I have sort of come down to a shortlist of two bikes (dictated by size availability – 62 or 64cm – as well as other considerations). I want it as a winter bike but it is also destined to go off road quite a bit as a training machine.

I have got this far: [list]http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/CBPXUJSP/uncle-john-sport [/list] and this http://www.cube.eu/road/x-race/x-race-comp/

They both hit the price point and both have stock. The Cube looks very pretty but I have read some disturbing things about the wheels (freehubs made of cheese, impossible to get tyres on). The standard of equipment though is brilliant for the money.

On the other hand, all my roadie mates rave about Planet X (in general). The advantage the Uncle John would have over the Cube is that my other road bike is Rival equipped so wheels etc would be interchangeable if push came to shove.

I have thought quite hard about the Boardman but the sizing isn’t quite right. So… out of those two, what would the STW massif think?