Sportive Bikes

TinyExplosions

With all this talk of Wicklow 200's, Border 200's, and more of the distance events, what sort of bike would you guys reccommend for taking part in these (and longer)... if you had the cash, and were going to do the long distance rides (also think Paris0Brest-Paris and London-Edinburgh-London), what steed would you want underneath you... Road bike? Specialist Sportive Bike? Cyclocross Bike?

Just interested to hear your opinions

Chips Lovell

Road bike all the way for stuff like the W200, although for longer stuff like Paris Brest Paris I can see people opting for a touring bike.

Itsfixed

There's a growing trend in cyclosportive road bikes designed with the balance more to long-distance comfort that raciness but still much lighter and peppier than a touring bike. They usually have more upright riding position and made of carbon or highquality steel for greater comfort. A good example would be the Specialized Roubaix.

Another category that is almost indistinguishable but around for longer is the audax bike. You don't see so many of these around. UK bike maker Thorn is an audax specialist and has a frame called, appropriately enough, the audax. They're usualy made out of steel.

Raam

TinyExplosions wrote: »

With all this talk of Wicklow 200's, Border 200's, and more of the distance events, what sort of bike would you guys reccommend for taking part in these (and longer)... if you had the cash, and were going to do the long distance rides (also think Paris0Brest-Paris and London-Edinburgh-London), what steed would you want underneath you... Road bike? Specialist Sportive Bike? Cyclocross Bike?

Just interested to hear your opinions

Something like Specialized's Roubaix is good for that...

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/road/product/roubaix-expert-compact-ultegra-08-24153

penexpers

I would probably go a for a Surly Long Haul Trucker myself.

Does the Roubaix have braze-ons for a rear rack?

Hungrycol

Anything longer than a one day event go for a Tourer. For one day events such as the W200 I'd for for something like the Bianchi 928 C2C or the Cannondale Synapse.

beans

A steel-frame road bike built for a compromise of comfort vs nippiness, basically an Audax. Good for multi-day events without sacrificing speed or so I'm told, this will be my next bike.

edit - This was one place that seems to specialise in Audax frames and bikes

Hungrycol

Van Nichols Titanium tourer would be very nice indeed.

blorg

The Roubaix doesn't have braze-ons, no, but very few road bike do.

Surly Long Haul Trucker would no doubt be great for multi-day touring but I don't think you will beat a nice carbon road bike for single day events where you don't have to carry luggage. Especially if it is hilly (like the W200.)

If you want one, all rounder bike that you can tour on, then an audax or touring bike (depending on your likely loaded touring weight) is a very good idea though. Probably no better all-round type bike.

As others have said this "sportive bike" (generally with a slightly more upright riding position, and compacts or triple rather than double chainrings) are a quick growing segment. Trek has jumped on the bandwagon in a big way- all their new Madones are "sportive" type bikes with compacts and an extended head tube (anything without the "Pro" designation.)