UKH

Any views from the UKC collective on the merits of either of these fine steeds? Will mainly be used for chasing after my 6-year old daughter and hopefully some short bike-packing when she is older plus maybe the odd multi-day trip along forest tracks or back roads.

https://www.alpkit.com/sonder/bikes/sonder-camino-al-sram-apex1-mechanical-...

https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-arkose-1-2018-adventure-road-bike-EV30...

In reply to featuresforfeet:
Of those 2 I'd go with the Sonder - they are making a good name for themselves.

However I would question your choice of bike style.... unless you already have other bikes?

It strikes me as the style of bike that wont be great at anything - a bit heavy and lumbering on the road, and next to useless on anything more than a gravel track off-road (you certainly wouldn't want to take one of those for anything other than the shortest distance on bridle paths near me - especially if wet)

If the intention is to go bike packing on it I would think a hard tail MTB would be a better choice - it wouldn't be much worse on-road (with slicks and fork locked) but would be much more capable & comfortable off road.


Edit: also you might still be able to pick up a 2017 model if you look round for ~30% off

In reply to balmybaldwin: Have you ever ridden an adventure bike or what are you basing this statement on? Many of these bikes are akin to lightweight rigid MTB's and are actually extremely capable. I've ridden single track in the Dolomites on my Cotic Escapade, and do a lot of routes which previously I'd have done on a full MTB. The handle bars have more positions so actually more comfortable and with a 1x drive train and discs are really not far off the mark for many different types of terrain. Sure, if you are going out on road rides which are group club type rides you will find it harder compared to a road bike, but if like me you don't really care about that sort of thing they make a lot of sense. They are easier by far to ride on the road than an MTB and are sufficiently capable offroad that they allow you to explore. Sure, they are not as comfortable as a full sus or half sus MTB when it really gets bumby but if you live in an area where you have undulating hills and your rides are very much mixed terrain I'd say they are ideal.

In reply to featuresforfeet:

This is my daily ride for 16 miles on Nottingham's ruined roads & half a mile of unpaved road:

https://www.evanscycles.com/norco-search-a-sora-2017-adventure-road-bike-EV...

Excellent bike, good reviews from all users. Saddle is murder though, need to change that!

In reply to featuresforfeet:

If you want a flat bar hybrid then i have a Cannondale badboy in absolute mint condition going for £200
looks like this https://www.evanscycles.com/cannondale-bad-boy-3-2015-hybrid-bike-EV214060

In reply to chris fox:

I would buy Chris' bike personally.

In reply to beardy mike:

Yes ridden a few hybrids, and owned a cx bike a few years ago (sold due to lack of use) I just find them too much of a compromise and broke wheels on my cx bike. I guess it depends on riding style/preferences. I just can't stand having to hold back off-road, but will happily pootle on road even on my Enduro bike between trails... maybe it's because I was a bit of a late adopter of road riding having grown up on rigid mtbs - I like fat tyres off road and I like my road bike on road (and the odd short smooth path if necessary)

In reply to featuresforfeet:

I got one of these in the summer, great value IMHO

https://www.merlincycles.com/merlin-axe7-pro-disc-road-bike-2017-95581.html

Currently running it with 32mm armadillo semi-slicks and full guards for commuting but planning on using it for the Dirty Reiver gravel ride in April with no guards and bigger tyres

In reply to featuresforfeet:

I've already got 2 road bikes that I rarely use (found the commute to agro and lost the mojo for long rides). Just got rid of my full sus as I rarely used it to it's full potential and it needed a lot of work doing to it which didn't seem like it was worth the investment.

If I'm on my own it is more likely I'll ride 20k or so of roads to get to some easy off road stuff vs driving to go for a ride on a full susser (hence an adventure bike vs MTB).

In reply to chris fox:

If you're in the SW send me a message

In reply to featuresforfeet:

I would second the suggestion of a hard tail MTB, maybe a 29er. My specialised hardrock (£400) was superb for going from Fort William to Montrose by cross country (via Mnt Keen) and dam near indestructible. It now lives out its life with skinny tyres being my commuter steed.

In reply to featuresforfeet:

Just get the cheapest. Another cycling fashion to flog the arse out of.

'I've done things with a Specialized Allez you people wouldn't even imagine'

I can say that because I've got steel gravel bike with boutique frame and 1x, woodchippers etc etc..it's nice sitting in the corner and gets plenty of comments. But I don't enjoy it more than the thashed to f*ck Allez.

YMMV.

D

In reply to featuresforfeet:

Never buy anything from Evans. Alpkit is the better bike and a better company.

Enjoy.

D

Both of those bikes are very popular and well respected. If you want to know anything and everything about the Arkose then there's a huge thread on singletrackworld that's got it covered which the designer regularly contributes to.

Of the two I'd go for the Arkose if only for the fact you can go to a shop and try one for size.

In reply to thepodge:


And, while I really like Alpkit as a company and think their other bikes look great, the Camino is hideously ugly and, as we all know, ugly bikes are slower.

Or is that just me?

In reply to Cheese Monkey:

Sorry mate i'm in the grim north !

In reply to balmybaldwin:

A hybrid isn't an adventure bike and nor is a CX bike. Used to have a CX bike and it was a totally different beast - a bit jittery and unstable and not that much fun to ride offroad. The Geometries are totally different as is the kit used on them, or at least it was in those days, with rubbish cantilever brakes and sub 30mm tyres. My Cotic has 40mm Nano's and can go up to 45, has decent mtb mechanical brakes and 1x gearing... it's just a lightweight MTB as are the Arkrose and and Sonder.

Just for info, the Sonder bikes are designed by Brant Richards who used to do all the On-One bikes so they have design pedigree...

In reply to featuresforfeet:

https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-arkose-x-2018-adventure-road-bike-EV27...

Personally I'd say this is a better spec than what you've linked - 1x drive train, hydraulic brakes although a barend shifter. But you get used to that pretty quick. I'd maybe change the bars to a flared shallow drop bar of which there are now loads at a reasonable cost...

In reply to TobyA:
I don't really understand the Alpkit thing. I've never had or seen anything from them that I think is all that good.
Maybe that's not fair - good but not great maybe more accurate.
Somewhere between Berghaus and Rab.

In reply to featuresforfeet:

They'll both be great bikes. Evans shops can be variable but their Pinnacle bikes are well made and well designed, not your usual own-brand stuff. Alpkit/Sonder obviously have the indy credentials, they'll also let you demo bikes by courier I believe. Personally I'd stretch the budget to hydro brakes to avoid BB5s, but Spyre/BB7 mechanicals are fine. Also worth asking about tubeless set up unless you can do it yourself.

I have a Cotic Escapade like beardy mike - there are some good offers on at the moment to add another option into the mix. I think all these 'adventure' bikes are brilliant for the majority of riding most people probably do from their front doors and on knackered UK lanes. At the moment I'm running 32c tyres and guards for long road rides, then in the summer I'll put 40c tyres back on for bridleways and singletrack.