Looks like i’m doing a 1000km road/cycle path ride (over the course of 6 days) from Amsterdam to Paris and onto London next year.

This will mean a couple of flat/fast 200km days in Holland/Belgium and a couple of 150km hilly days in Northern France and up from Newhaven to London.

I’ve got two bikes – a 2013 Giant Defy with 10 speed 105 (28T rear cassette) and Hope/Pacenti wheels. It is fast/comfy but the brakes are poor in the wet and i worry about the bike over rougher surfaces. Maximum tyre size i can squeeze in is 28mm. I’m also limited to a 30T rear cassette as it has a short cage rear mech.

I’ve also got a 2016 Arkose 3 with 105 (32T rear cassette) and Hydro Discs which will get a wheel upgrade (also probably Hope/Pacenti) before the event. This bike will take larger tyres and allow me to run something a little bigger (32mm?)

I’ve got to carry all my luggage (Blackburn seat pack and handlebar roll – not panniers) the Arkose is also approx 2kg heavier.

I want to make a decision soon so i can invest in servicing/preparing the right one, and do all my training rides on the same bike.

The guys i’m going with have a varied range of bikes from a Giant Propel to a Raleigh Tourer with Panniers.

My heart says take the Giant, as the Arkose is slower (according to my Strava Stats) but i think the Arkose is tougher and certainly a better bet on rougher surfaces. It also has a 32T rear cassette, and could take a 34T if required.

Which one would you use?

Anyone else used an Arkose for long road rides?

My heart says take the Giant, as the Arkose is slower (according to my Strava Stats) but i think the Arkose is tougher and certainly a better bet on rougher surfaces. It also has a 32T rear cassette, and could take a 34T if required.

Is the Akrose faster then the guy on the tourer? I assume that will be your overall pace for the day 😉

Which is most comfortable. Take that one.

Which is most comfortable. Take that one.

Yes. It’s not a race, so take the bike that you are comfortable spending all day riding. I’ve just ridden a 1000km Audax over 3 days with people who are very experienced at this sort of thing, and it was noticeable there were lots of comfy looking bikes with mudguards and racks, and not too many stripped down racers!

Thanks for the replies – i think i need to do a couple of rides back to back and see which one feels most comfortable..

Over the last few years we’ve been increasingly doing medium distance road (mostly) events such as Tuscany Roads – about the 600-800km ride length. I’ve been riding them on my Bokeh with 650b x 48mm tyres, with lightweight bikepacking kit. What I have noticed is that the fast guys just disappear, then there’s a load of people on regular road bikes with 25mm or so tyres who hammer the first half day or so then seem to run out of go, whereas we’ve just kept going at a decent but steady pace and overhaul them. Herself now has a 650b drop bar bike, currently with 48mm tyres as she’s been sufficiently impressed by my experiences…

I know that Jan Heine is a bit ranty but I do think that his thoughts on long distance events on big volume high quality tyres makes sense.

Surely the correct answer is a new bike…

I’d rethink the Panceti if you’re touring.  Bought some Panceti Forza’s a few months ago and  I’m dreading the day I get a flat out on the road and need to administer some road side repairs, burnt through 4 inner tubes the other night just putting on new tyres.  Hardest rim I’ve ever had to deal with in regards to changing tubes/tyres.

If you do, go tubeless I would say.

I did the french Alps last summer and wish I had a 34t rear cassette.  A friend who did have that setup (36/34) was spinning much faster and easier up the hills, and got king of the mountain.  We didn’t have luggage though, with luggage I would definitely want at least 32t.

I have also done a 3 cities tour riding from London to Harwich, hook of Holland-Amsterdam, to Breda, then finally Brussels.  About 100km a day and it was all totally flat, on cycle paths, no road.  The paths were mixed terrain, the majority being smooth, but they can get a bit rough.  I did this with Renegade Expert with 35mm tires and 10kg seatpack.  I didn’t envy the guys on road bikes with 25-28c.

From my experience when touring generally the heavier bikes are normally at the back if the terrain is hilly, if its flat it made no difference.

What may be fast unloaded is different to loaded. My lovely titanium bike is faster than my old Singular Peregrine normally, but, the Peregrine is more stable and controllable loaded, so is less tiring for long rides with weight on. They are big days in the saddle, so comfort is main thing, after a few days, you’ll probably be quicker on the more comfortable bike anyway as fatigue sets in

Surely the correct answer is a new bike…

Yes, it is – one of the Mason things would be nice… but I don’t have new bike money at the moment.. (and haven’t seen anything i like under £3k)

I’d rethink the Panceti if you’re touring.  Bought some Panceti Forza’s a few months ago and  I’m dreading the day I get a flat out on the road and need to administer some road side repairs, burnt through 4 inner tubes the other night just putting on new tyres.  Hardest rim I’ve ever had to deal with in regards to changing tubes/tyres.

If you do, go tubeless I would say.

Yeah, the Pacenti rims are tough to get tyres on – i’ve got 28mm Gatorskins on my Forza/SL23 combo at the moment – i can get them on without a tyre lever but you need to really jam the tyre into the well on the other side of the rim. (if that makes sense)

If i did buy a set of Pacenti rims for the Arkose i’d try tubeless – something around 32/35mm fast rolling would be ideal.

If you were unloaded I’d say it makes no odds, both are more than capable, but if you have luggage then the option of some low gears is no bad thing. So personally I’d lean to the Arkose and concentrate on finding the fastest-rolling 32s you can. Especially given that you’re currently using Gatorskins 🙂

concentrate on finding the fastest-rolling 32s you can.

Yeah, i’m thinking tubeless – Schwalbe something or other…

Fatbike ftw if course.  Anything else is cheating

I’ve just put some tubeless G-One Allround 35mm on my 2015 Arkose 4.  These are for a planned C2C later this year; I’ve only had one ride so far but they roll well on tarmac and the extra volume over the 32mm tyres I had on previously feels like it’ll make a difference.  There is plenty of space to still fit my guards on, so I could probably have gone even larger.

I’m having a similar debate to the OP; do I do the C2C on my carbon roadie (30mm tubeless on there) or my Arkose.

Specialized Roubaix Pro 2bliss are fast for big tubeless tyres

@mcnultycop

I did the C2C last month on my Renegade Expert, 35mm Xplor USH.  I’m pleased i did it on these and not my 28mm Contis.  I did do it over 3 days though and with a seat pack.

Go for the Arkose and get some Vittoria Hyper tyres off Planet X. A lot of Dutch and some Belgian villages use bricks instead of tarmac on the cycle paths, like riding on mini cobbles – big tyres will helps soak this up. Also, the Arkose probably has a more “heads up” riding position, it’s nice to take in the view, especially if you’re riding with others!

The Arkose, good tubeless tyres and a comfy saddle FTW.

Yep, Arkose! I fitted mine with tubeless 32c  panaracer gravel kings for audaxing, the longest being London – Edinburgh – London at 1400km. Think Tortoise and Hare for long rides. As others have said, you don’t need to be fastest, just faster than the slowest rider!

Fatbike ftw if course.  Anything else is cheating

At 5’10” and 100kg i think i’ve got the fat aspect covered.. ;o)

Thanks for the replies guys – very helpful.

I’ve done a couple of multi day rides before – last year i used the Arkose for London to Paris, and last month I used the Giant for London to Amsterdam.

I think the opportunity to fit larger tubeless tyres on the Arkose, coupled with the lower gearing makes it a better choice.

I’d look at either 43mm Gravel King SKs, or 40mm G-One Speed Evos, both tubeless on the Arkose.