You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
It’s that time of the year cycle to work just expired and time for a new bike, I’ve had a road bike, a specialized crosstrail, a sirrus, and my current is an orange speedworks which is perfect except it’s a beast of a bike in the hallway. Previous bikes have sat in the front room of the house which we didn’t use but we have furniture in there now and it’s a more used room so the bike has to live in a narrow hallway so I’m thinking gravel bike?
I commute 4 miles to work, it can be canal paths, or bumpy city road’s. I need to be able to fit mudguards, room for lights, other than that just comfortable.
So any suggestions? What you guys riding? Plus needs to be under or close to £1k..
Brompton?
Don't think they do C2W, but the deal I'm still pondering on is the XLA Rival 1 "REM Norwegian Blue" for £600 + p&p announced yesterday.
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXXLARIV1REM/planet-x-xla-sram-rival-1-hydraulic-disc-rem-norwegian-blue-edition-bike
I've not long finished another TT Tune-Up workout where I dropped my bars below all 40mm of non-conical spacers from having been above them for winter turbo sessions, in order to see what my lower back thought... It was ok, so next possible step is to swap the 110mm -6 stem for the On One 110 -35 stem, to get the bars near the minimum height of the XLA medium frame!* 😆
* Although I'm now thinking my 58cm Cube's 610mm stack includes at least some of the steerer, possibly where stem is now on top of the 20mm conical spacer (having thought it was frame only)... So highest stem position on medium XLA stack of 555mm might not be that much lower than I just tried.
A used Kona Dew of whatever variety. Mine is a 2011 Dew Deluxe, utterly bombproof and comfy with plenty of room for decent sized tyres.
Use the money you saved on something else. Or don't. But a Kona Dew is perfect IMO
Pinnacle Arkose A8 from Evans. Reduced from £1000 to £650.
4 miles? A wee folding bike.
Beautiful bike the Norwegian blue, lovely plumage.
If only cannondale bad boys had a different name! Stealthy and lefty.
I have that Planet X for my 6 mile commute. Tyres were not great so I swapped them out for 35mm Schwalbe G-One allrounds. Add mudguards (fancy bends on the front stays), lights and bingo, it's perfect.
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/fitting-mudguards-to-my-cx-planet-x-xla/
Buy an old ratty bike and lock it up outside?
Spesh Diverge.
I'm looking at that planet X too. Looks like great value, bit concerned about it being more CX/road than gravel bike with my lower back issues though.
This too...
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-rc-500-disc-road-bike-black-sora-id_8554410.html
4 miles - folder, wear work clothes, along the canal
Cheap second hand
Another vote for Planet X - I use a Full Monty, you may be able to pick one up cheap? Not fantastically light, but nice and solid.
Buy an old ratty bike and lock it up outside?
Buy or build. Pannier rack would be useful to avoid a sweaty back, wear your work clothes and pedal gently.
Get a wall mounted "feature" stand for something nice to put in the living room.
Job done.
I was on a PX Tempest this morning. 21 mile commute though.
For 4 miles a 1993 Kona Hanana does me.
PS everyone loves titanium frames as a wall mounted objet d’art
For 4 miles...... one of those OFO bikes off ebay for about £90. It will still be going in 10 years time and will never get a puncture as the tyres are solid!
Only fault with mine is the rear light. Budget for a pannier rack, panniers, and dynamo rear light to replace the woeful solar thing. If you really want to spend your c2w budget get a usb charger etc etc plug into the dynamo.
Only nice to have would be a smaller chainring/bigger sprocket, the 3rd gear is all but useless, and 1 wont get you up steep hills.
I love mine, its a heavy brute of a thing, and not particulalry comfy, but ive left it in town on a saturday night unlocked and its not been nicked!
Medium red XLA frames now gone and only five blue left (going off stock levels shown for frame only buy), closer to ~10 for other blue sizes iirc.
The lack of internet talk about the Rival1 XLA deal is very telling, I suspect a lot of people are mulling over the purchase and are keeping quiet in the hope it gives them more "mulling over time."
@n0b0dy0ftheg0at do you have that PlanetX Norwegian Blue thing?
I'm looking for a new commuter and that seems to fit my budget.
TBH I don't know much about road bikes though, I have put about 15,000 miles on a Charge Plug which i have enjoyed for the past few years but am getting a bit bored of.
Needs are: rack and mudguard compatible. Robust. Reliable. about £600.
Calibre stitch, 400 quid, brilliant value.
[img] 
[/img]
[url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/nobeerinthefridge/48413455521/ ]Stitch[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/59995395@N03/ ][/url] - [url= https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dariogf.flickr2BBcode_lite ]Flickr2BBcode LITE[/url]
Sorry for delayed reply, didn't notice notification when browsing forum on mobile. Didn't buy that PX XLA in the end, so wanted to, but funds needed elsewhere.
Arkose fits the bill as already suggested - lovely bikes
So the actual problem is that you're cluttering the hall with your current bike?
I'm not sure a gravel bike is actually the right tool for the job, especially given it's only a 4 mile commute... It would still be in the way in the hall I reckon.
Brompton?
was also my first thought but...
needs to be under or close to £1k..
How about a Btwinn Tilt from Decathlon?
They do various folders from £150-£700ish all with guards, and all can trundle on a tow path and most importantly fold, to take up less space...
What about a left field Onone botzipper?
Or a small wheel non-folding bike. Would take up less space in the hallway, and less faff than regularly folding/unfolding.
eg Orbea Katu 20. Has disc brakes, hub gears, dynamo lights, mudguards, basket, wide tyres should be comfy for towpaths.
https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Orbea-Katu-20-2020-Hybrid-Sports-Bike_216244.htm
There is an entry level Brompton for under 1000
B75, a 3sp hub gear on for £745
*retracted*. My compact/minivelo recommendations were too cheap at half the price!
Currently doing 4 miles on a (rim-brake) version of this:
It’s a great workout (which could be a bad thing on a commute) and stores right flat against the wall. Simplicity itself.
Is the solution to your problem a stem that folds out sideways or a clever way to save space (like the front wheel drops out in seconds and you can hang the bars sideways)?
To save space in the hallway you're either looking at a "normal" road/touring bike with narrow bars, hipster fixie or a folding bike.... or a novel way of storing your bike. Hang it up high on the wall or from the ceiling?
To save space in the hallway you’re either looking at a “normal” road/touring bike with narrow bars
Another way is pop front wheel off, turn bars. Rest wheel next to bike
used a Dahon Speed 8 for a number of years for a 5 and bit mile commute.
With the bigger shwalbe tyres was a capable bike and could manage a fair turn of speed on it.