im searching for a winter commute and so confused! CX bike or something else?

ive been to the cycle show and seen a couple of bikes im interested in. unfortunately specialized cannondale and scott never made a show.

im currently traveling to work on my specialized tarmac and need to put it away for best and get an all round year commute bike. But i dont want to slow the 9 mile journey down too much by having to choose another bike with bigger tires and heavier bike.

i worried if i choose a cx bike like the cannondale caadx disc that ill regret it. ive just spotted this and think its nice for the money and can probably do both jobs, work and back up bike for weekends.

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXKAFF2TIA/planet-x-kaffenback-2-shimano-tiagra-road-bike

how about the planet x london road frameset to build up with components, new or 2nd hand of your choice.

ok dobo, can you help me sort a complete bike if you have the knowledge and knowhow?

ive got a brand new pair of specialized axis 2.0 wheels doing nothing in the shed. i upgraded my wheels on my tarmac when i got it and class them as spares.

Ribble winter trainer.?

i know there not disc but if its cheaper ill have a go at doing my own bike.

Personally, I’d get a CAADX over that Planet X. I commute on a steel fixed road bike, and the mix of geometry and weight is what makes a bike feel right (or not). The 72 degree head angle will not a lively bike make.

I’m not a fan of disks on road bikes, preferring my long drop Shimano Ultegra-level R650s, which can lock wheels as needed. Some of the lesser caliper brakes and indeed cantis don’t provide the same feel, hence people tend to like disks.

Anyway, nothing wrong with steel, and plenty of options, but Cannondale makes some great bikes (my winter bike is Teen1’s CAAD8 😈 ), and the rack has gone back onto the commuting road bike today for winter. Just don’t get fixated by disks – fixing mudguards is bad enough anyway 😉

yes i have the knowhow, built a few bikes including my current CX. but im not going to spec your bike, its half the fun, just decide what type of bike you want, flat bar, fat tyres or racer and skinny, CX etc and ask for individual component advice.

Dude. Just get a CAADX.

…or a Croix De Fer….or a Pinnacle Arkose 4.

The Arkose. Defo get an Arkose.

Heh…I thought I was bad 😀

Just get a cheap singlespeed / fixed road bike. Something like a Genesis flyer. Stick some mudguards on it and maybe a dynamo light setup. Sorted.

Hi
I commute on the bike each day (about 40m each day). I am currently using a Kinesis T2 built up with ultegra, rack and guards. Requires deep drop brakes to fit round the guards, the only reason i mention that is becuase they are sh#t. When the bike has me plus pannier bags on it it weighs a bit and the brakes are a significant weak spot. The rest of e bike is fantastic. Takes 25mm tyres, solid, reliable. Can’t ask for anything more. What would i buy in the future? The same but with disc brakes. A cx bike would do that but check it can take rack and guards.
Hope that helps
E

Requires deep drop brakes to fit round the guards, the only reason i mention that is because they are sh#t

What brakes? Not had this with R650s – which are Ultegra 6600s,

Buy the CaadX Disc, looks nice, rides like a road bike and disc brakes are a no brainer for winter

I was in a simalar boat and just bought this
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/charge-plug-3-2014/%5B/url%5D

(Although it was only £499 when I bought it)

I was all set to buy the Arkose 3 then went to have a look at it and it just didn’t tug at my heart strings as much as I thought it would from the pictures. The Croix de Fer (reduced to £1035 at Evans) did look nice though. Decided to go cheaper so I’ll not feel bad about mistreating it in the foul weather and money left for lots of goodies: new tyres, guards, racks, bags, new shoes and pedals….

Thanks Ernie

Caadx can take guards and rack. Think I mite order tomorrow from leisure lakes.

My Indy Fab Club Racer?

Takes 28mm tyres, full guards and racks (if you want to use them)

Currently selling as a frameset (with full guards and deep drop calipers) or as a rolling chassis (as above but with Hope Pro III’s on Mavic Open Pro CD’s – brand spanking new front wheel)

I’ve got the Kaffenback linked above and like it a lot. It’s a tough, no nonsense winter road bike, it is heavy though, really heavy. I like it as it feels like it can be abused a bit, ridden through potholes, scratched with light mounts, and not be that well looked after. It also makes my summer roadie feel amazingly fast when it comes back out in the spring.

I’m going for a £2000 2015 robaix.

It’s got discs, 25mm tires and it can have mud guards.

Can’t see anything wrong with it.

*Apologies for the hijack.

Fubar, how are you finding the plug. This could be perfect for what I want. Can I ask how it rides, what is the sizing like and does it feel too heavy? I’m not sure which size to go for at 165cm, and the triban 3 road bike it would be replacing isn’t that light at about 10.4 KGs.

Limited help but I have the charge filter which is the model the plug replaces. Mine was a bargain bin build, under £400 total. Weighs about 11kg with heavy bontrager wheelset and sora.

It’s a fun bike to ride, much smoother than my caad 8 on our devon lanes even with 25mm road tire on. So far it’s been doing a mixed media commute with clement xplor 32c tyres on and it’s been great fun. On road I don’t think it feels heavy and with slicks on it’s not really that much slower than my proper road bike. We have a lot of climbing around here and it’s fine. Skinny steel tubes look nice too

Thanks Ceepers, that’s actually really helpful. The plug 3 has Sora and is reported to have heavy wheels so I guess it would be a similar weight.

If I got one it would be used for commuting on roads and light off road cycle paths with longer road rides thrown in at weekends. I used to do this on a hybrid but it was a bit too small for me, so I bought the triban, which is faster on the road, but no use on gravel cycle paths etc.

A descent single speed can be real quick and perfect for winter. No better way to get fit than spin spin spin.

I like my Langster – cheap and quick

It will eat up cycle paths. I’ve ridden mine round quite a few of my local mtb trails. It flies along anything resembling gravel path, fire road or hard packed dirt, up along and down. I’ve taken quite a few strava pr’s on it on those kind of segments. As soon. As things get rocky you do notice the lack of big tyres and suspension but you can still pick your way. Lots of our local mtb stuff is not too tech and needs linking by road so I’ve had lots of fun doing road loops with some easy trails thrown in.

Here’s a plug on an off-road adventure

http://blog.brooksengland.com/wps/games-for-cyclists-–-the-lucky-cap/

I’ve also done quite a few 1 -2 hour road rides on it with my wife at non strava bashing pace very happily, with the 32c’s on. I really like it

OP pretty much any of the bikes mentioned here will be fine. One thing to decide is how far off road do you want the bike to go?

I’m going for a £2000 2015 robaix.

It’s got discs, 25mm tires and it can have mud guards.

Can’t see anything wrong with it.

It’s 2k for a winter commuter? 8)

Thanks Ceepers, this sounds perfect for what I want. Thanks for the blog link, that’s the type of stuff I would love to do, although it will never happen.

Fubar, how are you finding the plug.

unfortunately still in the box ! I hope to get to it today but work keeps geting in the way…I’ll weigh it when I get to it but I’m guessing / expecting around 12kg

I’m going for a £2000 2015 robaix.

It’s got discs, 25mm tires and it can have mud guards.

Can’t see anything wrong with it.

check the mudguard clearance before you buy. Just because it says it has clearance, or it has mudguard eyes, that doesn’t mean it actually has room for 25c tyres and guards (assuming you want the wheels to go round). That’s where many of the other bikes you were looking at (charge, whyte, planetx etc) come in.

My solution was to design a frame and have it custom made in Ti in China 🙂

Cheers, Rich

.I’ll weigh it when I get to it but I’m guessing / expecting around 12kg

2014 Plug 3 out of the box without pedals 11.7Kg added shimano SPD pedals (not the flat ones supplied which would be a little lighter) and that took it to about 12.1Kg. Pretty heavy but not a surprise, I’ll forgive it since I like the way it looks (been after a red bike for years!).

New lighter tyres will be purchased soon and perhaps wheels further down the line if I’m still loving the bike. Probably won’t get to ride it tomorrow so perhaps Friday. Once thing I noticed was the size chart put me in the medium / large overlap went for the medium and I definitely the right choice…large would have been too big.

2014 Plug 3 out of the box without pedals 11.7Kg added shimano SPD pedals (not the flat ones supplied which would be a little lighter) and that took it to about 12.1Kg. Pretty heavy but not a surprise, I’ll forgive it since I like the way it looks (been after a red bike for years!).

New lighter tyres will be purchased soon and perhaps wheels further down the line if I’m still loving the bike. Probably won’t get to ride it tomorrow so perhaps Friday. Once thing I noticed was the size chart put me in the medium / large overlap went for the medium and I definitely the right choice…large would have been too big.

Thanks fubar, that’s about 1.5 KGs more than my Triban, but then it is steel and has discs so isn’t surprising. I stopped by the local Evans last night and they are ordering one in for me, it should be there on Monday.

I would be interested to hear how you get on with it. I bought the Triban last year as a cheap introduction to road bikes, and although I do like the bike I think it may be a touch too big for me. When I got it I planned to replace it with a disc braked bike when I found one for the right price.

Evans size guide puts me on a small (which is all they have left anyway), but Wiggle puts me on an extra small so I will have to see how it fits when I see it.

I would be interested to hear how you get on with it.

I’ve just given the Plug a test over road, track, canal towpath, cobbles, bridleway, cattle grids. I was pleasantly surprised at the ride, not too harsh. If I was doing that test loop on a regular basis I’d fit some larger tyres. Perhaps the brakes could be a little keener. Only downer was the chain separated on the joining link and came off the bike completely..luckily no damage. I’d advise checking the joining link to make sure it is fitted correctly.

I’ve just given the Plug a test over road, track, canal towpath, cobbles, bridleway, cattle grids. I was pleasantly surprised at the ride, not too harsh. If I was doing that test loop on a regular basis I’d fit some larger tyres. Perhaps the brakes could be a little keener. Only downer was the chain separated on the joining link and came off the bike completely..luckily no damage. I’d advise checking the joining link to make sure it is fitted correctly.

That sounds promising. Sorry to hear the chain failed on its first outing, but other than that it sounds like a winner. Thanks for sharing your findings.