Cycling UK Forum

This seems impressive - a very well equipped tourer for 200 quid....
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/hoprider-500 ... 22609.html

Agreed, for the money it's hard to beat.

A cracking bargain. Dynamo too! An excellent inexpensive bike for commuting or someone who wants to try out cycle touring at minimum expense.

Al

there has to be a catch

I must admit, when I saw that on another thread I wondered how it could be done. There's £40 vat, transport (I assume) halfway around the World, margin for the seller, decent componentry and frame to fabricate/buy.

Wonder who assembled it, and what they are getting paid?

Am I overthinking this one?

Chances are its been listed at the wrong price I know a major company who listed an item at hundreds of £££'s below what it should of been and it went on sale for months and was not until they where looking at the performance reports for it that the mistake was identified. That and its also not exactly a light bike, almost 20kgs.

Although on a side note I've never been effused to purchase from them have always felt their stuff is substandard but that could just be me.

They don't give any information about the geometry. The dropouts look short to me for a touring bike. Without a test ride (with panniers) I would worry about kicking the panniers.

Other than that, it looks like good value for money.

It's got an £80 reduction on it; probably new model on way. Noticeably sold as commuter rather than tourer.

For £200 you shouldn't expect the same as for £1200. Compared to supermarket BSOs or cheap bikes from cycling chain stores it seems excellent value for money.
I've been using a cheap and crappy fully equipped (but no dynamo) Dawes (£243 new, discounted) as a commuting/shopping/utility bike for the last 6 years. Other than the back wheel failing (replaced by a Spa built Sputnik/Deore one) it has been and still is ideal for this purpose. IMO cheap no nonsense bikes make good utility machines.

Vorpal wrote:They don't give any information about the geometry. The dropouts look short to me for a touring bike. Without a test ride (with panniers) I would worry about kicking the panniers.

Other than that, it looks like good value for money.

Most modern bikes have short, vertical dropouts. Long horizontal dropouts are largely a thing of the past.

Btwin look to be a global brand. This looks to me like a bike designed for the German market and brought over here. More of it IMHO. Might be wrong, pure speculation on my part.

pete75 wrote:

Vorpal wrote:They don't give any information about the geometry. The dropouts look short to me for a touring bike. Without a test ride (with panniers) I would worry about kicking the panniers.

Other than that, it looks like good value for money.

Most modern bikes have short, vertical dropouts. Long horizontal dropouts are largely a thing of the past.

I don't expect long dropouts. But I do expect enough space for my heels to clear the panniers on something intended for touring.

Vorpal wrote:

pete75 wrote:

Vorpal wrote:They don't give any information about the geometry. The dropouts look short to me for a touring bike. Without a test ride (with panniers) I would worry about kicking the panniers.

Other than that, it looks like good value for money.

Most modern bikes have short, vertical dropouts. Long horizontal dropouts are largely a thing of the past.

I don't expect long dropouts. But I do expect enough space for my heels to clear the panniers on something intended for touring.

Just wondered why you said the Btwin drop outs look short for a touring bike. Heel clearance is a function of chain stay length and has nothing to do with drop out length or so I've always thought.

I like the second video from the op's link showing them riding through pedestrian areas like loonies. The frame's a bit compact but if I was getting one I'd go a size up.

pete75 wrote:Just wondered why you said the Btwin drop outs look short for a touring bike. Heel clearance is a function of chain stay length and has nothing to do with drop out length or so I've always thought.

Sorry. That wasn't clear was it? I wrote dropouts, but I was thinking chain stay.