Best Combo of Bikes
Discussion
Forget the n+1 stuff, I need a bit of guidance (but I think I have already made up my mind)
Background
I ride quite a lot. A vast majority of my rides are commuting in and out of Southampton, about 20 miles a day. Some days I will do a bit extra on the way in or out, and once a week I do a longer ride into the evening (circa 50miles). I also ride on the weekend when I can, sometimes on my own, other times with a club. Each month I tend to do one or two longer rides around 80-100 miles. I also ride with my son on the back of the bike at weekends. I do this winter and summer.
My current fleet consists of:
Carbon bike for nice summer rides
Single speed with mudguards
Geared winter bike with mudguards
Mountain bike with massively tyres and a child seat.
I tend to use the single speed if riding too or from work, and the carbon bike if going for longer rides in the summer
In the winter I often used the single speed, unless going for a hilly longer ride or a club run.
The problem is, I've never really liked the geared winter bike, and have just sold it, so my question is, what do I replace it with, or do I even need to replace it?
I think the answer is a cross bike. I can use it for the commute and the longer rides after work in the winter, or am I just wasting money? Will it stop me from using the single speed?
I don't know what to do so need guidance please.
Background
I ride quite a lot. A vast majority of my rides are commuting in and out of Southampton, about 20 miles a day. Some days I will do a bit extra on the way in or out, and once a week I do a longer ride into the evening (circa 50miles). I also ride on the weekend when I can, sometimes on my own, other times with a club. Each month I tend to do one or two longer rides around 80-100 miles. I also ride with my son on the back of the bike at weekends. I do this winter and summer.
My current fleet consists of:
Carbon bike for nice summer rides
Single speed with mudguards
Geared winter bike with mudguards
Mountain bike with massively tyres and a child seat.
I tend to use the single speed if riding too or from work, and the carbon bike if going for longer rides in the summer
In the winter I often used the single speed, unless going for a hilly longer ride or a club run.
The problem is, I've never really liked the geared winter bike, and have just sold it, so my question is, what do I replace it with, or do I even need to replace it?
I think the answer is a cross bike. I can use it for the commute and the longer rides after work in the winter, or am I just wasting money? Will it stop me from using the single speed?
I don't know what to do so need guidance please.
I have a single speed with baby seat for local pottering, a carbon bike for proper rides and a spare alu roadie for visitors to use and me to use as a spare. None are any good on the gravel paths near here so I'm thinking a cross bike would be ideal too. No need for an MTB as I'm not a big fan of getting caked in mud and smacked in the face by branches 
Bullitt Bike for transporting your kid(s).
Can't imagine a better way to generate smiles from people you encounter on your ride. The trailer I've towed my (often sleeping) daughter in for the last few years used to elicit all sorts of "ah" and "ooh look" noises from people I passed.
The problem with the trailer and rear child seats is just that... They're at the rear. Difficult to have a conversation with your offspring and difficult for them to see past you.
Bullitt Bike is only the thick end of £2600. Bargain.
Hope you benefit from this public information service.
Can't imagine a better way to generate smiles from people you encounter on your ride. The trailer I've towed my (often sleeping) daughter in for the last few years used to elicit all sorts of "ah" and "ooh look" noises from people I passed.
The problem with the trailer and rear child seats is just that... They're at the rear. Difficult to have a conversation with your offspring and difficult for them to see past you.
Bullitt Bike is only the thick end of £2600. Bargain.
Hope you benefit from this public information service.
S10GTA said:
I'm quite keen on a cx bike. I'd keep mtb still for the nipper I think until he was old enough to ride a tag along.
Any good deals on cx bikes around. Only must is discs.
I've been looking at disc cx bikes recently. Couldn't find much with a decent spec below £750 at all really. Ended up buying a cheap road bike for commuting/winter duties.Any good deals on cx bikes around. Only must is discs.
Quite fancy a singlespeed commuter now......
Carbon bike with nice wheels for fun
Alu winter bike with guards for commuting
SS CX bike with flared drops for dicking about
Expedition tourer for... erm
Slack hardtail for dirty fun
Kidback tandem for hooning with eldest kid, plus chariot for hauling little 'un
Cargotrike for carting kids about
BMX for jumps
I feel like I've been quite restrained. No FS bike, no 29er, no recumbent, etc.
Alu winter bike with guards for commuting
SS CX bike with flared drops for dicking about
Expedition tourer for... erm
Slack hardtail for dirty fun
Kidback tandem for hooning with eldest kid, plus chariot for hauling little 'un
Cargotrike for carting kids about
BMX for jumps
I feel like I've been quite restrained. No FS bike, no 29er, no recumbent, etc.
TheLemming said:
Cant disagree.
I added a backup road bike for when the CX is in offroad spec.
Honestly you could do it with 2 - a CX for everything and a shiney carbon or ti lightweight for the summer.
Thats probably what I will end up with. I added a few shiney bits to my ali Giant Defy 2 (RS80/SRAM Force), but to be honest, I haven't even touched it since I bought my PX Carbon CX bike in March. I will probabaly end up buying a new frame and transfering the nice bits from the Giant to the new frame. I added a backup road bike for when the CX is in offroad spec.
Honestly you could do it with 2 - a CX for everything and a shiney carbon or ti lightweight for the summer.
Well I need at least two;
(1) £1000 MTB for commuting across town all year. Not to be left lying around.
(2) £100 pub bike for, well, going to the pub. And locking up and forgetting anywhere. Also a MTB but a ratty one.
Having said that I'm about to the wife a large-ish Hybrid which will hopefully act as back up commuter bike.
It sort of fits in between the other two. MTB-Lite
(1) £1000 MTB for commuting across town all year. Not to be left lying around.
(2) £100 pub bike for, well, going to the pub. And locking up and forgetting anywhere. Also a MTB but a ratty one.
Having said that I'm about to the wife a large-ish Hybrid which will hopefully act as back up commuter bike.
It sort of fits in between the other two. MTB-Lite
Edited by AC43 on Friday 27th June 12:47
Currently I’d like a simple hard tail 29” mtb for light MTB kinds of things, heading to pubs and nipping out to do stuff on the weekend.
An aluminium CX bike or flat bar road bike with a couple of sets of tyres and rack & guard mounts for commuting and using when the weather is rubbish. Either would have to have disc brakes.
A Ti road bike with a more relaxed and bigger fit than my current CAAD9 for long full and half day type rides.
Ideally there’d be enough of a crossover for the MTB to be pressed into commuting duties and the CX/FBRB to be nice enough to use on weekends should one or more bikes be out of action for any length of time.
An aluminium CX bike or flat bar road bike with a couple of sets of tyres and rack & guard mounts for commuting and using when the weather is rubbish. Either would have to have disc brakes.
A Ti road bike with a more relaxed and bigger fit than my current CAAD9 for long full and half day type rides.
Ideally there’d be enough of a crossover for the MTB to be pressed into commuting duties and the CX/FBRB to be nice enough to use on weekends should one or more bikes be out of action for any length of time.
bakerstreet said:
Thats probably what I will end up with. I added a few shiney bits to my ali Giant Defy 2 (RS80/SRAM Force), but to be honest, I haven't even touched it since I bought my PX Carbon CX bike in March. I will probabaly end up buying a new frame and transfering the nice bits from the Giant to the new frame.
I actively avoided a carbon CX (as much as I'd like one) as I also intended to run it as a winter road bike. A choice that was validated after a 25mph crash on ice on the road left the bike pinwheeling through the air. I'm not sure a carbon frame would have survived.Kenesis
http://www.kinesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/crosslight/fiv...
Boatdman
http://www.boardmanbikes.com/cx/cx_team.html
Merida
http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/65421/Me...
Just a few but lots of deals to be had
http://www.kinesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/crosslight/fiv...
Boatdman
http://www.boardmanbikes.com/cx/cx_team.html
Merida
http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/65421/Me...
Just a few but lots of deals to be had
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