Steel bike purchase

Hi sanremo,

If have to agree with many of the posts above that getting yourself a nice steel frame and building it up with the exact components that you want would be a great way to go!  You'll hopefully end up with a bike that's just right for you and will last you years and years.  Following your message I also agree that Condor makesome lovely looking bikes and I particularly like their Fratello and Heritage models.

However if you want to consider an off the peg option alongside the custom build options I can recomment the 2016 Kond Roadhouse.  I literally just got this bike and so I can't give it a long term review just yet but so far I absolutely love it and it brings a big grin to my face whenever I ride it.  The RRP was £1,700 but as a 2016 model if you search around enough you can find some good deals now.

If you want some more info on the bike see these links:-

http://2016.konaworld.com/roadhouse.cfm

http://road.cc/content/tech-news/176979-just-kona-roadhouse-£1699-reynolds-853-disc-equipped-bike-arrives-testing

http://road.cc/content/review/182237-kona-roadhouse

http://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/latest-bikes/road-bike/kona/roadhouse/prd_518029_5668crx.aspx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltLN1bOXS10

http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/kona-roadhouse-has-anybody-owned-or-ridden-one.206081/

I like this bike a lot and it seems that other people who have ridden/owned it do as well.

The one negative thing I can say is that as mentioned in the Road.cc review you do get a whilsting noise coming from the stem which is odd but if it bothers you this could be easily solved by getting a different stem.

As menitioned if you shop around enough you can find some good deals on the 2016 model and so could be one worth considering for your shortlist.

Good luck finding the right bike for you!

John

I would go along the build your own bike route.

Framesets:

-Genesis Equilibrium 725 - 450 GBP (possibly discounted somewhere)

-Genesis Volare 853 - 900 GBP (I've seen discounts for around 750), although quite aggressive geometry

-Rourke 853 custome built - 1100 GBP

-Rourke 631 audax around - 900 GBP

This works on this specific build example (although you can play around, of course):

Campagnolo Athena gruppo - 400 GBP

Campagnolo Vento - 160 GBP

Rest - 200 GBP

Bikes:

-Bianchi Vigorelli (sweet looking but not the best of value I guess, also not many LBS retail it).

Your budget might be in Mercian territory frame wise 

I've built to an Equilbrium 853 and to a Nelson Audax (aluminium) frame set. £1700 is realistic, provided you enjoy the shopping element and don't need to start riding immediately. 

If you're serious about either of your two uses,  consider budgeting £300 for a dynohub front wheel and some German lights.  

Prepping your first unprepped frame is an experience - e.g. some headsets just slot in, others need a headset press.  Setting your crown race, your star nut and cutting your steerer to length are all fine with the right tools and a bit of experience or guidance.  

When I built a frame on a course, I got conflicting advice about facing the B\B - no point doing it before painting it vs the paint goes on evenly - so I didn't do it on the course with all the wear-withal present and ended up paying extra at the painter's.  Other frames never got faced. 

Good luck!

http://www.kurtz.hu/?lang=en

go custom

Save more and get the Mason Resolution. Big smile on my face every time I ride it.

Equilibrium disc is an awosome bike - you can get the frame and build it....

I have two of those (one at my holiday place) and with some hand built wheels from "The Cycle Clinic) they are a great ride - and yes it comes under your budget.

I did a similar thing to Graybags.  Bought a Genesis Equilibrium frameset for £425 and built it up using mostly Campag Centaur stuff.  It's really pretty, rides like a dream and, four years later, is still the bike I would save if the house caught fire.

I reckon I did the job for about £1500.  I know I could have saved a couple of hundred by buying a complete bike but this way I've got exactly what I wanted, not just 'near enough'.

Get stuck in lad.

I bought an off the peg frame from Bob Jackson, £500 I think including fork, they installed the headset (which I provided) and then I got my local LBS to build it up, mainly with Campag Veloce. It's a winter bike, but frankly is my favourite !