So, I’ve had a rubbish road bike for a while and quite enjoy it (Spesh Allez I got off mate for 300 quid)….

I’ve decided I like it enough to get a better one, with my basic wish list being that it have hydro disc brakes (I like to stop) and will take a largish tyre (i like to be comfy). In an ideal world it’d have shimano rather than SRAM. It also can’t be a spesh, as I vowed many years ago never to give them any of my money again (long story but essentially a poor warranty experience).

The basic use case for it is middling to long rides (40-100 miles) and maybe the odd sportive. So I don’t want anything mega racy, not least because I don’t want to race!

Budget is about 1000-1500 quid.

The research i’ve done so far seems to show that there are a lot more cyclocross bikes with discs than road bikes (wtf is a gravel bike – is this a new name for cyclocross?).

So question number 1 – what is actual difference between a road bike and a cyclocross bike – I understand the geometry is a bit different, but how and how does it manifest itself? If i’m riding on the road for fun will I care (obvs i’ll stick slicks on it)?

Question number 2- which bikes should I consider? Giant TCR seem to come with discs but are at the top end of the budget. Canyon don’t seem to do one with disc unless you look at Cx bikes. Cube don’t seem to do discs.

I would welcome any input! Extra points if Evan’s stock the bike as I can get 10% off with them through work.

I’m not 100% up on the gen, but I’ve been looking at the Cannondale Slate to replace my Kaffenback. Just for the Chunky tyres….

https://www.evanscycles.com/cannondale-slate-apex-1-2017-adventure-road-bike-EV280334

Gravel is a bit of an odd one. At one end of the spectrum it’s full on “adventure” bikes. Think 29ers with drop bars and more braze ons than you can imagine. At the other end, they’re like mine (A Specialized Diverge), tougher, comfier road bikes that can take a bit of a beating. Fast enough to keep up on a road group ride, but not scared of the mud.

The basic use case for it is middling to long rides (40-100 miles) and maybe the odd sportive. So I don’t want anything mega racy, not least because I don’t want to race!

Budget is about 1000-1500 quid.

Go to your local Giant dealer. Buy the best level Defy you can for your money. Get it fitted properly. Go and ride it! 🙂

The TCR is a racier bike than the Defy. Also, discounting Spesh seems harsh, as they’re one of the better warranty companies out there.

Basically, though, buy a Defy. You won’t regret it.

There should be an alloy Focus Paralane at that sort of price level. A bit more might get you a carbon one.

Focus Paralane

Actually, this is also good advice. Paralane or Defy! (Or Diverge if you would take the blinkers off! 😉 )

I have a basic Trek Domane. It’s rim braked but they do disc versions now. It’s been good. Comfortable riding position. OEM tyres were rubbish but everything else still going strong.

I keep talking about the Paralane. Never got around to buying one though!

As a former Defy owner, that would be a good bet.

or a Cannondale Synapse

I bought a CX (Boardman, fwiw) so I could ride it on the road to work, and then home over the ranges. I now ride it as much as the MTB. It works fine on the road, but is a bit higher and heavier than an ‘sportive’ bike (like the ones above) and quite a bit different in angles and feel than a proper fast road bike which is a stiff, low, twitchy (in a good way) thing. But perfectly OK for winter with guards, keeps up on sunday club runs, etc.

Re gravel vs cyclocross…. a proper cyclocross will be for racing – no unnecessary stuff like bottle cage bosses, etc. Gradually people realised they were actually pretty good all-rounders so started adding them back in, plus rack or mudguard mounts and so on, so they weren’t truly CX bikes any more. But the name change to ‘gravel’ bikes was more of a marketing thing than inventing the niche.

Defy

Giant Tcr disc or defy. Can’t beat them for performance or value.

Your Google foo is weak. Most disc road bikes are sportif not race as discs+11spd needs longer chain stays and it is a burgeoning market.

Canyon Endurace is their disc brake sportif bike.

Cube Attain, GT Grade, Cannondale Synapse all have Carbon/105/disc in your price range (see CRC and Rutland for reduced 2016 Cubes).

discs+11spd needs longer chain stays.

Not always. 🙂

Basically, though, buy a Defy. You won’t regret it.

Basically what I did and if I certainly haven’t regretted it.

The tcr disc has the same length chain stays as the non disc.

Manufacturers are coming to terms with discs, using offset cassettes, cranks etc to fit them to short racey bikes, the point is the OP doesn’t want racey, and because manufacturers first put discs on more relaxed frames there is loads of choice which he seems to have missed, having ruled out manufacturers who actually have several in their range.

Focus Cayo reduced in BF sale at Cyclo Monster. Saracen Avros also popping up reduced and were good value to begin with.

I keep looking at these cubes at Rutland Cycling

Cube don’t seem to do discs.

Not at all – they have some nice disc bikes. I’ve one of these Cube Attain GTC SL Disc that’s available at a very nice discount at the moment. Possibly doesn’t take a big enough tyre for you – max I think is 32?
^^beaten to it!

Most disc road bikes are sportif not race as discs+11spd needs longer chain stays and it is a burgeoning market.

Bit of an arbitrary distinction, that. It’s not as if you can’t race a sportive bike, and vice versa. My current bike (Mason Definition) is a slacker than my previous bike (Wilier Mortirolo) but the handling is pretty similar.

GT grade although hydro disc maybe difficult at that budget.

Not at all – they have some nice disc bikes. I’ve one of these Cube Attain GTC SL Disc that’s available at a very nice discount at the moment. Possibly doesn’t take a big enough tyre for you – max I think is 32?

That looks good! Think I must have gone down the wrong rabbit hole on the cube website when i looked before.

That said their sizing chart is about as much use as a chocolate teapot. It gives multiple sizes for each height range.

Slightly over budget, but worth stretching for I think…
https://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/78701/Giant_Defy_Advanced_Pro_2_2016_Bike

Advanced Pro models have full carbon fork BTW, which gives a tidy weight saving.

Speaking as the owner of six road bikes and a cross bike. Ok I may have a problem, Cross bikes have a slightly more relaxed geometry (not all), a longer wheelbase and a higher bottom bracket. That said, for the riding you want to do a cross bike with a light set of wheels and a road cassette will be fine.

For a pure road bike the best Giant Defy in your budget is the answer. Discs aside, it can do everything from nimble to classics racing. It’s the most racy of the so-called sportive bikes and I excellent. Don’t want discs or have racing pretentious? Giant TCR. I’d avoid Cannondale as I an allergic to bb30 bottom brackets. Teen 1 has a Caad8.

For a cross bike I bought a used Boardmann CX (with praxis BB30 insert) that has the same head angle 73 degrees as my road bikes. That’s built up as a winter road bike with carbon wheels and mudguards and a full ultegra groupset (old school 53/39 and 11/23 10 speed). I also have a proper slack cross bike I’m building up now as 1×10 for racing.

A boardman with an extra set of wheels and nice close ratio 11-25 11 speed cassette and proper race tyres such as vittoria pave or corsa tyres will handle 95% of the stuff as well as a race bike.

Choose for the riding you will really do. Pick accordingly. Size and tyres are probably mor important than brand, if I’m being honest!

these are lovely and light https://www.cube.eu/uk/2017/road-triathlon/attain/cube-attain-gtc-race-carbonnblue-2017/
i’m sat next to the next one up and it looks ace!

Bit of an arbitrary distinction, that

one made by manufacturers (and lets face it they all are in order to encourage n+1), I was trying to keep it simple for the OP who is newish to road and has outlined his type of riding (and have been posting from a phone that this site bricks so have to keep it brief!). At the risk of going off-topic how do you like the Mason- the Resolution is on my shortlist for an personal-injury-payment N+1.

And to the OP, Cube’s sizing is bizarre and they seem to undersize by 1 or 2 steps, so a Cube 56 is more like a 52 from someone else. If you consider their bikes I’d look at the geometry charts and compare measurements with your current bike and others you are looking at (especially virtual or effective top tube length, or reach).

I do like this one and it’s cracking value (carbon, ultegra, DT Swiss wheels for £1300)

http://www.rutlandcycling.com/320631/products/2016-cube-attain-gtc-sl-disc-carbon-road-bike-black-yellow.aspx

OP if you do buy from Rutland, CRC, Wiggle etc go via a cashback site like Topcashback or Quidco.

one made by manufacturers (and lets face it they all are in order to encourage n+1), I was trying to keep it simple for the OP who is newish to road and has outlined his type of riding (and have been posting from a phone that this site bricks so have to keep it brief!). At the risk of going off-topic how do you like the Mason- the Resolution is on my shortlist for an personal-injury-payment N+1.

Yeah, you can’t beat the old advice of going for a test ride, or at least sitting on a bike to see how it fits. I found my Wilier very comfortable over long distances even though supposedly it had full-on race geometry.

OT – the Mason, it puts a smile on my face every time I ride it. It’s extremely comfortable to ride, but lively enough to kep me entertained when pressing on. I’ve ridden Ride London through to touring in France on it, it’s such an adaptable machine.

ETA: my Mason is a 52, the Wilier a 54, but they both have the same size top tube. Careful reading of geometry charts is helpful!

I’d second a diverge, recently bought a lightly used 2016 diverge comp carbon for way less than your budget, to replace my niner RLT that got written off some time ago.

The diverge is great. Plotted a road route some time ago, which due to my own fault took in a whole load of unsurfaced roads (i.e signposted as ‘unsuitable for motor vehicles’), I didn’t dare take my Super6 Evo down them, so spent ages diverting around….. went out last sunday and blasted round the same route on the diverge, but took in all the unsurfaced bits. It was great fun, made a road ride much more interesting.

Im sure all of the aforementioned bikes would be great though.

Cotic Escapade, not got one, but want one.

Thanks all, no point looking at the diverge – i have an intense dislike of spesh after my warranty experience with them when I was a student. To the extent it annoys me a bit everytime i get on my Allez even tho I got it second hand. I of course acknowledge this is quite mental and irrational.

Might try and get over to rutland cycles next week and swing a leg over some. Do like the look of those cubes.

The sizing is perplexing tho. I’m a hair under 6ft with a 33.5inch inseam, based on the fit calculator on Competitive Cyclist I should be looking for a top tube of about 56.9 – 57.3 cm, which would mean a 58cm cube. Anyone about 6ft and ride a cube to comment?

Just to be different, and go for UK brands…

ROAD

…or…

http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk

In my test rides I eliminated the Defy as I’m too old and grumpy for 25mm tyres. Apparently you can fit 28mm tyres but given that loads of similar bikes take 35mm (or even more) I didn’t by a Defy.

There are loads of bikes with meet your requirements. What you need is some one who will let you ride the bikes. One of the reasons I bought from Evans was that by the time I bought my bike I had ridden variations of it 4 times.

which would mean a 58cm cube. Anyone about 6ft and ride a cube to comment?

Of The cube attain GTCs in the shop i fit the 56cm rather than the 58s. I’m 6ft2 with 33″ inside leg if that helps

I’m also a wee bit under 6ft, and ride a 56cm Synapse. I mention this because I saws this in the classifieds earlier

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/cannondale-synapse-for-sale-56cm-aluminium-frame-disc-brakes

I know some say they don’t like BB30, but mine’s been OK and when it dies I’ll put a Praxxis in.

I’m too old and grumpy for 25mm tyres.

I’m reasonably old and grumpy but have never felt the need to go wider than 25mm. Very smooth ride on current bike with with a carbon frame and RS81s. Punctures very rare too.

It’s the most racy of the so-called sportive bikes

I’d respectfully disagree with this. My Defy Advanced (full carbon) was light enough, but a bit soft and comfy compared to the Scott CR1 SL I had beforehand.

It’s still a great all-rounder obvs and I’d take one over a gimmicky Roubaix or Trek anyday – but I’ve now gone back to a CR1 after having the epiphany that comfort is not what I enjoy about road riding.

Well, I went for a bit of a drive today….

[url=https://flic.kr/p/PBCUie]DSC02396.jpg[/url] by Ewan, on Flickr

Went for the 58cm in the end. Guy in the shop thought it fitted better than the 56cm, both seemed quite comfy.

Thank you for all the advice!

Was just looking at that very model on Hargroves –
http://www.hargrovescycles.co.uk/bikes/road-bikes/cube-attain-gtc-sl-disc-2016-road-bike.html
Good price at the mo!

With similar riding to the OP and a back catalogue of cyclocross and gravel bikes, I built up a Kinesis 4S Disc with 105 5800, BB7 SL brakes, 28c tyres, Thomson/Fizik finishing and Kinesis’ own Racelight Disc wheels. Weight is around 8.5kg and the total outlay was about £1,300 in last year’s January sales. (RRP for the frame is up 15% since Brexit).

I’ve ridden it more than expected and been very impressed with its comfort and acceleration. Things like 32c tyre clearance and pannier and mudguard mounts mean it’s versatile to my needs. I’m considering n-1 at the moment, as I think the 4S can also do everything that I use my Surly Ogre commu-tourer for.

I occasionally look at upgrading, but I don’t think I’d get good value for my uses… I’d need to spend several £k to make a big difference to weight and/or ride quality. I’d only change to hydraulic discs if doing it again; I was put off by the cost and prospect of internal hydraulic cable routing for the rear brake. 😳

Finally, someone mentioned the Cotic Escapade above. I ran my 4S alongside my old-geomtetry Escapade for 6 months and I think they’re quite different bikes.

Looks good OP!

Cheers, Steve

Ewan I’m looking to get the same bike as well but can’t test ride them. I’m also a hair under 6 foot but shorter inseam than you. Any idea what I should take? 56cm or 58cm?

Not sure to be honest. Depends how raked out you like to feel. The 58 has a higher front end so feels more comfy to me, that said I’ve been pondering the two sizes since I got back! It would seem that Cube *used* to size quite a bit smaller, but the 2016 geometry is closer to normal sizing (based on some 2015 and 2016 geo charts for the Agree). That said I’ve not found ‘the internet’ agrees with me all that much most threads seem to be from 2013!

I pondered it in the shop as the 56 felt less stretched out (and closer to the sit up and beg position I have on my Nukeproof Mega – if I was on the bars rather than drops / hoods then I was very very sit up and beg) but the front did feel a bit lower. In the end I went with the guy in the shops view, as he was pretty sure 58 was a better fit, and he pointed out that if I didn’t get used to a slightly more stretched out feel i could just whack a 90mm stem on and it’d be an identical top tube length – whereas i’d not be able to replicate a higher front end without a silly rise on the stem.

My existing bike is a 56cm 2011 Spesh Allez, which I’ve managed to get comfy on – comparing the two the Cube has a 1.5cm longer effective top tube than the allez but a higher front end so it feels a bit more comfy (i think from a ride up and down the street).

I think in an ideal world I’d ride a 57cm cube, but since that doesn’t exist 58cm it is. I’m going to take it for a 75km spin tomorrow so will report back after that.

Not sure if that helps, tho i guess, all things being equal if you’re the same height as me and have a shorter inseam then you have a longer torso which I *think* means that you’d find a 58 less of a stretch than i do (and I don’t find it a mega stretch by any means). That being said I do have quite long arms (+3 inch ape index if you’re a rock climber).

At the end of the day, my gut feel is that it probably doesn’t really matter – you can adjust using a stem. Finally it’s worth nothing that Cube themselves are firmly in the 58cm camp – 180-185 cm = 58-61 cm.

Ewan I’m looking to get the same bike as well but can’t test ride them. I’m also a hair under 6 foot but shorter inseam than you. Any idea what I should take? 56cm or 58cm?

56cm for sure. THe top tube on the 58 will be too long and the headtube too tall to get enough saddle to bar drop I would have thought.