Cycle2Work scheme approved so i get a new bike :)
stewartlayzell
Posts: 36 Member
Evening All,
After some advice.
My work has finally agreed to join the Cycle2Work scheme and i have already had £1000 approved for a new bike.
Im looking at getting a decent Commute / Winter bike.
Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions. I have been looking at quite a few CycloCross bikes as they offer the wider tyres etc.
Any help / suggestions would be great.
Cheers
Stew
After some advice.
My work has finally agreed to join the Cycle2Work scheme and i have already had £1000 approved for a new bike.
Im looking at getting a decent Commute / Winter bike.
Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions. I have been looking at quite a few CycloCross bikes as they offer the wider tyres etc.
Any help / suggestions would be great.
Cheers
Stew
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Replies
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PlanetX have some super value CX machines. Well worth a look! http://www.planetx.co.uk/c/q/bikes/cyclocross-bikes0
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I really love my Kona Rove TI. I have it decked out with fenders and a bike rack for saddle bags/paniers. It's been a great commuter bike.
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as an all-rounder that'll cope with either a bit of off-tarmac action (hell - it's pretty much made my MTB redundant since I bought it) or - with road tyres and fittings for guards and even a rack - winter commuting, or even winter training hack - I can definitely recommend the Cannondale CaadX Disc range - mines the 105 which may be just over C2W threshold of £1k, but if you can "top up" then the upcoming 2017 range may be a go-er - or, perhaps you may be able to drop on a discounted 2016 model. Failing that, taking one step down on the groupset which won't alter the fundamental character of the bike (same frame and wheels IIRC) and you may well get a 2017 model under the £1k.
just had a quick look on Evans Cycles (not that I'd particularly recommend them_ but...
https://www.evanscycles.com/cannondale-caadx-105-disc-2016-cyclocross-bike-EV214055
It's not quite an "all out" cross bike - the geometry of my '58 size is actually fairly standard "road" geometry - 58cm seat and top tube, 73° parallel angles, horizontal top tube - it's just got longer stays, a slightly higher bb-to-road height, and more raked forks - all of which make it more stable off-road, allow disc wheels, loads of mud clearance with 35mm knobblies, and plenty of room for 28c road tyres and full mudguards...
Brilliant, all round bike, tough enough to cope with 130kg of me on and off road - can't praise it enough.
Only downside i've had is the back wheel (this was on the 2014 models btw - they've probably sorted it now) wasn't that well built - if you're a big lad, if you get any problems with the rear wheel breaking spokes - get the wheel completely rebuilt with good quality DT Swiss Spokes by a reputable builder - it'll be £80-100 well spent - I can rebuild/re-true wheels myself, and I've just replaced them as they went ping, but out of the original 32 spokes, there's 12 at the last count remaining... the 20 that have broken and been replaced by proper quality spokes have all been fine, it's just the stock ones...
Still - at the price that Evans are selling them - you could probably just get the back wheel rebuilt (BY A PROPER WHEELBUILDER, NOT THE EVANS SHOPMONKEYS!!!!!) straight away...
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A second for the Cannondale CAADX. I too have the 105, (the 2016 version) which I got for a whole pound under the Cyclescheme limit at the start of the year. I love it! I was doing about 20K of cycling a month before I bought it. 6 months on, I am doing 100-150k a week because I just enjoy riding it.
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Just found out my last payment is at the end of this month...
What do I get next; MTB, TT bike?0 -
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now you're talking... though I'd have thought that the C35's might have been more your cup of tea... still light enough to climb well, but more aero...
Powermeters a good call though
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now you're talking... though I'd have thought that the C35's might have been more your cup of tea... still light enough to climb well, but more aero...
Powermeters a good call though
I said C24's coz they're the lightest; I need all the help I can to climb the hills around here... Of course shifting the still considerable 'chunk' I have around my waist might help some too 0 -
Well, my order is finally placed:
1 x Shimano Dura-Ace C24 clinchers
1 x SRAM Rival Stages Power Meter 175mm
1 x Garmin Speed & Cadence bundle (new style one)
1 x Castelli Gabba SS Jersey
Absolute bargain!
Should be here early next week 0 -
I must be the only one disappointed with the CAADX. I got the 2015 105. My brother's in laws own the LBS and are the Canondale rep. (My other two bikes are Cannondales which I love).
Mine was definitely a case of "buy in haste, repent at leisure". I don't do any CX and use it mainly on the road in bad weather and fitted Conti 28s.
What I don't like:
1. Weight.
2. Gearing. I use it mainly on the road.This may be because I have 52/36 chain-ring and a 12/25 cassette on my summer bike.
But it is comfy with those big wide tyres. I'm going to change the chain ring this winter and see how I get on.
On the plus side, I got a £1200 (LBS discounted it to £1K for the scheme) bike for £600 - plus £75 final payment.0 -
I think the all-up weight is about 10.5kgs isn't it Graham - maybe a little less with road tyres and so on - I'll admit, I swapped the cross-specific 46-36 FSA crank for a Ultegra 50-34 that I had lying around doing nothing within a couple of weeks of purchase - it certainly sweetened up the changes at the front, and gave a bit more sensible gearing range (I also have a 52/36 on the "fast bike", though it's paired with a 12-30 10s cassette, because I'm old and fat!)
Yeah, it's not all that light, and with the longer chainstays etc for clearance, the handling isn't quite as snappy on the road - but for me I'm not too worried, as it's a summer offroader and winter steady riding hack... If I was riding in a bunch then maybe I'd want something that was a little more like the fast roadie, but as i'm generally riding billy-no-mates, it doesn't bother me... it's heavy, and a bit slow, so I go a bit slower, and work harder on the hills... It's all good resistance training for when I get back on the Dolan
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