New Bike Advice Needed After Crash

[slowhand44]

Two weeks ago I was cycling to work when a taxi pulled out of a side street in front of me (to see the results see here).

Anyway, I now need a new bike, which I will be able to get once his insurance company pays up, and my fractured rib and other injuries have healed. I am looking for advice on a new winter bike. My only requirements are that it takes full mudguards, is available with Campag groupset (Veloce) and is under £900.

Any advice or recommendations? What do you guys ride?

Also, a local LBS has suggested using a normal alloy road bike and using Crud Catcher Road Racer Mk2 guards, negating the need to narrow my search to frames that have clearance. Has anybody used these? How good a coverage do they give compared to normal guards, and do they actually clear the tyre?

Thanks,

Michael

 

[Benotti69]

Looks like you only need half a bike.

A frame, forks, handlebars, stem, front wheel, brake* levers and maybe front brake*!

Why not get a new frame and transfer most of it across? adding the rest from secondhand or new?



*you know who you are! . Peleton )))))

 

[JayKosta]

From this info, it seems the 'Crud Catcher' fenders are designed for narrow tires (maximum of 25mm).
http://www.biketiresdirect.com/product/crud-catcher-road-racer-mk2-fender-set

For a rainy weather bike, I suggest wider tires and fenders that provide good protection from spray.
You might also need adequate clearance between the tires and fenders for slush & snow if that is a conern.

One of my bikes has aluminum fenders, and they have lasted a long time without any problems.

Sorry to hear about the accident, and I hope you feel better soon,

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

 

[Master50]

Looks like you only need half a bike.

A frame, forks, handlebars, stem, front wheel, break levers and maybe front break!

Why not get a new frame and transfer most of it across? adding the rest from secondhand or new?

Maybe you don't know this but he has break levers IE Broken levers. He needs BRAKE levers to activate his BRAKES. His current Brakes are also Broken and I need a break from the mis spelling of the word Break, Brake. You can't stop if your brakes break. Get it? Sorry you get the prize as I generally can tolerate about 400 posts that misuse these two words in print before I have to say something. I am losing my tolerance ;-(.

Carry on I have 399 post to go.

 

[Benotti69]

Maybe you don't know this but he has break levers IE Broken levers. He needs BRAKE levers to activate his BRAKES. His current Brakes are also Broken and I need a break from the mis spelling of the word Break, Brake. You can't stop if your brakes break. Get it? Sorry you get the prize as I generally can tolerate about 400 posts that misuse these two words in print before I have to say something. I am losing my tolerance ;-(.

Carry on I have 399 post to go.

Oh dear somebody never got the teaching job he so desired.

It is an internet forum that is actually a series of millions 0000s and 1111s all in different order such as 0101010001010101010 so it doesn't really matter to most of us.

i look forward to pushing your inner unfullfilled teacher's button in future.

here have one for today 'Peleton'

 

[The Gnome]

via fenders...take a look at ones by SKS...a german firm I believe...I use those on my road bike when needed and they only take about a minute to add or take off...great protection as well...the crud ones I have seen are pretty flimsy (tho maybe they have updated them?) while the sks give the benefits of pretty much real fenders but can be removed easily...lightweight as well...

 

[Notso Swift]

The cruds are designed so they can move a touch without an issue, keeping them really tight, I like them but I also like I can throw them on and off, becayse they are not an every day requirement for me

Benotti, most likely the terms are based on the insurance company, but Otherwise I would agree, much more fun building it up

 

[dsut4392]

If you're only riding in town, the advice of your lbs to stick some crud catchers on a normal roadie is fine. If you ride in the countryside however, and have the luxury of having a dedicated winter bike (presumably meaning there's a fair-weather bike in the stable too?) then I would go for the extra clearance and full mudguards. I've done a winter of riding in Devon with only one road bike (a nice one), and regretted not having space for some fat rubber let alone mudguards, particularly when the ride turns down a road nicknamed "cow pI55 lane" with cobbles and gravel lurking under 6 inches of excrement...luckily I'm well trained as an MTB'er to keep my mouth shut when it gets dirty!

Check out the Ribble "Special Edition Bikes" page. 7005 alloy frame for £663.95 with full Veloce and mudguards...

For more selection of components (at a higher price than the special edition) go through their bike builder page, still should be easy to keep it under £900 if you don't go crazy on the wheels.

 

[MarkvW]

via fenders...take a look at ones by SKS...a german firm I believe...I use those on my road bike when needed and they only take about a minute to add or take off...great protection as well...the crud ones I have seen are pretty flimsy (tho maybe they have updated them?) while the sks give the benefits of pretty much real fenders but can be removed easily...lightweight as well...

I've commuted and toured on SKS fenders for several years. They work fine and they have decent clearance.

 

[purpletezza]

There a few bike brands in the UK that will suit you for a commuter with mudguards:
Ribble
Thorn
Dolan
to name a few.

I have Dolan(http://www.dolan-bikes.com) steel road frame with full length SKS fenders. Have done about 30,000kms on it commuting. Onto my third groupset now. Terry Dolan's website no longer lists steel frames but I am sure he can build a custom frame for you for not much $$. The frame I had built has all the bosses for fenders, panniers and even semi horizontal rear dropouts if I want to run it as a single speed.

Try and salvage some of the groupset off your wrecked bike so you can put the insurance $$ into a better frame and wheels. For wheels get some handbuilt ones (eg white industry hubs, Mavic open pro rims, DT Swiss spokes). I have some wheels like these again on the Dolan and after about 25000kms needed some new rims. I find handbuilt wheels more comfy for rough commuter roads than factory built wheels like the Mavic range.

By the way I have not seen such a wrecked bike as yours for some time. At least not since I saw a carbon Scott frame run up the rear of a parked car at 45km/h! It exploded.