What new bike for multi-purpose, multi-terrain use?

[Si]

I'm after a new bike and my heart is arguing with my head

I'm torn between a rufty tufty 26inch wheeled tourer, like a Sherpa or Sardar , and a cyclocross with full brazeons, like an Uncle John or Cross Check

The uses it will be put to:
1) touring, long weekends to 2 weeks, in the UK, B&B and odd bit of light/wild camping, road and fireroad/sheep track/BW type offroad at sedate pace. Need luggage lugging ability, comfort and reliability.
2) events like the HONC - long fast multi terrain day rides that take in both road and off road of moderate technical nature. Need comfort, speed, strength and some ability to take in a bit of XC.
3) playing down the woods with MTB buddies. Needs speed, XC ability and strength.
4) CTC club runs - speed ( ), good in a group, bling factor .

I know what I really need is a custom titanium jobbie but out of my price range.

So, do I go for the sure safe steady sadar/Sherpa, or for the excitenment and speed of the cyclocross

What do ya think Opinions welcomed

[Jac]

wouldnt recomend the Sardar. I had one - it felt like riding a bit of old gas pipe. Got a Thorn now - its excellent (with or without the hub gears)

[PH]

If I was looking for a bike to do all that I’d go for the Crosscheck. I’ve never ridden one but I’ve seen three built up in very different ways, as an Audax road bike with light wheels and carbon forks, as heavy duty straight bar tourer with Rohloff hub and as a competitive Cyclocross bike. There can’t be many frames that versatile, if you change your mind next year, just rebuild it.
If you go down the 26” route I can’t see there being much difference between the Sardar and the Sherpa, they started at about the same price, if you found one at the knock down price in your size it would be worth considering. It’s a shame Jac didn’t like his but there’s plenty that do and it’s always had good reviews even when it was £700. The Reynolds frame should be at least as good a quality Thorns no-name one (not that there’s anything wrong with that one, I like my Raven which looks like the same frame except the dropouts)

[andrew_s]

How about something like a Bad Boy Ultra (if Cannondale still do them)?

With flat bars and discs, you could have 2 sets of wheels, basically for road and off road, with quick and easy swaps. Not sure about the luggage-carrying ability of the Bad Boy, so you may have to take something else and cusomise it along similar lines.

Me, I use a fairly standard audax bike, and put up with being slower and having to stop to poke the mud out from under the mudguards when I go off road. It does the cycle-camping OK though.

[Simon L6]

Hybrid. Not expensive. Good on trails. And good in the snow - we had a couple of inches this morning. Good for shopping. Not good over long distances unless you have bar ends.

[Si]

the cannondale doesn't really fit the bill as I've already got a flat barred road bike and a couple of MTBs so it would be a repeat. I'm after a single bike that will do both at once and carry luggage, and, for some reason, has drop bars.

In my experience, hybrids tend to contain the worst of both worlds: heavy, slow and often not overly strong or well made. I know that they are improving but the improvements, IMHO, seem to make them into cyclocross or all round tourers rather than hybrids!

[Hugo]

Sometimes when i have gone on an expedition I have taken two sets of tyres; one for off road and one for the road; it makes a big difference ... for peace of mind too!

The big problem in having one bike for all purposes, is surely the value of good suspension?I've never used it myself but I can see its advantages.
I've always found good inside thigh muscles to be the best suspension, not even a soft saddle.

[cycletourist]

Ive had a Sardar for a couple of years now, and really rate it. Yes, if you expect a fast off the mark feel then you'll be disappointed, however its very comfortable, and very stable when loaded with panniers.

One problem I did have was the Tektro Oryx canti brakes though - these combined with the STI levers just werent that good (Im sure Avid shorty's would be much more effective). Have had mine converted to straight bars, with v brakes and now much better. There are mounts as well for disk brakes if you really want them !

The original schwalbe city tyres also made the bike feel somewhat slower -have now got Conti Travel Contact 1.75's on, and even though theyre wider, they feel faster (plus are better when off road).

Ive noticed bike shed are doing the sardar at £499 at the moment - considering your getting a 631 frame, and deore level components I think this is a very good price.

The only other drawback Ive found is that the frame strengthening bar at the back means you cant connect a standard trailer hitch on (something which Ive not got around yet).

Overall though a decent 'expedition' type bike, suitable for some off road, at a cheap price.

[essexman]

I have a sardar and so does my wife. We've been touring on em and they were very comfortable and rugged. (we both got different stems to make life a bit easier)

Ive taken mine off road several times , including across baked dry ploughed fields and its quite hardy , but the no suspension can be painful.

If you strip all the furniture off em, change the tyres to racing tyres they can be quite responsive, but thats a lot of furniture.

Overall good mid priced bike , thats very reliable and very sturdy. If you want that then thats great. The problem with it is that it can handle off road, but its very uncomfortable and no suspension hurts the handling, it can do on road but its sluggish compared to a lightetr tourer or fast hybrid and snail like compared to a racer. I kind of feel its the worst of both worlds.

What its actaully really good at is year round commuting (so reliable and sturdy, can carry heavy loads, eat up bad, wet muddy roads and cycle lanes etc), but thats not what you want it for, so i wouldnt recomend it for you.

[velomaniac]

I've been thinking along similar lines for years ie. what would be a good allrounder with genuine off and on road ability.

My choice would be the Surly Crosscheck and it can take fatter tyres than most cross bikes plus 130 or 135 OLN rear hubs. Horizontal dropouts allowing fixed/single speed use plus hub gear or normal deralier.
All in all a good all rounder.

Just wish I had some spare cash !

Cheers............Velomaniac

[Jimbo]

The Vittoria XN cross tyres look like they'd be good for an on+off road bike. They are 32mm wide, and have reasonable tread, but not full nobbles.

I'm going to get some soon, although I must say I have pretty good experiences with road racing tyres on tracks. Maybe I am just lucky.

Here I am taking an unplanned shortcut (fast!) on 23mm Rubino Pros when a road got closed down:

[reohn2]

Si ,Dare i say it but what about a Galaxy, tough, steady handling,I should think it would do the trick,mine handles tracks very well,and takes 32mm tyres easily (I think it would take 37mm but I haven't tried them).they're always coming up on ebay.You could get one for good price and get a spare pair of wheels just for the road.I've got XT hubs and rigida sputniks on mine and they're bombproof.

[Si]

Great minds think alike reohn2, I have indeed considered the Galaxey. However, the clearances looked a little tight for cycloX mud tyres and so I've put the idea on the back boiler for now.

As an aside: Mrs Si has also hinted that the money should be spent on doing up the spare room, so my mind might have been made up for me

[Dai]

I've been casting my net for a galaxy or similar and been really impressed with the Ridgeback Panorama though it's very similar in style to the Galaxy so you'd probably have the same problem with clearance.

[reohn2]

Great minds think alike reohn2, I have indeed considered the Galaxey. However, the clearances looked a little tight for cycloX mud tyres and so I've put the idea on the back boiler for now.

As an aside: Mrs Si has also hinted that the money should be spent on doing up the spare room, so my mind might have been made up for me

Si if the room is spare then why do it up theres no logic to that!.Tell Mrs Si that the bike won't be "spare" I'm sure she'll understand ,only don't tell her I told you to say that.