All round bike??
All round bike??
I'm looking at three bikes for all weather city riding with terrible pot holed roads.
Light to medium touring, not the alps
Canal and off road paths.
Disc brakes and comfy ride.
Budget up to £600 max.
Narrowed it down to three bikes at Edinburgh Bike Co-op:
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/marin-four-corners-16
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/revolution-country-2-16?bct=browse%2fbicycles%2ftouring-bikes
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/giant-revolt-3-16?bct=browse%2fbicycles%2fcyclocross-bikes
Now looking at specifications:
Marin Four Corners looks great apart from the brakes which are Promax. Hadn't heard of them, seem to get bad press.
Sora equiped and 4130 butted chromoly
Revolution, Claris equiped, heavier but great price and Tektro brakes
Giant Revolt. Get past the odd looks and well equiped, no front rack mounts on Carbon forks. Mate has one and it seems a great ride.
Also has Tektro top bar brake levers as well as drop brakes.
I like my 80's bike 'suicide levers' for trimmimg speed on decent's/city roads.
Any thoughts?
Cheers
Light to medium touring, not the alps
Canal and off road paths.
Disc brakes and comfy ride.
Budget up to £600 max.
Narrowed it down to three bikes at Edinburgh Bike Co-op:
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/marin-four-corners-16
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/revolution-country-2-16?bct=browse%2fbicycles%2ftouring-bikes
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/giant-revolt-3-16?bct=browse%2fbicycles%2fcyclocross-bikes
Now looking at specifications:
Marin Four Corners looks great apart from the brakes which are Promax. Hadn't heard of them, seem to get bad press.
Sora equiped and 4130 butted chromoly
Revolution, Claris equiped, heavier but great price and Tektro brakes
Giant Revolt. Get past the odd looks and well equiped, no front rack mounts on Carbon forks. Mate has one and it seems a great ride.
Also has Tektro top bar brake levers as well as drop brakes.
I like my 80's bike 'suicide levers' for trimmimg speed on decent's/city roads.
Any thoughts?
Cheers
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Re: All round bike??
The Giant might be difficult to fit a rear rack on given the unusual chainstay design.
There was a thread on cyclenet about a guy who bought the Marin, so worth seeking out (or was it on here - I forget?!)
There was a thread on cyclenet about a guy who bought the Marin, so worth seeking out (or was it on here - I forget?!)
Re: All round bike??
Thanks for that, I'll try and find it. When you say cyclenet, is that cyclechat.net?
Giant does have rack mounts though.
Giant does have rack mounts though.
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Re: All round bike??
Yes, cyclechat.
I saw the rack eyelets, but can't see how you'd easily be able to get a rack anywhere near level without some creativity (perhaps other have a solution?). The other issue is that they allude to a compact rear triangle, which could mean heel clearance issues when riding with panniers - something to consider.
I saw the rack eyelets, but can't see how you'd easily be able to get a rack anywhere near level without some creativity (perhaps other have a solution?). The other issue is that they allude to a compact rear triangle, which could mean heel clearance issues when riding with panniers - something to consider.
Re: All round bike??
Ah, yes, never thought of heel clearance with that compact frame.
Re: All round bike??
As is often the case the Revolution looks good value. A bike with everything you need and one that's going to work. I know two people with them and both are happy cyclists.
That little extra weight will soon disappear when you fill your panniers.
That little extra weight will soon disappear when you fill your panniers.
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Re: All round bike??
In an ideal world you'd get to test ride all three for as long as it takes to come up with a preference, how long that is depends on what you already know you like and dislike. If you haven't had a similar bike before, deciding between them on short test rides will probably be impossible, all three will feel significantly different but it would take lots of miles to distinguish between good different and bad.
Do you have a similar bike you're happy with to compare these to? Taking the measurements from that and comparing would be a good starting point. It might not favor any, but it might rule some out.
On paper, I'd have a preference for the steel framed Marin. I wouldn't be too influenced by the brakes or cross top levers, they're changeable and not what makes a bike.
Do you have a similar bike you're happy with to compare these to? Taking the measurements from that and comparing would be a good starting point. It might not favor any, but it might rule some out.
On paper, I'd have a preference for the steel framed Marin. I wouldn't be too influenced by the brakes or cross top levers, they're changeable and not what makes a bike.
Re: All round bike??
If you buy a bike with cantilever or caliper brakes (instead of disc brakes), e.g. the Revolution 1 instead of the Revolution 2, you can add the crosstop levers yourself.
You can get something like the Cane Creek Crosstop or Tektro RL721 CX levers and add them without much difficulty.
They're much better than the old 'suicide' levers because they don't affect the primary brake lever.
You can get something like the Cane Creek Crosstop or Tektro RL721 CX levers and add them without much difficulty.
They're much better than the old 'suicide' levers because they don't affect the primary brake lever.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
Re: All round bike??
Vorpal wrote:If you buy a bike with cantilever or caliper brakes (instead of disc brakes), e.g. the Revolution 1 instead of the Revolution 2, you can add the crosstop levers yourself.
You can get something like the Cane Creek Crosstop or Tektro RL721 CX levers and add them without much difficulty.
They're much better than the old 'suicide' levers because they don't affect the primary brake lever.
Can those levers not be used with road pull disk brakes? They are on the Giant linked above.
I don't know otherwise, but assumed brakes that use the same cable pull can use the same levers.
Re: All round bike??
PH wrote:Vorpal wrote:If you buy a bike with cantilever or caliper brakes (instead of disc brakes), e.g. the Revolution 1 instead of the Revolution 2, you can add the crosstop levers yourself.
You can get something like the Cane Creek Crosstop or Tektro RL721 CX levers and add them without much difficulty.
They're much better than the old 'suicide' levers because they don't affect the primary brake lever.
Can those levers not be used with road pull disk brakes? They are on the Giant linked above.
I don't know otherwise, but assumed brakes that use the same cable pull can use the same levers.
Maybe? I'm not sure. When I was considering them for one of my bikes, I read somewhere (I think it was Cane Creek's website) that they were suitable for cantilever and caliper brakes, but I donæt see any reason that they couldn't be used with road pull disks, now that you ask. I have to admit that I didn't see that they were on the Giant.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
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Re: All round bike??
IIRC Reohn's got them on his nice blue bike which has BB7s...I think.
He'll be along shortly to confirm, likely my advancing senility & failing memory
He'll be along shortly to confirm, likely my advancing senility & failing memory
Re: All round bike??
Cable discs work well with frogs leg levers. I have a similar Giant with manufacturer fitted double levers. Great for different hand positions.
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Re: All round bike??
Cautiously optimistic I haven't made that up then!
Re: All round bike??
Bonefishblues wrote:Yes, cyclechat.
I saw the rack eyelets, but can't see how you'd easily be able to get a rack anywhere near level without some creativity (perhaps other have a solution?). The other issue is that they allude to a compact rear triangle, which could mean heel clearance issues when riding with panniers - something to consider.
Chainstay length is 43.9 cm according to giants site. That's almost in tourer territory so heel clearance shouldn't be an issue. I think the compactness must refer to the height.
I agree with the angle though. Comparing the height of the seatstay mounts against the top of the wheel it'll need a fairly adjustable rack to not end up with a forward tilt.
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Re: All round bike??
Eyebrox wrote:Cable discs work well with frogs leg levers. I have a similar Giant with manufacturer fitted double levers. Great for different hand positions.
The mate who has one swears by them and they seen to work very well.