Dear All, apologies - long again. I asked for (and got, thanks) some advice on bikes available on c2w for a 17km commute - but having had a chance to look at them, they are obvious non-starters and wouldn't stand up to it for long.
So am currently looking at the Woosh Karoo and Krieger, which are in my budget (I've revised down from £1500 - realistically, I'm always going to choose to convert my Dawes Horizon before I spend that or give up and get a bus pass).
I'm in the weight/height ranges for both (though fairly often have to carry home a *lot* of stuff, which could push the weight close to 90kg). The Karoo is closer to the bike I'm used to and is cheaper, so I'm leaning towards it, but Whoosh does say better for mainly flat areas. My commute is mainly flat (some undulating, nothing serious) except for a choice of two possible hills: 100m or so of 10% followed by 500m of 5% and then a couple of km of 3% (I only do this when it's windy - it's avoids another long flat-ish into-the-wind bit); or 750m of mainly 5% with a couple of bits of 8% (all distances are 'ish' - and the 'undulating' bits essentially mean the total climbing distances aren't the same).
I've been riding the final 10km of this for many years with no problems (admittedly I've geared my bike down to 24/34/44 at the front and 11-34 at the back, but I only use the lowest gear on the 10% bit unless v. loaded) so I'm looking at taking the sting out of it (esp. when it's windy and the extra 7km is *very* exposed and into the prevailing wind) - I'm not looking at turning it into an effortless waft home.
One other thing though - it's longer than before so it would be nice to be quicker. Currently I'm doing the outward trip at about 17km/hr and the homeward one about 14km/hr. The hills are the main issue on the way home, so it would be nice to be a bit faster than just-over-walking pace; in the morning though, some bits I'm riding well over 25km/hr, so I don't want something that's impossible to pedal in practice over the assistance restriction limit.
Thanks
So am currently looking at the Woosh Karoo and Krieger, which are in my budget (I've revised down from £1500 - realistically, I'm always going to choose to convert my Dawes Horizon before I spend that or give up and get a bus pass).
I'm in the weight/height ranges for both (though fairly often have to carry home a *lot* of stuff, which could push the weight close to 90kg). The Karoo is closer to the bike I'm used to and is cheaper, so I'm leaning towards it, but Whoosh does say better for mainly flat areas. My commute is mainly flat (some undulating, nothing serious) except for a choice of two possible hills: 100m or so of 10% followed by 500m of 5% and then a couple of km of 3% (I only do this when it's windy - it's avoids another long flat-ish into-the-wind bit); or 750m of mainly 5% with a couple of bits of 8% (all distances are 'ish' - and the 'undulating' bits essentially mean the total climbing distances aren't the same).
I've been riding the final 10km of this for many years with no problems (admittedly I've geared my bike down to 24/34/44 at the front and 11-34 at the back, but I only use the lowest gear on the 10% bit unless v. loaded) so I'm looking at taking the sting out of it (esp. when it's windy and the extra 7km is *very* exposed and into the prevailing wind) - I'm not looking at turning it into an effortless waft home.
One other thing though - it's longer than before so it would be nice to be quicker. Currently I'm doing the outward trip at about 17km/hr and the homeward one about 14km/hr. The hills are the main issue on the way home, so it would be nice to be a bit faster than just-over-walking pace; in the morning though, some bits I'm riding well over 25km/hr, so I don't want something that's impossible to pedal in practice over the assistance restriction limit.
Thanks
