@GoatandTricycle, at 6'2 I typically ride 58c-c top tube frames so XL though my 785 Huez RS is a Large with an effective TT of 57.3. I bought it second hand (though it was a brand new warranty replacement) so I didn't have the choice of going for an XL though the XL TT is more like 590 and the headtube is massive so I would have preferred the L regardless in terms of the racier geometry.
Were I to buy something like a pfadfinder/fairlight I would sell the 595 and strip the Serotta and sell off the parts though keep the frame as I do very much love it.
This could also all be a mad folly of course and entirely unnecessary and I could just run sks clip-on guards for my 595 for on the road in winter and then pick up a cheap old 90s MTB and run with narrowish tyres for off road stuff down here - there was a nice old Look mi80 on the classifieds here at £400 that I missed a few months ago. If I did this then I could see how that goes over summer and then reassess in a few months as to whether I would want to buy an all road/gravel type bike.
@LeBlaireau - I have access to cycle to work but only for the one year option so I don't know that it would make that much difference in terms of money saved, I'd also much rather pick things up cheap/second hand on ebay and put together myself than pay the premium for an off the peg full build from a shop.
The Strael seems a good shout though I find the design pretty boring and, for me at least, aesthetics are a not insignificant part of it - I want to be excited by the colour and decals of a frame if I'm going to be spending so much time (and money) on it! I guess this is where Standert trumps Fairlight, for me at least.
@GoatandTricycle in terms of clearance, I don't think I'd be riding much more than 40c tyres (I mean never say never) but any off road stuff would mostly be light gravel/bridleway stuff i.e. south downs way, west kernow way, rather than wading through quagmires with mud clagging up everything so maybe that Secan is a bit over-specced for my needs.
As a dyed in the wool road cyclist for the best part of twenty years it's unchartered and confusing territory that I find myself teetering on the brink of
You could always buy a frame or parts on the c2w scheme, doesn't need to be a full build anymore. That way you can still assemble yourself. Just has to be one order from one supplier. How are you finding the bora wto wheels? I still fancy a pair but they are spenny.
The Bora wheels are great - totally worth it. They just seem to propel you along without any effort. I got them for a great price from chicken cycles’ eBay shop
Thanks both, really appreciate it.
@GoatandTricycle, at 6'2 I typically ride 58c-c top tube frames so XL though my 785 Huez RS is a Large with an effective TT of 57.3. I bought it second hand (though it was a brand new warranty replacement) so I didn't have the choice of going for an XL though the XL TT is more like 590 and the headtube is massive so I would have preferred the L regardless in terms of the racier geometry.
Were I to buy something like a pfadfinder/fairlight I would sell the 595 and strip the Serotta and sell off the parts though keep the frame as I do very much love it.
This could also all be a mad folly of course and entirely unnecessary and I could just run sks clip-on guards for my 595 for on the road in winter and then pick up a cheap old 90s MTB and run with narrowish tyres for off road stuff down here - there was a nice old Look mi80 on the classifieds here at £400 that I missed a few months ago. If I did this then I could see how that goes over summer and then reassess in a few months as to whether I would want to buy an all road/gravel type bike.
@LeBlaireau - I have access to cycle to work but only for the one year option so I don't know that it would make that much difference in terms of money saved, I'd also much rather pick things up cheap/second hand on ebay and put together myself than pay the premium for an off the peg full build from a shop.
The Strael seems a good shout though I find the design pretty boring and, for me at least, aesthetics are a not insignificant part of it - I want to be excited by the colour and decals of a frame if I'm going to be spending so much time (and money) on it! I guess this is where Standert trumps Fairlight, for me at least.
@GoatandTricycle in terms of clearance, I don't think I'd be riding much more than 40c tyres (I mean never say never) but any off road stuff would mostly be light gravel/bridleway stuff i.e. south downs way, west kernow way, rather than wading through quagmires with mud clagging up everything so maybe that Secan is a bit over-specced for my needs.
As a dyed in the wool road cyclist for the best part of twenty years it's unchartered and confusing territory that I find myself teetering on the brink of