First road bike + mudguards/rack?

[cyclinginlondon]

Hi,

Looking for some advice please! Have been cycling on a hybrid, but am thinking of getting a road bike.
I'm thinking of spending £500-£600 & ideally would like a road bike that can be fitted with mudguards & a rack.

I've been looking at these 3 which are within budget:

Specialized Allez 16 2010 roadbike
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/...-bike-ec019545

Trek 1.1 2010 road bike
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/...-bike-ec020773

Pinnacle Sentinal 1.0 road bike (2009/2010)
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/...-bike-ec018113

I've heard good things about the Allez but apparently the Pinnacle is mudguard/rack compatible and it doesn't specify that for the others.

Does anyone know if the Trek and the Specialized can be fitted with mudguards/rack?

Please has anyone any advice for someone looking to buy their first road bike? Or any other road bike recommendations?

Thanks

 

[alfeng]

Looking for some advice please! Have been cycling on a hybrid, but am thinking of getting a road bike.
I'm thinking of spending £500-£600 & ideally would like a road bike that can be fitted with mudguards & a rack.

I've been looking at these 3 which are within budget:

Specialized Allez 16 2010 roadbike
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/...-bike-ec019545

Trek 1.1 2010 road bike
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/...-bike-ec020773

Pinnacle Sentinal 1.0 road bike (2009/2010)
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/...-bike-ec018113

I've heard good things about the Allez but apparently the Pinnacle is mudguard/rack compatible and it doesn't specify that for the others.

Does anyone know if the Trek and the Specialized can be fitted with mudguards/rack?

Please has anyone any advice for someone looking to buy their first road bike? Or any other road bike recommendations?

As a rule of thumb, if the standard tyre that the bike is shipped from the factory with is 700x23, then the bike probably cannot be fit with fenders ... looking at he pictures of the Trek & Specialized bikes AND following that fore mentioned rule of thumb, NEITHER the Trek 1.1 NOR the Specialized Allez 16 can accept fenders.

Bikes that come with 700x28 tyres usually can be fit with fenders. The exception would be a "true" CX (cyclocross) bike, but others like those which do double duty for racing & training (e.g., Redline) have eyelets on the frame & fork. Of course, Touring bikes can accept fenders.

BTW. For £200, or less, you can put a rigid fork on your Hybrid (in case it has a suspension fork) + drop bars (if that's what your objective is) + a set of 10-speed Campagnolo shifters (which are compatible with 8-/9-speed Shimano drivetrains ... some minimal tweaking needed for 9-speed Shimano compatibility).

In the States, many tandem riders immediately eschew the steel fork that comes with their bikes in order to fit a carbon fibre fork ... if that is true where you are then you can get an essentially new rigid fork for your Hybrid for a fraction of what a "brand new" rigid fork would cost at a shop.

 

[oldbobcat]

Does anyone know if the Trek and the Specialized can be fitted with mudguards/rack?

The 1.1 and Allez both have eyelets for mounting racks and/or fenders, but clearances for fenders are tight.

Gary Fisher road bikes boast eyelets and slightly wider clearances. You might also want to look at the cyclocross-touring factory conversions style of bike. It's basically a cyclocross frame with eyelets and gearing (triple or compact double crank) for touring. See the Specialized Tricross Sport and the Fisher Lane.