Hi STW,
I’m looking for a winter road bike that is still similar to the positioning on my race bike (propel) whilst having discs and proper full mudguaeds.
The kinesis 4s is an obvious choice but there has to be some more…the Kinesis is around £1200 on Freeborn, ideally something around that price…any suggestions to take a look at? Thanks team!

Cannondale Optimo?

Cannondale Optimo?

Great bits of Kit.

Love mine..a £650 bargain.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/CPVNLs]BA418114-B23A-4631-B3FF-7BC27050DB59[/url] by Nick Wallis, on Flickr

Cannondale Optimo

That actually looks really good for a training bike with decent race geo. Shame they don’t do frame only. And if I’m being picky I’d also like clean Di2 routing.

The 4S is brilliant (rim brake owner).

I’m looking for the same sort of thing too and I’d like a Mason Definition. It’s a chunk of change but a lovely looking bike.

I’m only after a frameset as I already have a di2/hydro brakeset and the di2 off my other bike to drop on it.

Not enough reach on the Mason.

Got my medium mason definition set up with almost same position as my medium propel. Tt is 4mm shorter

Enough reach for me on the correctly sized one to compare to my Sworks Tarmac or C60.

Fair enough. Geo charts would suggest that it’s a good 15mm more stack for similar reach.

That cannondale optimo certainly looks nice, and good value for money.
If it had been around a year ago – and I may have just not noticed it – when I built my Kinesis 4S disc, I’d probably have dismissed it. The things that put me off are the Press-fit bottom bracket (the killer for just about every other bike that was remotely interesting to me), the lack of flat mount caliper compatibility, the strange mix of internal/external cable routing not being available as a frameset and the riding position being too racy for my ‘ahem’ powerful physique.

I can highly recommend the Kinesis, if you can put together a build within your budget – very comfortable on a 100 mile route, and very responsive when you put the power down.

I love my saracen Avro.

Full Carbon f&f. Full mudguards. Di2 compatible. Threaded BB. Bolt thru wheels.

They don’t do a frame only but you can pick up the bottom of the range model (same f&f) pretty cheap and sell the parts on you don’t want.

It was a recommendation from mboy originally.

I also have a propel and have a Kinesis Aithein for winter and love it. Would highly recommend one.

Kinesis Aithein

What’s that like for guards though? Doesn’t look like it has mounts or decent clearance.

Thanks for the suggestions all. Optimo looks great. Everyone else must think so because there is no stock available locally!!

Aithein doesn’t have mounts but you could probably fit some SKS race longs or whatever they’re called.

I’d just go for a 4S though, if the objective is primarily a winter bike and then the “racey” bit.

Forgot to mention the Fairlight Strael…

Strael

Bit over budget for 105 but has had some very good reviews.

Go custom and build a bike that you will actually “want” to ride during the winter and fits exactly what you want. I just got mine last week and I am absolutely loving it. Based the geometry on my Trek Emonda but added in tyre clearance for 34mm tyres, mudguards mounts, screw in BB and disk brakes.

Nice that Richard. Who by and how much if you don’t mind me asking?

Nice that custom build. Fantastic being able to use nice carbon wheels in winter as you have rotors to brake on rather than rims.

Custom is never going to be cheap but it gives the freedom of allowing you to build exactly what you want. This frame was build by a good friend who is starting to build custom frames under the name “kemponents”.

I have found that similar steel frame makers usually charge in the region of £700 – £1000 depending on what you want.

The frame was then painted by a company called 7potcustom in Bristol.

This build purposely isn’t cheap as I was fed up with heavy and slow feeling winter bikes, I ride roughly 300 miles a week commuting to and from work and training for MTB XC so it made sense to really splash out on something I really wanted.

Bike weights 20lbs as pictured or 22 by the time it has my saddle bag and lights fitted.

“kemponents”.

Just checking out their facebook page. Nice stuff.

Agreed that winter training it grim enough without having to ride crap bikes. Which is why I have Di2 and nice wheels with soft rubber on my training bike. Frame is an old Trek that I brought from a mate but it really is a pretty good ride and fits well so really can’t justify spending a hundreds on changing for no real reason other than having new stuff 🙂

Though will admit to being rather tempted by a Skinnymalinky…

1500 quid for frameset though, which is well into custom money 😕

Well I hope these Saracen Avros are as good as suggested above rather than being a bit “soggy” as described in one review I read, cos I might just have been tenpted!…

Do they still do the Avro? Doesn’t look like it from the web site.

Carbon road bikes that take ‘guards:

Giant Defy Advanced (needs Giant mudguards)
Cube Attain GTC (needs their own CubeGuards aren’t available yet I think)
Whyte Wessex/Cornwall/Stowe (takes standard ones)

I don’t think they have “race” geometry though.

Still Avro’s for sale but not a current model

The Fairlight Strael is lovely. I really like mine. Comfy, great clearance, flat mounts, zippy. Out of stock until Jan though. The Strael 2 will be bolt through, not that it needs it.

The Strael 2 will be bolt through, not that it needs it.

Oooh. Request decent Di2 routing as well please 🙂

Carbon road bikes that take ‘guards:

Giant Defy Advanced (needs Giant mudguards)
Cube Attain GTC (needs their own CubeGuards aren’t available yet I think)
Whyte Wessex/Cornwall/Stowe (takes standard ones)

I don’t think they have “race” geometry though.

Trek Domane, too – would have probably gone for this if it hadn’t had a pressfit BB

Can someone quantify “lovely”??? As in, for me, any road orientated bike with drop bars that has weighed over 20lbs has just felt downright sluggish and like a real dog.

I know it’s winter and steadier riding is the order of the day, but do these posher steel frames really ride nicely enough to negate the weight aspect?

I quite like the heavier slower bike for getting the miles in, especially when it’s dark and damp. My race bike just begs to be ridden hard all the time, which isn’t always helpful 🙂

No idea how much mine weighs but with guards and lights and saddle pack it must be a fair bit over 20lbs.

Can someone quantify “lovely”??? As in, for me, any road orientated bike with drop bars that has weighed over 20lbs has just felt downright sluggish and like a real dog.

Yeh, some bikes are sluggish, I don’t think it’s down to the weight though. Probably tyres/geometry/flexy components – these are the bits that give you “feedback” afterall. Weight doesn’t really matter, especially when it’s flat. I bet if I strapped a couple of bags of sugar to my Canyon it wouldn’t make much difference. Possibly also a psychological thing as I tend to go slower on a heavier bike. But yeh, heavy bikes are not as good!

Teetosugars – What width tyres have you got fitted and what make are the mudguards?

For the optimo owners….does the 54cm fit as it should, not sillily big or small?
I’ll check the geo charts against each other when I get chance. Usually a 54 but you never know…! 54cm seems to be the only size I can find in stock anywhere.

CAAD’s usually have a fairly horizontal top tube which can make them seem large to some people.

105 Optimo ordered…..hoping the brakes are better than the other cable discs I have used!
Also ordered some reflective bluemels, so looking forward to my blood pressure going through the roof trying to fit them from the reviews I have read!
Also got some 28mm pro ones to replace the stock luganos.

Teetosugars – What width tyres have you got fitted and what make are the mudguards?

They’re (now) 25mm Conti GP4000s, along with a Bontrager Guards.

Boardman CX has similar geometry. Mine is set up almost the same as my Propel(s) and Defy. They have slackened the head angle a little since mine (non disc).

I’ve raced it at Hillingdon, so it’s not slow 😉

Tired, did have a quick look when in Halfords last. I can’t remember exact price but with the BC 10% it wouldn’t have been *that* much cheaper as I recall…

Just had a quick look, it has hydraulic brakes…too late now! I’m a Shimano man over Sram anyway…