Hello Guys!I’m looking for a low maintenance belt driven gravel bike with gear hub. I was looking for a solution with Shimano Alfine 11 and found two very nice bikes. I think I prefer the Booda Bike Hiker, because of the better design, steel frame, and internal cable routing but I’m not an expert. Could you help me with some suggestions which one is a better bike? I’m from Denmark. I’m planning to ride 4-5000 kms/year. For commuting but mostly for weekend gravel rides.
Priority Apollo (aluminium frame version) (https://www.prioritybicycles.com/products/priority-apollo?variant=32834223603789#specs)
– The aluminium version is cheaper
– More attachment options (don’t know if i like it, because i won’t use them)
– WTB tires (Tubeless ready but not tubeless)
– Mechanical brakes with Microsoft Inter 11
– 50-26 gear ratio
Booda Bike Hiker (https://boodabike.com/product/booda-bike-hiker/)
– I really like the matte black design with internal cable routing
– Front sprocket looks better (Is it better?)
– Belt tension is solved with an eccentric BB
– The grip looks better
– Schwalbe G-One Allround tubeless tires (comes as tubeless)
– Mechanical brakes with Microsoft Inter 11
– 46-22 gear ratio
Thank you!
by Mistertwowheeler
8 Comments
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I’ll make you a deal on a Priority 600! Then you could convert to drops if you prefer. The pinion system is pretty sweet. Check out my post history for photos.
I have the Apollo and like it. You can get a smaller chainring to lower the ratio a bit. The brakes are actually mechanical/hydraulic, so cable actuated hydraulic. Also mine came with Goodyear Connector Ultimate TR tires. Will be using it on a weeklong bike tour in May.
I’m partial to the Booda for the steel.
I have a Booda Bike Banker. Can’t say feedback on the Hiker but my Banker has an Alfine 8 and I love it. Best bike i owned so far.
I have the Priority Apollo Ti and I haven’t been able to fault it so far (but I’ve only ridden it for 500 km on moderately long rides of 50 to 80 km). Once your fit is dialed in and the bike is run in, it’s a very comfortable and playful bike in my opinion. The bike is very responsive and I felt confident on it, even on bumpy single tracks where I should probably have used my mountain bike instead 🙂 And the bike is so quiet that you can enjoy the nature around you without the noise of a regular chain drive.
Belt drive systems have, of course, their drawbacks but you’re probably fine with them if you’re asking this question. Also, Priority has super responsive and friendly customer service, and they will help you with any questions you may have before and after your purchase, usually within 24 hours or less. I can’t talk about the other bike since I haven’t tried it but I can certainly recommend the Apollo (the Ti version at least).
If you get the Apollo, be wary that using it for commuting or touring will leave you with broken spokes since it wasn’t built to withstand much weight at all. Don’t get me wrong, I love the bike, but I ended up rebuilding the wheels with less than 1,000 miles on it because I wanted something more bombproof after finding three broken spokes on the rear wheel. This is a fairly common issue with the bike that the reviews don’t seem to go over. If you’re just taking it out over the weekend and packing light, it’d probably be fine.
To me they look virtually the same, with minor differences in weight, gearing and geometry. You could do a deep dive into the geometry differences… but you would certainly get used to either one. Have fun! Sorry to hear about your Pinion issues. I’ve had my Priority 600 for four years & zero problems. With better efficiency especially in the higher gears where the Shimano gets worse, and a wider range, as well as not having to detach shifting cables to remove the rear wheel, the Pinion is objectively better.