point - would take 1 week maybe 10 days
So I suppose it would need to have rack eyelets (I don't have experience of big saddle bags I assume they not be big enough for a week away even if travelling very light)

Does C2W have a 1K limit? If so I suppose that rules out Carbon (I originally thought about the Spesh Roubaix.. but this does not have rack eyelets. and would be too expensive if the limit is 1K)


Thank You !
Robert

 

[Philip Whiteman]

Van Nicholas Yukon is worth a try. It is expensive but performs well as an 'all in one'.

 

[dellzeqq]

This is a follow on from another thread I am looking at a new bike next year on the C2W scheme
I can't afford more than 1 road bike and want the best compromise between fast/comfortable/CC touring capable

I am 43 - average fitness. Not a racer!
Just got back into road biking in the last 2 years
Aims - Fitness, sportive events, weekend's away

So the bike should be
1. Fast enough to make sportive events enjoyable
I have a Giant SCR2 and this for me has been great something similar or better (Lighter) would be fine

2. Comfortable enough to do some light CC touring Am considering LEJOG at some point - would take 1 week maybe 10 days
So I suppose it would need to have rack eyelets (I don't have experience of big saddle bags I assume they not be big enough for a week away even if travelling very light)

Does C2W have a 1K limit? If so I suppose that rules out Carbon (I originally thought about the Spesh Roubaix.. but this does not have rack eyelets. and would be too expensive if the limit is 1K)


Thank You !
Robert

Sort of in order...

http://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/employee,faqs.htm for the goods on Cyclescheme

43 is no age at all, and, while a time trial bike might be a bit silly, your priorities, which are, I would say, ride quality, lightness and durability are not really any different from somebody doing the Tour de France (but see rack eyelets below)

Comfort while touring and sportive speed are not mutually exclusive - you want to be able to go a decent distance at a reasonable rate and not get off feeling like crap

The Giant is aluminium with composite forks, The more carbon you substitute for that the more comfortable the ride

Rack eyelets - I've toured with a medium size saddle bag, let alone a big one, and I'd do it again. If you aim to do LeJOG in a week then you'll not be doing too much socialising in the evenings. I think this is where you have to make a choice - do you want the gran turismo carbon bike or the steel pootler

The Roubaix is a fantastic bike. If all that's stopping you getting it is the eyelets, forget the eyelets. See link about the £1k limit for Cyclescheme

 

[007fair]

Van Nicholas Yukon is worth a try. It is expensive but performs well as an 'all in one'.

Good shout.. never heard of them but it sounds exactly right
Seem reasonably priced too considering they are Ti Probably out of my league (price range) though

 

[007fair]

Sort of in order...

http://www.cyclesche...ployee,faqs.htm for the goods on Cyclescheme

43 is no age at all, and, while a time trial bike might be a bit silly, your priorities, which are, I would say, ride quality, lightness and durability are not really any different from somebody doing the Tour de France (but see rack eyelets below)

Comfort while touring and sportive speed are not mutually exclusive - you want to be able to go a decent distance at a reasonable rate and not get off feeling like crap

The Giant is aluminium with composite forks, The more carbon you substitute for that the more comfortable the ride

Rack eyelets - I've toured with a medium size saddle bag, let alone a big one, and I'd do it again. If you aim to do LeJOG in a week then you'll not be doing too much socialising in the evenings. I think this is where you have to make a choice - do you want the gran turismo carbon bike or the steel pootler

The Roubaix is a fantastic bike. If all that's stopping you getting it is the eyelets, forget the eyelets. See link about the £1k limit for Cyclescheme

All good points taken on board - thank you Didn't think a saddle bag would be an option but seems to be so .. which would widen the range greatly. I definately want a lighter / faster bike than a steel pootler

 

[jimboalee]

Yeh, LEJOG in a week doesn't include socialising.

Its 220 km per day. 12 hours riding, two hours eating and ten hours sleeping, if the adrenaline doesn't keep you awake.
A seven day LEJOG is a 'bare minimum luggage' affair.

A sportive is enjoyable when you get in a group of riders who are of similar fitness to yourself. Then you can all form a paceline and chatter.
Riding with faster cyclists, not enjoyable. Riding with slower cyclists, not enjoyable. You need to find a group in the Goldilocks zone.

 

[Garz]

You could try as suggested the yukon, or get a tourer like a hewitt cheviot, dawes galaxy or similar. I am currently getting one built up by Hewitt except have plumped for a Ti frame from Enigma (Etape) which meets all the needs similar to what you are asking for in your opening post. I believe in you get what you pay for and want this bike to last me (it comes with the frame having a lifetime guarantee).

Good luck with your decision and let us know what you get!

 

[Fab Foodie]

Condor Fratello would be my choice for a 1 bike garage.
Steel with carbon forks, mudguard and rack compatible, nice geometry and a thing of beauty too! Strip her down and add aero wheels for the summer club season and guards, rack, winter wheels et al for other duties as required.

 

[frank9755]

Fast/comfortable/Sportive/light tourer!? Possible in 1 bike? I can't afford three good bikes - can 1 bike do all of the above?

Mine can!
Hewitt Alpine Carbon


But rather than recommending specific bikes, here are a couple of things to think about.

Touring with a saddlebag can be fine. I love my saddlebag and use it every day for commuting, finding the bike handles much better than it does with panniers. But you might have to do a bit of fiddling to get it to work. For example if you haven't got a lot of seatpost / seat tube (ie you are not 5'10"+) then your saddlebag might be rubbing on your wheel. Especially if you haven't got a saddle with bag loops (ie Brooks) in which case it will probably be tapping the backs of your legs as well.

A Tortec ultralite rack only weighs only 400g and massively increases your carrying options - even if it is only to support a saddlebag and a rear light bracket (which is what mine is doing at the moment!) it is lighter than the brackets that Carradice sell (and a lot of the hacks that people deploy)

What about mudguard clearance? I did a tour in the summer and on one wet day a couple of the guys I was riding with got seriously cold from riding all day with road spray. I had mudguards and was completely dry and warm. 7 days of that up western Britain would be no fun. I was out with a clubmate on Sunday who had raceblades on and they annoyed him no end by rattling all the time, and only stopped half the spray.

I like getting a shiny new bike as much as anyone but I now firmly believe that getting a bike that fits makes more difference than what it is made of, groupset, etc. (After my fitting for my Hewitt, I set my old bike up to the same measurements and it is now a joy to ride), and the next best thing is a great set of wheels - they make you feel like you are floating!

Cycle to work is all very well but you struggle to get a bike at normal selling prices (as most bikes are sold at a discount to list and the proposition of providers like Cyclescheme is to encourage retailers to only sell at list price in order to fund their own charges). Combined with the recent change in residual value assessment by HMRC, you may struggle to get a better deal than you would by shopping around outside the scheme.

 

[jimboalee]

Go and grab "Bicycle buyer" magazine.

 

[John the Monkey]

So the bike should be
1. Fast enough to make sportive events enjoyable
I have a Giant SCR2 and this for me has been great something similar or better (Lighter) would be fine

2. Comfortable enough to do some light CC touring Am considering LEJOG at some point - would take 1 week maybe 10 days
So I suppose it would need to have rack eyelets (I don't have experience of big saddle bags I assume they not be big enough for a week away even if travelling very light)

Is there anything you don't like about the SCR2 specifically?

It has mudguard eyelets, and rack mounts on the seat stays (at least mine does). You could pop some ViVa bag loops on to allow it to carry a saddle bag (s'what I did to make mine my good weather commuter). You could have a set of 32 spoke 3x wheels with bigger tyres (mine are 25mm pro race 2 for light touring/commuting, on my "fast" wheels I have 23mm GP4000).


SCR2 As Commuter by John the Monkey, on Flickr

Not my bike, but this SCR2.0 is carrying a similar load to that I toured Belgium & France with (on my Surly Long Haul Trucker) last year;


a good trick by twak, on Flickr

...and another racked up SCR2;
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ctml/4483728985/

My weekend rides on the SCR2 run to 50-60 miles, I've done a sportive on it, commuted on it, for a long while it was my only bike - imo it's more versatile than you give it credit for.

 

[Kestevan]

I'd suggest something like the Trek Pilot range as an alternative.

Decent components, non-aggressive position, mudguard clearance and rack eyelets.

Oh, and comes in well under a grand too.

 

[007fair]

The reason I got the SCR2 was because it ticked all the boxes. This was before the cycle to work scheme was available for me. I assumed getting a brand new bike on this scheme would get me a significantly better bike (at nearly half price) but if there is a 1K limit (still to be confirmed) and the discount is on the full RRP then it looks like I will not get a significantly better bike . Upgrading the SCR2 might be best option until I can afford to go go for a bike I want If I can spend more than 1K on C2W then I do like the look of the VN Yukon as a once in a lifetime buy. Wil have to wait until I get the details of the scheme in early in the new year

Appreciated replys and comments though (even the bike mag one )

 

[Fab Foodie]

The SCR is a very good all-round bike and as such it is hard to better without spending a lot of money.
The only negative with the SCR is that Giant stopped making them... they ride very nicely.

What you could do is buy some lighter wheels, take a look at Easton EA50SL's from Wiggle, well reviewed, light for the price and more aero than your current wheelset. Add some Michelin PR3s and you'd have a bike that for the unloaded days i.e sportifs etc. felt much zippier and livlier. The frame is worth it.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/easton-ea50-sl-road-bike-wheelset/

I do this with my Giant TCR having lightweight wheels and tyres for summer fun and heftier (original) set for the winter and heavier loaded days.

 

[Greenbank]

Condor Fratello would be my choice for a 1 bike garage.
Steel with carbon forks, mudguard and rack compatible, nice geometry and a thing of beauty too! Strip her down and add aero wheels for the summer club season and guards, rack, winter wheels et al for other duties as required.

If you can use Cyclescheme in a way that you can spend more than £1k (I did, we have a CCL for £1500 so that was the limit of the Cyclescheme Voucher and I paid money on top of my voucher) then I'd bump that up to a Condor Gran Fondo. Essentially the same bike as the Fratello but Titanium.

Other similar ones to the Hewitt Cheviot are the Aravis Audax which is based on the same frame imported by Autostrada. I got my Aravis from Byercycles and use it for Audaxing, light touring and commuting.