#16

to expand on this: it ain’t the bike you ride (though i’m sure some would disagree), it’s you / how it fits you.

my two road bikes are decathlon specials. i have an ultra af 700 for short “quick” rides: it has rim brakes and is fairly light for an alu bike. it cost me £550 originally, and yeah, while i slowly upgraded bits (wheels, tyres, crankset) and wore out consumables, it’s a lovely bike. however, the geo is a bit… uncomf for what i spend my time doing, endurance riding, and after doing a 600km ride and getting a lot of hand discomfort i bought another bike. i still ride it sometimes (though not at the moment) - i’ve racked up over 15000km on it :slight_smile:

my other bike is a triban rc520: disc brakes, endurance / comfy geometry, has all the mounts you could want - for mudguards and racks if you fancy, and clearance for big tyres. i fucking love it. i will be riding paris-brest-paris on this £729 steed while my mate i’m doing it with will be on a ridiculous titanium monster, yet we’re basically the same ability when it comes down to it. i have swapped the wheels out for something decent, and tyres too. added mudguards, it means i can ride it all year.

that said, you actually have to want to ride the bike you’ve got. if you don’t look at it and feel “yeah I want to go out for a ride” then you’re fucked.

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#17

here it is in full audax mode

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not audax mode

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#18

don’t like the frame geometry on the RC520, the Van Rysel looks ok though

#19

That S-Works though, what, like 8 grand? 10?

I’d have one in a heartbeat.

#20

good advice

problem is that the options for trying things out are a bit limited in Sweden to the high end specialist stuff (there is both a Bianchi store & a Specialized/S-Works store within walking distance of where I live) or the Scandinavian brands like Crescent …otherwise it’s internet

#21

S-Works Roubaix - Shimano Dura-Ace Di2

https://www.specialized.com/se/en/s-works-roubaix--shimano-dura-ace-di2/p/170241?color=260602-170241

€12k approx

#22

You know, I’ve never played the lottery, but…

(wouldn’t have the Di2 though, poor Sep :frowning_face:)

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#23

Sorry to interrupt the serious chat, but Tomahawks were amazing. Like Choppers but more dangerous. Impossible not to pull a wheelie whenever you set off.

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#24

Will you be riding it much during winter? Just as another option I’d have a look at Genesis Croix de Fer as they are hardy all-year bikes that are great in all conditions and surfaces. I’ve had the same Genesis bike for 8 years now and it’s survived a hell of a lot of abuse including two bad crashes.

This is the 2020 model, obvs a 2019 would still be available and cheaper.

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#25

I’ve got one of these (2015) and I absolutely love it.

Edit: mine is only a ‘10’ and was £650 though - ex-demo. They go up quite steeply as you go up the range.

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#26

not easy to ride in winter here as there’s usually a fairly deep covering of snow so not sure if this is the one for me but thanks for the tip

the Zeal 20 MGT looks nice though

https://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bike/zeal-20-mgt

as does the 2019 Zeal 10

and the 2020 Equilibrium looks pretty classy too

Hadn’t heard of Genesis bikes before

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#27

I have an Equilibrium, it’s great :slight_smile: Aaghhh that new one is lovely.

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#28

It does indeed look lovely, like a classic tourer but with a modern spec

very tempted

Only problem is that the nearest stockist to me is in Aberdeen - 800 miles away. Hmm

#29

Genesis bikes are across-the-board lush. Have been lusting over them online and having my head turned by them in IRL life for aaages. Finally bought a Croix de Fer 2 2018 the other week and am itching to get some proper riding done on it.

2 Likes
#30

I got this Cannondale a few months ago and love it:

#31

Browsing the Evans sale now

this looks quite a bargain - £1400 off for a couple of scratches

very tempting

#32

If there is any possibility you’ll want to do any off roading I would heartily recommend a gravel bike. I have a cannondale topstone and it’s the best bike I’ve ever read. Super comfy, almost as fast as a pure race bike and can take me on all kinds of adventures I wouldn’t get on a road bike.

#33

yeah…I don’t think so

off roading is not really my thing

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#34

Fairy squarey

#35

that’s from 2012 :scream:

also, classic case of putting very very budget wheels on a nice(ish) carbon frame

i’d look elsewhere

ie

1 Like