Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 43 total)
  • What if you don't want a gravel bike, or a race bike, but something in between?
  • core
    Full Member

    I’m currently using an adapted old Kinesis CX bike on road with 37mm tyres.

    I didn’t expect to like it, it was just an experiment, but it turns out I do like it, the convenience of local rides, and the speed it seems.

    So, I’m thinking Id like to replace the Kinesis with something a bit ‘nicer’. However, I don’t really want to ride drop bars off road, even in summer on smoother trails, I have a XC bike for that.

    I also don’t want a 25mm tyred bike as the roads are so crap locally, so what are my options? I’m, not even fussed on disc brakes as the bike will stay 99% on road. Might do the odd local sportive by the way…….

    jamiep
    Free Member

    Maybe a stiff, race geo CX bike. And I mean CX in the proper ‘blast around a field for and hour’ rather than ‘adventure’

    MrSmith
    Free Member

    Bowman cycles call that ‘road-plus’ they probably do something to fit the bill.

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    ghostlymachine
    Free Member
    molgrips
    Free Member

    Audax bike innit.

    ghostlymachine
    Free Member

    Fast tourer, training bike, Audax, “road plus”.

    All boil down to the same sort of thing.

    And FWIW, i’d not fancy a proper CX bike for that sort of riding, there are better tools out there for the job. Ones with bottle cage bosses, mudguard and rack mounts and so on.

    CaptainFlashheart
    Free Member

    Diverge. Obvs.

    matts
    Free Member

    Giant Defy?

    Enigma Etape?

    n0b0dy0ftheg0at
    Free Member

    A monstercross fatbike? 😆

    FunkyDunc
    Free Member

    Are you getting to hung up on the pigeon holes that bikes appear to get placed in to these days?

    onandon
    Free Member

    Pickenflick are nice frames. I change from 700/25 set to to a 700/40 set up depending on where I’m “adventuring” and how fast I want to get my adventuring done 🙂

    senorj
    Full Member

    I have a kinesis cx pro 6 . So you could Slam the stem 🙂 and stick some 28 mm tyres on it and away you go.
    However ,when you inevitably

    ride drop bars off road, even in summer on smoother trails

    you’ll maybe enjoy it .;-)
    Genesis equilibrium disc tickles my fancy also.

    amedias
    Free Member

    I didn’t expect to like it, it was just an experiment, but it turns out I do like it, the convenience of local rides, and the speed it seems.

    So, I’m thinking Id like to replace the Kinesis with something a bit ‘nicer’.

    Well the best bike is the one you ride, you seem to like everything about the current Kinesis except…er, well you said you want something ‘nicer’ but didn’t actually say what that means.

    …nicer paint? – get it repainted
    …nicer material (whatever that means!) – might be significantly different enough to not be like the current bike

    or are you after some specific change, like wanting the same but lighter, or better shifting, or better stopping, etc.

    Until you pin it down a bit you’re just gonna get a load of recommendations for things that are similar, but might not necessarily have the qualities that make you enjoy the current bike.

    having said all that… Ti Tripster?

    I don’t have one, but everyone who does seems to love them and they do look very nice and very versatile!

    matts
    Free Member

    having said all that… Ti Tripster?

    I own a Tripster. Ride it every day. Love it to bits. But if you don’t need the ability to go off road, then I think there could be better options.

    core
    Full Member

    Well I want a bike that’s pretty fast and light, that will almost exclusively be ridden on road, but allow some comfort, as most of my local roads are knackered.

    There doesn’t seem to be much available in between road bikes that’ll take a 28mm tyre (at a squeeze) and bridleslayers that’ll take anything up to a 50mm.

    So, in short, moon on a stick, it needs to be good on crap roads, but no so heavy or sluggish as to be crap if I do a sportive……

    A gravel bike it probably is then – Mango Point AR?

    chakaping
    Free Member

    Am I missing something obvious here?

    Why not a sportive bike? Many take 28mm tyres now, don’t they?

    jekkyl
    Full Member

    Is this thread for real, have we reached peak ‘what bike’ niche.
    Ride what you’ve got and stop thinking of ways to spend your money.

    CaptainFlashheart
    Free Member

    So, in short, moon on a stick, it needs to be good on crap roads, but no so heavy or sluggish as to be crap if I do a sportive……

    See earlier suggestion.

    Mine weighed the same as the equivalent spec Roubaix out of the box.

    onandon
    Free Member

    The mango AR is silly heavy considering the material used. Can’t remember the exact weight but it’s in one my previous posts. It was more than a decent steel frame of the same size. – weights came direct from mango.

    chakaping
    Free Member

    Genesis Datum maybe?

    methers27
    Free Member

    What’s wrong with a ‘gravel’ bike or similar that takes up to 50c tyres, you can still run any size up to 50c, say 35s for roads if they are really that bad. Saying that, modern sportive bikes on 28s do a good enough job for most people across the country.

    jimdubleyou
    Full Member

    Dawes Galaxy?

    stumpy01
    Full Member

    Saracen Hack?
    Raleigh Mustang?

    That sort of thing, from the sounds of it??

    RustySpanner
    Full Member

    Kona Roadhouse?
    Lovely things.

    jimdubleyou – Member
    Dawes Galaxy?

    I’ve got an idea the OP tests as CD* Negative.

    * Cotton Duck.

    raisinhat
    Free Member

    Mason definition/resolution or genesis datum – racy and stiff bikes, with space to fit 30mm slick tyres in.

    jimdubleyou
    Full Member

    I’ve got an idea the OP tests as CD* Negative.

    😆

    BillOddie
    Full Member

    Jamis Renegade Carbon.

    dragon
    Free Member

    Ridley X-Trail or something from Specalized or Cannondale?

    lunge
    Full Member

    And FWIW, i’d not fancy a proper CX bike for that sort of riding, there are better tools out there for the job. Ones with bottle cage bosses, mudguard and rack mounts and so on.

    Ahmen brother, nice to see someone else who knows what a CX bike is.

    benp1
    Full Member

    Whats wrong with an adventure bike and wideish tyres?

    Arkose here with 32c marathon pluses (and rack and guards)

    Pretty much sums up what you need, although you’d probably want lighter tyres!

    bob_summers
    Full Member

    Gt grade does me for pretty much what you’ve said*, although I do use it off road (limited by slick tyres). 45mm mudguard for winter commuting, use it on the local fast Sunday chaingang in crappy weather.

    *not sportives though, disc brakes banned here in Spain.

    MrSmith
    Free Member

    Ahmen brother, nice to see someone else who knows what a CX bike is.

    it’s a commuter with mudguards isn’t it?
    🙄

    lunge
    Full Member

    it’s a commuter with mudguards isn’t it?

    Tempting though the bait is, I shall not bite.

    alanf
    Free Member

    Scott Solace rockin’ some Open Paves

    cannondaleking
    Free Member

    I’m enjoying my surly pacer at mo with 36mm open tubs alls good in the hood but now summers here ish I’m running 28’s

    munrobiker
    Free Member

    It sounds to me like you want a Giant Defy. An road bike.

    matts
    Free Member

    Genesis Datum maybe?

    Saw one of these in London Bicycle Workshop at lunch. Looks really nice.

    For me though, after riding the Tripster every day (and taking it out on some 100k+ rides on the road with 25mm tyres on), I would definitely go for titanium. The material seems perfect for this type of application. My race bike is starting to only get used for racing.

    core
    Full Member

    Thanks for the suggestions, I’m not trying to find a new niche or really be awkward I don’t think, I just don’t want my teeth shaken out by a race bike on 23c or 25c tyres, but equally I’m not sure if I really ‘need’ the full off road capabilities of a lot of the gravel bikes currently coming out.

    But perhaps a gravel bike with a skinnier tyre option is the best bet for comfort and almost out and out road bike like performance?

    YoKaiser
    Free Member

    I’m with you here. Put together a charge Plug with 30mm tyres and it’s fantastic. So much so that I’m not sure I’ll see myself back on my ‘proper’ road bike.

    benp1
    Full Member

    There’s a whole scale of gravel bikes though – bikes taking up to 35c tyres to those taking 50c. Many around the 35c-40c mark, depending on whether there a front mech

    Any many of these are really just anyroad (or allroad) bikes, so they’re more comfy than a ‘regular’ road bike as they have more clearance. You can also then stick mudguards on etc which also allow you to fit those wider tyres

    Again, my Arkose takes up to 40c tyres but mine only has 32c on. The tyres are very commuter focussed ones, but if it was less for commuting and more for just riding I’d get something lighter

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 43 total)

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