Spending, say, a grand, on a bike to ride, in order to have less bikes.

[Captain Stupido]

@Captain Stupido Did you look at the Marin DSX range? If so, what were your thoughts? (Aside from the brown one being brown!)

I've been mainly looking at the Spa website recently...particularly the Aubisque which currently seems really good value (I think perhaps it's an older model that's been replaced). I like the way they spec their bikes and the custom options, plus I like steel frames. Their range is more tour/audax focussed than I was originally thinking but my gut feeling is that what they offer is closer to being a bike that I might keep for life than anything else I've looked at.

Those Marins are really appealing actually and look decent value. I'm just not sure that the vibe of an alu/carbon bike is really what I want. My heart says steel, although weirdly the carbon framed / aluminium forked Giant Cadex is still the bike I'm riding most these days... so what do I know? My gut feeling is I'd get bored of it though - not sure why - maybe it's just a bit too modern?

 

[brocklanders023]

I had a steel Marin gravel/tourer and liked it very much. Bit heavy but very comfortable. They size up large though, I'm usually XL but this was a touch big.

 

[Jamesbike]

I had a steel Marin gravel/tourer and like it very much. Bit heavy but very comfortable. They size up large though, I'm usually XL but this was a touch big.

View attachment 595576

Good to know!

I think one of these would do 90% of my cycling except for the full carbon bike but how often do I need to race!

Cheers James

 

[konacarl]

I've been mainly looking at the Spa website recently...particularly the Aubisque which currently seems really good value (I think perhaps it's an older model that's been replaced). I like the way they spec their bikes and the custom options, plus I like steel frames. Their range is more tour/audax focussed than I was originally thinking but my gut feeling is that what they offer is closer to being a bike that I might keep for life than anything else I've looked at.

Those Marins are really appealing actually and look decent value. I'm just not sure that the vibe of an alu/carbon bike is really what I want. My heart says steel, although weirdly the carbon framed / aluminium forked Giant Cadex is still the bike I'm riding most these days... so what do I know? My gut feeling is I'd get bored of it though - not sure why - maybe it's just a bit too modern?

I bought a silk road frameset frim Spa in September and swapped a group set from one of my other road bikes. Id originally planned on using it all year round and getting rid of my other road bikes but its just too nice to use as a winter bike so its now my summer bike and I’ve kept my winter one too.
They were really good and even fitted the headset cups for free as i bought a new headset with the frame and forks.

 

[CassidyAce]

I've been mainly looking at the Spa website recently...particularly the Aubisque which currently seems really good value (I think perhaps it's an older model that's been replaced). I like the way they spec their bikes and the custom options, plus I like steel frames. Their range is more tour/audax focussed than I was originally thinking but my gut feeling is that what they offer is closer to being a bike that I might keep for life than anything else I've looked at.

Those Marins are really appealing actually and look decent value. I'm just not sure that the vibe of an alu/carbon bike is really what I want. My heart says steel, although weirdly the carbon framed / aluminium forked Giant Cadex is still the bike I'm riding most these days... so what do I know? My gut feeling is I'd get bored of it though - not sure why - maybe it's just a bit too modern?

I know exactly what you mean. I've been looking at the emerging flat bar gravel bikes because it would be nice to have a bike with a few modern touches again—disc brakes, modern geometry, etc—but the vibe of alu/carbon is not a selling point for me. Not a deal-breaker, but not a selling point either. The DSX range look like fun bikes to me, and that's really what I want from a bike, but once the novelty had worn off, would it still feel like fun or would I just go back to one of the retros? I don't know. However, my alloy, '96 Palisades Trail has been a great workhorse; it still gets a lot of use and still puts a smile on my face. For me, a modern equivalent of that could be worth having.

 

[brocklanders023]

Good to know!

I think one of these would do 90% of my cycling except for the full carbon bike but how often do I need to race!

Cheers James

Maybe worth having a look second hand then James. I picked that one up for around £500 and it was virtually mint. RRP was £2000 originally.

 

[Captain Stupido]

I've been going round and round in circles with this - probably because it's all about compromise, but also because I don't want to end up regretting blowing a pile of cash on a bike I don't ride.

In a more road-biased change of direction I got excited about the idea of a Spa Aubisque. A steel framed, disc braked audax/light tourer, well specced (especially with a few custom options) and brilliant value (if over a grand), on paper it looks like a bike for life...



Then I was looking at the Planet X London Road, almost half the price of the Spa, quite a bit lighter, it seems well liked (apparently works well for gravel/cyclocross) and looks great fun...not sure about 1x but would be fun to try it...but I generally started leaning towards the idea of an alloy/carbon bike - I do really like lightweight bikes and these days it's probably the best value way to get a decent, lightweight bike. I'm not totally anti the idea - after all I quite like my Trek 1200...



Which brought me to this:

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/rc120-flat-bar-disc-road-bike-blue/_/R-p-311239?mc=8556195


Which (with the right tyres) potentially ticks pretty much all the boxes apart from "steel" and is only £500. With pretty old-school gearing I could upgrade it with drivetrain bits out of my retro MTB parts bin, too.

 

[legrandefromage]

Took all 17 bicycles out of the shed...

tweeked a bit, muttered about shonky rear shocks, crappy external BBs and having stupidly sold a decent set of road wheels

...put them all back again

They have been rotated though, next rides is a different bicycle

 

[Jamesbike]

Took all 17 bicycles out of the shed...

tweeked a bit, muttered about shonky rear shocks, crappy external BBs and having stupidly sold a decent set of road wheels

...put them all back again

They have been rotated though, next rides is a different bicycle

So you had 18 bikes in your shed or do frames not count?

Thanks again for the frame and forks etc.

Will keep you posted on it!

Cheers James

 

[Captain Stupido]

Took all 17 bicycles out of the shed...

tweeked a bit, muttered about shonky rear shocks, crappy external BBs and having stupidly sold a decent set of road wheels

...put them all back again

They have been rotated though, next rides is a different bicycle

Bizarrely this is leading me to the conclusion that I should, in fact buy a brand new bicycle.

Comparing the 3 pictures I posted earlier it's the London Road that looks the most fun to ride...