Opinions Please

[HLaB]

My company has just joined a cycle scheme and I'm starting to think about a new bike. I think I'm after something that is versatile that can be used as a winter trainer but can still take guards and rack for the commute.

I like the look of the Spesh Tricross It ticks the boxes and I could change the tires for the club run but unfortunately my nearest Spesh dealers in the scheme are 17.2 miles away as the crow flies (by the time you go over the forth bridge you can almost double that).

I popped to one a more local bike shop at lunch and saw the Marin Toscana which looks ideal but I'm unsure about the disk brakes and that's about the limit I prepared to spend, to tell the truth its a bit more than I'd like to spend for a winter/ occaisional commuter. What other bikes should I be considering? one that springs to mind for me is a Giant SCR but its now superceded by the Defy I think.

 

[Scoosh]

If you're after the cyclo/Tri-cross kind of bike, check out the Uncle John form Planet-X, or the Kaffenback.

Don't know if they would come in your cycle scheme though. Who in Edinburgh choses a cycle scheme where the nearest Spesh dealer is in Fife ??

 

[alp1950]

Don't have any answers for you but will be interested in the replies as my requirements are similar.

Initially, like yourself I was drawn towards the tricross, although having shopped around, spoken to the LBS & thought in detail about the type of riding I'll be doing I'm now thinking about the kinesis racelight TK:
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/road/product/racelight-tk-28905

My thinking goes like this: (feel free to shoot it down as I've still to make my final choice): I'm drawn more towards the road bike as my commute is reasonable distance (~15 miles one way) and largely on country roads so I'm looking for speed (as well as the option of joining winter club runs & maybe even some novice race experience). However if I was doing more of an urban commute, where speed is limited by lights & traffic with canal paths, muddy tracks and occasional bump over kerb then I would be looking at the cyclocross style.

 

[HLaB]

If you're after the cyclo/Tri-cross kind of bike, check out the Uncle John form Planet-X, or the Kaffenback.

Don't know if they would come in your cycle scheme though. Who in Edinburgh choses a cycle scheme where the nearest Spesh dealer is in Fife ??

Thanks I'll check them out.
Its most of the smaller lbs in Edinburgh,: Velo Eccosse, The Bike Chain, Biketrax, The Tri centre, MacDonalds, Alpine bikes, Activ 8, The Leith Cycle Co, Bicycle repair man, Freewheeling Cycles and BG Cycles.
The spesh dealer in Fife is the Leslie Bike Shop our Glasgow office chose the scheme.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Condor Fratello. How beautifull can an all-rounder be?