With shipping+tax just under 1200. It seems like a good deal to me- but I've been riding the same pos singlespeed around town for a couple decades so I don't really know much.
Is it a good enough deal to roll the dice on a mailorder? I've seen both horrible and acceptable info about bikesonline.
I'm 5'6- I feel like the geometry is relaxed enough that I should be able to get comfortable on a S size. Am I a dummy to buy a bike without a test drive? That would be ideal I'm sure, but I don't know how realistic it is for me.
I want a capable, rugged and fixable machine but the truth is I'm unlikely to be doing anything much crazier than about a week or so on pretty mellow terrain- rail trails, dirt roads etc. At least in the near term. But I just really want to get out there on something, I'm not getting any younger.
I'm pretty sure I've looked at many of the usual candidates but are there any spectacular entry level deals out there I may be missing?
Oh and can anybody tell me what the little black plugs at the very tops of the fork tubes are?
by PowersUser
1 Comment
I just bought one earlier this year and I freaking love it. I bought it offline after having test ridden one about 5 years ago. Im between sizes and initially bought a medium and had to size up to a large, but you probably won’t have any issues if you follow their sizing guide.
My review:
The good:
-These things are built to tour and have a great gear set climbing with heavy loads.
-It’ll take you anywhere you want to go short of mountain bike trails. Its equally great on road and on rail trails .
The ‘Meh’:
-The stock saddle is a bit uncomfortable. I swapped mine for a Brooks B17
-I immediately upgraded tires to Schwalbe Marathons, so I can’t speak toward the stock tires.
Things to watch:
-I took mine across Virginia this summer and had some issues with the spokes on the rear wheel de-tensioning a bit under heavy load. A quick wheel true took care of this.
All that said – I don’t regret buying mine for a second. It’s a great bike that turns heads and can take whatever you’re going to throw at it.
And I think those little black things are just decorative rubber plugs that go over holes and bolts in the frame.