Sooo.
I have permission to get a winter bike, which was unexpected. Budget is around £800. I have a few other parts I can use if needed, seatpost, stem, GXP 24mm ceramic BB. I have been working on the frame/fork being £400 so leaves £400 to finish it.
I will be using my current road wheels, so rim brake.
And it obviously it has to take full guards with a 28mm tyre.
I have gone straight to to Kinesis T3. Retailers give mixed information, but Kinesis say themselves that the carbon fork will take 28mm with guards. Does anyone have experience with this? Or recommend any other frames?
https://www.kinesisbikes.co.uk/Catalogue/Forks/Road/TRACER-15
Now initially I though oh I’ll just build it with Rival 22 speed, all my other bikes are Sram, I like how it works and I have never had problems.
Started to cost up and buying new would come in around £950ish. The shifters are £175 which is almost half the budget gone straight off!
Started again, pricing this time for 105 R7000 and it’s much cheaper, mostly the shifters, around £50 less straight off the bat, but then the mechs are £5-15 each. Cranks are less, it soon adds up to 100-150 less.