Buying advice - the elusive 'do-it-all' bike

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samsbike
Posts: 1178
Joined: 13 Oct 2012, 2:05pm

Re: Buying advice - the elusive 'do-it-all' bike

Post by samsbike »

keyboardmonkey wrote:I am reminded that a while ago I read a thread about spoke count. As I recall a fairly light rider wanted a wheelset that some felt was unnecessarily strong for him and his type of cycling. The rider simply wanted peace of mind and was prepared to put up with heavier than necessary wheels to give that peace of mind. It seemed to annoy some people that the OP didn't want what others suggested.

Anyway, perhaps the OP will buy a bike with disc brakes that she doesn't care for, as advised.

Perhaps she will buy a heavier bike than her current one for her declared desire to zip along on Audax or sportive rides, as advised.

Perhaps she will persevere with a bike that is evidently too big for her, as advised.

The OP has also been advised to buy bikes significantly above her stated budget.

The OP has repeated that she doesn't have the room for more than one bike, and she has been advised to keep her current bike and buy another one as well.

Oh, and the OP should spend her hard-earned money on something so appalling to look at that no self-respecting thief would be tempted to steal it.

So, in addition to my own contribution about one of the bikes actually mentioned in her first post here is my own left field suggestion based on these things that we know:

a) stated budget of up to £1000
b) lingering uncertainty about disc brakes
c) the OP's size
d) requirement for a sprightly bike for Audax/sportive events
e) mudguard and rack mounts for (light???) touring

Going back to that T2 mentioned in the first post here are the thoughts I had a day or so ago:

1) Strip the current bike (I am assuming the current components are also in that decrepit state)
2) Buy a 48cm T2 frame £200-ish
3) Buy the following based on my 'Audax' bike build:

Chainset: Shimano 105 (5703) 170mm 50/39/30 - £87.99
External bottom bracket cartridge: Shimano 6800 - £11.99
STIs: Shimano 105 (5703) - £119.49
Front Mech: Shimano 105 (5703) - £21.99
Rear Mech: Shimano XT M772 - £32.99
Cassette: Shimano XT M771: 11/13/15/17/19/21/23/26/30/34 - £34.99
Chain: Shimano Ultegra 6600 £18.49
Brakes: Shimano BR650 £71.98
Oh, and a Jagwire inline adjuster.

(Let us leave aside for this thread discussions on external bottom bracket bearings. The above components are just a starting point. They can, of course, be replaced by others, but they are mostly designed to go together. Well, sort of...)

So, frame and bits around £600. Hmmm...

4) Reuse the 'finishing kit' etc. from the old bike if possible - handlebars, stem, seat post, saddle, wheelset, tyres.

5) If the OP or someone she trusts can't do the work for this then budget - what - £100 for someone else to strip and reassemble?

So around £700 for a bike that meets the requirements of a) to e) leaving money left over for some jazzy wheels and tyres for those sportive events.

Of course, the OP mentions the Cycle to Work scheme. Perhaps she doesn't presently have the cash to lay out £700+ all in one go.

So now I'm thinking that the easiest option is to buy, say, the stock T2 bike from a LBS under a Cycle to Work scheme and upgrade as and when funds allow (or have the LBS do some of the upgrades at point of sale up to the £1000 value?). I write 'upgrade' as although I would do a lightly laden tour on my T2 I wouldn't do any sort of touring without a triple chainset and at least a 32T sprocket at the back.

On the Tifosi, the £934.99 Veloce version ("Great-looking steed that will put the zip into your winter rides") has been reviewed alongside five 'winter training bikes' in the current - December 2015 - edition of Cycling Active and seems to have provision for mudguards and carrying rear panniers. It was the only bike in the group test to be awarded 10/10 and its nearest, more expensive, rivals were given only 8/10. Maybe worth a flick through in WH Smith.

With apologies for any Americanisms that may have crept in.

Have a nice day :smile:


Brilliantly put and a good suggestion. Even if she does not like it, she will not be too much out of pocket.
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531colin
Posts: 16083
Joined: 4 Dec 2009, 6:56pm
Location: North Yorkshire

Re: Buying advice - the elusive 'do-it-all' bike

Post by 531colin »

Any woman looking to buy a bike should read "sensitive issues" here https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/articles/
Brucey
Posts: 44521
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Buying advice - the elusive 'do-it-all' bike

Post by Brucey »

samsbike wrote:
keyboardmonkey wrote:
....So around £700 for a bike that meets the requirements of a) to e) leaving money left over for some jazzy wheels and tyres for those sportive events.

Of course, the OP mentions the Cycle to Work scheme. Perhaps she doesn't presently have the cash to lay out £700+ all in one go.

So now I'm thinking that the easiest option is to buy, say, the stock T2 bike from a LBS under a Cycle to Work scheme and upgrade as and when funds allow (or have the LBS do some of the upgrades at point of sale up to the £1000 value?). I write 'upgrade' as although I would do a lightly laden tour on my T2 I wouldn't do any sort of touring without a triple chainset and at least a 32T sprocket at the back.

On the Tifosi, the £934.99 Veloce version ("Great-looking steed that will put the zip into your winter rides") has been reviewed alongside five 'winter training bikes' in the current - December 2015 - edition of Cycling Active and seems to have provision for mudguards and carrying rear panniers. It was the only bike in the group test to be awarded 10/10 and its nearest, more expensive, rivals were given only 8/10. Maybe worth a flick through in WH Smith.

With apologies for any Americanisms that may have crept in.

Have a nice day :smile:


Brilliantly put and a good suggestion. Even if she does not like it, she will not be too much out of pocket.


Hang on, a mound of aggro and £700 for a bike that uses the (almost certainly knackered, they are usually the first things to wear out) wheels etc out of the sirrus?

And as for the T2 and Tifosi, they may well be competent machines in their own right. But they neither of them come with low enough gears for touring, and are hamstrung by a double chainset which limits what you can do easily/at little cost in this regard. Vendors may or may not want to do upgrades at the point of sale; often they see a good portion of their profit lying there as left-over shop-soiled OEM spec components that they mightn't shift easily.

The triban I mentioned earlier has at least as much mudguard clearance as the above, has gears that are easier to make low enough (just needs a mech and a cassette, so £50 will do it), is a similar weight etc , fits luggage better (low rider bosses) and costs about half as much. I do not think it is half the bike; if I were to spend double that, I'd expect something that was palpably more suitable for the task, rather than arguably less so.

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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