You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Hello all - I'd really appreciate some advice from you guys in choosing a bike to do this [url= http://tinat.cymru/saturday-rides/600km-br/ ]ride[/url] next year. It has to be completed in under 40hrs (or something like that)
I have a road bike at the moment which barely takes 25mm so need something to cope with the mixed elements of rough terrain and road. I also don't have much money! I can stretch to £600, maybe a touch more.
I saw a Surly Straggler which looked ok and in budget but my friend I'm doing it with has warned me it might be a bit heavy and slow, even on decent tyres. Has anyone got any thoughts about that?
Another option seems to be a CX bike but they seem to be setup for an hour long race in a field but maybe not 600km.
Considerations would have to be the ability for mudguards and maybe a rack.....
Anyway, would appreciate your thoughts 🙂
A second hand Dawes Galaxy perhaps?
Or the Ridgeback equivalent if available new at that price.
Robust 28+mm tyres are a good idea as you'll be doing a lot of night riding and it's harder to avoid potholes when you can hardly see them.
Don't worry about "slow". It's most likely going to be you and not the bike that is the major factor.
Robust 28+mm tyres are a good idea as you'll be doing a lot of night riding and it's harder to avoid potholes when you can hardly see them.
Yep. Mudguards essential, I'd say.
Comfort is more important than outright speed for that sort of thing, I reckon.
Looks like an amazing and quite scary event, I think a riding mate is doing it.
When you say £600 is that for the bike or the bike and bike packing kit & lights?
I reckon a second hand Genesis arkose has to be in with a shout, disc brakes would be essential for me if you're riding on rough roads in the dark, it has full mounts for rack/mudguards and is simple to find.
This is a big one with hydro brakes under £600
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F202120129257
What size are you?
Cycling UK often has suitable bikes on the classifieds.
You could give Spa Cycles a call and ask them if they've any of the Spa Wayfarer prototypes left.
If not, they might be able to do you a basic version of their Audax bike, or a frame only if you're happy to pick up secondhand bits.
Thorn often have some Audax bikes and frames discounted on the
SJS Cycles website.
They suggest 40mm tyres. That seems wise.
[url= https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBHOLBREVTIAG/holdsworth-brevet-shimano-tiagra-4700-audax-road-bike ]£600 and if its similar to the stelvio (its touring disc braked brother) it will be plenty comfy[/url]
[url= https://www.planetx.co.uk/c/q/bikes/road-bikes/holdsworth-stelvio ]stelvio[/url]
so need something to cope with the mixed elements of rough terrain and road.
the off road bits are not very long by all accounts,
recce of the first 150km here
https://smethblog.wordpress.com/2017/11/07/tinat-recce-ride-nov-17/
Stelvio takes 40mm tyres easily, could get guards in there too. Also can be run 650x47 with lots of room for guards
kona rove al.
mines done 2000km road touring across british columbia with the stock tires on as well as a similar amount commuting to work via tracks and trails on wtb nano 40c - tucked under full length PDW full metal fender guards...... plenty room in there.
all ive changed on it is the hubs , saddle and front chainset to cope with loaded touring i fitted a triple the doubles more than capible of 600km audax.
great comfy bike for the budget concious.
There's someone on the Classifieds selling a Kona Sutra.
which would be an equally excellent bike also.... i fitted an xtracycle freeloader kit to my sutra (its too small for me really ... but as a situpandbeg city bike it works well ....
Excellent stuff, guys - thank you.
I will look at all of those.
I'm 5'11 and have a medium Giant TCR so 54ish frames. Good point on the kit....the guys I'm doing it with have stuff but, yeah, I'm going to have to budget for lights + equipment as well. The budget is creeping already 🙂
I'd think a straggler would be alright. Weight wouldn't be my first priority for a 600km audax. comfort would.
You thought about luggage?
[url= https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=118733 ]This [/url] Sabbath September any good?
No lights and only 28mm max tyres, I think, but a cracking bike for someone.
Interesting link, DirtyRider - not as much off road as I thought. Perhaps 28's then. Was going to go bigger.....
That Kona Rove looks like it might be just the ticket. I haven't really thought about luggage. I'm ashamed to say that this will be my first audax and I haven't slept outdoors since '92. Actually, not true, I fell asleep in a field at a rave some years later.
We have some training overnight rides in the spring which I hope will give me bit of guidance.
Me and some mates are doing the 400 on various London Roads, Arkoses, CdF, Alu Grade, etc, all comfy road biased bikes with big clearance and mounts. Loads of used around for little money.
What size are you? I'm selling an XL Pinnacle Arkose frameset, will clear 40mm...
Marin gestalt 2 at cycle surgery for £600 at the moment. 1* but cracking value.
Total ascent: 10834m.
That is a lot of ascent!
this will be my first audax
From the website:
Think again about entering this event if this is your first ever 600km ride, if you normally take the full 42 hours to ride a 600km, if you are uncomfortable with having no AUK staffed controls or bag drops on route or if you are unhappy about riding gravel.
We have some training overnight rides in the spring which I hope will give me bit of guidance.
If you haven't done so already, I would suggest entering some 300km and 400km audaxes, e.g. Chepstow 400 on 5/5 or the Poole 400 on 6/5
In your shoes I would prefer to attempt the Bryan Chapman 600km, but it looks like that event is already full (unless the Auk website is mistaken, since I am surprised that it would be full already, and I note the link on the Auk calendar is for the 2017 event website). The Bryan Chapman 600km is on 19/5, so would also be good preparation for your event and a good indicator of whether you would be likely to be able to complete it in the time limit.
22" Dawes Galaxy would be my choice. That might blow most of the budget. Front dynohub light and twin rear LEDS. Also a small Barley saddlebag is de rigeur.
You could go cheap and move the parts from your TCR, and add a bigger rear sprocket. A defy frame is pretty cheap, but only the alloy ones have mudguard eyes. They'll take 28c tyres, which I would recommend.
You might want a change of saddle to an Aliante too.
Talks about Audax de rigeur....
Then spells brooks saddle wrong....
Indeed, but the TCR has an Arione saddle, so small changes 😉
I also think that whilst some long rides would help, it's basically mental strength and lots of eating. Lots and lots of eating!
Dragging this back to the fore...how was it, was a suitable bike sourced, did the OP complete the ride?
I watched this yesterday and it gives an idea of what it was like
The 600 was a big ride, one of the toughest things I've done with scenery that justified every climb on the route. I used 650x50mm tyres, not really needed for all but 15km of the route but they did make it all quite comfy. Couldn't do much for my legs though, which hardly work at all at the moment.