Help him find a new steel bike!

[Auntie Helen]

Hi All,

My husband, Uncle James, is relinquishing the recumbent three-wheeled lifestyle for the two-wheeled upright one.

He's currently borrowed a GT Legato steel bike from Ianrauk and likes it very much.

However, we can't seem to find anything equivalent these days! Can any of you help us here?

What we're looking for is:
Steel bike (reasonably lightweight), NOT aluminium
Flat bar
Braze-ons for rack (he uses it for cycle training)
Price up to about £1,000

We've had him measured and know the size (although I haven't got the dimensions here) but he's 5'10 so fairly standard height so shouldn't struggle to find a frame his size in stock.

If any of you know of a titanium bike in that price range, do tell us!

All recommendations gladly received.

 

[craigwend]

On-one may help?

http://www.on-one-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Bikes.html

&

http://www.planet-x-warehouse.co.uk/acatalog/Flat_Bar_Road_Bikes.html

Just don't look at the titanium bikes, they are on sale & you may go blind

or build up a surly?

http://www.bicycledoctor.co.uk/surly_bikes.html

ooh a £1000 !

 

[John the Monkey]

Surly pacer?

Traditional road geometry, rack would have to share eyelets with mudguards, and comes in a lovely Racing Green in the 2010 model.

Edit: Although "light" isn't what I think when i think of surly frames.

 

[Auntie Helen]

The surlys look good but they're all drop bar. Uncle James does cycle instruction for kids and flat bar makes things WAY more helpful.

He may have to go for drops, at which point he does have some more choices (even Dawes Galaxy), but was hoping for a flat bar if possible (which is what the GT Legato is).

 

[P.H]

Byercycles will build him exactly what he wants based on the Arvis frame/forks. That's the same frame as the Hewitt Cheviot (there's plenty of reviews, here and elsewhere) It's a full on tourer, though no slouch, I use mine for Audax. The standard flat bar version is £875, but they'll vary the specification to suite;
http://www.byercycles.co.uk/bikeprice 01- 01- 08/16R1008.html

There is a slightly lighter and tighter version that I expect Byercycles would also build up flat bar:
http://www.byercycles.co.uk/bikeprice 01- 01- 08/10R1008.html

The website doesn't do these frames justice, they are the nicest finished frames I've seen at this price point.

 

[Danny]

He's a long way from Essex, but I would strongly recommend a Paul Hewett Cheviot.

Alternatively Thorn do a range of bikes in all shapes and sizes - Cathryn is a great fan.

 

[Auntie Helen]

Byercycles will build him exactly what he wants based on the Arvis frame/forks. That's the same frame as the Hewitt Cheviot (there's plenty of reviews, here and elsewhere) It's a full on tourer, though no slouch, I use mine for Audax. The standard flat bar version is £875, but they'll vary the specification to suite;
http://www.byercycles.co.uk/bikeprice 01- 01- 08/16R1008.html

There is a slightly lighter and tighter version that I expect Byercycles would also build up flat bar:
http://www.byercycles.co.uk/bikeprice 01- 01- 08/10R1008.html

The website doesn't do these frames justice, they are the nicest finished frames I've seen at this price point.

Oooh that looks more like it! Thanks P.H. I'll show it to him and see what he thinks.

 

[Auntie Helen]

He's a long way from Essex, but I would strongly recommend a Paul Hewett Cheviot.

Alternatively Thorn do a range of bikes in all shapes and sizes - Cathryn is a great fan.

Paul Hewett Cheviot website rather under construction, and Thorn way out of his price range. But thanks for the links!

 

[Garz]

Only other route may be second hand AH.

 

[John the Monkey]

Ah - what about one of the flat bar builds of Planet X's Kaffenbach?

They're nice looking bikes.

 

[John the Monkey]

Planet X Flat bar road bikes;
http://www.planet-x-warehouse.co.uk/acatalog/Flat_Bar_Road_Bikes.html

A Surly Long Haul Trucker built up as a town bike;
http://dmsantam.blogspot.com/2009/09/surly-lht-as-townie-nitto-albatross.html

 

[Danny]

Paul Hewett Cheviot website rather under construction, and Thorn way out of his price range. But thanks for the links!

Sorry, hadn't realise that Thorn bike prices had gone up so much - they used to be much more reasonable.

I think Paul Hewett's website is a constructed as it is ever going to be.

 

[MacB]

Helen, having looked into this sort of thing quite a bit I would recommend an off the shelf steel frame to be built up. Anything fancier, ie custom steel or titanium, and I think you have to spend quite a bit more to get definite improvements. Being a Surly Crosscheck owner I can thoroughly endorse this frame. The Pacer is nice but lacks the versatility of the Xcheck, a comparison:-

Pacer frame weight 4.45lbs, forks 2.09lbs
Surly frame weight 4.88lbs, forks 2.19lbs - this is the 60cm frame, James would want a 56 or 58 so slightly lighter.

so a variation of 0.53lbs, if you then look at frame weights for other bikes you'll find that you're not shaving that much off unless you spend a heck of a lot. At the pricepoint your looking you'd struggle to get a decent frame and forks combo under 5.5lbs(it would be alu as well) so only a 1 to 1.5lbs increase to a Surly frame. An example, the Ribble Ti Sportive frame is around about 3.2lbs without forks, and is about £800 alone. I opted for the Crosscheck as it was compatible for more equipment options. It has all the mounts for guards, brake bosses, rack and can take bigger tyres if wanted. It also has horizontal dropouts which allowed for my hub gear. I run 35mm M+ with guards and plenty of clearance.

I have mine set up very heavy as it's my commuter, the M+ tyres alone weigh nearly 1kg each But components are a choice, I wanted a bomb proof frame and couldn't justify the cost of titanium.

If James got into it more and wanted a full on racer, or similar, then he's still got a versatile steel frame that can be put to a variety of uses. Brixton Cycles would be worth a chat as they do Surly and could recommend/fit him. There's also the pleasure in getting something built up, even doing it yourself, and really understanding how it all goes together.

 

[MacB]

This got me interested in looking at frames and weights etc, and actually pricing up a complete Surly do it all bike. To give an idea of weights etc you can always look at weightweenies:-

http://weightweenies.starbike.com/listings.php

interestingly of the 249 road frame weights they give, the lightest is the Scott Addict at 1.78lbs. If you're looking at Ti or steel then 3lbs seems to be the lightest and that would set you back about £3500 for the frame alone. The Colnago Master X-Light in steel is 3.51lbs, the legendary Raleigh 531c frame weighs in at 4.11lbs. This made me think that the Surly really wasn't that heavy a frame, especially when you consider the strength and versatility payoffs. So I wondered what a complete bike could weigh, without spending a fortune. Here's an example of building one up:-

Crosscheck frame and forks, FSA compact bars, FSA stem, alloy seatpost, brooks b17 saddle, 2 x alloy bottle cages, headset, inner tubes, Michelin pro race 3 tyres, shimano wheelset, full ultegra SL groupset in triple, SKS guards and Tortec ultralite rack. You could buy all of this for £1120.00 and have built up by LBS to round it out to a £1200.00 price tag. All prices taken from Wiggle, Merlin and Ribble. Without seeking any superlight parts the above comes in at 23.67lbs. The wheelset, at a £130 price tag, weighs in at 2kg, could reduce this to 1.5kg for another £100. Changing the brooks saddle, alloy seatpost and some other bits, could shave another 1kg and add maybe another £60. This would bring the complete bike, including guards and rack, down to a weight of 20lbs, for about £1400. Ditch the guards and rack and you have a very solid 18lb bike, only 3lb over the race limit.

Darn, I think I may have talked myself into another Surly, guess I really like the comfort

 

[Fab Foodie]

I'd get a bike built up on a Salsa Casserolle frame, well reviewed, old fashioned dropouts and a sprightly ride, there's not so many about and an easy fixed wheel conversion if ever required!
Should be reviews on (hawk-spit) Bike radar.