You can only compare what you’ve used previously. I’ve owned maybe 60 bikes and worked as a mechanic in a bike shop so maybe 6 a day for two years.Sweep wrote: ↑15 Aug 2022, 10:12amI'm no tech expert on these mysteries but mine feels pretty light on its feet since I changed the Conti touring tyres it came with to Vittoria Hypers.fossala wrote: ↑15 Aug 2022, 9:47amI don’t think it is, nor the thorns. If you compare them to something from 20 years ago you’ll notice how unforgiving they are.Sweep wrote: ↑15 Aug 2022, 9:09am
kind of what I was thinking.
Also strikes me that the Hewitt Cheviot SE is an ideal light tourer/day ride bike - bought mine as a full on tourer but don't use as that.
No longer current I believe but lots still around (including on here fairly often) and the frame also had other brandings.
Vittoria hypers are good (if not slippery in the wet) but have nothing on a modern subtle tyre from the likes of challenge or Rene herse (compass).
Also modern bikes are good. But they are overbuilt, they have to be. Look at frame weights being 2.1kg instead of 1.6kg, forks that are over a kilo rather than 700g. While good tyres help they’re only part of the picture.
As I have said I have two bikes that have been a “dream ride”. One is my Mercian that is off the road at the moment but I won’t get rid of it as it has a ride quality that is so hard to find.