The perfect bike!

[Fab Foodie]

I think weight is over emphasised for touring.

There's a hill near me which I winch up on my Cannondale MTB, not much of hill, but a good challenge for me at my modest level of bike fitness.

There's also a shop at the bottom from which I bought two litres of milk and a litre bottle of pop before my last attempt to creep up the hill.

My shopping equates to an extra 3kg of dead weight, but I couldn't detect any difference on the climb.

Weight may make more of a difference for fast road riding.

I agree.
I built this bike for winter/dark usage and long days in the saddle. An Audax bike for want of a better word, not really a tourer ... That I can just about tour on it is a bonus.
Once a bike is rolling the weight becomes almost irrelevant, in fact touring you notice a nice degree of momentum conservation which makes for relaxing riding. Yes you accelerate more slowly and notice the load uphills but so what?

If you're racing/fast club rides or speed is your thing then yes weight is a key factor. There's no doubt that lighter stiffer bikes are more exciting to ride, but they lose their magic after 6 hours of UK roads, when you're tired or if you need to carry anything other than a gel, multi tool and CO2.

 

[Pale Rider]

I agree.
I built this bike for winter/dark usage and long days in the saddle. An Audax bike for want of a better word, not really a tourer ... That I can just about tour on it is a bonus.
Once a bike is rolling the weight becomes almost irrelevant, in fact touring you notice a nice degree of momentum conservation which makes for relaxing riding. Yes you accelerate more slowly and notice the load uphills but so what?

If you're racing/fast club rides or speed is your thing then yes weight is a key factor. There's no doubt that lighter stiffer bikes are more exciting to ride, but they lose their magic after 6 hours of UK roads, when you're tired or if you need to carry anything other than a gel, multi tool and CO2.

If anyone demonstrates weight - within reason - is largely irrelevant to general riding, it's @Rickshaw Phil.

The guy rides a heavy bike, usually well loaded, but can climb anything on it.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

If anyone demonstrates weight - within reason - is largely irrelevant to general riding, it's @Rickshaw Phil.

The guy rides a heavy bike, usually well loaded, but can climb anything on it.

Low gearing helps and I have an unfair advantage in that after being used to one of these, 17kg plus luggage seems pretty featherweight:


Regarding the OP, I think you'll be hard pushed to find anything that ticks all the boxes and stays within your budget.
Are the welds on the Planet X London Road really that much of a deal breaker?
If you can get past the issue with steel, how about the Kaffenback?
As for colour, black seems to be "in" at the moment so is hard to avoid.

 

[vickster]

If you can get over steel, this is a real looker 10.5kg according to Genesis for the very similarly specced 2015. You need p clips to attach a rack to an equilibrium, but that works really well

http://www.freeborn.co.uk/genesis-equilibrium-disc-10-bike-british-racing-blue-2015

Another option, perhaps look at the Pinnacles from Evans?
This certainly isn't black and you have the benefit of being able to have a decent test ride

https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-arkose-three-2015-adventure-road-bike-EV207295

 

[Pale Rider]

, 17kg plus luggage seems pretty featherweight:

I weighed your bike in my hand when we met and it felt almost as heavy as my ebike.

Seems it is, the ebike is about 21kg, so yours with luggage must be 20kg.

Physical fitness aside, I still think your experience is instructive.

Many people would think it impossible to climb the camber on the road on a 20kg+ bike.

 

[Dogtrousers]

You clearly need a Brompton.

 

[Fab Foodie]

You clearly need a Brompton.

One bike to rule them all.

 

[Fab Foodie]

If anyone demonstrates weight - within reason - is largely irrelevant to general riding, it's @Rickshaw Phil.

The guy rides a heavy bike, usually well loaded, but can climb anything on it.

Beryl the elephant bike weighs a ton and then you pile on the shopping she's like the titanic, but as long as you don't want to sprint or climb any alpine passes she rolls along quite effortlessly.

 

[OskarTennisChampion]

You can still buy a Raleigh RX Comp 2015 from

http://www.onyerbikeonline.com/m3b7s23p876/RALEIGH-RX-COMP-2015

£800 only.

Only 54cm left in stock though.
Ticks most of your boxes.

I have one and absolutely love it.

I have two sets of wheels for the purposes you describe.

This one,and with a big chunk of change to boot.
If a 54 fits you, it fits !!
Needless to say,you would be getting a well made and very rideable frame

 

[OskarTennisChampion]

It cost me just over 2k to build a near perfect bike and that was using drive train parts from a donor bike ... It's nearly there!

Yebbut,you have a Rourke.
Yi Bastid

 

[derrick]

This looks like a nice bit of steel. I think i could get on with this.

 

[Fab Foodie]

This looks like a nice bit of steel. I think i could get on with this.

The one thing I can't deal with is curved rear stays .... dunno why, they offendeth mine eyes. Otherwise that's a beaut!

 

[ianrauk]

The one thing I can't deal with is curved rear stays .... dunno why, they offendeth mine eyes. Otherwise that's a beaut!

+1

Curved seat stays just dont do it for me.

 

[themosquitoking]

I think this one would fill most of the criteria,

https://www.orrobikes.com/bikes/road/terra-gravel-road

the welds on it are absolutely flawless and it's a polished metal finished.

 

[OskarTennisChampion]

I think this one would fill most of the criteria,

https://www.orrobikes.com/bikes/road/terra-gravel-road

the welds on it are absolutely flawless and it's a polished metal finished.

See,this is what's good about cyclechat.
You get to see a lot of bike companies you would never know about .
Not to mention Britain being blessed with top frame builders countrywide.
Which funnily enough,remind me of local butchers.
You pick one,you like it and you swear by them.

Incidently,the Orro TGR is spankingly nice