James1987

Yeh there's a ribble about 45 mins away so could always head down. I'm not too far from a Giant store either.

To throw another spanner in the works I found another possible contender to throw into the mix (pun very much intended), the Giant Contend SL1 disc. Available for £999 it has 105 components and disc brakes and mounts. They said something fancy about the semi-hydraulic brakes. Anyone got any experience with this bike and what do people think in comparison to the other models mentioned?

I know, I know, the only way to be sure is to go and test them but it's deciding, in a way, which ones are worth going to see (since they're all spread out at different stores in different directions).

GreenAnvil

I used to bike commute to work year-round in Upstate NY. If you plan to bike commute during the winter, and your winters are anywhere like ours are in NY, you’ll appreciate having disc brakes. Sure, rim brakes will work to some degree, but your rims will wear faster. And if you ever are in a situation were you really need to stop like right now, no, rim brakes won’t stop you as reliably as discs will in wet and icy conditions. Of course, if you’re riding in iced roads I assume you’ll put on studded tires or the like, otherwise you’ll just skid and crash as soon as you lock the wheels. IMO, commuting in winter conditions is more about safety than about speed. Don’t let people talk you out of discs because of a little extra weight. If you’re commuting you’ll probably be carrying panniers or a backpack.

In the end, only you know the conditions you’ll be riding in, so choose whatever you think will work best for you and go from there. A road bike will probably help you go a bit faster, but with greater power comes greater responsibility: your safety and the well-being of those waiting for you at home.