Replacement bike advice

[richards]

I’m asking for a landscape architect friend. She uses her bike to get around London for work, up to 30 or so miles a day. She likes everything about the one she has except that it will only take 28c tyres with the mudguards she needs. She has a 531 2x8, drop bars sti brake/gears rim brakes, Shimano or compatible all round. She is prepared to spend up to about £1000, but obviously would not object to spending less.

The gearing is a little high so a triple on the front would go down well, but otherwise she would be happy enough to swap her present components to a replacement frame (or let me do it while she sorts out the mess that is my garden) and I imagine a compact double would be acceptable. So she wants a steel, lightweight as possible frame/forks or bike with clearance for at least 35 tyres. I’ve been looking and nothing I can see fits those specs. Does anyone have any ideas apart from putting on enough weight to provide a cushion and buying a thief proof Brooks saddle to replace the two nicked ones? Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to give.

Richard

[Jdsk]

She likes everything about the one she has except...

It's notoriously difficult to find the right new bike at the moment.

My first thought would be why 35 width tyres are so desirable, and whether the right 28 could solve the problem.

Then I'd see if the lowest gear could be lowered at either the front or rear without changing anything else.

Jonathan

[thirdcrank]

a thief proof Brooks saddle to replace the two nicked ones

Are you saying that Brooks do a thief-proof model or that they are all unattractive to thieves?

[richards]

Rapid reply here. Thanks. Jdsk I think she has Marathons at the moment but I can’t check because she’s away being professional. Any idea what might be better? My assumption was that more air equals more cushioning and therefore less pain caused by London roads and site visits. TC, the saddle comment was facetious, as no doubt was yours. The other thing is that she’s prepared to wait if need be, but it would be good to know where to look and what to look for in the second hand market.

[Jdsk]

I think she has Marathons at the moment but I can’t check because she’s away being professional. Any idea what might be better? My assumption was that more air equals more cushioning and therefore less pain caused by London roads and site visits.

How much riding off hard surfaces?

And how would she like the new tyres to be better...

And what pressure is she using?

Jonathan

PS: We use Schwalbe Marathon Plus on our tourers, and therefore around town. There is a strong division in these parts about them. I like the resistance to punctures, critics don't like the hard ride and the rolling resistance.

[TrevA]

I’d be going for a Touring or Audax frame from Spa Cycles. Probably Touring if you want wide tyres. They’ve just restocked so should now have them available in all sizes. Just under £400 for a frame and you can swap bits over from her existing bike. Or you can buy a complete bike for around £1000, but beware they currently have at least a 2 month lead time on complete bikes. You could have a frame within days.

[531colin]

Spa's Audax has dual pivot sidepull brakes, so no, you won't fit 35mm tyres and mudguards.
Spa's Tourer with rim brakes fits 35mm tyres with 10mm space under the guards; in steel or titanium with a steel fork.
Go to disc brakes and there is more choice; Elan in steel or titanium with a steel or carbon fork, Wayfarer or D'tour are both all steel.
Now I can't remember exactly where we were when the music stopped; Wayfarer has been produced with mounts for both rim (Vee) brakes and discs. If this is still happening, it provides a rare opportunity to build a bike using the existing rim brake wheels, and go for disc brakes at some future time, eg. when the existing rims wear out.

[richards]

I’ll check on the tyres and pressures when I next see her (prob the regular Friday night drink next week). I bought a steel ex demo Spa tourer just before lockdown last year and she hefted it once, reckoned it was too heavy. Maybe I should give her another go. I find it dead comfy (apart from the Spa saddle, which I’ve swapped for a nice old Brooks) but not the niftiest around town and I don’t have to lift it up into portacabins, out of the way of JCBs and so on, as I gather she has to.

The other thing I thought of suggesting was to swap the 700 wheels on hers for suitable sized 26” wheels and get bosses for vee brakes welded or brazed on. Lowers the gearing but she would need new, shorter cranks anyway. I’ve never heard of anyone doing this but I haven’t heard of most things. Is this a daft idea?

[LollyKat]

Wider tyres and presumably rims too are going to add weight anyway. The greater comfort would reduce fatigue so at the end of the day she might be just as fast as she is now, even if the bike feels a little less sporty.

Could 650B rims be a solution? Deep drop side or centre pull callipers would fit, I think.

[iandusud]

The sort of bike that she wants will inevitably be a bit heavier than a bike designed with closer clearances, and as stated above wider rims and tyres will add to this. But you can't have your cake and eat it. Having said all that for the sort of use she is giving her bike the heavier touring oriented option is a good one IMO and whilst a heavier bike doesn't feel as nimble (i.e. it doesn't accelerate quite as fast) in reality the difference in average speed is negligible and of no importance for every day riding. If she is concerned about the weight because she has to frequently carry the bike then she will have to choose between one bike or the other. However as also mentioned above tyre choice can make a big difference to comfort and a good lightweight 28mm tyre that is not over inflated can give a comfortable ride if you're not carrying a lot of weight.

[richards]

Thanks. This has all given me some good discussion points for when I next see her, after which I may return. As usual the forum wisdom is rapid, thoughtful and to the point. Thank you all.

[slowster]

lift it up into portacabins, out of the way of JCBs and so on, as I gather she has to.

I would suggest she considers a 'gravel bike'. Even a relatively low end aluminium framed/carbon forked gravel bike is likely to be significantly lighter than a traditional steel touring bike, and they will take wider tyres (and it does sound like 35mm or possibly even 40mm tyres would be a better choice for her sort of use, i.e. not just riding on poor quality roads but also some of the sites she visits will probably be rough surfaces).

Downsides:
1. Finding a new one in stock at a retailer that is suitable and fits her is likely to be difficult, if not impossible, at the moment, and I guess that might be especially so in London.

2. Gravel bike geometry and handling will probably be and feel quite different to what she is used to coming from a 531 era frame. I would suggest trying to arrange at least a few test rides of possible contenders before buying.

3. It probably would not be as robust/long lasting as her current bike (or a Spa tourer), and the wheels of many gravel bikes prioritise low weight (fewer spokes, alloy nipples etc.) over durability: fine for a good weather weekend leisure bike, not so much for a daily year round commuting workhorse. 10 or 11 speed will probably be much less tolerant of neglect than her current 8 speed, and chains will cost more/need replacing regularly. Disc brakes are another new technology to get to grips with, e.g. keeping an eye on pads for wear, avoiding pad/disc contamination etc.

Neverthless, if she is happy with the compromises likely with a gravel bike, and is able to wait until autumn/winter, she might find that she is able to pick up a little used bike at a good price.

I bought a steel ex demo Spa tourer just before lockdown last year and she hefted it once, reckoned it was too heavy.

Important to distinguish between the weight of the bike and the weight of the frame/fork. Things like your leather saddle, Tubus or similar rack, heavier wheels/tyres etc. on your bike might have distorted her perception. It's not just the frame/fork, it's the choice of components and also what else she carries and how she carries it (panniers, rucksack etc.).

Personally I would much prefer a Spa touring frame's ride and handling to a gravel bike's for her usage. If the weight is crucial, the titanium version of Spa's steel tourer saves ~300g. The titanium tubes are plain gauge, and I suspect would be better able to shrug off knocks and abuse better than any aluminium gravel frame.

[rmurphy195]

I’d be going for a Touring or Audax frame from Spa Cycles. Probably Touring if you want wide tyres. They’ve just restocked so should now have them available in all sizes. Just under £400 for a frame and you can swap bits over from her existing bike. Or you can buy a complete bike for around £1000, but beware they currently have at least a 2 month lead time on complete bikes. You could have a frame within days.

Ditto.

[531colin]

............ I bought a steel ex demo Spa tourer just before lockdown last year and she hefted it once, reckoned it was too heavy..........

As others have said, theres not much difference in the weights of a 531 steel frame/fork, and a 725 steel frame/fork.
The difference lies in the bits bolted on.....bigger tyres, bigger rims, square taper BB unit, carrier........

As in another current thread, if you want to save some weight but have practical wheels, spend out on an Elan with titanium frame and carbon fork.

[PH]

OK, my tuppence
Get the gearing right, bodge a rear mudguard so you can fit a 35mm tyre, put a nice 28mm on the front.
There's nothing wrong with buying a new bike, but it's very easy to spend a lot of money and end up with something that isn't very different. I know, I've done it several times