Drop bars, discs & 40mm tyres

[find_bruce]

Thinking about replacing my hybrid commuter & am looking at what is available with drop bars, discs & clearance for 40mm tyres. Don't mind whether it is a complete bike or frame & forks. I would prefer hydraulic brakes. 8x2 is more than enough gearing for me, but hydraulic brakes probably means 2x11 or 1x11. Don't care much about wheels - will probably use tough & heavy wheels to commute & a lightweight set for audax etc.

I am not interested in an aluminium frame which rules out most of the cheaper options.

The Oppy S2 meets most of the requirements. Pity the frame is a boat anchor - with a 25.4 seat post the frame is as heavy as my hi-tensile mixte & it shows in the 12.5 kg bike weight.

Some other options - Bombtrack beyond - equally heavy, cable discs & about twice the price of the Oppy

Cotic escapade, shame about the ugly unicrown fork

Any other suggestions ?

[caneye]

have you considered a cyclocross bike?
most of them would meet your requirements

[find_bruce]

have you considered a cyclocross bike?
most of them would meet your requirements

Considered and dismissed as those I have seen are limited to 32 or 35mm tyres

[Sparx]

Kona Rove?

[rangersac]

On One Bish Bash Bosh
Viner Strada Bianca

Specialized AWOL would also have the tyre clearance, although you'd probably be looking at frame and fork and building up from there as they are generally specced with mechanical discs.
Salsa and Surly would also have frame and fork offerings but they'd be heavy

[Thoglette]

Velo Orange, Vivente, Surly (LHT), Soma (Saga),

[singlespeedscott]

The Specialized Sequoia looks pretty good. Don't know when it will be out in OZ though - http://www.cyclingabout.com/new-special ... ring-bike/

[Velt]

I have a Trek 720 and rate it. The hy-rd brakes have comparable power to hydraulic but don't feel anywhere near as good. I'll be upgrading the brakes on mine at some point.

[find_bruce]

On One Bish Bash Bosh

Oww my eyes. Fortunately the come in colours other than virulent orange.

Perhaps I am being a little superficial, but the SRAM hydraulic levers strike me as just a little too pleased to see you.

[silentbutdeadly]

Niner RLT will fit 42 mm tyres no worries. Mine looks like this...


Latest version below has 15mm front hub, rack mounts on the fork and 142 mm hub with thru-axle out the back. However, it IS an alloy frame (still awesome though).



And I still have the converted dropbar Ghettograveller (based on a Giant Cypress) that the Niner took over from...it'll cope with 50 mm tyres

[find_bruce]

Thanks for the reminder silentbutdeadly, I had forgotten about the niner RLT - still available in steel. Shimano hydro pushes the price well up & not sure if I am going to be able to gather the funds

[silentbutdeadly]

Yeah $2.4K is a fair bit for a frame set. Especially when the alloy is cheaper...

But you could grab a steel RLT framset and one of these https://www.bikeexchange.com.au/a/cyclo ... /102826206 and mix and match then sell the Polygon frame. Might be able to get way in the mid $3K range?

[Duck!]

hydraulic brakes probably means 2x11 or 1x11. Don't care much about wheels...

Shimano RS785 (Di2) & RS405 (mechanical) will do 10-sp.

[RonK]

Curve Grovel V2 perhaps?

[find_bruce]

Looks nice Ron. I got a bit too excited at the price until I realised it was a 1/3 deposit

[sir_camel]

Who sells Niner's in Australia?

[RonK]

Looks nice Ron. I got a bit too excited at the price until I realised it was a 1/3 deposit

Yeah, I'd buy one myself at that price - it really looks the goods...

[find_bruce]

Who sells Niner's in Australia?

Rowney Sports is the distributor

[rifraf]

Anything in the Genisisbikes.com line up appealing?

I noticed the option of Reynolds steel for some of their bikes but my original suggestion to consider turned out to only cater to 35mm tires though that was I think a 2014 Croix de Fer with Reynolds 725 Frameset.

I mentioned them for consideration due to the devalued pound.

The Vagabond is available as a frame-set at 349.99 pound whilst the complete comes with 2.1 tires, its cromo with disks

http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/adv ... d-frameset

[Bentnose]

I have fitted 40mm tyres to my Cube CX, don't think they make a carbon one though.

[rifraf]

I am not interested in an aluminium frame which rules out most of the cheaper options.

The Oppy S2 meets most of the requirements. Pity the frame is a boat anchor - with a 25.4 seat post the frame is as heavy as my hi-tensile mixte & it shows in the 12.5 kg bike weight.

Some other options - Bombtrack beyond - equally heavy, cable discs & about twice the price of the Oppy

Cotic escapade, shame about the ugly unicrown fork

Any other suggestions ?

What sort of weight are you hoping for with steel frame, disk brakes, wide'sh tires etc?

Why do you want such wide tires for commuting? Or are you going to re-purpose the bike?

I'll reread the thread but think you might consider expanding the info your've offered up so far.

What did you think of RonK's Fargo 2 frame as a contender?

Or another Salsa in the drop-bar guise of the Marrakesh? (Compatible with 700c x 40 with mudguards)

Soma has offerings like the Double Cross Disk or Saga Disk or they do a more Mountain orientated Juice.

[find_bruce]

What sort of weight are you hoping for with steel frame, disk brakes, wide'sh tires etc?

To me the 12.5kg of the Oppy S2 strikes is excessive. Call me old fashioned but a 28.6mm seat tube should have a 27.2mm seat post, not the 25.4. The 10.4kg of the Niner RLT steel was more what I was thinking of. To be fair there is a huge difference in price to go with the 2 kg less. Yes I do realise taking 17kg off the rider was cheaper & I would be happy if I could lose as much again.

I understand the construction of touring bikes makes the weight inevitable in a bike like the salsa marakesh but a 14.5 kg bike is not what I am looking for. Same with the vagabond at 3.88kg for the frame & fork – I still can't figure out how they have made it that heavy with a 28.6mm tube & 27.2mm seat post. The Fargo 2 is getting closer at ~11.5 kg. The Curve Grovel is also more the style I was thinking of at 2kg frame & 500g fork. Cotic escapade is similar

I am not welded to steel - carbon, Ti are fine.

Why do you want such wide tires for commuting? Or are you going to re-purpose the bike?

My commute involves jumping kerbs (the clowncil are too stupid to put access points in for the bike path) & some very rough roads – the pot holes have pot holes. Sure you can do it on 28mm tyres, but I (& my wheels) have been much happier in the 2 years I have been commuting with 32mm front & 40mm rear.

Second purpose for the bike would be audax type endurance rides, but I would probably mostly use 28mm tyres for that. The idea is bomb proof wheels & tyres for commuting, something lighter weight for fun on the weekends. Somewhere in between if I do any of the Audax dirt rides.

[RonK]

I am not welded to steel - carbon, Ti are fine.

Eh? In that case - Salsa Warbird Carbon.

Just 8.8kg with clearance for 44mm tyres. Minor updates for 2017 models include fender mounts and new colourways.

[Mububban]

Thinking about replacing my hybrid commuter & am looking at what is available with drop bars, discs & clearance for 40mm tyres. Don't mind whether it is a complete bike or frame & forks. I would prefer hydraulic brakes. 8x2 is more than enough gearing for me, but hydraulic brakes probably means 2x11 or 1x11. Don't care much about wheels - will probably use tough & heavy wheels to commute & a lightweight set for audax etc.

Any other suggestions ?

Giant Anyroad Comax - Shimano 105 compact double, mechanical discs, tyre clearance up to 48mm. Bit of an ugly duckling and I've read weight is a tick over 10kg. $2050 at my LBS. It seems to get good reviews.

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/au/anyroad-comax

[Thoglette]

Forgot to mention the Soma Wolverine. 45mm tyres, disks and (by all reports) a sweet set of CroMo tubes from Tange.

http://commutercycles.com.au had some frames last year.

Interesting build up by treadly bike shop


Lots of different build ups on the web from SS MTB to commuter. Here's one with 42mm tyres and mudguards ( BikeTimesMag)