Cycling UK Forum

RodT wrote:I bought the Cinellihobo (as it was then called) shortly after it was introduced, marketed as ‘the bike that didn’t exist’, or some such. Nowadays, it would be called a gravel bike. It’s a great machine, and until very recently has been my only bike, used for shopping, tootling around and long distance touring. All my touring is done loaded with full camping gear and the Cinellihobo is more than capable of taking the weight. I’m over twelve stone. I once broke a spoke while abusing the loaded bike over a rugged trail, and that’s all.
Mine is an XXL (61cm), and came with Shimano Deore equipment. I see that the PlanetX version has Sora.
I swapped the original saddle, which was intolerably uncomfortable, for a Brooks. Also, I recently changed the drops for the PlanetX Geoff bars.
A great bike. I’d buy it, but I’ve already got one.

A fine endorsement RodT, thanks. Are the brakes effective? That seemed to me to be the only slight disadvantage, that it doesn't come with discs. But I suppose I'm asking an awful lot for the price!

Shreds wrote:Simply Bearings in Leigh, Lancashire

https://simplybearings.co.uk/shop/

have just about every kind of bearing imaginable and are swift and not unduly expensive. Very fast mail order service too. An easy upgrade anyone could do.

Thanks Shreds.

reohn2 wrote:

whoof wrote:There are Salsa Vaya and Casserole in about medium size in the for sale section on here.
Both about the cost of the Cinelli.

Both those bikes are considerably cheaper than the Cinelli,the Vaya is an excellent touring mount.

Sad to say, I think the Vaya Salsa may have already gone

Brucey wrote:This may be stating the b. obvious, but if in fact you intend mostly to use the bike mainly for (say) nipping into the local supermarket, a full-on touring bike (for loaded touring) is a bit of an expensive (not to mention easily nicked) sledgehammer to crack a nut. Only a couple of days ago I went to the local supermarket to resupply (on my hopefully 'not too tempting to thieves' carrier bike) and there was a rare sight, a Thorn Nomad parked in the bike racks. Great bike for loaded touring, a faithful friend no doubt, but overkill for the supermarket run, if not something of an actual liability. The front hub was worth more than my entire bike and the rear hub about x5 that; I wondered how many goes you would get (especially if you are a creature of habit) before some thieving toerag nicked the wheels or the bike....

For the supermarket run, if you want a bike that weighs about 35lbs and will do the job, an old Raleigh three-speed (with suitably lowered gearing perhaps) would do the job....?

cheers

Whisper it quietly, but I think some people only have the one bike

Trigger wrote:

Brucey wrote:This may be stating the b. obvious, but if in fact you intend mostly to use the bike mainly for (say) nipping into the local supermarket, a full-on touring bike (for loaded touring) is a bit of an expensive (not to mention easily nicked) sledgehammer to crack a nut. Only a couple of days ago I went to the local supermarket to resupply (on my hopefully 'not too tempting to thieves' carrier bike) and there was a rare sight, a Thorn Nomad parked in the bike racks. Great bike for loaded touring, a faithful friend no doubt, but overkill for the supermarket run, if not something of an actual liability. The front hub was worth more than my entire bike and the rear hub about x5 that; I wondered how many goes you would get (especially if you are a creature of habit) before some thieving toerag nicked the wheels or the bike....

For the supermarket run, if you want a bike that weighs about 35lbs and will do the job, an old Raleigh three-speed (with suitably lowered gearing perhaps) would do the job....?

cheers

Whisper it quietly, but I think some people only have the one bike

Unfortunately if they keep leaving their desirable bike outside supermarkets they might end up with no bikes!

oneten: the brakes. The Cinelli is equipped with rim brakes and bar end shifters, on the principle that both are simpler to fix than discs and brifters should things go wrong while crossing the Kalahari desert. The brakes are cantilever, and work well enough. I swapped mine for v-brakes, which are supposed to be better, though I haven’t noticed much difference. You have to change the levers as well, so I wish I hadn’t bothered. As Brucey would say, cantis are fine so long as they’re properly set up.
The front mudguard is rather short, so I fitted a mud flap to keep muck off the drive chain.
The Tubus racks are tough and dependable. As is the whole bike.
As for weight: I was riding the Cinelli with a friend on a carbon Specialized. At one stop, I invited her to lift my bike. The look of horror on her face was worth every ounce of extra weight.
It’s what you get used to. I’ve usually been able to keep up while on group rides (remember them?). What you lose on the climbs you gain on the descents. That’s my theory, anyway.