Do I or dont I? My new job has a cycle to work scheme and I’m thinking it would be rude not to. So far my shortlist is either a CX bike such as a Cannondale, a 27.5 hardtail – I like the look of the Whyte’s, or a disc road bike such as a Giant Defy. Or something like a Croix de Fer.

My commute to my new job is approx 2 miles from where I will be staying with plenty of off road routes and quite roads to make me late.

What would you recommend if you were to spend the max?

Arrive in style……..

This one

A little under budget at £750, but this is a high contender for my next cycle to work scheme bike in the new year (up against the fatty gypsumfantastic linked above actually).

link to product page on Marin website:

http://www.marinbikes.com/gb/bikes/description/2016-pine-mountain-1

I got the Genesis Croix De Fer 10 for this reason, think it was about £800 or so, money left over in the grand for some new shoes and pedals. Excellent bike for almost everything I do if I ride to work (or anywhere else), roads, gravels, canal path, some singletrack etc.

OP hasn’t specified limit. Most are £1K, though some (like mine) are £3K.

I had to buy my RTW through Evans, so I got an Arkose. It’s my second favourite bike…

This just snuck in under the magic £1000, so I’m tempted…
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/genesis/caribou-2015-fat-bike-ec073904

+1 for the CdF 10 – got one of the 2016 models – £900. At a guess it’s about 10% slower than my road bike for the same effort so usable as a winter road bike as well.

I’d be going for one of these 😀

2 miles? It doesn’t really matter what you get. In fact, a cheap (I.e. not desirable) town bike with mudguards / chainguards / panniers would be the best option.

But I’m guessing you don’t want that. So just buy whatever bike you want.

FWIW my CdF 20 is ideal for my commute of about 12 miles of wet hilly roads (with longer off road options when I have time). I love it.

I’d recommend what I did:

I bought a tufty road bike type thing with big clearances and discs and mounts for guards and racks. I didn’t need a tourer, a cx bike, a road bike, a singlespeed, monstercross or anything else really, but I quite wanted all of them. Now got a bike that does a decent job of the lot without much more than a change of tyres.

Done over 12,500 miles on it. Given the choice of which bike to take to Finland for 3 months, it was a non-decision. Has served me well 6 weeks in on road rides, commutes, mtb trails, bike packing trips, and cx racing.

I managed to get my Peregrine under £1,000 through a combination of a flexible bike shop, flexible frame producer, parts bin and on-one special offers.

If I was looking for a complete bike today, I’d be looking at the croix de fer, Day One, Arkose.

Have a read of this from half way down: I like the idea of the map:

http://singletrackworld.com/columns/2015/05/the-bikemonger-oi-not-that-one/

I’d recommend an adventure type bike

I’ve been really enjoying it, even though it’s mainly ridden on the road. It gets ridden more than any other bike as it’s my commuter (10 mile commute), and the rack and guard mounts make life a lot more practical

2 miles? It doesn’t really matter what you get. In fact, a cheap (I.e. not desirable) town bike with mudguards / chainguards / panniers would be the best option.

that’s as the crow flies- but hopefully I’ll be taking the long way home. Liking the marin Budget is £1000
Shortlist is down to Whyte 901, Whyte Dorset or Sufflok, Croix de Fer and now added the Marin.

I don’t think I could pull off the cruiser look 8) dbuk

The distance to work doesn’t matter – it would seem that very few cycle to work bikes are actually ridden to work.

For the record – http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/trek-crossrip-ltd-road-bike-id85354.html

Can you use it to as a cheap loan to buy upgrades or do yyo actually have to buy a bike?

No … You have to buy a full bike … Well, according to Planet X you do.

I bought their London Road Sram Rival 22.

Great bike … Love it and it will cost me about £478 including the buy it fee at the end of the year.

It’s only a couple of miles commute but with sammy slicks fitted it’s a great Ridgeway bike.