Its a simple one really as it says on the tin, I'm in the market for a bike to commute on and I'm aiming around the £1500 mark (can go above if something special appears).
My commute is dead on 10miles door-to-door. Mostly downhill on the way to work, painfully uphill on the way back, with a 2-mile section through the woods which I use to avoid a busy A road . I've done it multiple times now on both a touring bike (2018 Dawes Galaxy) and my Hardtail (2024 Nukeproof Scout 275) and both have pros and cons.
The Dawes is considerably lighter and quicker which means commuting is a fair bit quicker and efficient, however the comfort isn't there (especially on the 2-mile section through the woods).
The Scout makes getting to work stupidly enjoyable and comfortable, but I do have to account for nearly an extra 15mins each way, and its a bit (more) of a slog on the uphill ride home.
With £1500 to spend right now (or in the coming months if something is out of stock), what would people go for?
TLDR: I've got £1500 to spend on a bike to use for commuting. Its probably going to be a gravel bike, but I don't want to admit that yet.
I just got a new Diverge Cues for 1300 which is basically my commuting bike. Its got plenty of mounts for various racks too.
Heart says this, because just look at it (or the Drop Bar Adventure Disc Tour is £100 over budget, a bit more again for hydraulic braked variants):
https://templecycles.com/products/classic-disc
Head says you could probably buy something like this which has a 'better' specification (and to be fair looks like a good bike in general for splitting the difference between a Touring Bike and Hardtail):
Heart says this, because just look at it (or the Drop Bar Adventure Disc Tour is £100 over budget, a bit more again for hydraulic braked variants):
TEMPLECYCLES.COM
TEMPLECYCLES.COM
Now this (or the Adventure Disc for a little more £££) looks beautiful. Also quite handy living on the outskirts of Bristol as well so I could pop along to the Store & Workshop for a test ride.
Faster tires/ wheelset for the scout?
What about boardman adv8.9 gravel bike? My commute is very similar and its perfect. Ive got 50mm maxxis rambler tyres on mine now and it handles my wooded section really well
I got a boardman adv in a similar situation. Only dislike is there's not so many points of engagement on the back wheel meaning some janky pedal strokes when I first got it, I seem to have got used to it now though. That and the headset won't stay tight (I guess they didn't get the star nut/spacer stack quite right). Has a few paint chips after a year but I'm not the most careful. It is fast enough and reliable otherwise.
A Sonder of some type would match the price point for reasonable value. Colibri is road bias, Frontier or Dial for off road bias and Camino between that. Choice of wheels and tyres will also affect speed etc.
10 miles each way of mainly paved cycle path is fine on my Frontier with gravel type tyres and comfy. Old road bike is a faster but less comfy as I can only fit 25mm tyres in the frame. Depends what mood takes you on the day.
Have you considered... An ebike? 😮
It will give you more energy for riding and/or other exercise after work. Hill home will be a doddle, even in low assist mode etc.
Van Rysel road will take 35mm tyres, ~14Kg £1800
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/electrical-assistance-road-bike-e-edr-af-105-2x11s-red/335142/m8654837
Another quick example, Boardman MTB with bigger tyre clearance £1600
I've done my commute on the ebike a few times lately, while my Tripster was awaiting parts... and it was... ok, but even on a big ol' eMTB I ran out of power assist A LOT. Was fab on the offroad bits, but all those road sections? nah, really glad to have the Tripster back.
Its probably going to be a gravel bike, but I don't want to admit that yet.
They do make great commuters. I bought mine for that very reason but ended up getting quite into riding it for non commuting purposes too (seeing how far I can take it out of it's comfort zone off road is loads of fun!).
After 7 years on it I still don't like drop bars though (I've tried various types and still always ride in the hoods) so if I was buying again then something like the Boardman TRVL 8.9 Flat Bar posted above is what I'd go for.
Don't get an ebike... the 15.5mph limit will do your head in on the road (I say this an ebike owner).
Personally an ebike was never going to be in the equation. I've ridden a handful of them (both Bosch and Avinox) when hitting the trails courtesy of my riding buddies and I'd still rather slog it on my analog FS rather than an emtb. But that's just personal opinion and choice.
As for the current task at hand...
I'm 50/50 on the drops vs flats situation. I probably don't get the full benefit of the drops by riding (mostly) on the hoods all the time, but the position that the drops gets me in does feel a lot more efficient for the commute. BUT, the control I get from flat bars, and in general the Scout, is something I can't ignore as well.
All of the options so far fit the bill, the boardman seems right for the task at hand. But there's something about the bikes from Temple Cycles that @jfab brought into the equation....
After 7 years on it I still don't like drop bars though (I've tried various types and still always ride in the hoods) so if I was buying again then something like the Boardman TRVL 8.9 Flat Bar posted above is what I'd go for.
Flat bars are better on gravel-style bikes, fact.
I would recommend what I have - Giant Fastroad AR Advanced - but I don't think they do them any more. However, this looks Fast As Flip, I'd definitely be very interested if I was buying again
https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Cube-Nulane-C-62-SLX-2026-Road-Bike_280045.htm
😆 I'd have one!
ooh, this is interesting
https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Scott-Scale-Gravel-20-2026-Gravel-Bike_280427.htm
That’s a marmite bike if I’ve ever seen one but I honestly don’t hate this!
The 2.4” tyres might be a little excessive but that’s nothing that can’t be changed.
Each to their own I guess. Even when their own is miiiiiiiiinging
Buy the Cube, it'll be amazing. I have 40mm tyres on mine (which is basically the same idea as the Cube - fast, carbon, light, gravel *cough* hybrid *cough*) and it absolutely flies. It's ace on farm tracky, canal towpathy, paths through woodsy stuff and is no slouch in the road either.
The thing is even just riding on the hoods you're still generally being less of a windblock than riding a MTB, but comfort will make the biggest difference really.
I do quite like those Scott Scale Gravels in a weird way, but my Temple Adventure Disc is far nicer to look at (but probably 1kg+ heavier!).
If you're in/near Bristol its at least worth a look.... 😉
Halfords have always been good for fast hybrids, I have an ancient Boardman Pro and it's the best bike I've ever owned. Every bit of the design and spec was well thought out and plugged perfectly into the budget. Only downside is they tend to be a little bit too shiny and nice looking, I want a commuter to look like it belongs in a skip to deter magpies.
That’s a marmite bike if I’ve ever seen one but I honestly don’t hate this!
Just looks like a rigid mountain bike to me. Like the old Niners. But it's a gravel bike, course 😀
If you want to stick to a boring hardtail rather than cool gravel bike, then the Boardman mht 9.0 is a bargain right now for £1120. Sid fork and slx groupset on a suitably boring frame. Spend the leftover on wheels with slicker tyres.
https://www.halfords.com/bikes/mountain-bikes/boardman-mht-9.0-mountain-bike---s-frame-493454.html?
Spend the rest on plaid shirts and bike bags 😀
The thing is even just riding on the hoods you're still generally being less of a windblock than riding a MTB, but comfort will make the biggest difference really.
I have some bar ends inside the grips (so kinda the width apart that hoods would be on drop bars) for the times that I want to tuck in.
Depending on what you have lying around in the shed to build it with, something from Stooge or Singular? You could probably even put together a moderately decent build with new parts if you stuck with Deore and relatively basic wheels and finishing kit.
Have you considered... An ebike?
It will give you more energy for riding and/or other exercise after work. Hill home will be a doddle, even in low assist mode etc.
So you avoid exercise and get home quicker, to do more exercise?
Surely at least some of the point of cycle commuting is that the cycle commute is more time efficient than any other method + a comparable workout.
Surely at least some of the point of cycle commuting is that the cycle commute is more time efficient than any other method + a comparable workout.
Exactly this.
Door to door it’s virtually the same time as if I got the train to work (inc the walk to/from the station). Except I save the £5 return ticket and instead get a solid 50(ish)mins of exercise each way.
Have you considered... An ebike?
It will give you more energy for riding and/or other exercise after work. Hill home will be a doddle, even in low assist mode etc.
So you avoid exercise and get home quicker, to do more exercise?
Surely at least some of the point of cycle commuting is that the cycle commute is more time efficient than any other method + a comparable workout.
Back when I was working before long covid, my commute was ~5 miles each way, mostly uphill on the way home. Direct almost through Southampton city centre at 0600, taking close to the most traffic free route home at ~1500.
From around April to October, I preferred to ride up in the South Downs lanes and hills.
By taking the commutes easy during spring and summer, on top of being a foot postie, I regularly had energy to head out to the hills after work.
While also saving money compared to driving or using the bus, on top of some base miles.
Macbook Air
*puts reading glasses on*
I picked up a used lovely spec Planet X Tempest for less than that a couple of years ago. Would be ideal, because titanium.
