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Some might say it's not the most sensible time for me to be splurging on a new bike (house move* coming up, all being well) but I've just been offered a stonking deal on a GT Grade Carbon 105. It would be replacing my 3-4 year old Boardman CX team as a commuter and 'couple-of-mates-riding-around-the-lanes-not-very-quickly' road bike.
The 2016 model looks like the same spec, but I don't know if the price will go up, or if I could get the same discount. The new Saracen Avro and Genesis Datum that look very similar, and very nice, are both £100 more than this year's Grade.
So, who's got one? Good, bad, ugly? Comfortable, fast? The perfect year-round fast [i]gnarmac[/i] 😉 commuter for someone who occasionally takes the bridleways and (grrrrrravelled) sustrans path route?
The Arkose looks really nice, but is alu (not a bad thing in itself, but the GT frame is a pound lighter apparently) and doesn't have the tubeless ready wheels. The Specialized Diverge is only carbon in the really expensive models and the spec isn't as good as the GT or Arkose.
*I don't foresee me buying a new bike affecting the house at all, it just feels a bit off doing it before we're in! If I'm down to my last <£1800 then something has gone terribly, terribly wrong! I'd planned to buy a bike as soon as we were in and I'd 'toughened' the garage anyway...
I've got a pimp Diverge, and a riding mate has a Grade.
The Grade rides very well, but is fuglywuglywoo. IMHO of course.
Not sure I'd go carbon for an all year commuter, though.
Go for it - a stonkingly good bike. I've got a Grade 105 with the ally frame and use it for road and a bit of off-road work and it's fast and comfortable (after I'd put a carbon seatpost) on a smooth surface and I actually like the way it looks. The carbon frame would be awesome.
i have got a carbon ultegra version and it's an awesome bike ,had a few different sports bikes and for me they got the grade just right .eat's up big miles and will manage light off road.