Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

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adetowell
Posts: 31
Joined: 4 Sep 2017, 6:40pm

Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by adetowell »

Hello fairly new to this forum - apologies if this turns into a long rambling post but am looking for a light road bike with hydraulic disc brakes. I already have an alloy cyclocross bike I've just put mudguards on which I use to commute and have been using for 50-100 mile rides at least once a week. Would like something lighter (probably carbon) and a little faster for the longer rides and have gotten too used to hydraulic brakes to go back to rims. Anyway looking for advice, don't really want to go above £2k if I can help it although this here Canyon looks on specs alone to be my dream bike - a bit over budget and with a crazy long wait list though so are there any other bikes a bit cheaper with similar spec and weight?

https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/road/endur ... c-8-0.html

Will be taking a test ride on this Boardman in a few days at Cycle Republic and at £1600 with 3 years zero interest finance is very tempting. Anyone have experience of this bike? Weight on Cycle Republic website says 7.58 kg but on Boardman site it says 8.3kg - inclined to believe the latter, anyone know the reality?

https://www.cyclerepublic.com/boardman- ... -2016.html

There is also a Canondale Synapse from Evans but they only do a 12 month interest free deal. Again Evans claim it's 8.2kg but remain sceptical when the full Ultegra version on the same site states it's heavier at 8.8kg

https://www.evanscycles.com/cannondale- ... =Affiliate

Are there any other bikes with similar spec and weight that I should have a look at and are under £2k?
John_S
Posts: 385
Joined: 16 Sep 2014, 10:34pm

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by John_S »

Hello adetowell,

I apologise because I can't speak about the bikes that you've mentioned because I've not ridden them.

However I just wanted to ask if you're definitely going to get a carbon bike or if you're open to options and other ideas? My suggestion would be to get out there and try as many different bikes including some different frame materials and with different geometry to see what does and doesn't work for you.

I'm more a fan of metal bikes and if you're spending in the region of 2k have you considered what Titanium options are out there? They'll be lots of other people out there who I'm sure have much more knowledge of the various titanium bikes out there and could give you advice & options if Ti bikes are something that you'll consider alongside the carbon options.

For example if you're anywhere near Harrogate you could go along to Spa Cycles and talk to them about their Elan Ti, which has hydraulic brakes, and I'm sure that you might be able to arrange a yes ride.

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/category/bikes/road/product/spa-cycles-elan-ti-ultegra-review-50955/

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m1b0s21p3553/SPA-CYCLES-Elan-%28105-11-Speed-Hydraulic%29

Good luck finding the right bike for you and definitely get out there and test ride as many as you can if possible.

John
Brucey
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Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by Brucey »

sometimes you have an itch that can only be scratched by buying a new bike and John is quite right that you should try lots. But I have a couple of (slightly tangential) thoughts;

firstly, a good CX bike is a pretty fast and lightweight bike already. Is the main difference between that and the bike you intend to buy that the latter will not usually have mudguards fitted (and will mainly be used when the weather is good) and won't have provision for fatter tyres? If so would QD mudguards and perhaps a different wheelset for the weekend on the extant bike be an option?

secondly, the bike you are planning on buying is presumably intended to be lighter and faster than the one you have. Bear in mind that a good portion of real speed comes from aerodynamics; both bike and rider are important. It may or may not be apparent right now, but for some time a close examination of bike specs would tell you that for less money, you could get a lighter, faster, more aerodynamic road bike with rim brakes than with disc brakes. Actually riding said bikes often informs you that a bike with rim brakes can have a much nicer ride quality; disc forks are usually built very stiff.

So (especially if you are planning mainly fair weather use), maybe rim brakes are a better choice? Otherwise you run the risk that you buy 'roughly the same bike' twice, only one you don't have mudguards on...?

cheers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ellieb
Posts: 905
Joined: 26 Jul 2008, 7:06pm

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by Ellieb »

I’ll actually answer the question
Canyon bikes are probably the best VFM. The drawback being you can’t try them out, but you do get a lot of bang for your buck.
This one comes into your budget
& is 7.8kgs:
https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/road/ultim ... c-7-0.html
Both the Boardman & the Cannondale have good reputations.
gloomyandy
Posts: 1140
Joined: 16 Mar 2012, 10:46pm

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by gloomyandy »

If you live anywhere need sheffield you may want to check out the bikes from Planet X. You will see a wide range of opinions about Planet X (particularly customer service), but I've always found them good to deal with, I think this is especially true if you can go in person rather than dealing with them via mail/phone. They tend to offer a lot of bike for the money and these days carry a pretty wide range of bikes.
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foxyrider
Posts: 6044
Joined: 29 Aug 2011, 10:25am
Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by foxyrider »

Wot they said above - try out different bikes, different materials and most certainly different brakes. Don't get caught in the 'my current brakes are brilliant so they must be best' thinking.

Remember too that a 'road bike' will ride a lot differently to a CX, twitchier, faster acceleration and narrower tyres will make them less comfortable on uneven road surfaces.

TBH i'd go in for something lower priced for a first machine and once you have a grip on the bikes characteristics then look at something 'better', tying yourself to a three year IFA means if you get it wrong you are pretty well stuffed.

Check out the big three, Giant, Trek and Spesh and never tell a shop your full budget - they will just try to sell you something at that limit or beyond whether appropriate or not. Tell them 50%, don't go in dressed too smart either. (I worked in bike shops for 20 years, we can smell a sale when you walk in the door!)
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
adetowell
Posts: 31
Joined: 4 Sep 2017, 6:40pm

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by adetowell »

John_S wrote:Hello adetowell,

I apologise because I can't speak about the bikes that you've mentioned because I've not ridden them.

However I just wanted to ask if you're definitely going to get a carbon bike or if you're open to options and other ideas? My suggestion would be to get out there and try as many different bikes including some different frame materials and with different geometry to see what does and doesn't work for you.

I'm more a fan of metal bikes and if you're spending in the region of 2k have you considered what Titanium options are out there? They'll be lots of other people out there who I'm sure have much more knowledge of the various titanium bikes out there and could give you advice & options if Ti bikes are something that you'll consider alongside the carbon options.

For example if you're anywhere near Harrogate you could go along to Spa Cycles and talk to them about their Elan Ti, which has hydraulic brakes, and I'm sure that you might be able to arrange a yes ride.

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/category/bikes/road/product/spa-cycles-elan-ti-ultegra-review-50955/

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m1b0s21p3553/SPA-CYCLES-Elan-%28105-11-Speed-Hydraulic%29

Good luck finding the right bike for you and definitely get out there and test ride as many as you can if possible.

John


Hi John I'm open to anythnig really - my impetous for wanting a faster lighter bike was from having spent some time this summer on a friends titanium Enigma Echo up in the French Pyrenees - lovely smooth ride and appreciated the lightness going up some of the mountains. He also has a Kinesis Tripster with hydraulic brakes which I fell in love with. Kind of spoilt riding £3.5k bikes which are out of my price range but the lightness and the hydraulic brakes I both appreciated and it seems the most obvious way to have both in my budget is to get a carbon bike
I'm based in Nottingham so not a million miles away from Planet x in Sheffield and I may well take a little trip up there and check out what they've got in titanium
adetowell
Posts: 31
Joined: 4 Sep 2017, 6:40pm

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by adetowell »

Brucey wrote:sometimes you have an itch that can only be scratched by buying a new bike and John is quite right that you should try lots. But I have a couple of (slightly tangential) thoughts;

firstly, a good CX bike is a pretty fast and lightweight bike already. Is the main difference between that and the bike you intend to buy that the latter will not usually have mudguards fitted (and will mainly be used when the weather is good) and won't have provision for fatter tyres? If so would QD mudguards and perhaps a different wheelset for the weekend on the extant bike be an option?

secondly, the bike you are planning on buying is presumably intended to be lighter and faster than the one you have. Bear in mind that a good portion of real speed comes from aerodynamics; both bike and rider are important. It may or may not be apparent right now, but for some time a close examination of bike specs would tell you that for less money, you could get a lighter, faster, more aerodynamic road bike with rim brakes than with disc brakes. Actually riding said bikes often informs you that a bike with rim brakes can have a much nicer ride quality; disc forks are usually built very stiff.

So (especially if you are planning mainly fair weather use), maybe rim brakes are a better choice? Otherwise you run the risk that you buy 'roughly the same bike' twice, only one you don't have mudguards on...?

cheers


All fair points and it is definitely a want rather than a need... as mentioned above I tasted titanium version of a very light bike and also one with hydraulic brakes and it has left a little yearning to combine the 2 for what would essentially be, as you suggested a fair weather bike for long fun rides. The wanting of hydraulics has undoubtedly pushed the price up considerably compared with rim brakes and it may be overkill on mainly fair weather days, but I loved the assurance they gave me on downhill sections in the Pyrenees. I cycle in the Peak District quite often and love tanking down the hills - it may be psychological but I felt braver with hydraulic brakes, and they felt less twitchy than rim brakes on my friends Enigma Echo which he assured me had been set up properly. I guess this is me looking for a 'dream' bike and so wanting to tick all the boxes that my budget can afford - something stupidly pleasing about riding a bike that you are completely happy with. Don't want to feel any regret if that makes sense
Just to add have thought about trying to make my cyclocross bike lighter - it is a Cannondale caadx 105 - is 10.5kg as bought and then I've added mudguards and a rack for my commute (I take them off for fun rides). I changed the tyres to 28mm Continental 4 seasons and the rear cassette from 11-28 to 11-32 for easier climbing off of 46/36 at the front and the saddle to a Fizik. I have considered losing some weight - the wheels are very heavy at 2.3kg and I could spend £300 or so on a new set to lose about 700 grams, but not sure where else I can lose much weight without it getting expensive - carbon seat post, bars etc - would they improve the weight, speed and comfort of the bike to be worth it? It's never going to be a really light weight bike so thought this kind of money could be better spent on my dream fun bike.
I have been riding my CX bike for a couple of years now and love its versatility, and will still use it with rack and panniers when touring and carrying stuff on long journeys - am looking for that next step up when I want to just go out for fun and push myself a little with regards speed and distance. So comfort on long rides is also important to me - hence not really looking at out and out racing bikes. Also my 48 year old back would appreciate not being too bent over all the time
Last edited by adetowell on 20 Oct 2017, 12:15pm, edited 3 times in total.
adetowell
Posts: 31
Joined: 4 Sep 2017, 6:40pm

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by adetowell »

foxyrider wrote:Wot they said above - try out different bikes, different materials and most certainly different brakes. Don't get caught in the 'my current brakes are brilliant so they must be best' thinking.

Remember too that a 'road bike' will ride a lot differently to a CX, twitchier, faster acceleration and narrower tyres will make them less comfortable on uneven road surfaces.

TBH i'd go in for something lower priced for a first machine and once you have a grip on the bikes characteristics then look at something 'better', tying yourself to a three year IFA means if you get it wrong you are pretty well stuffed.

Check out the big three, Giant, Trek and Spesh and never tell a shop your full budget - they will just try to sell you something at that limit or beyond whether appropriate or not. Tell them 50%, don't go in dressed too smart either. (I worked in bike shops for 20 years, we can smell a sale when you walk in the door!)


Yes noticed the twitchness of my friends Enigma Echo compared with his Kinesis Tripster in the Pyrenees - felt some of that was down to the brakes on the downhills but may have been as much to do with the riding position. My alloy cx feels clunky compared to both of those, particularly up hill and is a more jarring ride than the smooth titanium. Haven't ridden a carbon bike and do plan on trying out as many as I can to see what feels good to me.
Will check out the American bikes, and good point - will dress down for the occaision
adetowell
Posts: 31
Joined: 4 Sep 2017, 6:40pm

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by adetowell »

Ellieb wrote:I’ll actually answer the question
Canyon bikes are probably the best VFM. The drawback being you can’t try them out, but you do get a lot of bang for your buck.
This one comes into your budget
& is 7.8kgs:
https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/road/ultim ... c-7-0.html
Both the Boardman & the Cannondale have good reputations.


That Canyon looks another lovely bike, just slightly concerned it may be a bit too race orientated as far as comfort on long rides. Do you or anyone have experience of this bike, not easy to test ride them it seems
PH
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Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by PH »

I have no experience of the bikes, or indeed the types of bikes, being asked about. But I too spend a lot of time riding in the Peak District and you can't have not noticed how much the roads are deteriorating and I can't see the situation improving any time soon. It's caused me to revise what I consider a minimal tyre size.
adetowell wrote:He also has a Kinesis Tripster with hydraulic brakes which I fell in love with.

Have you looked at the aluminium version the AT? No direct experience but I was talking to someone who was very happy with theirs. Though Brucey's point about ending up with two similar bikes is worth noting, I've fallen into that hole :?
gloomyandy
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Joined: 16 Mar 2012, 10:46pm

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by gloomyandy »

Given your location and your comments, you might want to take a look at Alpkit (based in Nottingham I think), they have a couple of bikes (one carbon one Ti) that may be of interest to you and they offer test rides.
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foxyrider
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Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by foxyrider »

PH wrote:I have no experience of the bikes, or indeed the types of bikes, being asked about. But I too spend a lot of time riding in the Peak District and you can't have not noticed how much the roads are deteriorating and I can't see the situation improving any time soon. It's caused me to revise what I consider a minimal tyre size.

To put your mind at rest, as you can see from my location I spend most of my time riding the Peak District too!

My alloy CX/touring bike with 28's on it is great but compared with my other bikes it's a right sluggard on the uphills, I've just swapped over to my steel audax bike with 25's on and it's much livelier and personally I find the rim brakes more intuitive and reliable when descending stuff like Mam Nick than the CX's discs. As they run the same gear ratios it is all down to the geometry and weight, the difference being the brake weight.

For maximum enjoyment I do have the carbon machine which is like a fast acting dose of EPO! But there again that's a 5k+ bike so it should be.

Hope you find something that meets your desires.
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
busb
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Joined: 28 Sep 2017, 10:10am
Location: Berks, UK

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by busb »

Although I personally wouldn't touch any bike without hydraulic disc brakes you are going to add roughly 1kg for the privilege over rim brakes. I would also suggest steering well clear of cable operated disc brakes - you get the weight penalty without the reliability & trouble-free operation of hydraulics.
I was eying up Giant's range for well over a year before buying a Defy AP1 for £2k5 last April (preferring 12mm thru-axles over the previous year's QRs). 8.4kg with XTR pedals - now slightly ligher thanks to CF bars, SI saddle & a shorter 90mm stem.
You may be able to pick one up for a tad over £2k now that Giant have launched their 2018 models. I also looked at BMC bikes but their VFM wasn't as good as giant. Knowing what I know now, I definitely would have had a close look at Canyon's range as you are doing.
As an aside, Giant have gone for hydraulic discs on some of their aero bikes for 2018. The only real criticism I have of Giant's disc braked bikes is not going with 24 spokes on their front wheels (mine has 20 whereas their 2018 models appear to have 21).
AndyA
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Joined: 21 Mar 2009, 9:16pm
Location: Edinburgh

Re: Lightweight bike with hydraulic disc brakes under £2k

Post by AndyA »

Canyon's customer service and aftersales support is terrible. A friend of mine damaged the Canyon specific fork on his race bike, called Canyon up "yes, we still make and sell forks with 1 1/4" steerer but no we will not sell one to you as your bike is over 3 years old!". Many many pleading emails to their CEO later he eventually got his replacement fork. He wasn't after a warranty replacement and was happy to pay full price etc. Crazy

The fork on the canyon upthread is 1 1/4 steerer and very few companies make stems to suit. See above for getting a new one if you damage it!
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