[Closed] UK road bike

Unless you spend a fortune it won't be British made, get over your misplaced guilt and buy whichever bike you like the look of.

Short of buying a Roberts etc. made of Reynolds you are going to struggle to get any British Frames, and as for components for get it. British companies such as Ribble buy from the far east, I believe Condor source their steel bikes from Italy.

Find something you like and enjoy it.

At the end of the day, the frame is just one component of the bike. You're not going to be able to fit it out with a British made chain, wheels, mechs, bars, etc are you so I don't see why you should worry so much about the frame tbh.

I realise that the frames and components are unlikely to be UK made for road bikes any more than for mountain bikes (or that Trek or Spesh are made in USA). But there are plenty UK designed and branded bikes - Cotic, Orange, Whyte etc - or do we not think about these as British manufacturers? I just know very little about road bikes manus beyond the obvious big ones.

or that Trek or Spesh are made in USA

Actually Trek do still make their top end carbon bikes (although it is just a few now!) in the US.

But there are plenty UK designed and branded bikes - Cotic, Orange, Whyte etc - or do we not think about these as British manufacturers?

'We' do, but WGAS? If it really matters then as said Ribble and Condor do decent bikes that are 'British'. What are your criteria though, is it just that it's British?

[url= http://www.shandcycles.com/frames/road/skinnymalinky-gallery/ ]Shand - Skinnymalinky[/url]

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As I said it's a vague sense of guilt about not supporting british industry - albeit design rather manufacture. Despite the fact one of friends, who is an economist, repeatedly tells me it makes no difference to UK economic benefit whether you buy british or not.

Maybe, due to the range of variation in design for mountain bikes lends itself better to this, with smaller design houses?

I see Ragley do a winter training road frame and On One do road frames.

Criteria are robust, comfortable but not compromise efficiency - I'm fairly big by cyclist standards and can generate some stomp on the hills - and there are some proper hills where I live. Weight is not massively important, especially in the frame or bolt on components, but I'd want a reasonable wheelset (efficiency...)

I would argue you do more good to the british economy buying a Trek from a bike shop than an On-One off an internet retailer.

One case you have retailer and staff, importer and staff, the other an importer and nothing else.

genesis equilibrim?

british company, british tubing.

Shandcycles - a beautiful thing indeed, but a bit rich for my needs - at the moment...

Shandcycles - a beautiful thing indeed, but a bit rich for my needs - at the moment...

I would argue you do more good to the british economy buying a Trek from a bike shop than an On-One off an internet retailer.

I'd agree with that!

Enigma, Burls make their frames too. If its a British company then Planet X , Condor, Dolan, Ribble, Pearsons, Forme, Kinesis, Sabbath I'm sure there are others.

Yokaiser - cheers, just what I was after

I recently bought one of these [url= http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/36397/Genesis_Aether_20_Bike_2011 ]Genesis Aether 20[/url] or there's a better spec 105 equipped [url= http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/37260/Genesis_Aether_30_Bike_2011 ]Aether 30[/url]

Rourke.

Not sure how if they fit the bill, English (by name and nationality) owner, but now US based. His bikes are stunning though:

[Url= http://www.englishcycles.com/sample-page/ ]English Cycles[/url]