The ultimate commuter bike

Posted by: Rockingdoc on 02 July 2004

After a rash of very successful e-bay selling, I am flush with cash and planning a new bike.
I love e-bay, if you hit a feeding-frenzy the prices go stupid.

I have a trick titanium racer which is great, but I don't like getting it wet and it can't take mudguards anyway. In winter I was using a Cannondale F1000, but I have got into proper off-road at the weekends, so prefer to leave that stripped and knobbly.

I am currently using a gas-pipe monster by Dawes. Doubtless great for my legs, but depressingly unresponsive and fatiguing.

Therefore, it is time to indulge in the commuter-bike of a lifetime. I made 2K on e-bay this week (old SCUBA gear), so that is the price limit.

I think a light-weight tourer is probably the way to go. I prefer drop-bars as I get numbness in my hands after an hour on straight bars. I prefer steel (or titanium) to aluminium.

I'm looking at the new Thorn with a Rohlhoff rear hub, a Thorn XTC, or a Dawes Ultra Galaxy. The problem is, I mean looking at pictures of them because I haven't found any dealer which actuall stocks commuter bikes priced at over >1K.

Any suggestions?
Posted on: 02 July 2004 by BLT
'Doc, what you want is that Rudge-Whitworth cast iron old ladies bike that Mick Parry bought Big Grin
Posted on: 02 July 2004 by Rockingdoc
That is the kind of bike I was given by my parents as a child. The other kids in the street on their 5 speed "racers" left me for dead, but believing my parents would only give me the best, I blamed my own puny inadequacy.

I think this early child abuse is to blame for my current gross consumerism.

[This message was edited by Rockingdoc on Fri 02 July 2004 at 11:14.]
Posted on: 02 July 2004 by Laurie Saunders
quote:
Any suggestions?


have you tried Evans? (London)

I can vouch for the Dawes galaxy range....are the current ones made of 531?

laurie S
Posted on: 02 July 2004 by Mekon
If you have the cash, how about a Chas Roberts Audax bike. One of my colleagues has just had a tourer from them, and could not be more enthusiastic about the service and quality.

bike porn
Posted on: 02 July 2004 by Rockingdoc
Yes this is the sort of thing. Not the Cannondale because I hate all the noise from an aluminium frame, looks great otherwise. Thanks, I will explore Roberts' website.

Blimey! Roberts are just down the road from me, so I can see the bikes and get myself measured for a custom build. And it comes within budget. Excellent!!!

[This message was edited by Rockingdoc on Fri 02 July 2004 at 11:44.]
Posted on: 02 July 2004 by Rockingdoc
quote:
Originally posted by Laurie Saunders:

I can vouch for the Dawes galaxy range....are the current ones made of 531?

laurie S


No, better still, Reynolds 853.
Posted on: 02 July 2004 by Mekon
That shop is evil. I got my old GT resprayed by them nearly 10 years ago, and to this day I get a twitch in my wallet thinking about the bikes I saw there.

Apparently they are superb throughout the buying process, making spending even easier. My colleague ended up dropping £190 on a set of cranks, when before this purchase he been riding a under-maintained girvin equipped Orange 02 for an age.
Posted on: 02 July 2004 by matthewr
You have PT

Matthew

PS Rockingdoc: If it really is for commuting why noy buy a cheaper bike and spend the cash upgrading/replacing your road bike or your MTB? £2k seem s a lot to spend to ride to work unless you are going to do some serious touring miles as well.
Posted on: 02 July 2004 by Rockingdoc
Well, I commute over 200 miles a week, and that is more than any other type of cycling I do. The winter can be pretty grim, so I need all the incentives I can buy, to not give in and use the car.
Besides, I'm a GP doing house calls. I have to keep up appearances you know.

I've been in touch with Chas Roberts now, and they are my type of shop, i.e. ridiculously expensive. After fretting that I couldn't find a shop with any bikes over a grand, here's one with none under a grand.

I'm going for a fitting on Wednesday. You make an appointment to buy from them Smile
Posted on: 02 July 2004 by Steve G
How about a Longstaff Audax bike?

Their Columbus Zona tubed "Compact Audax" is one of the best looking bikes I've ever seen. £1725 for a complete bike with Ultegra or Chorus drivetrain.
Posted on: 02 July 2004 by Rockingdoc
Longstaff look great too, but, just down the road for Roberts compared to Newcastle for Longstaff. I think that's decided then.
Posted on: 02 July 2004 by Mekon
If you do decide to go with Chas, I would love to hear more about the build, especially if you can get a copy of the plans he comes up with posted up. You might want to check out some audax boards, see if you can find out what options people regret getting/not getting, before he starts welding it up.
Posted on: 02 July 2004 by Rockingdoc
o.k.

BTW. slightly off topic, after only one winter of commuting salt exposure, all the spoke nipples on the afore-mentioned Cannondale turned to powder. This resulted in considerable nuisance and expense as I had to cut out a lot of the spokes and replace them. The shop I bought it from (Medway cycles) having closed down.
I will be asking about corrosion-proof nipples. Ooh-er matron.

[This message was edited by Rockingdoc on Fri 02 July 2004 at 17:02.]
Posted on: 06 July 2004 by Rockingdoc
Does anyone have experience of dynamo hubs?
Tomorrow is the day for ordering spec, and I was thinking of a dynamo hub. I need lights every day for more than half the year. Up to now I have used the Catseye halogen lamps with nicads in a false water-bottle. Very bright and lasts my 2x45 minute commutes (just), but the batteries are heavy. Is it worth having a dynamo hub, or will it annoy me for the summer months?
Posted on: 06 July 2004 by Mekon
From what I read of the audax boards, if you are going for dynamos, get external ones that are regulated, and the good ones are costly. If I recall correctly, the most efficient are LightSPIN or Busch and Muller . I believe LightSPIN make a hub too. However, given your aim for the ultimate, I would be tempted by the newly announced USE Exposure lights. Light, rechargeable in situ, and cool. They both come in about the same price.
Posted on: 06 July 2004 by Rockingdoc
Those USE Exposure LED lights look brilliant. Well discovered, now all I've got to do is find a dealer.
BTW, all of my route has street lighting, I use the lights to point directly at oncoming car drivers, not the road. Seems to have saved me so far.
Posted on: 06 July 2004 by Rockingdoc
Found it; eeek! 500 quid!!!!
I'm not that rich.
Posted on: 06 July 2004 by Mekon
Really? £200-300 was the estimated price I had heard.
Posted on: 06 July 2004 by kevinrt
I've used a Schmidt dynohub for the last 5-6 years, with Busch & Muller dynamo lights. The perfect 'fit and forget' system. Very little noticeable drag when the lights are on and none that I can detect with the lights off.
If you get the B&M Senso front light,then it even switches on for you when it gets dark.

St John Street Cycles sell them through their website and advertise in most UK cycling magazines. Other local bike shops may stock them.
Posted on: 08 July 2004 by Rockingdoc
Did you build your own wheel, or did you take the hub to a wheel-builder?

The guys at Roberts advised two front wheels; a dynamo hub for winter and plain for summer.

The Roberts is now ordered, but won't be ready until October. The care they take to ensure you get the right bike is remarkable, a very personal service. My "fitting" took over an hour and a half. No wonder they insist on seeing by appointment only.

BTW even trying quite hard, I couldn't get the cost up to my 2k limit.

I'll post a pic when the bike arrives (Alfa Romeo pale blue pearl).
Posted on: 08 July 2004 by Rockingdoc
quote:
Originally posted by Mekon:
If you do decide to go with Chas, I would love to hear more about the build, especially if you can get a copy of the plans he comes up with posted up..


Chas is fairly sure in his own mind what he wants to do for each customer. The tube mix is chosen for your individual weight, strength and style of riding. He will build to your plans, but you take responsibility. In the end we threw away the elaborate plans which I took along, and decided to go with his ideas for me; mainly a longer top-tube than I would have expected for an old git.
Posted on: 08 July 2004 by Mekon
Did you go for the compact audax then? Are they going to squirt it with framesaver before they build it up for you? Did you go for any of the fancy paint effects? What groupset did you go for? If you are struggling to spend money, there's always the Connex titanium chain, only £225 in the sale.
Posted on: 08 July 2004 by kevinrt
I had the hub built up into a wheel by St John Street.
I'd like to learn wheel-building but have not got round to it yet. Its not included in our local evening classes.
Posted on: 08 July 2004 by Steve G
How are you going to manage to wait until October for the new machine?

Anyway I'm looking forward to seeing the pics when you get it.
Posted on: 09 July 2004 by Rockingdoc
I'm hoping it won't rain until then Roll Eyes, so I can use my racer. I get a bit nervous in the wet on the twitchy thing because I came off on a corner last September and am still limping. Getting too old to fall off and walk away.