dfischer

Guys, I'm trying to find my son a unicorn the right bike and having some problems. I'm hoping for some advice (please) Here's what we need:
Purpose: Road to trails, speed with comfortable positions. Primarily asphalt, with cinders and occasional hardpack. We'll want to be able to run 28MM to 35MM tires, although I’m betting we just put 32's on it and call it.Equipment preferences: Classic roadbike drop/rams horn bars. 105 or better running gear. Hydraulic disc brakes At least fiber forks and some kind of rear elastomeric helper. Factory support for a rear rack that can take children to 45lbs without fear.Support up 35mm tires Ability to accept a kickstand. 11x2 gearing, and not geared so low as to be gravel bike only. Something like 50/34 would be about right.
Test rides:We rode a few gravel bikes over the weekend, and some, like the Giant Anyroad, struck me as being under geared and over tired for our purposes. However, we looked at a Trek Checkpoint SL5, and frankly it's almost perfect. The fiber frame isn't ideal, for the kickstand isn't really allowed, and my son is a little hard on things. Perhaps Al would be better. Worse, the only one in town is grey, and it's boring to tears. I hate to Jones on vanity, but nobody wants an ugly bike.The black ALR 5 would have been better, and we'd have accepted the weight and ride trade-offs, but none are to be had for, I'm told, many months. Otherwise I think he'd have already written the check.Ah-Hah moment: Titanium!

All of which leads me to two questions:

1. What would you suggest that checks off these criteria and could be had now?
2. I know for many of you BikesDirect is a bad word, but I tune my own bikes, so certainly assembling his isn't anything to fear. Meanwhile, Titanium now becomes tolerable in price, and suddenly he gets ride and durability. This bike would seem to exactly meet his needs. What am I missing here?? It certainly looks to be a lot of bike for the money, and for a general purpose (not race) bike this seems a lot of bike.

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/disc-brake-roadbikes/centurypro-ti-discbrake-road-ta.htm

Thanks in advance for any and all guidance and suggestions!

D

Sy Reene

I'd rather suggest looking at the renegade series.. save some money over the BD thing for 105, or spend a bit more and get ultegra
here's the 105 version
https://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/renegadeexploit.html

rgconner

It is steel tho:

Road+ Frames - Black Mountain Cycles

I just picked up my Monster Cross Disc from Mike and it is totally brilliant. Pick your parts, everything from practical SRAM/Shimano to White Industries and Chris King so you will get exactly what you want on it, or better yet, buy a frame, do it yourself if you are that handy.

For good shots of the bikes, and the shop itself:

https://www.facebook.com/BlackMountainCycles/

LAJ

Unicorn Cycles

LesterOfPuppets

These are pretty nice, but they run kinda long, so a shorter stem may be in order. The brakes are cable actuated hydraulics. Thudbuster seatpost can be swapped in for "elastomeric help"
Breezer Bikes - INVERSION PRO - Bike Overview

jitteringjr

• Why on Earth is a kickstand a significant factor in this process?

Keiffith

Because apparently walls don't exist

Dean V

Trek Checkpoint ALR5

dfischer

Correct!

Yes, I know you didn't intend to correctly answer the situation, but then, sometimes he who talks first...

But since the question was asked by Jitteringjr, I'm happy to explain:

We're in rural America. Sure walls exist here too. But not where we ride. And who wants to lay down a bike on cinder trails, roadsides, and etc? Also he'll be towing a child tow behind often. Who wants to unhook that to lay the bike down every time you stop? Finally, why not? I get they aren't "cool", but I'm pretty much past that. I wear clothes that I like, not what's trendy, and I use tools for what they are best at. A kick-stand on a bike is darn handy. Sure it's a little weight, but it's not rotating weight, so it's not vital in a general purpose bike. I carry LOTS more weight in spares, tools, water, bug spray and etc.. As you can guess, my son thinks a lot like I do...

dfischer

Oh for sure! As I'd said on the initial post, I'm told Trek is out of the ALR 5 for 2018, and the 2019's are months away. Otherwise he'd own one right now!

dfischer

Why thank you sir! I'm more than a little OK w/ a steel frame. Nor did I know of Thudbuster seatposts. I'll be looking into that too!

I'm curious though: For a few hundred more he gets a lot more bike. I think. (don't know for sure). Is the one I'd linked to a bad idea? Or a worse idea than this? If so, do you mind educating me a bit on why?

Thanks!
D

LesterOfPuppets

The BD bike has some nicer parts, but looks like less tire clearance. Also more work to go tubeless, with the BD you'd need tires, valves, sealant, and probably tape, whereas the Breezer already has 32mm tubeless tires on it. BD also has weird handlebars, IMO - some like them though. The Breezer has slightly flared bars, so not sure if that's what you're looking for.

If you live near a Performance Bike store, the Breezer is currently $200 less than MSRP, and comes assembled and with lifetime free adjustments, and you can get 10% back if you spend $30 for a year of their memebership.

So BD gets the nod for the Ti and all the R8000 goods, if you're OK with assembling a bike out of the box, don't mind making shifter and brake adjustments on your own, don't think you'll ever want to run 42mm tires, don't mind buying new tires to go tubeless, etc.

Breezer also has the Inversion Team for about $2300 with Ultegra parts except crankset.

Dean V

Specialized Diverge? The aluminium version.

dfischer

Thank you sir. None on hand right now, but I'll ask about availability. Once we start ordering I start wondering more about BD (I feel I owe an LBS something for having a bike for him to test ride). And of course no rear rack eyelets. Is there a quality way to retrofit a bike rack or child carrier to an aluminum bike that doesn't have factory rack mounting points?

Thanks!
d

Dean V

Specialized Sequoia, which is steel with eyelets etc.

Elvo

https://www.randombikeparts.com/prod...a-10s-700c-new

Brotisimo

Give Lynskey a look. They're having a gravel sale at the moment and it seems to check all of your boxes, save for being a bit more than the Motobecane. I will say the support I've received from Lynskey before and after my purchase gives me the piece of mind if something goes wrong I'll be taken care of and that's worth a little higher cost for me.

Lynskey GR260

This one is on clearance right now for $2,870

Doohickie

dfischer

Nicely done sir.

dfischer

Thanks! We looked at it, but no LBS had one in stock in the right size or w/105's

He's starting to think more about ordering, but it still grinds my gears to pay that kind of markup when we're the ones taking all the risk if a special order.

I do agree it's a very strong option. Thanks!

Doohickie

These things write themselves.

dfischer

Elvo kind sir, I appreciate the offer to help. It does miss most of the criteria (105, softer forks, hydraulic brakes), but I still want to say thanks!

dfischer

Thanks! I keep hearing about Lynskey so.. Mind you getting one w/hydraulic brakes is closing is about $3,600.. If that was $3k I'd suggest he do it.

Thanks!
Dan

Brotisimo

True, it's gets pricey quick. I found that my cost concerns were mitigated a bit by how long I expect to keep the bike. Being Ti and all with discs and Di2 compatibility, it should be good to go for many many years no matter what I feel like doing to it.

The Motobecane also checks those boxes, but I couldn't tell if it has removable guides. That may not matter.

For my money, he should go with the bike that will pull him to ride it. If the Motobecane does it, then it's the smarter buy.

danmyersmn 

Only one size but is Shimano 105.
https://www.performancebike.com/shop...e-2016-31-4823

Ultegra with more sizes:
https://www.performancebike.com/shop...e-2017-31-6089

I like the spring design of the Suntour NCX over the elastomer of the Thudbuster. The Thudbuster is easier to source and the replacement elastomer is easy to find vs the replacement springs for different weights of the NCX often need to come from Europe.
https://www.amazon.com/SR-Suntour-Su...ds=suntour+ncx