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HUGE Cycle Show first look faves: New bikes from Mason, Kinesis, Vielo, Cannondale, Litespeed and more HUGE Cycle Show first look faves: New bikes from Mason, Kinesis, Vielo, Cannondale, Litespeed and more HUGE Cycle Show first look faves: New bikes from Mason, Kinesis, Vielo, Cannondale, Litespeed and more HUGE Cycle Show first look faves: New bikes from Mason, Kinesis, Vielo, Cannondale, Litespeed and more HUGE Cycle Show first look faves: New bikes from Mason, Kinesis, Vielo, Cannondale, Litespeed and more HUGE Cycle Show first look faves: New bikes from Mason, Kinesis, Vielo, Cannondale, Litespeed and more HUGE Cycle Show first look faves: New bikes from Mason, Kinesis, Vielo, Cannondale, Litespeed and more HUGE Cycle Show first look faves: New bikes from Mason, Kinesis, Vielo, Cannondale, Litespeed and more HUGE Cycle Show first look faves: New bikes from Mason, Kinesis, Vielo, Cannondale, Litespeed and more HUGE Cycle Show first look faves: New bikes from Mason, Kinesis, Vielo, 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Cycle Show 2018 First Looks

HUGE Cycle Show first look faves: New bikes from Mason, Kinesis, Vielo, Cannondale, Litespeed and more

A new Mason InSearchOf, Cannondale SystemSix and Topstone, Litespeed Ultimate and much more
by David Arthur @davearthur
Fri, Sep 28, 2018 13:49
29

The doors to the 2018 Cycle Show swung open to the press and trade today, ahead of public days on 28-30th September, and here are some of the highlights from a quick dash around the NEC exhibition centre. We’ve got a new Mason, Kinesis, Vielo, Cannondale, Pinarello and more.

Scroll way and enjoy. We’ll have lots more coverage from the show soon.

geraint thomas pinarello-3.jpg

Probably the bike everyone wants to see, Geraint Thomas’s Pinarello Dogma F10 fresh from winning the 2018 Tour de France.

geraint thomas pinarello-5.jpg

Lots of yellow, from the frame to the MOST one-piece handlebars and tidy Garmin out-front computer mount.

Mason ISO Cycleshow 2018-2.jpg

It started with the Definition and Resolution, two disc-equipped all-season road bikes, then came the Bokeh for more adventurous riding, and now the young British company has gone a step further with the radical InSearchOf, an evolution of the Bokeh but designed to be able to tackle much more challenging off-road terrain.

Mason ISO Cycleshow 2018-6.jpg

Think of it as a drop bar 29er, drawing inspiration from road and mountain bikes but in reality is neither of those things.

mason insearchof -1.jpg

The new carbon fibre fork is much longer than a regular fork and can be swapped out for a 100mm suspension fork. There’s an integrated Shutter mudguard that also doubles up as a load carrying rack.

Mason ISO Cycleshow 2018-8.jpg

Or you can have this rack instead, with a neat dynamo light fixed to the front. 

Mason ISO Cycleshow 2018-10.jpg

The Dedacciai Zero steel frame has a curved down tube to provide clearance for said suspension fork, the seat tube accommodates a dropper post, and there’s clearance for 29x2.4in and 27.5x2.8in mountain bike tyres.

Mason ISO Cycleshow 2018-3.jpg

It can be built with a 1x or 2x groupset and all cables are internally routed. The frameset will cost £1,495 and complete bikes from £3,035 with a SRAM Rival 1 groupset.

mason aspect-1.jpg

Also new is the Aspect, a titanium version of the Resolution. It’s said to be lighter and more comfortable, and uses a tubeset loosely based on the Bokeh Ti, and uses the same dropouts.

mason aspect-4.jpg

The geometry has been tweaked, with a 10-20mm taller stack across the size range and a 5mm longer chainstay, drawing them out to 425mm.

mason aspect-5.jpg

Here are those 3D printed titanium dropouts, developed with Reynolds who are really pushing into this area. I'm pretty certain Dom Mason pulled a few hairs out.

mason bokeh dropper -3.jpg

Also spotted on this Bokeh is a new X-Fusion dropper post.

mason bokeh dropper -2.jpg

Fits a 27.2mm seat tube and provides 50mm of adjustable saddle height. 

mason bokeh dropper -1.jpg

It is operated by a small lever smartly mounted to the inside of the drop handlebar.

Vielo V+1 Rival -2.jpg

Vielo has followed up its V+1 allroad/road plus bike that I reviewed back in April (and really liked) with the V+1 Rival, a complete bike costing £3,499, quite a bit cheaper than the £5,299 for the original.

Vielo V+1 Rival -3.jpg

You’re looking at all the same key frame details but in order to achieve the lower price point the carbon fibre layup has been modified, so a bit more weight, but a significant financial saving. If it rides as well as the original, and no reason to suggest it won’t, it should be a corker. Looks cracking as well with this new Dusk Blue colour.

Whyte Wessex-1.jpg

We really like the Whyte Wessex, a disc-equipped carbon endurance bike and here it is with a Shimano Ultegra groupset for £2,250, a lot of bike for a pretty decent price. 

colnago clx evo-1.jpg

Colnago’s new CLX Evo costs £3,999.95 with an Ultegra groupset and features a carbon fibre frame and fork borrowing features from the V2-r aero road bike, including the option of disc brakes with flat mount interface and 12mm thru-axles.

colnago clx evo-2.jpg

Integrated seat clamps are a very common feature on road bikes these days, and the CLX Evo has one.

Whyte Gisburn-1.jpg

Whyte’s Gisburn gravel and adventure bike looks resplendent in this yellow paint job. It costs £1,999 with SRAM Force 1 and WTB Resolute 42mm tyres. And a dropper post. So on-trend.

condor Stainless Gravel Disc-1.jpg

Condor Cycles has launched the new Stainless Gravel Disc. It uses the same Columbus XCr stainless steel front triangle as its Super Acciaio road bike, but with a new rear triangle to provide clearance for up to 40mm tyres, combined with a Columbus carbon fork, 12mm thru-axles and flat mount brakes. 

condor Stainless Gravel Disc-5.jpg

If this amazing orange isn’t your cup of tea, there are another 49 colours to choose from. It ain’t cheap though, it costs £3,599.99 for the frameset. Externally routed cables for a simplicity and an external threaded bottom bracket for a creak-free life.

cannondale topstone-1.jpg

Cannondale’s new Topstone shown for the first time in the UK, pictured with a SRAM Apex 1 groupset and costing £1,799. You can watch a video of the new bike here, and find out more about the company's new gravel machine that's just as willing to turn it's hand to touring, commuting or just being a fatter-tyred all-round road bike - so basically the kind of versatile drop bar machine that's becoming increasingly popular these days.

cannondale topstone-5.jpg

It’s got a dropper post for those really steep descents. We're seeing a lot of gravel bikes with dropper posts at the moment, and it's just the latest import from the mountain bike world.

cannondale topstone-3.jpg

As you'd also expect, lots of mounts for extra bottles, mudguards, racks and even two bolts on the top tube, not for attaching a bottle but a small bag for stuffing food and essentials inside.

cannondale slate 2019-1.jpg

The Slate is back! It was probably ahead of its time when it first launched a few years ago, so it was pulled out of the UK market last year though was still available in the US. Now though, with the gravel and adventure market maturing, the Slate has been brought back.

cannondale slate 2019-4.jpg

There are no changes to it, so the same Lefty Oliver suspension fork and an aluminium frame with space for 650b wheels and tyres, though this £3,199.99 model is rolling on 700c wheels. We might finally get to review one after a brief first ride at Eurobike waaaaay back in 2015.

kinesis g2-1.jpg

The Kinesis G2, which the company says is their “definition of the ultimate Go TO bike” hence the name.  Really clean aluminium frame and lots of nice details, and a good price, all of £1,500. This will be a hot seller. 

"Building on the huge success of our Tripster AT and ATR models, the G2 offers a well thought out complete bike", says Kinesis. "Sitting as the third model in our Adventure category, the G2 is a bike that delivers versatility in spades coupled with the same DNA of the even more adventurous Tripster models."

kinesis g2-3.jpg

You get a SRAM Apex 1 groupset so simple and wide-range with hydraulic disc brakes. Compared to the AT and the ATR, the G2 is a bit more road-oriented: the head tube has been shortened, as have the chainstays. That means it's a slightly more aggressive position and the bike should feel a bit more nimble on the road. That being said, there's still room for a 700x40c tyre (or a 38mm with mudguards), so you can easily fit some multi-surface rubber for bikepacking, or some cyclocross tyres for winter racing.

canyon inflite cf slx -1.jpg

Mathieu Van Der Poel’s spare Canyon Inflite CF SLX carbon cyclocross race bike. While 1x has become hugely popular at all levels of cyclocross racing, the 'cross race star is using a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset.

canyon inflite cf slx -4.jpg

Not using the new Ultegra RX rear mech though. Not yet anyway.

litespeed ultimate -2.jpg

Litespeed is marking its return to the UK with the new Ultimate, a name it last used in the mid-90s and has been given to this sleek new race bike. It was a significant bike, as Litespeed reminds us. 

“The Ultimate was first introduced as Litespeed’s premier 3AL/2.5V race bike. A USPRO National Championship, many professional stage wins and even a World Road Championship, re-badged, were amassed on Litespeed’s then flagship, the Ultimate," explains the company.

litespeed ultimate -3.jpg

The new Ultimate has an all-new tubeset. There's an aero influence in the shape of the down tube and the rear stays are curved for compliance. We'll have more details on this new bike soon, but for now let us know what you think of the paint job? There are another four colours to choose from, or you can go for a plain titanium finish if you prefer it clean and simple.

cannondale systemsix-7.jpg

You've no doubt read about Cannondale's new SystemSix aero bike, but you can see it for yourself at the Cycle Show. 

cannondale systemsix-6.jpg

Key to ensuring optimum aerodynamics is an all-new aero two-piece handlebar and stem. The top-end model, pictured above, has all the cables and brakes hoses (disc brake only remember) hidden inside. Apparently, it's all very easy to work on and make modifications, and you can adjust the stack height with removable aero spacers.

cannondale systemsix-1.jpg

It's available at a more reasonable price with a mechanical groupset, pictured above, though it doesn't quite look the same with shallow section wheels. Good upgrade potential though. 

cannondale systemsix-4.jpg

This model uses a Vision handlebar and stem with the cables going from the handlebar to the downtube port. So slightly less aero in theory but does mean you can run a mechanical groupset, which you can't on say the new Specialized Venge which is Di2 only.

colnago c64 dsic-3.jpg

Colnago has launched a new ‘private collection’ of specially built and numbered C64 Disc bikes, with a build kit that is sure to send the price stratospheric. If you need to ask the price, it's that sort of bike.

colnago c64 dsic-1.jpg

Colnago has developed its own aero two-piece handlebar and stem with all the cables and hoses internally routed. Very clean. 

colnago c64 dsic-4.jpg

Carbon fibre chainrings anyone? 

colnago c64 dsic-6.jpg

Gold lug inserts anyone?

Cannondale Synapse Hi-Mod Disc Red eTap-1.jpg

Here’s a Cannondale Synapse Hi-Mod Disc Red eTap, not because it’s new but because it looks really smart, I'm liking the colour combo and the panel design.

Cannondale Synapse Hi-Mod Disc Red eTap-3.jpg

It costs £6,499 and you also get HollowGram Si Disc tubeless-ready carbon wheels with Vittoria Corsa Tyres.

Cannondale caad optimo-1.jpg

The Cannondale CAAD Optimo is a more affordable CAAD 12, costing £649.99 with a Shimano Claris 8-speed groupset. You’re getting a lot of trickle-down technology, including the carbon fork which is actually the same as the higher-end models.

Cannondale caad optimo-2.jpg

The production bikes will have mudguard eyelets making this a great UK year-round bike for the new cyclist, commuter or first race bike.

whyte Portobello Plus-1.jpg

It’s not just gravel bikes that are getting the 650b treatment. Whyte has developed the Portobello Plus for urban and commuting duties and treated it to WTB’s 47mm wide Horizon tyres.

whyte Portobello Plus-2.jpg

That, along with mountain bike inspired geometry, should give it plenty of stability and comfort for dealing with the typical badly surfaced roads in most UK cities. Add in the fact it costs £799 and you've got a corking looking bike.

colnago V2-r -1.jpg

The V2-r is Colnago’s range-topping monocoque carbon fibre frameset and intended to be both lightweight and very stiff or racing demands.

colnago V2-r -2.jpg

There’s some aero influence in the shape of the tube profiles as well, but it’s not aero like the company’s Concept, its dedicated aero bike.

colnago V2-r -3.jpg

A V2-r frameset will set you back £2,999 with rim brakes or £3,399 for this disc brake version.

kinesis 4s-1.jpg

The Kinesis 4S, a classic winter road training bike, but with disc brakes and space for wider tyres and fitments for mudguards.

kinesis 4s-2.jpg

Those are some proper flaps, you’ll have everyone clamouring to follow your wheel on a wet club run.

kinesis gtd-1.jpg

Here’s the brand new Kinesis GTD, the successor to the GF_Ti with an updated titanium frame designed for the “ultra-endurance” types that would think nothing of sleeping in ditches and bus shelters and carrying all their provisions in bags strapped to the frame, as the bike above demonstrates.

kinesis gtd-3.jpg

There’s space for up to 34mm tyres and with mudguards fitted it takes 30mm tyres, and the disc brakes use the now common flat mount interface and 12mm thru-axles, with all cables and hoses internally routed.

canyon ultimate cf slx-1.jpg

It’s not new, but here’s a SRAM Red eTap-equipped Canyon Ultimate CF SLX for your visual pleasure.

canyon ultimate cf slx-3.jpg

It’s rolling on very serious looking DT Swiss PRC 1400 carbon fibre wheels and the cockpit is the company’s own one-piece handlebar and stem for reducing the frontal surface area to a minimum.

shand Rizello-1.jpg

Scottish bike brand, Shand, best known for its rugged go-anywhere gravel and mountain bikes, has launched its first proper road bike. It’s called the Rizello and uses classic road bike geometry (so think racy angles) and is made from a Columbus Spirit triple butted tubeset and matching Columbus Futura carbon fork.

There's a T47 treaded bottom bracket, the oversize standard developed by Chris King that hasn’t really been widely adopted but offers appealing benefits, and internal rear brake hose routing and Di2 compatibility. It’s going to cost £1,895 for the frame and fork and will be built-to-order with a custom fitting service included.

mason resolution-1.jpg

What would a Mason Resolution look like with a full catalogue of SRAM and Zipp components look like? Guess no longer! Pretty darn hot I reckon.

 

Which is your pick of this bunch?

 

Stay tuned for more coverage.

cycle show
cycle show 2018
ROAD BIKES
David Arthur @davearthur

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes. 

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Canyon48 | 5 years ago
4 likes

Oops, think I've upset him...

Part of my last job was developing new aerodynamic technologies for bicycles, so I'm by no means holding up discussion.

Disc brakes are more aero though (provided they are on bikes designed from the ground up with disc brakes in mind i.e. all new aero disc bikes).

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nigerian prince replied to Canyon48 | 5 years ago
1 like

Canyon48 wrote:

Oops, think I've upset him...

Part of my last job was developing new aerodynamic technologies for bicycles, so I'm by no means holding up discussion.

Disc brakes are more aero though (provided they are on bikes designed from the ground up with disc brakes in mind i.e. all new aero disc bikes).

 

yeah but. . no but. . . yeah BehindtheBikesheds most obviously has a much broader understanding of the problem cause yeah. . ahh. . . cause he shouts the loudest? 

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Splorer | 5 years ago
0 likes

The article says that the Slate at the show is running 700c wheels. What width tyres are on it?

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Mungecrundle | 5 years ago
1 like

Phew! Some really nice bikes but nothing there that makes me unhappy with what I already have.

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drjohn replied to Mungecrundle | 5 years ago
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Mungecrundle wrote:

Phew! Some really nice bikes but nothing there that makes me unhappy with what I already have.

Ah but this misses the point...Would you be really unhappy indecision if you bought another bike?

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Rapha Nadal | 5 years ago
7 likes

Must've been utterly amazing living in the times when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, BTBS.  Tell us more about your Sirrus as I think this is the first time you've ever mentioned it.

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Canyon48 replied to Rapha Nadal | 5 years ago
5 likes

Rapha Nadal wrote:

Must've been utterly amazing living in the times when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, BTBS.  Tell us more about your Sirrus as I think this is the first time you've ever mentioned it.

How does almost every thread/article on road.cc end up with BTBS telling everyone how much he loves that bike and hates disc brakes?! 

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BehindTheBikesheds replied to Canyon48 | 5 years ago
1 like

Canyon48 wrote:

Rapha Nadal wrote:

Must've been utterly amazing living in the times when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, BTBS.  Tell us more about your Sirrus as I think this is the first time you've ever mentioned it.

How does almost every thread/article on road.cc end up with BTBS telling everyone how much he loves that bike and hates disc brakes?! 

Clearly you're full of shit and selective of reading. But if you want to play modabee and stunt discussion about where cycle design and changing choices for cyclists is going, go ahead and apply for the job. 

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fixation80 | 5 years ago
0 likes

The Kinesis 4S. Nice to see extended mudguard flaps, front and rear, on this winter bike, sadly lacking on too many bikes on a club ride. They keep feet and bottom bracket clean too, good thinking! 

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kil0ran | 5 years ago
0 likes

The Litespeed, because I'm a sucker for partial paint over a raw finish.

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paulrattew | 5 years ago
2 likes

I'm really not a fan of the look of the Mason ISO with the rigid fork. The downtube just ends up looking all wrong. Switch it out for the mentioned suspension fork and I would imagine that it looks far more balanced and purposeful. 

I'm deeply tempted by the Aspect. A properly fast, comfortable, road mile muncher is pretty much the holy grail for me at the moment.

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hairyderriere replied to paulrattew | 5 years ago
0 likes

paulrattew wrote:

I'm really not a fan of the look of the Mason ISO with the rigid fork. The downtube just ends up looking all wrong. Switch it out for the mentioned suspension fork and I would imagine that it looks far more balanced and purposeful. 

I'm deeply tempted by the Aspect. A properly fast, comfortable, road mile muncher is pretty much the holy grail for me at the moment.

 

Agree. I think the ISO looks 'wilfully' different, in a way. You'll have to convince me there's a proper purpose for all that swooping.

The Aspect looks utterly delicious, however!

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paulrattew replied to hairyderriere | 5 years ago
2 likes

hairyderriere wrote:

paulrattew wrote:

I'm really not a fan of the look of the Mason ISO with the rigid fork. The downtube just ends up looking all wrong. Switch it out for the mentioned suspension fork and I would imagine that it looks far more balanced and purposeful. 

I'm deeply tempted by the Aspect. A properly fast, comfortable, road mile muncher is pretty much the holy grail for me at the moment.

 

Agree. I think the ISO looks 'wilfully' different, in a way. You'll have to convince me there's a proper purpose for all that swooping.

The Aspect looks utterly delicious, however!

 

With a suspension fork it won't look that much different to a lot of hard tail mountain bikes in shape. At that point though I'm wondering if I would be better just going for a 29er and putting drop bars on it

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hairyderriere replied to paulrattew | 5 years ago
0 likes

paulrattew wrote:

hairyderriere wrote:

paulrattew wrote:

I'm really not a fan of the look of the Mason ISO with the rigid fork. The downtube just ends up looking all wrong. Switch it out for the mentioned suspension fork and I would imagine that it looks far more balanced and purposeful. 

I'm deeply tempted by the Aspect. A properly fast, comfortable, road mile muncher is pretty much the holy grail for me at the moment.

 

Agree. I think the ISO looks 'wilfully' different, in a way. You'll have to convince me there's a proper purpose for all that swooping.

The Aspect looks utterly delicious, however!

 

With a suspension fork it won't look that much different to a lot of hard tail mountain bikes in shape. At that point though I'm wondering if I would be better just going for a 29er and putting drop bars on it

 

I'm glad they are experimenting, and I love the Mason brand. Just remain to be convinced that the ISO is not just an MTB? I don't understand it but let's see if they take the time to tell the story of how they got there and what is special about it.

The Aspect is now high on my shopping list for a Ti bike. 

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gonedownhill replied to paulrattew | 5 years ago
0 likes

paulrattew wrote:

I'm really not a fan of the look of the Mason ISO with the rigid fork. The downtube just ends up looking all wrong. Switch it out for the mentioned suspension fork and I would imagine that it looks far more balanced and purposeful. 

I'm deeply tempted by the Aspect. A properly fast, comfortable, road mile muncher is pretty much the holy grail for me at the moment.

 

It's bloody hideous!

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paulrattew replied to gonedownhill | 5 years ago
0 likes

gonedownhill wrote:

paulrattew wrote:

I'm really not a fan of the look of the Mason ISO with the rigid fork. The downtube just ends up looking all wrong. Switch it out for the mentioned suspension fork and I would imagine that it looks far more balanced and purposeful. 

I'm deeply tempted by the Aspect. A properly fast, comfortable, road mile muncher is pretty much the holy grail for me at the moment.

 

It's bloody hideous!

 

The Aspect does look lovely - in that really understated classic Ti bike sort of way. There's just something really nice about the cean simple lines that a Ti bike like that has. I've been looking a lot at the Lynskey Helix Pro disc, which is a much more agressive prospect with funky looks which might actually be a bit more suitable for what i want, but my heart will always be pulled to the look of something like the Aspect

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gonedownhill replied to paulrattew | 5 years ago
1 like

paulrattew wrote:

gonedownhill wrote:

paulrattew wrote:

I'm really not a fan of the look of the Mason ISO with the rigid fork. The downtube just ends up looking all wrong. Switch it out for the mentioned suspension fork and I would imagine that it looks far more balanced and purposeful. 

I'm deeply tempted by the Aspect. A properly fast, comfortable, road mile muncher is pretty much the holy grail for me at the moment.

 

It's bloody hideous!

 

The Aspect does look lovely - in that really understated classic Ti bike sort of way. There's just something really nice about the cean simple lines that a Ti bike like that has. I've been looking a lot at the Lynskey Helix Pro disc, which is a much more agressive prospect with funky looks which might actually be a bit more suitable for what i want, but my heart will always be pulled to the look of something like the Aspect

 

Sorry I should have used bold to indicate which bit of your post I was replying to, was talking about the ISO being hideous, the Aspect is lovely as are the Resolution, Definition and Bokeh.

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Kendalred | 5 years ago
1 like

So how long before rim brakes become completely obsolete? I give it 5 years, then I'll have to start stocking up on spare calipers, shifters and about 500 sets of pads!

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BehindTheBikesheds replied to Kendalred | 5 years ago
0 likes

KendalRed wrote:

So how long before rim brakes become completely obsolete? I give it 5 years, then I'll have to start stocking up on spare calipers, shifters and about 500 sets of pads!

Rim brakes won't disappear but the top end models will become fewer and fewer across all types of cycling. Already it's virtually impossible to find a top level 'gravel' /off road or wide tyre touring bike from the big manufacturers, that means no carbon models,

The last non disc wide tyre carbon frame of any decent spec by a big brand manufacturer I think was the v brake Specialized Sirrus Pro Carbon Ltd, that was 2009, it takes 40mm with mudguards with ease and a 48mm without. They brought out a caliper version in 2012 but that was limited to 36mm with std 57mm calipers and about a 28-30mm with a mudguard They could replicate those frames and develop a 50-60mm brake with improved arch so you could get a wider tyre in or simply do as I have done and use mini Vs which IMHO are epic with STIs, I use TRP9s for big clearance for 42mm tyre and guard on my audax/touring bike in all weathers and they the dogs danglies. 

I've already bought a job lot of frames from carbon, ti and an alu/carbon a couple of years ago that will hopefully see me through the next 30 years.

Instead of a bit of development in rim braked bikes or even simply using designs from 10+years ago that worked and worked brilliantly manufacturers are simply focusing on flawed 'tech' that is heavier, slower, gives zero advantage even in terms of clearances and braking in all but very particular scenarios (which actually induce riskier/more dangerous riding so no real safety benefit) and more expensive.

Whilst some of the bikes here actually look nice and indeed some are very nice and very practical, having the choice removed completely or simply just be left with low spec options is tail wagging the dog.

No-one 'needs' discs for any road bike, manufacturers are yet again coming out with different sizes for wheels/tyres, freehub types, wheel fitment/OLN and so on so that punters are pretty much forced to buy new to have anything half decent without having to pay top prices for hand made units. It's all rather depressing tbh but not unexpected

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simonmb replied to BehindTheBikesheds | 5 years ago
1 like

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

 

I've already bought a job lot of frames from carbon, ti and an alu/carbon a couple of years ago that will hopefully see me through the next 30 years.

Wow.

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

No-one 'needs' discs for any road bike.

You're right, but you don't 'not' need them either. When it comes to getting my next new #1 (it'll be a while - happily a rim-braked Enigma Ti holds that position in my life for now) I'm quite content to walk the full length of that day's tech and development counter.

Did you remember to stock up on hubs, rims and brake-blocks too?

 

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BehindTheBikesheds replied to simonmb | 5 years ago
1 like

simonmb wrote:

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

 

I've already bought a job lot of frames from carbon, ti and an alu/carbon a couple of years ago that will hopefully see me through the next 30 years.

Wow.

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

No-one 'needs' discs for any road bike.

You're right, but you don't 'not' need them either. When it comes to getting my next new #1 (it'll be a while - happily a rim-braked Enigma Ti holds that position in my life for now) I'm quite content to walk the full length of that day's tech and development counter.

Did you remember to stock up on hubs, rims and brake-blocks too?

I have plenty of wheels (around 7 spare sets incl CF/ceramic/alu) but tbh I don't go through rims like some people seem too, ceramic rear on my commuter and the front is a second user MA2 on a Sansin sealed that's seen 7 winters already and still got plenty of life left, I back brake a lot in built up areas. The rear on my audax/tourer/winter racr is a ceramic open pro on Dura Ace, the rear is a Deore on an Alex rim, these bikes see the most miles. 

I just bought £40 worth of brake pads but that got me about 30 pairs, Ritchey (made by Fibrax) road pads for 85p pair and I bought a job lot of WTB ceramic V pads for silly money a few years back. I go through a set of ceramics about every two years on the commuter so that's going to be 8 pairs max before I stop commuting (I aint retiring at 70 ffs!) Top quality hubs last ages if you look after them but workhorse hubs like the Sansin from the 90s are brilliant, smooth rolling but unaffected by extreme conditions.

As for disc brakes, sorry I simply don't agree, having ridden in the alps and come down a very fast speeds, even with my not insignifcant weight plus load I've never felt that I didn't have enough braking, in fact the last time I didn't have enough braking it was 1987. This was on my old Raleigh racer I used to commute to college, chrome steel rims, leather stripped pads, it was raining and my fault for going into a turn too quickly when the junction had diesel and debris all over, wheels let go and I hit the deck, no harm to me or bike but it was my fault not the brakes, lesson learnt that day.

I've given my view on why I don't think discs are any safer elsewhere, it's not the actual power of the brakes that is the problem, and in terms of clearance, only yesterday there's a new Kinesis aimed at the bag-packing brigade that with guards has same clearance as a good caliper rim braked bike and only a few mm more without. Compared to V braked bikes (like my spesh globe Pro or Sirrus Carbon Ltd for instance) the rim brake bike/frame wins out, they're also lighter, by a lot!

A small amount of development in rim brake frames and calipers would mean even the most ardent disc fans would see no real life benefit. My Globe Pro can take a 55mm tyre and 48mm with a guard, there's very, very few disc braked bikes that will take tyres that big in a 700C that also have guards/rack mounts plus front rack mount, a threaded BB, 27.2mm pin size and can brake in good order from any speed in any conditions.

Specialized, Trek and others had some great framesets for the utility market and for more 'endurance' types in the mid to late 2000s that were rim brake specific, those designs have been thrown away and poorer designs with less flexibility in use  - Spesh Roubaix for instance has lost its mudguard eyelets so some are going elsewhere. In the race market just a few tweaks have seen the latest short drop calipers able to easily accept 28mm with some reporting they can get 30mm under the arch.

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dave atkinson replied to BehindTheBikesheds | 5 years ago
3 likes

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

only yesterday there's a new Kinesis aimed at the bag-packing brigade that with guards has same clearance as a good caliper rim braked bike and only a few mm more without.

it's aimed at ultradistance racers, hence the name: those riders aren't looking for huge clearances. there are plenty of bikes from kinesis and many, many others that offer much wider tyre clearance than you'll ever get from a calliper-braked bike, if that's what you are after.

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Mark B | 5 years ago
0 likes

"Scottish bike brand, known for [...], has done [...]" - er, yes, but which Scottish bike brand?

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David Arthur @d... replied to Mark B | 5 years ago
0 likes

Mark B wrote:

"Scottish bike brand, known for [...], has done [...]" - er, yes, but which Scottish bike brand?

 

Shand. Not sure where that vanished too!

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djbwilts | 5 years ago
0 likes

Can't believe that Cannondale haven't sorted the 'annondale' branding on the system six yet!!

Love the idea InSearchOf but the mudguard/rack thing looks a bit too agricultural for me. Think I saw a grey version with a different front rack that looked much better.

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David Arthur @d... replied to djbwilts | 5 years ago
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djbwilts wrote:

Can't believe that Cannondale haven't sorted the 'annondale' branding on the system six yet!!

Love the idea InSearchOf but the mudguard/rack thing looks a bit too agricultural for me. Think I saw a grey version with a different front rack that looked much better.

 

Added a few more pics of the ISO, including the grey one with the optional rack and dynamo light mount

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djbwilts replied to David Arthur @davearthur | 5 years ago
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David Arthur @davearthur wrote:

Added a few more pics of the ISO, including the grey one with the optional rack and dynamo light mount

Yeah - I definitely prefer that. I think it's a more useful shape/design from my experiences. The extra width it provides over the other design will help no end with loading stability.

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jollygoodvelo | 5 years ago
1 like

It's a few years old now but I still love that split seat tube on the Synapse.  Probably doesn't actually do anything, but makes the bikes really distinctive without making them wilfully ugly.  Like the SystemSix... 

 

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bobbydazzler replied to jollygoodvelo | 5 years ago
0 likes

jollygoodvelo wrote:

It's a few years old now but I still love that split seat tube on the Synapse.  Probably doesn't actually do anything, but makes the bikes really distinctive without making them wilfully ugly.  Like the SystemSix... 

 

 

I think the 'cheap' (£3.5k!) version of the System Six should be called the System Three, as it's only got the frame, fork and seatpost.  Upgrade potential?  Great, how much are the Knot 64 wheels to buy then when I've just forked out for an aero bike without the most important aero bit?!

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