You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Thinking of getting a winter commuting bike, but I have a tight budget of around 600-800.
I have looked at a few cyclo-cross bikes, as there is an option on the way home to head on to the North Downs and pilgrims way. I also would like disc brakes with the bike, along with being able to put on full length mud guards.
Any recommendations?
Whatever Arkrose fits your budget, especially in the sales.
Giant Revolt (ing) ticks those boxes - nice ride and lots of space for bigger tyres
Winstanley / JE James seem to have old stock of the 3 around £500
cheers, will have a quick look at those. Does any one own a charge plug? seen a few discounted.
Work colleague just picked up a Focus Planet Pro Plus in the sales - alfine hub gear (with new normal-way-round shifter), gates carbon belt, M396 hydraulic discs, PD-8 hub dynamo, and dynamo lights built into the fenders (that's mudguards to us lot). £800. Stunning bike for the money. Slight sweep back to the bars, but easily swapped out if that's not to your liking.
I got a charge plug 2 for £450 which would leave you enough to get rid of the awful wheels and put something decent on, which I'm convinced would transform the bike. Possibly.
If it continues raining as heavily as it is, I'd be looking at one of these -
[img] 
[/img]
Yeah Arkose looks good, and the Revolt's are ugly as sin but would do the job nicely.
For £800 you'd get something decent these days, possibly even with hydro discs.
My current commuter (Saracen Tenet) was £400 and is ace, but doesn't take fat tyres. The Hacks look good, and are often on sale with Big discounts.
Should say apart from the wheels the plugs a decent bike, not light but sturdy and dependable kind of thing.
2016 Arkose 3 here (the matte black one)
It was £999 but they must be close to £800 in the Evans sales now as the 2017 models are on their way.
I've got full length SKS Chromoplastic mudguards on mine - a bit of a faff to fit but rock solid now they are in place.
Great bike - the frame is really nicely finished, and the 105/hydro disc combination has been faultless.
If I has a criticism it would be that the wheels are heavy and the front end is a bit stiff/dead feeling when compared to my Giant Defy.
Would buy again.
Oddly, I don't really like it but I can see that for a winter/commuter bike, my Verenti Substance seems to offer really good vfm vs the Genesis CdF I was umming and arring about before I got the Verenti... My dislike for it I think is more my dislike for anything without a boat load of suspension and wide riser bars.
Genesis Day One (older model, with v brakes). Takes 32 mm studded tyres easily, run as fixed or single speed. Comfortable and adequately quick.
PX London Road or kaffenback?
How about Day one 20 with an 8 speed hub disks, 35c tyres and mudguards no problem
No idea what bike to get but having commuted in all weathers almost every working day for about 20 years my list of must haves on a commuter bike are as follows. Alfine 8 speed hub. Full length mudguards, road wheels with 25c tyres and hydraulic discs. Anything else is a bonus.
I have a canondale badboy 8 ultra that fits all of the above. It's about 6 years old and has had barely any maintenance. No way would I want a normal type drivetrain. I like to get home, chuck the bike in the garage and forget about it. I oil the chain about once a week without cleaning it first until it's so gummed up and black you can't tell it's a chain anymore. This normally takes about a year at which point I buy a new sram pc1 for about £6. That's that years maintenance done. It always works perfectly it just doesn't look very nice.