YW_Slayer

Hi all,

Been trying to commute to work 1-2x a week on my 2009 Trek Remedy 7 (set up for rough stuff) or my 2004-5 Giant Iguana Disc (with commuter tyres). Commute is:

1. 5 mins downhill on the way to work in an urban setting, with disc brakes burning hot to the touch afterward due to traffic and traffic lights

2. 30-32 mins (8.5km-ish, time depends on how heavy my backpack is) 90-93% uphill on the way back with EDIT: gradients ranging from 10-30% (previously 20-50%) along the way.

I think however that I want something which is a bit lighter and faster than both so that I get out a bit more on the road to improve my fitness. This includes more solo riding, more commuting, and not ending up so far behind a mate of mine on his S-Works (he's not a roadie as I met him MTBing, but he just has a road bike). Some of the planned road rides are around maybe 80% uphill (20-60% gradient), including riding to the boathouse for rowing. Sometimes I do 40km on relatively flat and straight rolling ground, which is when I get left for dead by roadies.

No weather concerns apart from occasional torrential rain and intense heat and humidity. So no snow, etc. (weather from 5-34 degrees Celsius depending on time of year). Fenders not essential as, quite frankly, I can always take a cab/bus if it's chucking down.

Criteria are:

- Faster and lighter on the road than current bikes (not difficult).
- Stronger than your stereotypical racer frame, as there are a fair number of potholes on the roads, so I don't want something featherweight and fragile.
- Disc brakes, or disc brake mounts to deal with the downhills on the way to work
- (If possible) Gates Belt Drive system for less maintenance.
- (If possible and especially with the Belt Drive) Internal geared hub, preferably something like the Alfine 11 or Rohloff for less maintenance. Would want a higher-end model than Alfine 8 since I need lower ratios to sit and spin.
- (If possible) Rack/fender mounts in case I decide to take it touring eventually.

Thinking currently of something like a CX bike with disc brakes/mounts would be a good option. Budget up to US$4000-4500, and while I don't mind spending more as long as it fits well and lasts a LONG time, though obviously the cheaper the better. Currently looking at the following, based on a few Google searches and speaking to my LBS:

Road/CX-type bikes
- Ventana El Martillo custom build
- Trek District/District Carbon with IGH build (may be difficult as IGH availability seems lacking)
- Santos (race bikes have both Rohloff and Gates)
- Bianchi CX custom build
- Genesis Day One (interesting CX bike with IGH, main question is belt drive compatibility)
- Parlee (any model, but obviously the cheaper the better as long as it fits some of the criteria - though doubt they have disc brake mounts)
- On-One Pompetamine Alfine-11 (has disc brakes, no drop bars? May have to see if can fit drop bars)
- On-One Pompetamine Versa (has drop bars, but no belt drive?)
- Civia Bryant Belt Alfine (belt drive, but Alfine 8 only)
- Chiru (local brand, just saw their first road bike the other day, unsure about belt/IGH compatibility)
- Specialized Roubaix (but no rack mounts, questionable belt/IGH compatibility)

More traditional commuter-type bikes
- Spot Acme (Alfine 11 with new Gates Center-Track system)
- Spot Coyote Belt
- Surly Cross Check custom build
- Brodie Once (Alfine 11)
- Co-Motion Cityview (Alfine 8 or 11 and Gates, but very commuter-like posture)
- Norco Judan Belt (MTB, belt, no IGH)
- Norco Ceres (commuter-style MTB, belt, 8-speed IGH, available with 11-speed)
- Trek FX series (though am told unlikely to be able to fit a belt drive/IGH system)

As I have the Giant, I'd probably want to go for a more aggressive road-style geometry this time around. I'm 5' 9"-ish and weight ranges from 178-198lbs (more toward the latter, sadly!).

Having said that, I am open to almost anything. Don't mind the material as I've ridden steel and alu in the past. Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated.

Finally, this is a cross-post from the Commuting forum - put it up there originally but no-one seemed to be interested, and as I'm mainly thinking about Cross frames I thought it might be more relevant here. I apologise if cross-posting is bad form.

EDIT: Based on https://www.travel-wonders.com/2009/0...nedin-new.html it looks like I severely overestimated the gradient.

Werkin

Your first on the list of criteria "faster...on the road", has more to do with the rider than bike. Under inflated tires could slow you down though. My road bike happens to have a cyclocross/commuter frame. Running 28 tires with size appropriate air pressure feels faster than 32s, and the 28s climb with lower effort than 32s, which has more to do with increased rolling diameter of 32s than lower air pressure I think. I'm sure you're aware improved fitness can be attained on any bike regardless of weight. Now that the generic speech is out of the way, whatever criteria you set, and whatever value you assign for those criteria, is all valid for getting a new bike.

I saw many belt driven IGH bikes at this show https://www.2011.handmadebicycleshow.com/ Find photos of this event and see if any of them are there.

I chose this style frame for mounting wider tires for greater comfort, and better traction in gravel, than my current road bike. I'm installing a different wheelset with much fatter tires in a few weeks, because 32s aren't fat enough. https://www.traitorcycles.com/Bikes_Ruben.cfm

thenomad

50% gradients huh? San fran? pics please. very few jeeps would make it up that so good luck with the gearing, especially for an IGH belt drive. Not like you can switch to a granny with those. Sounds like traditional chain triple is needed with 24 front and 34 rear or more mountain gearing.

sounds like any cross bike would do fine as long as its got brazeons and disc brakes and mountain gears.

djb

50% grades???

gradient discussion aside, why a IGH? Whatever you are interested in, sounds like a triple with even a mtn crank would be up your alley. Stock cross bikes tend to come with a 50/39/30 and some have long cage RD for up to 32 teeth cassettes. A mtn crank will get you lower gearing but might not be tall enough for fast unloaded rides.

in general, cross bikes are a nice "in between" bike and as werkin states, can be set up to be reasonably fast road bikes.
Really does sound like you will have to decide what gearing works for you overall, and go from there for derailleur options etc. Other than that, frames with disks are out there, you just get into geometry, braze on s for racks, fenders etc, space for panniers without heel strike, etc etc.

YW_Slayer

Thanks guys.

I live in Hong Kong. My guess was based on looking at the rough angles here (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grade_(slope) ) and was that 50% really is about the max, but only for very short parts (10-15 seconds) so it is doable. Having looked into the matter it may be more like 10-35% (or thereabouts) gradients. See for example this photo, which is of a road that is probably indicative of the max gradient that I would encounter, but I wouldn't go up this road as it's too steep: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...oad_bridge.JPG

EDIT: It looks more like I was talking about gradients ranging from 10-30%. See https://www.travel-wonders.com/2009/0...nedin-new.html

Google Earth is acting up on my computer (can't open it though it's installed) so I can't give you an exact figure. I'm sorry for any confusion caused, as I don't usually work with figures and I've never actually measured the grades. I just know that they are STEEP and that I can't go up Old Peak Road on my bike (I can tell you that it's tough even in a car).

I've found that I don't really max out the gears on either bike on road rides, even downhill, so am not worried about top-end speeds, though I suppose that might change if I end up on something really fast.

The main reason I want an IGH/belt combo is to save the bother of maintenance. Chatting with people, I've also been told that the lowest ratio on something like an Alfine 11 (or a Rohloff, though apparently their drop-bar shifter is a bit of a hack) isn't too far off granny. There are only maybe 1-2 parts of my commute where I need to go granny, and uphill I can usually get by with the second-lowest gear while still maintaining a cadence of 85-90.

My current bikes run 26" tyres, so if I got a cross bike I would almost certainly run 700cc/28/29 tyres on it.

Thanks for the pointers on what to look for with cross bikes, and for pointing out Traitor Bikes. The Reuben in particular looks interesting (though maybe not too much lighter than my Giant)? And also for the link to the HMBS, looks like I have a lot of homework to do.

david58

I commute on my CX with 28 mm tires, when weather takes a dump in the fall I will put my CX tires back on. For road riding the bike has been great - just put a 11-28 cassette on last week to give some climbing gears, and just did my first century today. I bought the bike in April - 2010 Fuji Cross Comp from Performance. Great bike, I love it. Will get a road bike some day, but I can do danged near anything I want on this one.

Paul01

A Lynskey Sportive would be under 3K and takes up to 32c tires.

https://www.adrenalinebikes.com/store...oductid=121811

YW_Slayer

Thanks, really appreciate the recommendations. The Lynskey stuff (including their CX stuff) in particular is a very attractive option.

Watchdog

I like how that street in New Zealand has stairs built into the sidewalk, it's so steep. It would be cool to try and ride up that hill.