Viewing 33 posts - 1 through 33 (of 33 total)
  • Another "one-bike" thread…
  • bowman
    Free Member

    My first post, and I’ll apologise for yet another do-it-all bike thread, but please bear with me.

    Having researched pretty much every cycle forum, site and blog I’m still not sure which bike would suite me best. I don’t want or need a mountain bike, road race bike, tourer, single speed etc. or anything too narrowly focused. I’d like to cycle to work 5km each way in fine weather two or three times a week, country lane cycling for fitness, family and group rides, and railway type unpaved roads – however I totally realise there that any bike will be a compromise.

    Discs are a must and I think I’d like drops as my fitness builds.
    About me: mid-forties, fit for my age, used to cycle a great deal up until late twenties but not cycle fit these days. 5’10”, 78kg, long arms and legs.

    I can have only one bike on a cycle to work budget up to £1000, but VFM is paramount.

    Bearing in mind the above I’ve narrowed down the following – I know the lines are blurred but…..

    CX/Gravel type bikes from big brand/high street/on line: Boardman CX, Giant TCX, Giant Revolt, GT Grade Al, CAADX, fave=Planet X XLS

    All purpose road: Whyte XYZ, Genesis XYZ, Kona Rove, Kaffenback, fave=Cotic Escapade

    Obviously these are very different types of bike but then there is also the bargain basement Verenti Substance which sits somewhere between the two in terms of philosophy.

    To a certain extent time is on my side; I don’t get my voucher till mid/late November but I’d like to get my options sorted so that when a deal comes up I can grab it.

    One big spanner: I’ve just had a L2/L3 spine fusion so comfort is vital. I can’t drive for another couple of weeks and my movement is limited so I won’t be able to take any meaningful test ride till after Christmas by which time I’d like to start some gentle rehab but I should be fighting fit by Easter.

    Quick recap: buying blind, £1k max, gentle on my back, do-it-all bike.

    All thoughts appreciated,

    Bowman

    Jamie
    Free Member
    trout
    Free Member

    I dont think any skinny tyred bike will be gentle on your back or crouching over on drops

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    bowman
    Free Member

    Thanks Jamie, the Arkose was top of my list for a while but I’d read a couple of reports that the ride can be a lively and harsh.

    Trout, I was expecting to have to change tyres and reduce pressures initially.

    Due to to CtW the bike will need to last me a couple of years before I can sell it on, and if I do need something more specific I should have a better idea by that time.

    I need a bike that will be inherently comfy initially bur also can be tuned up as my fitness returns over the first three months or so and the bone graft establishes by about month six.

    Ive tried to identify two different classes or sub-classes of bike and then pick out a leading contender from each. Does the carbon frame of the XLS and steel frame of the Cotic give a more comfortable ride than their alloy competitors, or is the difference small?

    jameso
    Full Member

    the ride can be a lively and harsh.

    I’d genuinely disagree on the harsh bit but the new frame is lighter and less rigid, the whole rear and seat tube have been revised. The real Q is if we can really tell much difference when you take .3mm off a seat stay wall or similar, on paper it’s 25% less rigid, to ride it I notice the tyre size/pressure mostly. I ride steel bikes a fair bit and this summer have been wondering why after long rides on an Arkose 2 with 40C tyres on.
    Relating to your back problem, the thing you need really there is a good riding position. The difference in frame materials genuinely won’t be the answer there, more of a fine polish on the right fit.
    (james@pinnacle)

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    Buy a cheap (second hand) hybrid to start you off and think about something better, lighter, racier next year once you know your comfort levels.

    bowman
    Free Member

    I’ve had my eye firmly on fleabay and picked up an immaculate Whyte Portobello for just over £300 for Bowgirl – but again a bit harsh for my current situation. I could always change tires and seat post etc but I’d rather not buy a bargain then spend dribs and drabs bringing it up to where I need to be. I also have till the end of the month to apply for my CtW voucher so if I’m going to buy new I need to figure out how much I’m going to spend.

    iainc
    Full Member

    +1 jameso on bike fit over all else. After that steel is a bit more comfy than alloy frame wise.

    ampthill
    Full Member

    I’d agree with Jameso about frame harshness its all a bit unclear as to how much of that we can really feel

    Its all about tyres and pressure. So the main requirement is space for big tyres. Seat post flex might also be a factor

    I’d also recommend really low gears until you know that you don’t need them as my fairly healthy back can get sore from mashing a bigger gear. Something to do with leg muscles pulling on pelvis which then pull on your back

    Infact my advice would be to buy one the Pinnacle hybrids which is basically a rigid 29er. I think they are called neon

    You’ll get low gears and space for huge tyres and with a few cheap stems can set up to be as upright or leant over as you like

    NB my “road bike” is an old hard tail MTB with 26×2 inch tyres. I find it fast and comfy for the sort of riding you describe

    iainc
    Full Member

    Pinnacle offer some of the best value options at that price point. If you can get into Evans and get a decent fitting on an Arkose or hybrid and find a comfy one you’ll not find better value and quality for the money IMO. (and I have a Genesis !)

    jambalaya
    Free Member

    Not a bike thpe I know anything about but as ancomlany Cotic have a very loyal following, me included. Inwonder whether a mountain bike with fatter tyres might be more comfortable than a more foad orientated bike and as above I wonder whether drops will be bad for your bike. So another suggestion could be a Solaris with hybrid tyres run at a medium pressure. Happy hunting and hope the recovey goes well

    bowman
    Free Member

    Thanks for the replies. So I’m now stuck between the XLS, Arkose, Escapade of something second hand. Bearing in mind I reckon on something like 40% urban, 40% lanes, 20% gentle track and trail I don’t really fancy a MTB.

    Another consideration is financial so if I spend a grand on a bike that costs me £600 through CtW, how much am I likely to have to buy the bike for? And how much is likely to be worth after a couple of years? How long is piece of string I know!

    BigEaredBiker
    Free Member

    Not sure if it exactly matches your requirements but I like the look of these:

    Oxford Bike Works

    I think they do custom builds so might be worth a call and a chat?

    Malvern Rider
    Free Member

    I refitted an old but lovely M-Trax with light wheels, Marathon Race tyres and XT running gear, it has Ti flat bars w/barends or North Roader sweeps depending on how I fancy it – ie slightly forward or more upright and relaxed. Reason I mention this is because in doing so it became almost by accident the one bike I won’t get rid of on account of it’s surprising multifunctional abilities -light, fast, strong, compliant, deals with light trails, light touring (have done a fully loaded century) and (road) fitness rides. It really is just a joy to ride. Wish it had discs sometimes, but hardly ever. Sometimes just changing the stem/bars is all that is needed for posture improvement.

    yunki
    Free Member

    Not sure about the bike, but I’m using balloon tyres on my do-it-all bike and they take the sting out of anything.. especially our crap roads

    Coming from using draggy knobblies these seem to roll very very quick too

    (not my pic or bike)

    I use them on an old steel voodoo mtb frame with high backswept bars for an upright (ish) position

    brianp
    Free Member

    Seems to me you are mixing up what you “want” with what you “need”. Your choice if frame should be 100% driven by the needs of your back.

    I have just been through all this. Buying endless beautiful bikes that I just cannot ride. Turns out I broke my back when I was 17 and never knew, just a vertibrae. This meant my neck C1 also had to be wrong to compensate and put my head back to straight up and down.

    I simply just had to get away from arse up head down and sit upright with bars level with saddle.

    I bought a frame with a short top tube and very high stack. That is a frame designed for drops but used with curved flats, and very high stack allowing for 100mm travel. Ok you say its an MTB but who cares, I built it up to suit me and my back.
    The result is I have a bike I can ride every day for the first time in many years. it also has a Thudbuster and titanium Brooke’s so no jarring at all for my back.

    It is just so wonderful to be able to ride again, no sore neck, no sore thigh, no lower back pain.

    So my advice is concentrate on what your back needs, what ever that is, that’s what you have to do.
    Brian

    Malvern Rider
    Free Member

    NB my “road bike” is an old hard tail MTB with 26×2 inch tyres. I find it fast and comfy for the sort of riding you describe

    Same here – (except for 1.75 tyres usually) -my one bike (not counting the other three :?). In pootling trim

    Back roads /touring trim

    Knowing that it’s a mountain bike underneath has a notable effect on my riding, it literally does it all and I’d have to try really hard to break it. It might not do each thing as well as others, but it makes me grin whatever it’s doing, and no backache on long rides. Never weighed it, but it’s sprightly and smelly zing (kind of boings silently off pot holes rather than clunks)

    Malvern Rider
    Free Member

    ‘Smelly zing’?? Can’t remember what I meant to type – predictive says no!

    steezysix
    Free Member

    You should look at the Norco Search – I’ve got the previous version which was called the Indie Drop and it’s great. Drops, discs, loads of rack mounts and a long head tube which will allow a fairly upright riding position for your back. You could also put on a shorter stem, i did and it’s nice! The new version will take 40mm tyres (mine’s limited to 35mm) so a nice comfy ride – it’s a steel frame as well. Pretty good value compared to some, only a bit more than the Verenti bike. Only thing is you have to buy from Evans and they don’t have stock until November.

    Link

    I’m 6’1″ and ride a 57cm frame so you’d probably want the size down.

    Mine:

    ampthill
    Full Member

    Thanks for the replies. So I’m now stuck between the XLS, Arkose, Escapade of something second hand. Bearing in mind I reckon on something like 40% urban, 40% lanes, 20% gentle track and trail I don’t really fancy a MTB.

    There are 2 way looking at bikes. One is the way the magazines and shops talk. Road bike, sportif bike, hybrid etc. The other is looking creating a set of parts on frame and parts that meet your needs.

    Sadly its got more complicated but the frame obviously sets some parameters that will never change. Some are very obvious but surprisingly superficial like disc brake mounts. The main one in this case are top tube length and tyre clearance. Basically long top tube for flat bars and short top tube for drop bars. The other parameter is tyre clearance.

    To me this is a bike. Its a bike where the frame offers 2 possible benefits for a person with a back issue

    1. Potentially more upright position
    2. Room for even bigger tyres (NB big tyres can be slick and fat rolling)

    I also think that the lower gears might help as well.

    Having had wrist and shoulder problems nothing is more important than a bike that works for your body

    You might call it an MTBI I’d just call it a bike to meet you needs

    Now I could be wrong and may be a drop bar bike is right for you. But don’t buy a drop bar bike to avoid having to call it a Mountain bike. It would be great if Jameso could tell us how different the Lithium is to the Arkose in terms of frame thickness/weight. I’d be surprised if there is much in it

    Finally cycle to work final payment. I think Halfords who we use at work allow you to rent the bike. I think you make one extra final payment which then rents from Halfords indefinitely. I hope some one else knows more than me about this

    Ben_H
    Full Member

    My Cotic Escapade:

    I’m sorry that I don’t have time to do an in-depth review, but suffice to say that it totally hits the spot for me.

    I ride to work, with the kids on bike seats / trailers, pull loads, do sportives and pop to the shops on it – all with 35c tyres (which are dictated by Stans Crest rims, but roll fine and give great cornering). I ride on cobbles, smooth tarmac, gravel roads and mud with ease.

    It’s as close as I’ll come to having one bike. It’s basically replaced my MTB and previous road bikes, leaving only a space for a totally weatherproof off-road only bike (currently a singlespeed, rigid 29er).

    Finally, I recently built a Pinnacle Lithium for my wife as her only bike (which helped convinced me to switch from a 26er to a 29er). She has 35c knobblies on the bike and a 1×10 drivertrain, but will never go MTB’ing. Note that you won’t get a proper MTB tyre on that frame, so it rules out MTB’ing.

    I’d strongly advise doing your own build, as it will often work out better value than a 40% taxpayer doing Cyclescheme. My wife’s bike was about £620 all told, based on a Deore and XT mix.

    davidtaylforth
    Free Member

    This bike looks ideal for what you’re after http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXLDNRIV/planet-x-london-road-sram-rival-22-road-bike

    It alos comes with a decent 11 speed groupset. The Pinnacle looks good aswell. The Cotic full build is poor compared to the other two. Plus, it’ll be heavy.

    I’d have thought a longer/lower setup would be better for your back, providing you have a decent saddle. Forward rotation of the hips will flatten your back out, your weight will be balanced between pedals/saddle and handlbars. Sitting upright looks like all your weight goes through you back/arse and onto the saddle.

    brianp
    Free Member

    Absolutely, it’s not which bike should one buy, but what position does each rider’s injured back need.

    My solution was short stretch and high bars. My son has a serious lower back problem and after much experimentation, by leaving his steerer uncut and buying a fair amount of stems, his solution has been lower and more stretched to stretch his back when riding.

    People obsess about ETT, but stack and reach are key, then stem, even bars all have different reaches. Find the right position and you don’t even want to ride a different bike when you suffer with a damaged back.

    Brian

    davidtaylforth
    Free Member

    Good advice Brian

    funkmasterp
    Full Member

    *Shameless plug* I have a medium Roadrat for sale. This years model in Duck Egg and it has a good, upright riding position. Very versatile bike too. I’m only selling as i can’t justify, or indeed have space for, two bikes in the house. Only ridden three miles per day sporadically over a three month period.

    😀

    bowman
    Free Member

    Among all my other projects I’m not sure that a bike project is the best place to start after a nigh on twenty year break from cycling, next time maybe…..

    I totally take on board the need to have a bike I can explore a wide range of fits. Somewhat unusually I have difficulty with extension rather flexion, ì.e. leaning forward is easy compared to looking up, so I really would like the extra option of being able to drop.

    I’m also not sure how my recovery is going to pan out, the one thing I am sure of is that I will need to avoid both big impacts and significant graunching.

    The London Road looks very similar to the Arkose, as does the GT Grade and Giant Revolt.

    Smelly zing is exactly what I’m looking for and preferably in duck egg blue.

    bowman
    Free Member

    I’m leaning towards the Arkose, but does anyone have experience of the XLS ride quality vs a similar alloy bike?

    freeagent
    Free Member

    I’m a similar age to you, and also have a slightly bad back.

    Bought a Boardman Hybrid a couple of years ago – great bike, does everything a road bike will do (but just a little bit slower) now fitted with full length ‘guards for winter duties, because earlier this year I bought a Giant Defy 1, which appears to be a popular choice for those who want a more comfy ride.

    I rode the Defy from London to Snowdonia last month – and it was faultless.

    My advice would be think about a decent second-hand hybrid first – it will teach you a bit about what you are looking for, and you can either keep it to use in the rain, or flog it for near enough what you paid for it 6 months later.

    bowman
    Free Member

    Having spent half the day on fleabay I’m watching a bunch of frames, projects and what not but the Arkose One is looking favourite.

    I’ve looked long and hard at hybrids but there aren’t many with drops.

    The more flexibility I can get out of a bike without having to change out too many bits the better.

    Any thoughts on tyres?

    jameso
    Full Member

    balloon tyres on my do-it-all bike

    Any thoughts on tyres?

    This idea that 25C is more comfy than 23C on road.. well a little, yes, but compared to a 32-40C it’s minimal and when I go back to 25C I’m amazed by how much I have to adjust my riding on local roads, especially at this time of year and considering how many miles I’ve done on those wheels. Following someone on 25C when you’re riding 38s at 40psi is amusing.. The tricky bit is getting a good mix-condition tyre that’s large but isn’t too dead-feeling on tarmac.

    if Jameso could tell us how different the Lithium is to the Arkose in terms of frame thickness/weight.

    The Lithium is MTB-certified so it’s a bit heavier duty. A gusseted downtube and a little less ‘stepped’ butting in places, maybe 150-200g on a frame of equivalent size. Tubes are same shape (eg TT profile and SS bends) and ODs though so for what they do for frame flex there’s not much in it.

    bowman
    Free Member

    Righto, so after a great deal of mulling and endless faffing I’m looking at the Arkose 1, at £700 there seems to be little to match it that will do a bit of everything while I get fit again and figure what my actual use profile will be.

    I also need a bike that will give me the widest range of positions possible, my back is generally better in flexion (bending foward) than extension but I just don’t know whether this will be the case in six months time so I’m thinking that drop bars set high will be a good place to start.

    I’d like space for big tyres for comfort which discounts sportive and enduro types bikes.

    Of course I realise that there will always be compromises and the more I’m willing to spend the wider my options, but at the £700 mark what else can compete against the Arkose 1 on CTW?

    deejayen
    Free Member

    What about something like a Brompton? I don’t have one, but have ridden them, and they seem pretty decent. Obviously they’re no good for off-road, but for lanes and tracks they’d be fine. Also easy to hop on/off, available with different handlebar heights, and have basic rear suspension. Handling seemed really good. It might be a handy bike to have no matter if you end up with something else in the future.

    A Moulton TSR has a nicer ride, front suspension, larger wheels. However, they don’t fold, although they can be split in two.

    ampthill
    Full Member

    So Jameso

    If you were setting off to ride just on the road what size tyre would you want for the perfect comfort speed compromise

Viewing 33 posts - 1 through 33 (of 33 total)

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