So, after 20 years commuting by bike, I’ve been driving to work every day for the past 9 months (mainly because lazy, but also I got fed up with people attempting to kill me).

Sitting in the car, then sitting down at work, then sitting in the car again, before sitting on my sofa all evening, then lying in bed all night is not making me very happy. Also fat, very fat and slow and ugh.

I go hill walking a bit, but my attempts to take up swimming for fitness dwindled to nothing in short order, it just isn’t as convenient as cycle commuting. I can’t run, buggered knees and ankles just won’t take it.

So back to cycle commuting.

I’m wondering if spunking a load of cash on a new bike would force me to make use of it, and hence get back into the swing of it again.

But I can’t really seem to find what I’m looking for. Any help/pointers gratefully received.

Minimum spec I’m after would be:
Carbon frame and fork
Horizontal (or near horizontal) top tube
Trad geo: I do NOT want ‘sportif/urban/comfort’ slack angles
Hydraulic discs
Drops, obvs
Mudguard mounts
Rack mounts
Cartridge bearing hubs
Tubeless
Triple (or v reluctantly, a compact)
Close-ratio cassette

Basically, a fast road bike with practicalities.

Quite happy to build it from bits.

(I have a (now tatty and shagged out) Uncle John with BB7s, kinesis carbon fork, hope Pro3 on open Pro CD’s, running 28c rubber. I never got on with the BB7’s as much as the evangelists. Constant niggles. Bearing slop in the Pro3 front hub irritated me too)

when I looked last year, there weren’t many (if any) carbon disc frames with mudguard / rack mounts.

Genesis Datum is probably as close as you’ll get.

ribble cgr.

bmc roadmachine

Ribble GF disc? forgot it didn’t have mudguard mounts

Not carbon but I’ve just discovered the Sabbath September disc, that’d do me.

The closest thing I can think of it a Genesis datum?

Fails the top tube requirements and is marketed as a ‘gravel bike’ but I’ve bothered one in the flesh and it was very light.

Takes guards. Proper ones.

I guess I could go Ti. I keep forgetting about Ti. String-and-glue is all the rage I guess. Is 953 stiff?

Triple chain sets are dead now. AFAIK there isn’t a hydraulic road shifter that’ll work with a triple chain set. I’ve got a sub compact chain set with 32/46 rings and an 11-36 cassette. That’ll climb anything I can find.

http://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/221187-10-best-mudguard-compatible-carbon-fibre-road-bikes

none with horizontal TT.

Triple chain sets are dead now. I’ve got a sub compact chain set with 32/46 rings and an 11-36 cassette. That’ll climb anything I can find.

*waves*, Hi Peter.

I know. So short-sighted. I doubt I could actually really use a 53t much these days, but 46-11? Take forever to get anywhere! Also 11-36, yuck, yuck yuck yuck. 11-23 mebbes. 11-25 if there are HUGE hills.

The granny is when you bonk dragging 50KG of compost. I hate huge ratio gaps.

http://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/221187-10-best-mudguard-compatible-carbon-fibre-road-bikes
none with horizontal TT.

V useful, ta!

That Ribble CGR ticks every box except the frame material, however I think aluminium frames can (can!) have a very nice feel to them, so maybe worth a try..

Kinesis 4s/ crosslight? They are Alu, but light and come with a carbon fork. Both can fit racks, guards, etc

You haven’t said how far your commute is and if its all road or some off road. Mine is all on road and circa 20 miles each way. I’ve tried a number of set ups over the past two years, and whilst what I have now isn’t perfect it’s pretty close. I like quite a racy position so struggle a bit with the hybrid/endurance position that comes on bikes like the AWOL/Datum and so on.

In the past year I’ve tried…
Fixed track bike – brutal but builds fitness. Minimal maintenance. Can make it pimp for not much monies

Neil Pryde Carbon roadie – fast but fragile and was always worried about it being nicked (even in our secure bike park at work). Also a bit soul destroying to watch really nice kit fall to bits even after a regular clean

Cheap carbon Cube GTC – cracked! But not bad prior to that
Kenesis 4S disc – Ok, but not really that nice to ride and not cheap enough to not Give a sh** despite having a pretty nice build

GT Grade – bought as the 105 model with hybrid hydros, now fitted with full ultegra hydro, Sram Force 1x crank with 42t ring (with a 12/32 cassette), King wheels running 28mm GP4000 tyres, Hope BB, thompson post, stem and bars and other nice stuff. Have the option to run tubeless but its a faff and I can’t be arsed

The only way I could get the position right on the GT was a -17 degree stem, but now its perfect. Has guard mounts, no rack mounts but I use a Carradice which I think is better for commuting anyway. If you must have carbon they do a carbon one for a bit more mula (with proper Hydro’s).

http://www.norco.com/bikes/road/adventure/search-carbon/search-c-ultegra/

Not got a horiztonal TT but apart from that looks great. Mate at work got one and it’s lovely.

You’ve specified a lot of requirements which collectively greatly limit your choice of available off the peg bikes and frames. Moreover, some of your requirements are irrational/aesthetic, and limit your choice even further (I like horizontal top tubes as well, but when push comes to shove all that matters is the positional relationship between your backside, hands and feet: the tube angles are irrelevant (except inasmuch as a longer and/or narrower seatpost will potentially flex a bit more and give a bit more comfort, and a sloping top tube gives a bit more standover clearance).

It might be worth telling us a bit more about the commute, i.e. the distance and the nature of the roads and terrain.

Also, I think it makes a difference to what bike is most suitable, if you will ride to work every day in all weathers and conditions, or if you will use your discretion and maybe drive if the weather is very bad (heavy rain or snow), or use the car once week or more to transport clothing to work.

Can’t help you on the bike but you have to want to cycle commute again otherwise you will still be sitting in the car, office, car, sofa again but with an expensive clothes horse sitting in the corner.

spending money IMHO is not a good way of motivating yourself.

Why not set yourself an annual mileage target or enter an event that you need to train for or something like that.

Depends what gets you motivated but I ISTR you are old enough to understand what gets you going and what doesn’t.

Hey, it might even be c0ke and h00kers; promise yourself that if you cycle commute 2,000 miles by the year end (easily achievable) you will treat yourself to some Columbian marching powder and a couple of brazzers…

😆

I’m a fussy git, that is the problem. I’m well aware of that. I’m just casting around for ideas really.

The list of requirements is based on my personal experience of riding and racing for 20 years.

Commute is 26 mile across Bristol, all tar.

I would never countenance using anything other than a full slick (Beggar Bush lane is fun on slicks, I’d rather have the speed/handling on tar and just play on gravel if the whim takes me).

Everyday.

Mudguards because rain.

I have spikes for when it is sheet ice.

Driving is down to laziness, concrete duvet syndrome, weather irrelevant.

I used to do a lot of audaxing too, my ideal commuter is essentially the same as my ideal audax bike, minus rack.

I prefer a rack and pannier for carting stuff about commuting. I’m not in a hurry, waterproof, volume, bungee options over rack. plenty of space for lights and huge reflector, etc. I have a Carradice Super C and various courier bags too.

I’ve done/have/made do with other cheap bikes. Not interested. Spendy time.

Cervelo C3 looks great. TT is close enough.

I may end up getting Mr Mather to make me something in Ti, the problem there is the wait.

Can’t help you on the bike but you have to want to cycle commute again otherwise you will still be sitting in the car, office, car, sofa again but with an expensive clothes horse sitting in the corner.

Yes indeed. This is the conundrum.

When I was doing 15,000 mile a year, it was all a great big adventure. Then I learnt to drive and started rallying, and it all went wrong.

I can’t see me audaxing again any time soon. I forced myself to do a few when I was falling out of love with the sport, and just ended up getting bored and riding home again.

Commuting through, still appeals. Base fitness, save mileage on the car, parking nightmare, £200 a month on fuel goes a long way. Feel less lumpen and lazy. The power of positive action.

I genuinely think some spangly new kit will help in the motivation stakes.

In that case, life is short, you know what you like and what you want, anything less will probably be a disappointment (‘if only I had got a…’).

Give Mr Mather a call now or send him an email and get in the queue.

Incidentally Tubus make some fancy titanium racks, so maybe with one of those your ideal audax bike will be including a rack, rather than minus a rack.

46×11 is higher than 52×13 which was a typical high racing gear until all the small sprocket cassettes came along, and it’s still higher than 50×12 which is what you’ll got with most campag compact setups
I’m not saying it’s a good gear (I hate 11t sprockets) but it’s not low, do your maths before discounting stuff 😉

Yeah your requirements are almost impossible to meet, but as some have suggested a Genesis Datum is close. They are made by Ridley and are stiffer than the reviews would suggest, the comfort comes from 32mm tyres. Geo is not especially relaxed but the front end is a little tall.

I wasnt sure about mine for the first few months but once id put conti GP4season tyres on I was much happier than with the semi-gravel tyre it came with. Ive just used it for a few long rides in Portugal and the tyres (and the bike) handled the dusty gravel tracks with relish. Id love to keep it but mine is actually being replace under warrenty for an issue so ill be getting a replacement soon. It normally has full carbon gaurds, dynamo and Di2. You might be able to fit a rack but you would have to attach the guards to the rack as there is only one set of eyelets. I replace the wheels to fit the dynamo but dont run tubeless, I dont find its a benefit for road use for me.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/QdjFJt]Untitled[/url] by Richard Elsdon, on Flickr