new bike help required plz...

hi, i know this is a retro bike site but i also know a lot of you ride new as well and as this is the only bike forum i frequent as i have a retro mtb and racer but i thought i would pose this qu for some advice if possible.....

i have my ride to work voucher in my grubby mits and am looking for a bit of an all rounder....

i'm lookin to keep up with my mates racing bike so need a fastish road bike but i also want to do some mild off road stuff like canal paths and am also lookin to do some long distance riding to build up my fitness which i'm hoping will include some century rides by the end of the summer, ....so

no1 on my list was the Charge Mixer...but is it fast on the open road and is the alfine set up a hindrance if i get a puncture or shouldnt i worry about that too much?

hybrids like the mixer,....Cannondale bad boy disc or bad boy 700..but looks too fragile for 100 mile rides or off road..y/n?

cyclo cross bikes?...i'm likin the look of Pinnacle, Kona jake and Dawes edge x..i like Focus too but don't qualify for one of them unfortunately

what do you reckon folks..any ideas?

cheers in advance..

ive just added Ridgeback Flight 04 to the list.... :shock:

A touring bike will do all of this and more.
Hewitt Cheviot is a good starting point.

I had a Bad Boy a few years ago and the frame was from their MTB range,just had a rigid fork and one or two other slight modifications

No reason that couldn't do most of what you want, maybe build a bike up yourself, keep it light, rigid with slicks for the road

I thought about the Voodoo CX bike. It looks like a good buy, especially as they've lopped 200 off the price at Halfords.

I got my voucher on Friday and I went for a boardman. I was out on it yesterday and it is absolutely fantastic. For £999 it's an incredible piece of kit, rides and handles really well. Now I have £150 of freebies to decide on

cheers for replies...

my voucher is Evans specific so it has to be from their range..

but like the look and sound of all the above bikes posted...

one prob with the Charge is in the back of my mind i know i am a bit tall for a medium and a bit short for a large....

and at 5' 11" and a half in old money i usually fit large frames nicely...hmmm

Get the Charge Mixer, I know that is what you've got your heart set on. Choosing the hub gear is gonna limit your choices as you know.

Personally I've got nothing against derailleurs so if I was in your shoes I would widen my choices to include 'conventional geared bikes'.

As for the sizing a smaller bike (Medium) will be more 'flickable' ie responsive, you will have more standover height (which is more relavant to MTB's), you would probably have a lot of seat pin showing if you went for the medium.

The large will have a less lively feel and be more comfortable for distance work.

My Rockhopper is a size 21", which would be a XL How did you feel on that??

I think the Charge Mixer sizes are Medium - 18" - Large 20", but could be wrong??

Remember that sizing can be tweaked with different stem lengths, seat position etc.

I think the Mixer in a Large is the bike for you. When you order it, you get the chance to test ride it. If it doesn't feel right, you will be able to order a different size/bike.

Willy

Ahh Willy....

as much as i love the look of the Charge Mixer, and still want one, it is billed as an urban commuter and with it's steel frame and alfine hub will, i feel, just be too heavy

the Mixer has 8 gear ratios which may hold it back a bit on the open long road stretches

I want to ride on and off road, especially the canal paths round our way so a carbon fork with cushioning qualities will iron those surfaces out plus the potholes/drains etc on the road

so I have gone for a......................

Specialized Tricross Sport 2009 in fetching black,brown and white...

a 27 speed cyclo cross bike that should hold its own on the road.... its light too with 3 riding positions and ive saved 120 quid against the price of the Mixer

also there is a cyclo cross club not far from us i have seen that have races..turn up and pay a tenner .. i fancy a bit of that.....

they also do kids races and i wouldn't mind getting my 8 yr old daughter involved to sample a bit of competition and fitness

the Ridgeback i read about on Road cc and i like it but crossed it off the list
the Dawes edge x cyclo cross looked ok but only 18 speed and will probably get discounted soon as its a bit pricey

i would have considered Focus Mares cyclo cross but not available through the scheme

regarding frames yeah your Rockhoppers are a size too big for me...but had lots of fun on the blue one..

so i think ive made a good choice with the Tricross...but will have to try 56 and 58 sizes cos not sure which is best at mo

still want a Charge Mixer though..maybe next years scheme eh?...

One of these?

Looks Purdy.

yep..thats the beauty...