Fifty Plus (50+) - what to get as N+1

I retire in a couple of months and as a retirement gift I am getting a new bike. There will be around £1,000 ($1500) to play with and I am having trouble deciding on the new bike.

To remind you on the bikes I have- Couple of MTB's-Bianchi Grizzly from 2000- A Kona Explosif from 1992- Cannondale full offroad Tandem from 2002 and a couple of road bikes from 2007- The giant TCR-C and the Boreas Ignis.

Type of riding-Mainly road but the thrill of the hills still gets me but not as much as it used to as those hills have got longer and steeper so I have to take them slower and steadier. So not looking for an MTB- the ones I have will do.

But associated with Offroad-I fancy a CX. Mainly for the gentler offroad trails but there is a problem with a CX. They have gearing that is not low enough for the offroad 15% rutted trail for a mile-

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36/26 is not even as low as the compact on my road bike of 34/27 and I use that often enough. I know I can put on a compact and change cassette and RD to a 12/34 but that is an expense that would push the bikes over my budget. Still a possibility though.

Then looking at road bikes. It would be aluminium and 105 or Tiagra and a bit heavier than I am used to but this is not going to be problem. Ride quality would be though so looking at a few possibilities. Last years models do not exist over here right now- They have all been sold so no special prices about. Well there are but not on the quality of bike I would like.

Then there is the Hybrid style-A remote choice but I am getting older and have to accept that the body may not be as Supple in 10 years time as I would want. Will have to think about this style as "IF" I want an upright bike- then I could convert one of the MTB's.

So what are your suggestions? I have too many ideas running through my brain and just can't decide. Currently the favourite is a Whyte Charing cross but Test rides are the problem. Not enough stock in any shop and the smallest they do is a 53-I ride a 51.

http://www.whytebikes.com/2012/bike_page.php?ModNo=W-1-037-12

But whyte bikes are known for top end Mountain bikes and have been on of my dream Bikes for years. Just wish the limit was $6,000 and I know what I would be getting.

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stapfam, Take a look at the Bianchi Volpe. Not cutting edge, but a great bicycle from my experiance with my daughter's and she can be quite rough with her bikes. Hopefully you'll be able to test the 53 cm Whyte soon.

I've learned that it's a good thing to have a versatile road bike such as a CX or touring bike.

Brad

From reading your multiple posts about this decision, I think you have yourself boxed in between minimum requirements and maximum budget. My take is that you want a CX bike with decent components and wide range gearing for no more than the equivalent of $1500. Most of the CX bikes that I see in that price range come with Sora shifters. They seem to work just fine, but whether you'll be happy with their odd lever arrangement is up to you. I would probably be inclined to up the budget enough to get something equipped with Tiagra or SRAM Apex. Budget constraints are important, but I try to make sure I am not setting myself up to spend more on likely upgrades than I would have spent by slightly going over budget.

Some of the spec'd cranksets are 130 BCD and can't go lower than 38 teeth on the small ring, while others have 110 BCD cranks which can go to 34. 36-46 on a 110 is a popular CX setup. I would look for something that came that way or consider a swap or takeoff, sell and replace.

Good luck. I'm sure you'll find something you'll enjoy.

My Bianchi Volpe is equipped with an 11-34 cassette and a 44/36/22 mountain crankset. You can't get much lower gearing than that. Depending on how I'm using it, I also run it with a 48/36/26 crank. You should be able to that with any CX bike as long as they start with a triple or you are willing to change it.

I think that is a great looking choice.

cyclocross for under $1500

http://www.redlinebicycles.com/bikes/cyclocross/2012-conquest
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/model/tcx.2/9022/48878/
http://www.specialized.com/gb/gb/bc/SBCProduct.jsp?spid=62013&scid=1102&scname=Multi+Use+

I would think that you could find a reasonable cyclocross in your price range.

Stap:

Why not build up a Cyclocross bike to your own spec for gearing? It shouldn't be all that hard and might be fun! With wise shopping you should make your budget. A good used frame or even complete bike could save a lot of money.

Some of my most memorable cycling days have been on an old Bridgestone RB-T set up as a sorta CX with cantilevers, triple, cross-tires, fanny pack filled with PBJ's and fire-roads. There's something informal and don't take yourself too seriously and go sit under a tree about such a bike. Especially if you lose the jersey for a tee-shirt. Nice to have such days.

You describe a bike that I could see owning too - a CX frame with rack and fender mounts with road bike gearing like Sram Apex or a Shimano triple and how about disc brakes. The primary purpose is light duty off-road, like fast gravel fire roads with some hills thrown in.

I don't know if this bike will accommodate 700x32, but after seeing this bike in a Mag, I"m still a fan.
http://www.redlinebicycles.com/bikes/commute/2012-metro-classic

Found it -

See this thread on RBR, riding those gravel muddy roads with that bike looks like fun. These roads are very typical of Western Oregon and look exactly what's available in nearby hills.
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/commuting-touring-ride-reports/pacific-nw-winter-pics-268058.html
Is this the type of bike and riding that you're considering?