Friday 6 February 2015

Already looking forward to the London bike show.

I'd really like to buy a new bike this year. My trusty Kona is a lovely bike but...

  • The wheels are heavy and nearly worn through at the rim,
  • The chain set is a little shonky (It's actually fallen apart once on a ride)
  • The rear derailler is bent beyond repair (by that I mean I've been told not to straighten it again)
  • The brakes are awful (I realised the brakes on the brompton are much, much better)
I looked at replacing all the worn parts and I'm looking at a few hundred quid, which I might still do if I'm allowed to have 3 bikes.

David and I are off to the London bike show ostensibly to get him a new bike, and whilst I'm not in the position to buy one yet, I'm using the opportunity to see some possibles and some unobtainables in the flesh (carbon,steel and ti)

What do I need from this bike?
  • Light. It's all relative isn't it? I mean around 8-9kgs for steel or ti and 7-8kgs for a carbon offering
  • Comfortable. I'm going to ride it for 20 out of 24 hours in August
  • Reliable. See above.
  • Something I'm proud to ride.
I'm probably going to carry 2-3 water bottles a snack and a jacket, tool, 2 tubes, snacks, batteries, more food, and a first aid kit (did I mention snacks?). I'm thinking that it'll need to be sturdy.

My list at the moment is...
  • Canyon Endurace (probably the Ultegra but I'd love the Campagnolo Chorus)
  • Orro Oxygen
  • Van Nicholas Ventus
  • Starley (something unmemorable like a number)
  • Planet X - RT58
I'd also like to look at lots of others. Weirdly the endurace in a size small is almost the exact same proportions and dimensions as my Kona...


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Please feel free to comment or add to any of the ideas expressed here. Please be nice where possible.