Currently, I am trying to decide on a gravel bike. To function as my daily commute bike, weekend spin and occasional mini adventure bike. The complication to the equation is that I am trying to pick a bike that my eldest son can use to accompany me on these mini-adventures. The search for a new all-rounder bike was sparked by the failure of my current ride. The chain jumped out of the back of the derailleur mechanism causing me to nearly flip the bike on a busy road. Initially, I thought that the cartridge was the cause of the problem but on further investigation, it would appear that the axel had snapped. It is an old Claud Butler Odyssey which has been useful as a daily commute but was this an opportunity to find a bike which could be more versatile? A gravel bike would provide a daily commute, occasional off-road fun and an option for mini-adventures such as bike camping or the occasional Audax but which bike? The options and price range is impressive. For me, the initial starting......

Over the years I've always brought bikes from bike shops. Sometimes this has been a great experience and others the "experts" have failed to deliver. The bike buying choices have changed a lot from when I first bought my own bikes you had no choice but to use bike stores and your choices were restricted to the brands that your local store provided. The internet has helped consumers have greater choice but undermined the bike shops ability to function profitably. I feel a sense of loyalty to my local bike stores but I often wonder if the feeling is mutual. The attention to detail and personal service seems to evaporate the moment the bike is wheeled out of the store. I bought a Specialized road bike two years ago from a local store and had a minor gear shift problem I popped back into the store and the problem was resolved. Roll forward a couple of months and I kept getting what appeared to be nylon stuck on the gear cable. I took the bike to another local store and th......