Bike finder: Which lightweight winter trainer should I buy?

For: David Skirrow, aged 72, from Bamford, Derbyshire.
Bike needs: a road bike with up-to-date features to act as a winter trainer on road or smooth trails.
Must have: hydraulic disc brakes, a drivetrain with integrated shifters (10, 11 or 12-speed), a good top gear (50/11) and low bottom (34/32). Take mudguards with tyres of up to 28 or 32mm. No more than 10kg bike weight. A degree of comfort.
Must not have: geometry that is too relaxed and unresponsive. Electronic gears. Wheels and tyres that are more heavy duty than I need; I’m only 65kg.
Budget: £2,000-£3,000.

Guy Kesteven

Bikes like this, that are practical in all weathers and seasons but still enjoyable to ride fast, aren’t as common as you’d hope. I’ve picked two options that tick your boxes in very different ways.

My first is Boardman’s ADV 9.0 R, which sits right at the start of your budget at £2,000 (not including your Halfords discount as a Cycling UK member).

The 71.5º head angle might make it a bit slower handling than a ‘pure race bike’. However, it’s the same geometry with which Nicole Cooke won an Olympic Gold in Beijing in 2008 in absolutely atrocious conditions, so don’t judge everything just on the numbers.

The carbon frame weighs under a kilo and the whole bike is less than 9kg so it’ll be a rocket on your Derbyshire climbs. It has clearance for 42mm tyres (it comes with Vittoria Corsa N.EXT 32mm all-weather tyres as standard) and has hidden mudguard mounts.

A 12-speed Shimano 105 groupset with a 50-34 chainset and 11-36 cassette gives you plenty of Peak-District-friendly gear ratios.

My second pick is from Mason Cycles, a tiny company based in the South Downs and famed for bending over backwards to deliver exactly the bike you desire. Its latest Definition V3 defies any claims that alloy bikes have no soul, and the beautifully detailed, Italian-made frame comes in three colour options.

The Shimano 105 version is close to the top of your budget at £2,900, but you can pick from a range of wheels, tyres up to 35mm, optional mudguards and even Supernova/Sinewave dynamos pre-installed. An Ultegra bottom bracket upgrade as standard and stainless steel bolts throughout are nice touches.

Boardman ADV 9.0 R £2,000

Dan Joyce

Now that disc brakes are the norm and tyre and mudguard room isn’t limited by the reach of a sidepull calliper, you’d think mudguard mounts (perhaps concealed) would be a no-brainer for road bikes. As it is, only endurance road bikes tend to have them. Luckily that’s just what you’re describing.

The Cannondale Synapse Carbon 4 (£2,400) isn’t as keenly priced as the Boardman but meets all your requirements. The carbon frame and fork are mudguard ready, and there’s room for them above the bike’s 30mm tyres.

It weighs 9.5kg and has the steeper frame angles you want: 73º+ head and seat tubes in all but the two smallest sizes. I don’t know how much you'll notice the “discreet flex zones in the rear triangle, seat tube and seatpost”, but even the aluminium Synapses we’ve tested have been comfortable enough.

This model has Shimano Tiagra with the gear ratios and hydraulic discs you’ve specified.

Or there’s the Sonder Colibri Ti 105 (£2,599). I tested and subsequently bought a Colibri Al Tiagra two years ago. This is the titanium version, equipped with nicer components.

Sonder doesn’t quote a weight for the whole bike but my Al version was under 10kg (as originally specced) so this will be as well. There are mounts and space for mudguards over its 32mm tyres, hydraulic brakes and the gear ratios you want.

With a 72º head angle and 73.5º seat angle, the handling should be sufficiently sharp for you but the head tube is tall enough for longer-ride comfort. Its titanium frame is winter-proof and should shrug off accidental knocks better than carbon.

Sonder Colibri Ti 105 £2,599