So, two rides in - 7 miles yesterday and 10 miles this morning.
I've got to say I couldn't be happier with it!
You can tell by looking at it that it that it's not an 'expensive' bike, the frame welds are pretty ugly (frame made in Indonesia) but, as long as it holds together, that's fine.
With the breaks and gears being Shimano, there's not much to fault there. The tyres seem pretty solid and the multiple mounting points are very useful.
It's great to ride ...surprisingly so in fact. The gear changes are sharp and precise and the brakes are very positive (I have to keep remembering 'left before right' - I seem to have forgotten that along the way!). The saddle is comfortable enough. It does have quite a long reach (as was mentioned previously) so you're almost in a road bike head-down position but it's not uncomfortable and doesn't bother me - I guess that's part of it's 'hybrid-ness'.
I've not got much to compare it too as the the last time I rode a bike was when I borrowed my sisters MTB for two weeks in 1996 - before that I had a BMX and a racer when I was growing up so this bike seems 'hi-tech' to me - nonetheless, I'm very happy with it!
Now then ...the issue of the mud guards!
It rained throughout the entire hour that I was out this morning. The top half was fine - I managed to get a good Boardman waterproof jersey in the sale at Halfords.
Bottom half - not nearly as successful. Wet behind, wet legs, wet feet! ...so I may well re-think the mud guards
I will try waterproofs as, after nine years of walking to work, I've got to say, it doesn't actually rain that much (when it does, IT DOES! ...and usually for two weeks). If I can't make that work, I'll admit defeat and get the Mary Poppins mud guards
...sorry, what can I say, I'm a child of the 80s - form over substance all the way ...until it doesn't work and I have to eat my hat!
