What’s the status of on one?

PX made a very generous offer but now you’re angling for them to vary it because you’re trying to avoid the additional cost of replacing components.

That deserves a response from PX saying…that’s the offer; take it or leave it.#

I presumed when he said “split the difference” PX were offering the value of the credit note plus half the difference to whatever he picks?

So if he want’s a cheap gravel frame they’re saving money.

Andrew, indeed 9sp is an option.  I’ve got 3 new cassettes,  2 chains, 1 new and 1 old xt rear derailleur,  about 4 new font derailleur from xtr to lx, a new slx double and bash crank in box,  a used xt and some new rings for it (44, 32, 22), cables, and some old deore shifters.  So if I can make that work I’ve spares for a few years.  Then I realised the Goldrush is designed 1x, no bosses for front mech cable (I could get a clamp on cable stop) does the chain stay have room for a double – don’t know,  if not  1x 9 still doable but less ideal, and what front ring size from those i have? I do have 1 32T widenarrow but the others aren’t, will they work or will i drop the chain loads?  I also realise my shifters are old, there is a risk they soon die, a very quick search showed 9sp alivio can be had for not much so perhaps I need not worry but…   so not ruling it out but thinking do i really want to spend ~£700 to build a bike with a nice frame,  some nice bits but perhaps not ideal drive?

Realistically I could use cycle 2 work to buy something like a croix de fer fb for ~£1000, which would be a cost to me of ~£450.  So, although the px offer is very reasonable,  it may be better for me to not use it.

Tinas yes.   The 456 cost me £800, the Goldrush frame is £1100, they offered to split the difference so it would cost £150. That’s a good offer.   Forks, seat post, clamp and headset would be another £350, so £500 for the post and frameset.

Same cost for a Tempest.

Saddle, bars, stem, cables, 1x9speed drive and brakes from existing 456/spares bin, leaves me needing wheels, tyres, tubes, and some odds and sods I’ve missed/bits to frig the 9sp solution. If i c2w those bits my overall outlay is ~£650-700.  Vs the above mentioned £450 fir an off the shelf croix de fer or similar.   It seems perhaps more logical to just get the of the shelf bike.  Which just feels a shame as I’ve had 3 bikes from px/on one, liked them,  and a this shows their customer service is good.   It’s just the ways of how c2w works,  and the big cost of building a bike from bits vs buying ots that looks to be driving me elsewhere.

Couldn’t you buy the frame and forks etc from them and then get a cycle to work voucher for build kit for it? The Planet X frame should be nicer than a Croix de fer which I think so quite a heavy steel lump – and the cheapest one doesn’t have a great build kit.

Get the wheels / tyres / drivetrain / brakes on cycle to work. Job jobbed – you’ll have a much nicer bike that way.

Looking at it you can use mtb kit with flat bar gravel – to keep it cheap you could go deore 11 speed m5100 mech and cassette, then pick some cranks where you can run a decent size front chainring for road / gravel – maybe a 38t narrow wide ring?

Assuming it’s a post mount frame and forks you get then you’re spoiled for choice on brake options. If it’s flat mount it’s a little harder and you might need to mix / match mtb levers with road flat mount calipers.

I’d agree with Joe, getting a £150 frame is a no brainer. Then get a bike on c2w that has the best parts for the money, or a second hand one with the parts you need. I sold my mint Ragley Trig with full hydraulic GRX and decent finishing kit for £600. Get something similar, move the parts over, sell the donor frame and you’ll have a spot on bike for not much cash.

When I bought the Trig I was pretty much warned off the CDF as everyone said it was heavy and lifeless.

the Goldrush frame is £1100, they offered to split the difference so it would cost £150

Wow! Result. Goldrush has SS drop outs as well. I have a Camino Ti which its a copy of, which is great.  Always fancied a Goldrush as a SS gravel bike

It is a great offer from px, yes.

Damn, just lost a long reply..short version…

Px spend:

Frame 150, forks 200. Possibly seat post, clamp and headset 150 but could get those on c2w

C2w spend

Seat post,  clamp headset 150+

Wheels 300, tyres tubes and sundry bits 150.

Brakes…flat mount… I’d not picked that up so need brakes £250

Gross total for c2w £850-900, net cost to me £400ish

Add the cost at px, £750ish. That’s with my 9sp drive if I can fit it, if I need new shifters,  cassette, derailleur,  crank then add what…£250 net to me?

Yes that’s for a nicer bike than the alternative cdf (or giant,trek, whyte equivalent ish bike) but at around £1000 vs around £450-550 . Decisions

Alternative I just thought, I’d focused on frames from px but I hadn’t thought about full bikes… don’t know if they would use the credit note against one…IF they would then….105 2×12, hydro braked aluminium London road shows as in stock,  currently  £1100. IF the credit could be used against that then there’s my cheapest and simplest option to get a bike back on the road.   It’s drop bar but…. my existing flat bar, a 12sp xt shifter £35, and my existing shimano xt brake levers (hopefully…. not clear what the brakes on the London road are so they may be no good)

I’ve asked the very helpful Ben about the London road.

London Road lols. Take the Goldrush. No brainer! I’d not bother with C2W tbh and just shop around for parts, classifieds wtd, ebay, Merlin etc which will be cheaper. Should get most of what you need.

I’m in a nominal 55% income tax bracket,  c2W saves me that much.  Cycle solutions (our scheme operator) seem to have pretty decent pricing and offer price match.

London road not comparable to a Goldrush of course.  What I am trying to be logical about though is what bike do I actually need currently and tbhv the chances of me doing anything on the bike beyond commute or short family pootle are largely zero. This view point is frankly perverse when I’m here on a cycling website but now in my life I cycle commute and that’s it.   There I said it…. its upsetting I know…. but a Goldrush isn’t worth much/any more to me than a London road.   Shoot me for it.

Take the offered deal on the Goldrush, flog it on and then go shopping for a whole new bike (anywhere but PX) with C2W or your pocket money and buy the bike you want not just what’s on the table from those cowboys.

Little harsh.  I guess others have had experiences that they have not felt so good about,  but in impressed by them.

The idea of buy the Goldrush frame and sell it came to me too last night.

Get the Goldrush frame, a GRX groupset and set of GR1600s and you’ll have a great bike.

Love mine, only major down side is the 27.2 seat post and no internal routing for a dropper so limited to then 125mm PNW post and drilling the frame.

Plenty of decent wheelsets around for less than £300

This is replacing a ss bike or are you now wanting gears?

The cracked 456 had been SS, I’d grown to enjoy pootling not racing and the absolute zero maintenance aspect.

With a new bike I want to go back to gears tbh….older, flabbier… the couple of short but sheepish climbs just as I get home at the end of the day will be easier!

Yes there are cheaper wheels I agree,  although I’ve found regular commute miles tough on wheels so just sort of picked mavic allroad at about £300  as a, probably,  value over a few years sort of wheel.  Plus building up a really nice frame cheaper than that feels troo cheap maybe.

Just looking on cycle solutions website.  A Giant tough road slr 1 is £999, so £450 to me on c2w  hmmm.  Really struggling to decide… heart wants the Goldrush but head says no.  I’m being particularly indecisive on this unfortunately.

I’d think the croix de fer and London road are on a similar level – both a little bit dull and leaden.

If you’re earning enough money to be on that tax bracket then why not get yourself a nicer commuter bike that you’ll enjoy riding in the limited riding you get to do?

I’m commuting on a Dolan carbon gravel bike with Ultegra di2 / hunt wheels etc and it makes the commute nicer. Compared to the basic alloy framed / low end Giant road bike I’ve had in the past there’s no looking back for me.

There is something to be said for enjoyment from sitting on a nice bike.

I’ve just gone through the cycle solutions website putting bits into the cart. A few bits I’d need to call them about or change (eg they only show 650b mavic allroad and I’d want the 700c) but if I’ve not forgotten too much then I’m looking at £580 less £38 of rewards I’d forgotten I had,  and that goes through c2w.  That’s with a seat post and clamp, pair of new rotors, a pair of flat mount grx rx400 calipers (hopefully connect to my current xt levers), and with one alivio 9sp shifter in case my old deore one dies.  It would get 1×9 from my spares bin with 36T chainring on an xt or slx crank and either 11-32 or 11-34 cassette… I’ve likely got both. I need to then add the Goldrush frame and forks, and a headset.  I get a total of about £620 cost to me.   Its tempting.

It’s that or the London road at a cost of £300 …. I think I’m swinging back to thy Goldrush.

Oh can anyone tell me,  does a 9sp cassette fit an m11 shimano freehub? Yes but with a spacer, or no?

Whoop di doopdy doopdy doop!  Response from Ben at px on a bh,  very very impressed and surprised!  Also very impressed and surprised by the result!  He’s found my order,  it was July 2010.  He expects a credit note from Van Nicholas and asks what I might like!

Wow, They deserve some credit for that.

They do, they (Ben) have been brilliant.  I whatsapped a photo of the crack, told them I thought I bought the frame early 2010 and asked what the warranty was.  They found my order from July 2010, and replied to say it was warrantied for life by VN,  what would I like to use my credit note on?  A few options explored and the result is I’ve just ordered a Goldrush frame and fork for £350 plus (I misunderstood an earlier message) they threw in the seat post,  headset and seat clamp for free.

I’ve also just ordered the wheels,  tyres,  shifter,  brake discs and calipers,  and inner tubes (I know…. luddite)  on c2w.   I’d forgotten some rewards earnt 4 years ago which have saved me ~£35 and I’d forgotten about the vat 12% saving so that lot has cost me less than I expected.   After tax savings the cost to me will be about £207.

Bars, stem, saddle, grips,  chain, rear mech, cassette, crank are all from my spares and mostly bnib….it will be built 1x9speed, initially with a 44t hyperglide and 11/32 cassette….suspect I’ll confirm the ratios are OK and will then buy a widenarrow chainring.

So, once the bits arrive in a month or so I’ll be building up a new bike for not much money after all.

Now to convince my wife the 456 will look great on the living room wall….

Great result all round.
let’s see a photo when it’s built up 👍