Spa Aubisque

[pancycle]

Am interested in buying an Audax bike made from steel, that has a triple chainset and good quality disc brakes, the only off the shelf bike that appears suitable is the Spa Aubisque, but reviews of it are in short supply, does anybody have one, and are they suitable for 1200s etc

[bludger]

You have quite a lot of choice if you browse for 'touring' bikes. See e.g. https://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/205991-13-best-touring-bikes-your-options-taking-beyond

Of the list my eye is taken by the Temple Cycles one https://www.templecycles.co.uk/products/adventure-tour?variant=29454496464982 if nothing else because it looks pretty nice. The Surly LHT is a bit dearer but is more contemporary https://www.bikemonger.co.uk/surly-long-haul-trucker-1774-p.asp . A disc version is also on the market.

[P.P.]

Am interested in buying an Audax bike made from steel, that has a triple chainset and good quality disc brakes, the only off the shelf bike that appears suitable is the Spa Aubisque, but reviews of it are in short supply, does anybody have one, and are they suitable for 1200s etc

I can’t help on the Aubisque front, but I’ve got an Elan and a steel Audax from Spa which is the Aubisque's predecessor and they are both superb bikes to ride.

If you can get up to Spa then they are really helpful and will let you take one out for a test ride so you can make your own mind up. Defiantly worth making the trip if you’ve got the time.

[S2L]

I am not quite sure why anyone would call "Aubisque" a bike that weighs 12.5 Kg. I have ridden up the Col d'Aubisque... on an 8 kg bike I should add, wouldn't want to do it on a cast iron thing.
If you want a triple chainset, that's fine, but why going for these very heavy bikes?

[Cudzoziemiec]

I am not quite sure why anyone would call "Aubisque" a bike that weighs 12.5 Kg. I have ridden up the Col d'Aubisque... on an 8 kg bike I should add, wouldn't want to do it on a cast iron thing.
If you want a triple chainset, that's fine, but why going for these very heavy bikes?

It's just a pun. The bike is Obese(que).

[pancycle]

I am not quite sure why anyone would call "Aubisque" a bike that weighs 12.5 Kg. I have ridden up the Col d'Aubisque... on an 8 kg bike I should add, wouldn't want to do it on a cast iron thing.
If you want a triple chainset, that's fine, but why going for these very heavy bikes?
[/quote
I like reynolds tubed frames, I would like to try disc brakes after 20+yrs audaxing on calipers and cantis. The long wheel base is another attraction as I like the stability that it gives, and the bike looks nice!

[grams]

You don’t really get the benefits of disc unless you go hydraulic, and there are no hydraulic triple drop bar levers, so you’re painting yourself into a bit of a corner with that spec.

[bludger]

Mech discs are definitely superior than rim in wet and muddy conditions. They obviously aren't a touch on hydros in the modulation sense but I maintain they aren't to be sniffed at either especially for audaxing/touring, they're really easy to fix and maintain with minimal tools and spares.

[Paul H]

Thorn's latest Audax model the mk4, is also disc braked and might be worth a look.
As for weight, the Aubisque frameset is around 3.5 kg and you could shed half a kilo with a carbon fork.  That's what steel frames weigh, doesn't really matter how fancy the steel is, if it's designed for the same purpose and differences are going to be a few hundred grams at most. When comparisons are made between 8kg and 12.5kg bikes, it'll be a lot more than the frame that's different.  I've built a couple of steel Audax frames up at around 10kg without trying too hard or spending lots.  Spa or Thorn will build to whatever spec you want. 
I have mechanical and hydraulic disc brakes, there's differences but they both work fine.

[bludger]

There are some lighter steel frames out there like the stuff made of Tange tubing. The stupidest light Tange-tubed bike (that's an entire bike, not just the frameset) is 5.4 kg ( https://www.bikeradar.com/news/worlds-lightest-steel-road-bike/ ), though that is with a full carbon fork. It isn't just a joke media frenzy frameset either, $1,600 isn't daft money. More sensible is the Soma grand randonneur which with steel frame and forks weighs in around 2.9kg https://www.somafab.com/archives/product/grand-randonneur-frame-set , so with a carbon fork as you say would be around 2.4. It's about $570.  https://www.somafabshop.com/shop/product/soma-frameset-grand-randonneur-v2-white-3515?category=990&search=randonneur

Yasujiro also do another fully steel frameset that weighs in at just under 2kg http://yasujirobike.com/product_detail.php?sn=2

This is a dangerous website...

Look at that fork, brrrrr:

[Paul H]

There are some lighter steel frames out there

Yes, though I was careful to say "designed for the same purpose" so comparing with close clearance road bikes wasn't really the point.  The SOMA randonneur is a slightly closer comparison and 600g lighter than an Aubisque , though it's quite different with a 1" headtube and not disk brakes, it's also unlikely there's a carbon fork for it's specific geometry.
I had a SOMA ES in Tange Prestige and very nice it was too,  built up around 10.5kg with a Campag triple.

[De Sisti]

Look at that fork, brrrrr:

Looks too fragile to be used on a bike. It'd probably snap as soon as a rider accelerated.

[S2L]

I had something very similar to the OP link years ago, the Genesis Croix de Fer... in fact it looks like pretty much the same thing (triple aside). It was very heavy, to the point that on very hilly rides it gave me knee problems (maybe a triple would have helped). I didn't find the longer wheelbase life changing, in fact I never noticed any difference and the mechanical disc brakes (I tried them all: TRP, Hayes, Juin Tech, Shimano...) weren't any better than rim brakes... if anything the semi hydraulic like TRP HyRD were less reliable... basically a prayer before any squeeze of the lever, as I never got the same reaction twice.

Don't bother

[bobb]

I am not quite sure why anyone would call "Aubisque" a bike that weighs 12.5 Kg. I have ridden up the Col d'Aubisque... on an 8 kg bike I should add, wouldn't want to do it on a cast iron thing.
If you want a triple chainset, that's fine, but why going for these very heavy bikes?

Pfft.... I've ridden up Col d'Aubisque on a Long Haul Trucker. Fully loaded! It was fine. Although Strava shows that I was one of the slowest ever to do so. I blame the weather though 

[S2L]

I am not quite sure why anyone would call "Aubisque" a bike that weighs 12.5 Kg. I have ridden up the Col d'Aubisque... on an 8 kg bike I should add, wouldn't want to do it on a cast iron thing.
If you want a triple chainset, that's fine, but why going for these very heavy bikes?

Pfft.... I've ridden up Col d'Aubisque on a Long Haul Trucker. Fully loaded! It was fine. Although Strava shows that I was one of the slowest ever to do so. I blame the weather though 

But that's the point... it's the difference between enjoying the ascent and having to deal with it. I loved it... at the time there was no Strava,with a 1:20 ascent it looks like I would be in the top 25%... 

[tatanab]

But that's the point... it's the difference between enjoying the ascent and having to deal with it. I loved it... at the time there was no Strava,with a 1:20 ascent it looks like I would be in the top 25%... 

No having to deal with it, I enjoyed it in 1995 (A mere lad at 43) when I rode the Raid Pyreneen as part of a tour.  The Aubisque was not my first climb of the day, having already ridden Marie Blanc, and not my last.  Later I remember thinking what a fine ride the Aspin was.  My touring bike weighed 27lbs (12.3kg) to which must be added a full saddlebag. 

[grams]

8 vs 12 kg might sound a lot, but when you include your body weight it’s more like 70 vs 74 kg, for which you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference in climbing speed without a stopwatch.

[S2L]

8 vs 12 kg might sound a lot, but when you include your body weight it’s more like 70 vs 74 kg, for which you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference in climbing speed without a stopwatch.

It's the fine line between pleasant and unpleasant. Your body adapts to climbing with a certain weight. I can definitely tell when I've beefed up by half a stone. When I am allowed to borrow a 6 kg bike, I can definitely appreciate what a fine climbing machine it is... then I don't buy one, because it's too flimsy for my needs, but equally 12.5 Kg is completely OTT for Audax, or at least for short to mid distance Audax... if we talk touring and bike packing, that's another story. I thought the OP wanted an Audax bike

[Paul H]

8 vs 12 kg might sound a lot, but when you include your body weight it’s more like 70 vs 74 kg, for which you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference in climbing speed without a stopwatch.

It's the fine line between pleasant and unpleasant. Your body adapts to climbing with a certain weight. I can definitely tell when I've beefed up by half a stone. When I am allowed to borrow a 6 kg bike, I can definitely appreciate what a fine climbing machine it is... then I don't buy one, because it's too flimsy for my needs, but equally 12.5 Kg is completely OTT for Audax, or at least for short to mid distance Audax... if we talk touring and bike packing, that's another story. I thought the OP wanted an Audax bike

May well be the fine line for you and completely OTT for the way you ride Audax, just a shame you think we're all the same.  It'd be like me dismissing a 8kg bike because it won't take the camping gear that accompanies me to many Audax.

[Johnny Faro]

Not sure where you are or how tall you are but I have a spa club tour you'd be welcome to try if your anywhere near Essex and 5'8". It's not disc though

[Cudzoziemiec]

More sensible is the Soma grand randonneur which with steel frame and forks weighs in around 2.9kg https://www.somafab.com/archives/product/grand-randonneur-frame-set , so with a carbon fork as you say would be around 2.4. It's about $570.  https://www.somafabshop.com/shop/product/soma-frameset-grand-randonneur-v2-white-3515?category=990&search=randonneur

You owe me $570! Well no, I don't think I'd buy a frame with a threaded fork nowadays, but it does look nice.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I had something very similar to the OP link years ago, the Genesis Croix de Fer... in fact it looks like pretty much the same thing (triple aside). It was very heavy, to the point that on very hilly rides it gave me knee problems (maybe a triple would have helped). I didn't find the longer wheelbase life changing, in fact I never noticed any difference and the mechanical disc brakes (I tried them all: TRP, Hayes, Juin Tech, Shimano...) weren't any better than rim brakes... if anything the semi hydraulic like TRP HyRD were less reliable... basically a prayer before any squeeze of the lever, as I never got the same reaction twice.

Don't bother

You're not the only person to report problems with the HyRd. On the face of it a system that should combine the benefits of mechanical and hydraulic operation, in practice it seems to give all of the negatives and no positives. I guess it's like a chain being as good as its weakest link, and in this case you've got two chains with weakest links!

OTOH I really like my fully mechanical TRP Spyres for their consistency in wet and dry weather and various loads.

[pancycle]

Not sure where you are or how tall you are but I have a spa club tour you'd be welcome to try if your anywhere near Essex and 5'8". It's not disc though
[/quote
Thanks Johnny, am 5 11 so that wouldn't fit, am keen to buy a disc brake bike

[pancycle]

Mech discs are definitely superior than rim in wet and muddy conditions. They obviously aren't a touch on hydros in the modulation sense but I maintain they aren't to be sniffed at either especially for audaxing/touring, they're really easy to fix and maintain with minimal tools and spares.
[/quote
I see that you have a Kona with discs, it looks great, but are they not being made anymore, I can't seem to find any shops selling them

[S2L]

You're not the only person to report problems with the HyRd. On the face of it a system that should combine the benefits of mechanical and hydraulic operation, in practice it seems to give all of the negatives and no positives. I guess it's like a chain being as good as its weakest link, and in this case you've got two chains with weakest links!

OTOH I really like my fully mechanical TRP Spyres for their consistency in wet and dry weather and various loads.

HyRD were scary. The Juin TEch R1 are much more reliable, as semi-hydro go, but even with those the line between having good pads and having no pads left is very fine... never had that problem with rubber rim-brake pads