.. frame, and getting something to take bigger tyres and discs. Like maybe a Kaffenback. Currently a Kona Zing Deluxe from 2007 which is quite a fancy carbon frame, bendy bits in all the right places.

What do we think? Will I miss carbon lightweightiness? It’s really just general road riding and training.

You’ll miss it if you’re winning club races… if you’re poootling to cake shops, i doubt you’ll miss it.

I might want to enter club races in the future though. Although I have yet to do so. However arne’t club races usually on flat circuits?

Cake shops? Where?? Does this bike come with free cake? If so, I’m interested…

Like maybe a Kaffenback

Don’t get a kaff. It’s a workhorse of a bike but is soooooo dull to ride. By all means sell the current bike but a Kaff is not a good replacement.

Do it. I’ve gone all Reynolds frame,disc’s, full mud guards,28 mm tyres. Weighs a ton but I don’t have a heart attack at every pothole. Carbon’s for kidz, go old school.

By all means sell the current bike but a Kaff is not a good replacement.

What else then? I’d need somethign that takes at least 32c pref more. And costs as little as possible.

I don’t have a heart attack at every pothole.

I have no bother riding the Kona over rough roads, it’s comfy, I’ve done 100 milers on it. A bit small though.

I’ve just ordered a Sonder Camino al frameset. £300 with carbon forks. 42mm tyre clearance with a 700c wheel, more with ac650b. It is disc only though.

I’ve not ridden my carbon road bike since i got my escapade.

make of that what you will 😀

Oh, I’d prefer disc and caliper, keep the initial outlay down.

One of the Mango Bikes frames?

The Point AR, perhaps?

https://www.mangobikes.com/shop/components/framesets/point-ar-frameset/

Not 100% sure if it will take calipers & discs…..

Go for a carbon cx that has similar geometry to your road frame. Giants one is pretty good. Will be a bit heavier but with decent light wheels you probably won’t notice much difference.

I use my cross bike as a winter bike and commuter all year round. Only use the road bike on nice days now. I do notice a bit of a difference with the road bike, a bit faster, more nimble but could live without it.

That looks lovely. They don’t quote a weight though?

why bother?

if they tell the truth, we’ll just compare it against all the lies on the internet, and declare that it’s disgracefully heavy.

if they lie about it, like everyone else, why bother?

etc.

I’d quite like to know, that’s all.

a sturdy aluminium frame, for £260? (with carbon fork)

1700g, maybe 1600…

(and you’re right, it looks ace! – well done Mango! any chance of mtb frames?)

Buy my complete Kinesis, get the frame painted, and get a disc fork in time? Frame is disc and canti compatible.

😆

molgrips – Member

That looks lovely. They don’t quote a weight though?

Drop them an e-mail. I am very tempted to get one of these & swap all my bits over…..

I’d say cyclo-cross bike. I’ve converted an ex-Boardman to road duties. Not: disc but it has low profile carbon wheels, mudguards and all other road details. It has the same geometry as my race bike.

Other CX bikes may have poorer handling that becomes limiting on fast chaingangs and racing

I’ve been hankering after a Mango AR, really like the look of them and the flexible payment options make it very tempting.

From memory, if you look at the full build bikes they give a weight for the whole bike which might give an idea.

New(ish) S/H Genesis Croix de Fer..? Reynolds main tubing and a much nicer ride than clanky carbon. Some have a steel fork which is way comfier than you might expect.

As others have said – good carbon CX bike should fulfil duties of both a part time road racer and big rubber cake run machine. Probably ~1kg heavier than an equivalent road bike, so not too much of a weight penalty.
May well do the same when i decide to replace my road bike.

Something like an Arkrose maybe? Not too racy, brilliant towpath commuter that has also seen service on 100 mile road rides.

Way beyond your intended budget but this seems like a good time to brag that I am impatiently awaiting a Condor Fratello Disc. Wanted steel, discs, mudguards and 28mm tyres, and fell madly in love with them at the Cycle Show.

If I’d not gone for the custom colour option it might be here by now…. 🙄

Needs to be frame only.

A decent carbon frame will be light, stiff and comfy. In your price range you’d need to compromise on one of those – I’m guessing from what you’re saying that would be weight.

A bit of extra weight is probably not a bad thing if you get a more useable bike from it.

I’m sure you’re already aware that if you do go for discs then you won’t be able to race it as the current rules stand.

A decent carbon frame will be light, stiff and comfy. In your price range you’d need to compromise on one of those – I’m guessing from what you’re saying that would be weight.

I’d go light & stiff and then shove big tyres on it for comfy

Looking at geometries of the above:
Sonder Camino HA 71 degrees is slack for off road duties
Genesis CDF 71-71.5 degrees as above and more touring bike
Arkose HA 71.5 degrees is a touring bike
Kaffenback HA 72 degrees is getting better but still touring bike
Boardman CX Pro HA 73 degrees parallel 🙂 (Chris never raced cross, so his bikes reflect that!)

Look at the riding you are doing and what you want to do. If it is off-road, gravel stuff then top of the list. If it is road, then bottom. I wouldn’t worry about teh alloy vs. carbon, I’ve ridden and raced both. There is little more than a filled water bottle in it. I know where I’d be putting my money. I would happily race my Boardman, and may well do so in the Imperial Winter Series at Hillingdon. Handling is absolutely spot-on for road. And it will obviously take big rubber if needed.

Currently wearing Giant PSLR-aero wheels and a 11-23 cassette (and mudguards) 8)

A bit of extra weight is probably not a bad thing if you get a more useable bike from it.

True.

As for racing – it’s more of a pipe dream really. Races are always in the week, and I’m away much more often than not.

I should probably accept that and get something mile munchable. But I do like to get a shift on from time to time for my own amusement. But really – if it had guards and even rack mounts it would actually be very useful for work purposes as it would let me take work gear in panniers. It could easily be used on fire-roads but not real off-road, because I have a 29er for that.

^ in that case I’d not write off the 71-72 HA bikes, particularly those with the right fork offset. They can feel great on 25C up to 40C – quick enough but not race-bike sharp, imo that’s a good thing in winter or on fire-road stuff.

My road bike of choice (within Pinnacle range obv) for my riding in Taiwan is a 2016 Arkose 4 on 25cs. Amazing descending on really fast hairpinned roads with random corners, dogs and the like. A steel equivalent that wasn’t too flexy would be a great bike if you’re after steel.