What bike, thread #368...

[Nikkormat]

I know next to nothing about bikes, so please bear with me. I currently have a restored 30 year old Czechoslovakian Favorit road/touring bike: steel frame, 10 speed, non-indexing gears, downtube shifters that can't be trusted to stay put on uphills, and brakes that ask that you book an appointment in advance. It looks beautiful, but shows the limitations of 1980s Eastern bloc technology. By the end of a 50km ride yesterday it sounded like a box full of mice and crows, such was the variety of noises coming from every conceivable place.

Now, I am tempted by something less handsome but more practical. It will be used for touring, up to 150km a day, so it must handle cobbled streets, potholed roads, good cycle paths, dirt/gravel tracks, muddy paths, but no serious off road/MTB territory. It must be able to take a rack for panniers. I've considered a cyclocross bike, or a more modern tourer like the Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op Country Explorer, but I think front suspension might be useful, given that I live in Czech Republic and many streets are cobbled or are in a worse state of repair than in Britain.

Any thoughts on the Merida Crossway 100, about £475?

Any other suggestions or advice is most welcome.

 

[contadino]

I've recently bought into the whole 80s steel thing and am finding that it deals with gravel, potholes, cobbles, and bare rock better than the hardtails I've been on for the last 15 years.

So now I'm going to swap the soft forks on my MTB for some rigid carbon, ditch the front mech, and go for some less knobby tyres. It's all a bit over rated in my opinion, unless you wanna muck about in mud.

 

[weepiper]

that Merida bike looks pretty good for that money. It's a very basic suspension fork so expect it to wear out and develop play in the bushes in a couple of years and need replaced. And I'd ditch the adjustable stem for a rigid one once you've got your position right. But otherwise it looks ok

 

[Nikkormat]

Thanks guys. I've spent the day reading up on the Edinburgh Cycles tourer again, and almost persuaded myself to go with it. More thought required.

 

[weepiper]

Thanks guys. I've spent the day reading up on the Edinburgh Cycles tourer again, and almost persuaded myself to go with it. More thought required.

Well obviously you should buy that one, but I was trying to be unbiased (I work there)

 

[weepiper]

They are completely different bikes, really. If you're planning on doing long rides the tourer will be much better (more hand positions possible, more braze-ons for luggage etc)

 

[Nikkormat]

Well obviously you should buy that one, but I was trying to be unbiased (I work there)

It's very tempting. More cash though, I will have to save a bit, and factor in the cost of getting it here.

 

[han]

What's your budget? Have you considered Surlys (eg Long Haul Trucker)?

 

[Nikkormat]

I've read a little about the Long Haul Trucker, but it's way more than I can afford. Maximum is about £500-£600. Second hand would get me more for my money, no doubt, but as I don't know what to look out for in terms of wear & tear, and I would have to arrange shipping over here, I think new is a better bet. I will get the Favorit checked over and maybe stick with it over the summer, then look for something discounted in winter.

 

[Rebelda]

I don't have the tourer (i nearly did) but i do have an Edinburgh bicycle coop bike and it's brilliant. Incredible quality for the price. I like to pretend weepiper made it

 

[han]

I've never heard of Edinburgh Cycles - can you believe!

Is it this?
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/pro...r-15?bct=browse/bicycles/touring-bikes#images

 

[Nikkormat]

Yes han, that's the one I've been looking at. Very tempting!

 

[han]

It's gorgeous.
Good gear ratio? That's pretty important innit. You could always put cyclocross tyres on it if you're concerned about knobbly roads.

 

[han]

You need a granny gear, I imagine.

 

[Dogsauce]

You need a granny gear, I imagine.

It has three cogs on the front (smallest a 26) so that'll tackle anything you'd be likely to come across.

 

[fen_boy]

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/dawes-galaxy-touring-bike/rp-prod131654 looks a pretty good deal if they have it in your size. Dawes Galaxy for under £500.

e2a it's a bit old fashioned though.

 

[Nikkormat]

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/dawes-galaxy-touring-bike/rp-prod131654 looks a pretty good deal if they have it in your size. Dawes Galaxy for under £500.

e2a it's a bit old fashioned though.

Old fashioned I can do. That looks a fantastic deal. Not available in my size Thanks for the link though.

 

[prunus]

I have a Trek 2fx. I really like it - it's the second one I've had (first got nicked, and then the one after, which I didn't like so much, so I got another 2fx). I know next to nothing about bikes as well, but there's my opinion.

edit: that's a 7.2fx, to be accurate (forgot what it was called). My other half really likes it too, prefers it to hers, which is a Giant hybrid of some sort.

 

[Mr Moose]

I know next to nothing about bikes, so please bear with me. I currently have a restored 30 year old Czechoslovakian Favorit road/touring bike: steel frame, 10 speed, non-indexing gears, downtube shifters that can't be trusted to stay put on uphills, and brakes that ask that you book an appointment in advance. It looks beautiful, but shows the limitations of 1980s Eastern bloc technology. By the end of a 50km ride yesterday it sounded like a box full of mice and crows, such was the variety of noises coming from every conceivable place.

Now, I am tempted by something less handsome but more practical. It will be used for touring, up to 150km a day, so it must handle cobbled streets, potholed roads, good cycle paths, dirt/gravel tracks, muddy paths, but no serious off road/MTB territory. It must be able to take a rack for panniers. I've considered a cyclocross bike, or a more modern tourer like the Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op Country Explorer, but I think front suspension might be useful, given that I live in Czech Republic and many streets are cobbled or are in a worse state of repair than in Britain.

Any thoughts on the Merida Crossway 100, about £475?

Any other suggestions or advice is most welcome.

Whilst it's a cracking looking bike the weight would give me some concerns. Tredz gives the weight as 13.9kg which is eyewateringly heavy especially once you have added the gear.

This Jamis here is estimated by Evans to be 23lbs for a 19", less than 10.7 kg similar to a Jamis tourer TOH bought. Even if the retailer is a kilo out it's still much lighter than the Crossway.

 

[Nikkormat]

Prunus, I think my mate has a Trek 2fx, and he really likes it.

Mr Moose, I noticed the weight, and that turned me against it to an extent. On the other hand, the Edinburgh Cycles tourer isn't light. I want light weight, steel frame, ability to do rough paths, durable parts, cheap...

Priority for this week is to get my current bike to the workshop to sort out the grinding bottom bracket and slipping gears. I'll probably fall in love with it again once those are sorted.

 

[weepiper]

Prunus, I think my mate has a Trek 2fx, and he really likes it.

Mr Moose, I noticed the weight, and that turned me against it to an extent. On the other hand, the Edinburgh Cycles tourer isn't light. I want light weight, steel frame, ability to do rough paths, durable parts, cheap...

Priority for this week is to get my current bike to the workshop to sort out the grinding bottom bracket and slipping gears. I'll probably fall in love with it again once those are sorted.

Light, strong, cheap. Choose two.

 

[Boycey]

i would take manufacturer specified weight with a huge pinch of salt. with evan's you'd hope they'd at least use the same scale and method (remove tyres and tubes, pedals and seatpost from all the brands, not just the pinnacles) but they're evans, so i wouldn't.