Merry Christmas all,

My father 70 something year old father does quite a bit of riding. He has an FS bike and a HT for off-road duties but on the road he rides a retro fully rigid Cannondale. This is actually what he does most of his miles on riding twice a week with a club, multi-day tours with panniers and doing errands and utility cycling trips on it. Probably amounting to 50+ miles a week.

We took a look at the bike yesterday and it is a bit sad. Brakes are stiff, gears are knackered, headset rough, rims worn. Basically a fair bit of £ to get it going.

So he is interested in a new bike to replace that one. A Cotic Roadrat came to mind as did Specialized Sirrus but what other options would people suggest? The requirements are:

Flat bars (drops might be better suited but he is adamant he doesn’t want them)
Must take a rear rack
Must take mudguards
Enough gears for hills and touring
Must take reasonable width tyres for cycling on towpaths and Sustrans routes
Lightish
Rigid

Maximum budget is the Roadrat really, so about £1,400 but happy with something cheaper.

Any suggestions welcome.

Sirrus is a good option. We ran those the past two years in a hire fleet and had no problems with them. Certainly lots of specification options depending on how much you want to spend and what weight you are seeking. I did a review of ours here: https://www.tickettoridehighlands.co.uk/blog/

Trek FX7.2 is very similar and worth looking at.

Thanks, that was a good read.

Will take a look at the Trek too.

Sonder Camino AL? They don’t list the Ti with the flat bar apex spec but as they are all built to order they might do you one.

Planet X have a Space Chicken listed with a flat bar spec iirc.

I picked up a pinnacle lithium for this exact purpose. Very pleased with it to be honest and well under your budget

My wife bought the Cube SL Road in the summer and is very happy with it. It’s a flat barred gravel bike, rides like an old MTB and lots of models/specs to choose from.

I like the Cube, looks to suit the purpose very well and great value – there is a 105 equipped version for £850. Nice and light too, probably quite a lot lighter than a Roadrat. My only concern is whether it is a road bike frame with a set of flat handlebars or if geometry is specifically designed to suit. That is a factor that puts me off things like Planet X London Road as the frame is the same between drop bar and flat bar versions which doesn’t seem like it can be right to me.

The Pinnacle looks more commuter than tourer/gravel to me, decent but probably a bit too much overlap with HT Mountain bike.

Does anyone have any idea what a fully built Roadrat might weigh?

My only concern is whether it is a road bike frame with a set of flat handlebars or if geometry is specifically designed to suit

having sold a few & ridden them, it’s a hybrid with a bit more tyre clearance. so an upright road bike if you will. stable and comfy on road or tame off road

Fair enough. Given all the fretting over half a degree HA either way I’m surprised if completely changing the handlebar type and weight distribution isn’t need for a different shape frame but I know what you mean – you can still pedal it and it will still go forwards.

As ever test rides a good idea.

My boardman hybrid comp does everything you ask at a third of your budget

Have a good list of options coming together now. Not sure whether 1×11 or 2×9 is the right way to go. It’s used in Hertfordshire mainly so no massive mountains but close ratios, touring, holidays and overall range make me think 2×9 might be the better choice.

What about this? I saw one in a bike shop and it looked stunning.

PORTOBELLO

Cannondale Bad Boy?

Or maybe something my Surly, Salsa or Kona?

Fargo with Jones Loops – what size just in case there is one coming up for sale?

Doesn’t Saracen do a flat bar version of the Hack?

Not the prettiest https://www.arragons.com/17363/products/2017-saracen-hack-fb-road-bike-green-blue.aspx

My boardman hybrid comp does everything you ask at a third of your budget

+1.
I bought a 2016 X7 a few weeks ago for £180. I’m so pleased with it Iv’e sold the Allez.
It could do with some lighter wheels mind.

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBHOLMYSRIV1FLAT/holdsworth-mystique-sram-rival-1-flat-bar-gravel-bike-700c-wheels

Quite like the look of that, especially in non-stealthy orange.

At the risk of going against the grain, you could replace all those bits, give the frame a respray and still have plenty of change left over from £1200.

Doesn’t sound like a new bike that’s needed as opposed to better maintenance.

Instead of the Lithium, there’s the other Pinnacle, the Neon, which is also an absolute bargain and more road orientated.

Kona typically have something about right too, like this

Doesn’t sound like a new bike that’s needed as opposed to better maintenance.

Not saying it couldn’t have the parts replaced but it would be no better suited to the required tasks even after that. And some of the bikes suggested here are a whole lot less than the budget which was not a target rather a limit. But no need for better maintenance – the bike has been well looked after but you can’t stop parts wearing out.

The Whyte is very pretty and agree the Neon looks better suited than the Lithium.

Saracen do the levarg as a flat bar too

Is this just a hybrid or am I missing something that calling it ‘gravel’ adds, apart from loads of extra cash?

Orange speedwork,aluminium frame, carbon fork, takes a 2inch tyre. I run mine 1×10 ,flat bar ,great for all day road/gravel mixed riding with a 45c tyre, put fatter tyres on and it will happily go a bit rougher for the odd bikepacking mission. comes in at 23lbs.

Is this just a hybrid or am I missing something that calling it ‘gravel’ adds, apart from loads of extra cash?

Is it adding loads of cash? And why does it matter – the term hybrid is even more vague than gravel as hybrid as a single word doesn’t describe anything other than the fact it is a combination of things.

Not saying it couldn’t have the parts replaced but it would be no better suited to the required tasks even after that.

And a gravel bike, basically a fat tyred hybrid, would be? You see plenty of retro frames used as tourers for good reason. Don’t get me wrong, discs are nice but for what is a comfort bike you can get the exact same from what you have hence my suggestion.

Fair enough on the maintenance, guess it just hit that point where everything goes at once!