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I've got on well with my Arkose, but can see why it might be ugly.
You might like the Marin 30th anniversary bikes if you're into AWOL/CDF
http://www.marinbikes.com/gb/bikes/all -
If you could find yourself a deal and got some parts, a Soma Wolverine would be ace as an all-rounder with massive tire clearance. Frame can take at least a 2.1" 29er. Plenty of mounts for anything needed, tange steel frame with sliding dropouts, chainstay split for belt drive, etc.
I believe they only sell it only as a frameset.
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CdF will feel a lots more nimble than what you're riding on at the moment, only disadvantage is the smaller tyres clearance in comparison.
Weight doesn't matter, it how the bike ride does, this is why your current bike feel heavy and slow, the geometry make it easier to be stable off road but slower on road.
My advice - test ride them all, CdF is still a good value for money in term of equipment anyway.
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I've not ridden some of the others but have ridden my Alu Boardman as well as my steel CDF30.
The boardman was better as a winter road bike as it was a little lighter and stiffer, but as an all rounder/tourer/occasional off roader I would choose the CDF every time, and don't regret the purchase.
Compared to my 853 road bike te CDF does feel a little sluggish but that's no surprise, I've done some off road on it and it handled it great, and it was excellent for touring, it instills confidence whatever the scenario and handles really well, a lot of fun with a pair of 28c road tyres on, whilst it'll still clear 42 off road tyres (or even bigger? Haven't tried)
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@lae
So I've been riding a rigid 29er Inbred for the last three years - basically everything from the daily commute to touring to bikepacking to spur-of-the-moment XC rides. It's a great practical bike, but it's a bit heavy and burly for 95% of the riding I do on it.
Is there a reasonably-priced OTP bike/frameset that'll fulfill the same duties whilst being lighter and looking more civilised? Disc brakes are a must; 45c+ tyres preferable.
I already have a proper trail bike, so I don't want anything too aggressive off road.
I have looked at:
Surly Straggler - nice, but seems a bit expensive for what you get, and I have test-ridden one on-road and didn't particularly like it (seemed flexy)
Salsa offerings - ditto the above, except I haven't ridden one
Spesh AWOL - only 35c tyre clearance
I'm also interested in:
Genesis Vagabond - great tyre clearance, cheap-ish, but heavier than my Inbred, and higher BB when I probably want lower, probably not the best on road
Pinnacle Arkose - light, cheap, unfortunately a bit ugly
Genesis CdA - light, cheap, looks like it'll be good on road, tapered headtube, perhaps not quite as well-specced as the Arkose but much more handsome
Genesis CdF - doesn't seem as good value as the CdA, heavier, probably less fun on-road
I'm heading towards a CdA 20, but what do we think about having a second 650b wheelset for it, for touring or rougher routes? 700c for road/path/credit-card tours, 650b tubeless for bridleways/footpaths/gentler bikepacking.
Are there any other bikes I should be considering? My budget's about 1000-1200GBP.