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margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1067\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEg5c2DHnXjdA2YWat8AmzueoQEoPqHrXa_7b-2LDFC_hiFd1e-iGOLZik1znGJn_-g0wVrh7tSJ47sl4F9iKyxwFZ-RIvkTpRJg2jj63ZJVJEJpNZXrd3Irg8156yyimV2E9ux7Oo1nlB0b\/s1600\/DSCF9733.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nOne of the earliest memories I have of bike computers was fishing out my old Cateye computer from the washing machine, I had forgot to taken it out of my short pockets, it didn't fare well.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EOver the years I went through many phases, for a long time I went without any bike computer but then started using a wireless Cateye unit to keep track of time and distance on my road rides, and then later upgraded to a VDO M4 which had a built in altimeter and lots of other functions.\u0026nbsp; Still at heart these were quite simple computers which lacked the smartphone connections, GPS and other modern conveniences you normally would associate with more serious computers like Garmin, Polar etc.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjD9Wq6bVmZDCCh2BvEzfyADIuVpo38IYyAoS6BtrDLoyh5C_NscgdmtZFasWB0xid4_9I9p60fnRpmE60LJUlMUA631tg1SJC7GcCJCXAcOQoM6RNQA4gTKno5ikWTex99oXTcmrx8E8Jz\/s1600\/DSCF9788.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1067\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjD9Wq6bVmZDCCh2BvEzfyADIuVpo38IYyAoS6BtrDLoyh5C_NscgdmtZFasWB0xid4_9I9p60fnRpmE60LJUlMUA631tg1SJC7GcCJCXAcOQoM6RNQA4gTKno5ikWTex99oXTcmrx8E8Jz\/s640\/DSCF9788.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EMy trusty old VDO M4 wired computer\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\nThese computers never really appealed to me, as I didn't really see the point of recording all your rides, in addition the exorbitant cost really put me off, from my point of view they cost nearly what an old iPhone would cost but with vastly inferior UI and processing power.\u0026nbsp; I had previously used my iPhone on a handlebar bracket which was fantastic for following routes I would plan ahead of time.\u0026nbsp; However this had several problems, firstly it would completely run down the battery within a few hours, usually in the middle of nowhere and secondly the touchscreen was useless during rain and\/or when wearing gloves in the winter.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\nDecisions\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nThe VDO M4 I had purchased back in 2015 had served me really well for many years, it's altimeter allowed me to keep track of elevation, gradient as well as a plethora of functions.\u0026nbsp; VDO would soon be releasing a new model with GPS tracking as well except now it was pushing nearly £100 so I decided to look at what else was on the market.\u0026nbsp; What was I looking for?\u0026nbsp; I needed something which could navigate me along pre-planned routes, have a long battery life independent of my phone's battery, and be generally reliable and simple without too many useless bells and whistles.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nI investigated several options, I looked at Garmin but they all seemed too expensive and poor value with so-so battery life and from what I could gather not that great an interface.\u0026nbsp; There was Wahoo, Bryton, Polar and a few others.\u0026nbsp; It was actually quite difficult to figure out which ones would navigate me along a GPX track which I could upload.\u0026nbsp; What I discovered is that the majority of computers are really for tracking a ride rather than guiding you through one.\u0026nbsp; In the end I ordered the Lezyne Super GPS and the Bryton 530E with the intent of returning one of them and keeping the other.\u0026nbsp; Both these computers have features which allow you to upload your own GPX files and they would navigate you there either with a breadcrumb trail and\/or turn by turn directions.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhcvKVCP6u7mo1t9ClkSSjVbE5d_4Gz0TU6ZXj8XcuzUNDGum5CcT1rw6mCPfaX_ZIl6X4zhmwZE4No-Z5Bp61yjfBqqLo_2JCK37vinTLvrJopHADpHL846RHUbeaTNIbNK9l0f9RB2Jz0\/s1600\/DSCF9735.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1600\" data-original-width=\"1067\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhcvKVCP6u7mo1t9ClkSSjVbE5d_4Gz0TU6ZXj8XcuzUNDGum5CcT1rw6mCPfaX_ZIl6X4zhmwZE4No-Z5Bp61yjfBqqLo_2JCK37vinTLvrJopHADpHL846RHUbeaTNIbNK9l0f9RB2Jz0\/s1600\/DSCF9735.jpg\" width=\"426\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\nFirst Impressions\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nI received the Lezyne as well as the in-front mount, one of the first things I noticed was how small the Lezyne unit was in comparison to your typical Garmins which are about the size of a small smartphone.\u0026nbsp; The Super GPS is really compact, about the size of two boxes of matches.\u0026nbsp; It's not the most handsome unit, it has a slightly almost 80's blocky look to it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIt comes standard with a bar mount and an in-front mount is also available aftermarket which I purchased. On both mounts the computer needs to be pushed into it at 45º and then twisted straight at which point it locks, the amount of force you need to push is actually quite high so it means that the bar mount rotates a bit as you push and twist.\u0026nbsp; The in-front mount is a pretty thin and lightweight thing so it needs your second hand to support it as you push and twist.\u0026nbsp; However once it's in either mount it feels extremely secure.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEikkIBPPfpVc68xAnJPaTO1ar3aN9XtQjHEG3-zCftSyMUkaQQx23XRpcCNCUtnUvb1l_542AoLkSTuCVTeEejDvGwRBerGKIWppA2MzIX2JOtTcLYBbglZVZKAyZhg0mG1028GS5cLrCHy\/s1600\/DSCF9790.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1067\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEikkIBPPfpVc68xAnJPaTO1ar3aN9XtQjHEG3-zCftSyMUkaQQx23XRpcCNCUtnUvb1l_542AoLkSTuCVTeEejDvGwRBerGKIWppA2MzIX2JOtTcLYBbglZVZKAyZhg0mG1028GS5cLrCHy\/s640\/DSCF9790.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nThe first test was navigating me home from work, firstly it required a connection with a smartphone to use it's main features such as turn-by-turn navigation.\u0026nbsp; I downloaded the GPS Ally app, connected it to the unit via Bluetooth and set it to auto navigate me home with turn-by-turn.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;During riding it would pop up the upcoming turns with distances as well as a simple breadcrumb map, basically this is a dot representing your position going along a line which is the navigation route.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; There were a few minor niggles though, the breadcrumb map did not rotate as you changed your direction, north was always up, also you had to manually start\/stop the recording function when stopped at the lights.\u0026nbsp; Still the navigation worked pretty well actually and I managed to get home without any major navigational issues.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAs soon as I got home I checked for firmware updates and found out that the firmware that came on it originally was about 6 months old and it appears they had released many updates since then.\u0026nbsp; I quickly updated to the latest and wow... what a difference.\u0026nbsp; Finally the breadcrumb map rotated as you did, the screens were a lot more customisable now and you could add multiple bikes each with their own settings.\u0026nbsp; The recording mode would also now automatically stop and start as it detected movement.\u0026nbsp; These were huge jumps from the original firmware which I felt made the device seem somewhat primitive, I've based this review on the latest firmware available as of December 2017.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\nInterface\u003C\/h3\u003E\nThe interface is quite simple, there are four buttons on the unit with their functions marked on the bezel.\u0026nbsp; Once you are riding the interface consists of a series of screens which you use the top two buttons to navigate through.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEi8ctz1gHHqp4PHZAPSnlTHhurOF0jv8316fVXs1mwPmTl5zy6Zwnm_GAUiRuqNOQYwrqJHmKSjan3DHe3KrCMhyphenhyphenKsQ9hBSZs_GjvhIGuJfdWYpbycrwT6oJN33keM5sDcl4QlNShxS2Xdq\/s1600\/DSCF9785.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1067\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEi8ctz1gHHqp4PHZAPSnlTHhurOF0jv8316fVXs1mwPmTl5zy6Zwnm_GAUiRuqNOQYwrqJHmKSjan3DHe3KrCMhyphenhyphenKsQ9hBSZs_GjvhIGuJfdWYpbycrwT6oJN33keM5sDcl4QlNShxS2Xdq\/s1600\/DSCF9785.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nOn powering up, you select which bike preset you want to use if you have more than one.\u0026nbsp; You can easily add and configure each preset in the app or on the unit.\u0026nbsp; If you hold the power button it will go back to this menu, another press will shut off the unit.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhuocMYIB5f_FDytUwCH4dGqHd_srT_mnAi15lyOK8i_PnK4x8k4gLp6fS61LLgMrZk7xFNoijzfkv9hWgiX6ivceSilv21cKl6pc8pJmJ9kGgX7jwdErmPWBSdXhtb2hizLL2NNtWNt3Jw\/s1600\/DSCF9783.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1067\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhuocMYIB5f_FDytUwCH4dGqHd_srT_mnAi15lyOK8i_PnK4x8k4gLp6fS61LLgMrZk7xFNoijzfkv9hWgiX6ivceSilv21cKl6pc8pJmJ9kGgX7jwdErmPWBSdXhtb2hizLL2NNtWNt3Jw\/s1600\/DSCF9783.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\nThe first screen is a status screen, this shows the connected sensors, battery percentage, date and time.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgUESV_eK2SxQWZFNZh4gdAEt0-qqbjzm4kaqVyyI_Qv3s3Y8KuuE-XGvdgeiimkBPQ9LkBEGGvoYz8wR1GDd_x3U7ZUatSeR_mskl_gP6-CZZ5qzpDtP58h_bjFSP2Ic_W6OCR8inuII0x\/s1600\/DSCF9782.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1067\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgUESV_eK2SxQWZFNZh4gdAEt0-qqbjzm4kaqVyyI_Qv3s3Y8KuuE-XGvdgeiimkBPQ9LkBEGGvoYz8wR1GDd_x3U7ZUatSeR_mskl_gP6-CZZ5qzpDtP58h_bjFSP2Ic_W6OCR8inuII0x\/s1600\/DSCF9782.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhux0ueDs-eZ6TOFShHGXn30EXAdI2NEdRJ6JMa-BJzHLYWwnQfnFxHLaDoQSNjjrkOZvhBygIiPYJWCIS6OY3R4QQfVr3qyD8l8FKre9_mRt7G5uJvfnxGjj9bl4dp5ThLSQXXj8WqF-Wt\/s1600\/DSCF9784.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1067\" data-original-width=\"1600\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhux0ueDs-eZ6TOFShHGXn30EXAdI2NEdRJ6JMa-BJzHLYWwnQfnFxHLaDoQSNjjrkOZvhBygIiPYJWCIS6OY3R4QQfVr3qyD8l8FKre9_mRt7G5uJvfnxGjj9bl4dp5ThLSQXXj8WqF-Wt\/s1600\/DSCF9784.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nPressing the right button (shown as Menu) scrolls you to the Navigation pages if you have started recording, otherwise it will flick through the stats pages shown above.\u0026nbsp; These are fully customisable in the app, different layouts with lots of different fields available to display.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgqz8_ODZFPPhQs4MhW4D50zdGK4VrtwLwYBEQ9kWPMlraNolz7JBiCvlsDY8f02bLh93KFbb3B4IF1RocfS4p2CBNzAJFsIm366PBotT5adTtS174HOFzAnBgbkiYfXI9beCyY244qCeBG\/s1600\/IMG_0079+%25281%2529.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1334\" data-original-width=\"750\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgqz8_ODZFPPhQs4MhW4D50zdGK4VrtwLwYBEQ9kWPMlraNolz7JBiCvlsDY8f02bLh93KFbb3B4IF1RocfS4p2CBNzAJFsIm366PBotT5adTtS174HOFzAnBgbkiYfXI9beCyY244qCeBG\/s640\/IMG_0079+%25281%2529.jpg\" width=\"359\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nAnother useful feature is the passthrough for messages and notifications.\u0026nbsp; Email, text and any other notifications can be passed onto the Super GPS unit in a read-only form which means I can leave my phone in my jersey pocket, particularly useful if it is raining and I have it wrapped up in a waterproof cover.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nOverall the interface is reasonably simple, beyond these pages described above there are the other function buttons, such as the menu\/settings, start\/stop recording, backlight and power button.\u0026nbsp; The buttons are rubberised and have a slight squishy feel with a click when pressed, perfectly useable with thick winter gloves.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\nNavigation\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\nThis was my first serious bike computer, and for a long time I had wanted a simple and reliable GPS navigation unit that would have a long battery life.\u0026nbsp; This meant as well that I wasn't really sure exactly what features I would want, was breadcrumb navigation on a monochrome LCD sufficient? Or would I really miss having a full colour Google maps turn-by-turn experience I was used to on my phone?\u0026nbsp; I used the Super GPS's somewhat basic navigation on many different rides, pure road rides as well as rides along off road trails and bridleways.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\nWhat I realised is that I eventually preferred just using the breadcrumb navigation and found that the turn-by-turn was not as useful in reality as I thought it was; due to the small screen size there is only so much information you can fit in. The neat thing is that you can have it in breadcrumb mode which shows you a plan view of the pre-planned route so you can see what angle you need to turn at the next junction, the turn-by-turn notification will pop up on top of this a bit before each turn telling you which way to turn.\u0026nbsp; From the combination of the notification and the breadcrumb you can usually correlate it with the reality unfolding in front of you and figure out which is the right path to go down.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe only real caveat of this is that turn-by-turn only really works if the software you use to create your maps supports it,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ridewithgps.com\/\"\u003Ewww.ridewithgps.com\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;which is the one I use supports this when you output .tcx files and only when you plot your routes on road.\u0026nbsp; On bridleways or off-road you are generally out of luck.\u0026nbsp; However I have generally found that the turn-by-turn doesn't add all that much, the breadcrumb navigation by itself is really simple and clear and works much better than I originally envisaged.\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThere are some other great features too about the navigation, once you have uploaded your route to Lezyne's GPS root website, then from your device onto the GPS unit, it runs independently.\u0026nbsp; Once loaded onto the GPS unit it doesn't require a connection to your device, unless you want on-the-fly rerouting.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiA05ZLAm8o_gEJLvrFVKlytHg7ikjdxzen1n3glM70xJiCAjjTvgAC2lXDOMK5kKp15hN_ESmLvzWlpQVS8Zw_ZOgvgp2efhlXaXVAfc0EEAO60dzXG0KNRKUkkfjwqLb9WBE6Ml4ONcys\/s1600\/IMG_0078+%25281%2529.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"1334\" data-original-width=\"750\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiA05ZLAm8o_gEJLvrFVKlytHg7ikjdxzen1n3glM70xJiCAjjTvgAC2lXDOMK5kKp15hN_ESmLvzWlpQVS8Zw_ZOgvgp2efhlXaXVAfc0EEAO60dzXG0KNRKUkkfjwqLb9WBE6Ml4ONcys\/s640\/IMG_0078+%25281%2529.jpg\" width=\"358\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\nThe Super GPS also features Strava Live, so as you pass through Strava sections on your ride it will notify you of your times.\u0026nbsp; However as this is only available with a Strava Premium account I was not able to test this.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\nSensors and other features\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\nI've always been a bit of a facts and figures geek although I have never been the type to record my rides, partly because I didn't feel the need to but mainly because it would destroy the battery life on my phone within a few hours.\u0026nbsp; Typically my rides can last 6+ hours so this was out of the question.\u0026nbsp; However the Super GPS was able to record several 100km+ rides upload to my Lezyne GPS Root account, sync with Strava all on my iPhone and it would still have 70% battery life left!\u0026nbsp; I was mightily impressed with it's endurance, I definitely believe the 24hr claimed battery life, certainly this would be helped by the small monochrome LCD screen with no touch and only buttons.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nApart from the basic speed\/distance type stats, I always liked checking the gradients of climbs and descents on my old VDO M4 computer.\u0026nbsp; However the Super GPS is compatible with the ANT+ and Bluetooth standards which opens it up to a huge number of sensor inputs; power meters, speed, cadence and heart rate just to name a few.\u0026nbsp; As I was relatively new to this world of bike\/fitness trackers this was a bit of an eye opener, my trusty old VDO computer only had a wheel magnet and an altimeter, that was it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nInitially I used the unit by itself without any sensors, however I found the speed and gradient readings a bit erratic, It turned out that the speed reading depends on a constant GPS signal which was disturbed by things like tree cover or tall buildings.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;I subsequently purchased a Garmin magnet-less speed and cadence sensor set, these little silicon sensors attach around the crank arm and hub shell and have movement sensors to extrapolate data.\u0026nbsp; They are a lot less fiddly than the traditional sensors which require separate sensors and magnets which need to stay aligned to get readings.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0026nbsp;Pairing these with the Super GPS unit was straightforward and they turn themselves on and off when they detect motion\/stop, the Speed sensor achieved my goal of giving much more accurate readings which in turn increased the reliability of the gradient reading.\u0026nbsp; The cadence sensor is somewhat useful to encourage me to shift down to a lower gear and spin a bit faster, also it's neat to see if my gearing is low enough on longer climbs.\u0026nbsp; Typically most people would also use a heart rate monitor and a power meter, the latter however is quite expensive so I don't think I'll be getting one anytime soon.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\nConclusion\u003C\/h3\u003E\nAt the time of this review, I have used the Super GPS now for 6 months on many rides of varying distance on and off-road.\u0026nbsp; Since I have used it with the updated firmware, the Super GPS unit has been a bit of a godsend.\u0026nbsp; Now I don't really have to worry about my phone running down, and it manages to stay on the entire duration of the ride with the breadcrumb navigation on screen.\u0026nbsp; The best part of this is that I can just concentrate on riding and navigating rather than faffing about with my phone.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nNow that it is winter, I am relieved that I don't have to stop to take off my gloves to use my phone's touchscreen, I have gloves which are supposedly touchscreen compatible however this doesn't work particularly well and is useless when wet.\u0026nbsp; In addition, the physical buttons give you tactile feedback meaning you can be watching the road ahead instead of the screen which isn't possible with a touchscreen.\u0026nbsp; For these reasons, tactility and reliability in poor weather I really am convinced by traditional buttons over a touch screen.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nI've only encountered one niggle on the second day of the two day touring trip where I had to wait for the computer to load a route which was longer than usual, normally this takes a few seconds but this time it didn't load until a few minutes had passed.\u0026nbsp; Otherwise the simple breadcrumb navigation has been totally reliable and meant I pretty much never had to stop on a pre-programmed route due to the Super GPS unit malfunctioning.\u0026nbsp; Generally I have found that being able to load the route at the beginning of the day and leaving my phone in my jersey pocket the rest of the ride has been quite liberating.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe unit has also been reliable in all kinds of weather, even downpours.\u0026nbsp; Lezyne says it is water resistant, not waterproof so it's not meant to be immersed entirely in water, it deals with heavy rain perfectly fine and hasn't seem to be affected in any way.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nDespite the Super GPS being the top model of Lezyne's computer range, at £120 it is still less than half the price of many computers from Wahoo and Garmin .\u0026nbsp; Given some of these do have additional functions and features, however the Super GPS represents extremely good value for those that want decent sensor integration and basic navigation.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEg5c2DHnXjdA2YWat8AmzueoQEoPqHrXa_7b-2LDFC_hiFd1e-iGOLZik1znGJn_-g0wVrh7tSJ47sl4F9iKyxwFZ-RIvkTpRJg2jj63ZJVJEJpNZXrd3Irg8156yyimV2E9ux7Oo1nlB0b\/s1600\/DSCF9733.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEi8ctz1gHHqp4PHZAPSnlTHhurOF0jv8316fVXs1mwPmTl5zy6Zwnm_GAUiRuqNOQYwrqJHmKSjan3DHe3KrCMhyphenhyphenKsQ9hBSZs_GjvhIGuJfdWYpbycrwT6oJN33keM5sDcl4QlNShxS2Xdq\/s1600\/DSCF9785.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.com\/feeds\/4061224921309114861\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.com\/2018\/07\/lezyne-super-gps-review.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/1318315606520498015\/posts\/default\/4061224921309114861"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/1318315606520498015\/posts\/default\/4061224921309114861"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.com\/2018\/07\/lezyne-super-gps-review.html","title":"Lezyne Super GPS Review"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Smut Pedaller"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05939627997312788346"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"33","height":"30","src":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_8wbLBACjkVk\/THEfqDSs-5I\/AAAAAAAAALE\/wGfOiDm05kU\/S220\/Screen+shot+2010-08-22+at+11.00.00+.png"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEg5c2DHnXjdA2YWat8AmzueoQEoPqHrXa_7b-2LDFC_hiFd1e-iGOLZik1znGJn_-g0wVrh7tSJ47sl4F9iKyxwFZ-RIvkTpRJg2jj63ZJVJEJpNZXrd3Irg8156yyimV2E9ux7Oo1nlB0b\/s72-c\/DSCF9733.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318315606520498015.post-7790920549493981721"},"published":{"$t":"2017-04-25T00:17:00.002+01:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-06-09T00:53:21.252+01:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"reviews"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Maxxis Rambler Gravel Tyre Review"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhORaZhWRsZUrWS9RAq0vrPJEJLLD_4IoSuplg3tN8EP_A_mDSwhQJqj28ku-LOtbOeJnluDIaWm23pXwQbB4JuwYq9N7hkC_IFK7yF35WT2D3tIkPMvk2CFJsZyrfrhRNltgk-8zGmFczZ\/s1600\/DSCF9171.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhORaZhWRsZUrWS9RAq0vrPJEJLLD_4IoSuplg3tN8EP_A_mDSwhQJqj28ku-LOtbOeJnluDIaWm23pXwQbB4JuwYq9N7hkC_IFK7yF35WT2D3tIkPMvk2CFJsZyrfrhRNltgk-8zGmFczZ\/s1600\/DSCF9171.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThere is no substitute for good tyres, no way of compensating for bad tyres. \u0026nbsp;Simply put they are the only single component connecting your bike to the road, and there is no one other component that can affect your ride in such a big way. \u0026nbsp;This is particularly true when you are on a rigid bike, as the tyre \u003Ci\u003Eis\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eyour suspension. \u0026nbsp;When I was building \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.co.uk\/search\/label\/betty\"\u003EBetty\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;one of my biggest concerns was what tyres do I choose? The type of riding I have done over the years has changed a bit, particularly more off-road. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Part of the reason I changed bike was to fit larger tyres to allow me to ride more surfaces away from paved road. \u0026nbsp;One tyre cannot be the perfect tyre for all conditions, inherently they are a compromise.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nWhen I originally built\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.co.uk\/search\/label\/Phil\"\u003EPhil\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in 2013\u0026nbsp;there weren't many 700c high performance wider tyres, particularly in tubeless format, also most off-road tyres were narrow 33mm cyclocross tyres. \u0026nbsp;Fast forward to the present and there is plenty of choice, particularly tubeless compatible ones too. \u0026nbsp;Ever since I rode the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.co.uk\/2014\/06\/tyre-review-challenge-strada-bianca.html\"\u003EChallenge Strada Bianca\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;I have been slightly obsessed with supple tyres, however as these punctured relatively easily I was also very keen to try out tubeless with my next build. Looking at what was available now, one of the most popular gravel tyres is the WTB Nano 40c, this is a bit of an all conditions tyre which isn't too much of a slouch on tarmac either. \u0026nbsp;However I spotted that Maxxis was releasing some gravel tyres, in particular the Rambler which is a low profile microknob design which was tubeless compatible. \u0026nbsp;At a quoted 380g these are the lightest 40mm tyre on the market which is what drew my attention. \u0026nbsp;Also they have a finely threaded 120tpi carcass which meant it should give a supple smooth ride, at the expense of being a little more delicate. \u0026nbsp;I went ahead and bought a pair, not cheap at £45 each, however surprisingly they came in lighter than the quoted weight, they have a very lightweight construction with a flexible sidewall, hopefully this will mean they have a supple ride.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhhqTC5UnWDBlXQuOx-qJg4K-MaCpszI58iE8rKOpIqTYg-yx3rFV5EQ-TbHkfrgSo2QqumXAdKknOSj6_V5RIXixkccO3bUgPYnJg6yvcb1ItJ5yktAk73l2D15LhDU3HVoxuKPxD7KPb1\/s1600\/DSCF9123.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhhqTC5UnWDBlXQuOx-qJg4K-MaCpszI58iE8rKOpIqTYg-yx3rFV5EQ-TbHkfrgSo2QqumXAdKknOSj6_V5RIXixkccO3bUgPYnJg6yvcb1ItJ5yktAk73l2D15LhDU3HVoxuKPxD7KPb1\/s1600\/DSCF9123.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ch3 style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\nInstallation and Setup\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nI had read that these were difficult to install as tubeless, these were going to be the first tubeless tyres I'd ever setup on the first tubeless specific wheels I ever built. \u0026nbsp;As expected the tyre's beads were pretty tight and had very little give, but they slipped on with a bit of soapy water. \u0026nbsp;I used Stans tape and did two layers to cover the valve holes on my B.O.R XMD-366 tubeless compatible rims, this took a little bit of practice to get it to cover all the holes evenly. \u0026nbsp;After popping the tyre on the rims, I stuck a tube in it and inflated the tyre to get it to a more round shape as it was still in a bit of a folded shape from it's packaged form.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAfter removing the tube and popping on both beads, I gave the edge a quick spray with some soapy water and then installed the tubeless valve with a bit of sealant around the rubber grommet. \u0026nbsp;A few quick blasts of air with the track pump and it seated almost straight away... \u0026nbsp;I couldn't believe it was so easy as I had heard it could be difficult and had some CO2 canisters at hand but never ended up needing them. \u0026nbsp;The rear tyre held air overnight without any sealant, the front wouldn't hold air without sealant however. \u0026nbsp;I added a bit of Orange Seal to each tyre and swished it around, after this both held air perfectly.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjoI3s0b_Pwk722EcxvlipfQXQcU7Go1TCFOotOjj-_ezuIgF711EQku0gCnnntXtTAkj6fv4xUnaGHDk9eVvaPjVLnZdfrZZHqvtG4RhdY0LMYO8l-ekHREtQohMzLNOeEqr-9-tbLLvsa\/s1600\/IMG_0607.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjoI3s0b_Pwk722EcxvlipfQXQcU7Go1TCFOotOjj-_ezuIgF711EQku0gCnnntXtTAkj6fv4xUnaGHDk9eVvaPjVLnZdfrZZHqvtG4RhdY0LMYO8l-ekHREtQohMzLNOeEqr-9-tbLLvsa\/s1600\/IMG_0607.jpg\" width=\"480\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\nAfter inflating it to about 50psi (3.5bar) and leaving it overnight to stretch out a bit, they measured at 40.3mm wide. \u0026nbsp;This is on a 21mm internal width rim, having read a few reviews saying they come out undersized I was pleasantly surprised with it's trueness to spec. \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;The knobs barely protrude from the tyre carcass and such the width of the knobs vs the carcass is about the same. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgbzroR70S_CPFQoKZqOm6mL2RDfXnRL9e0Kh0ctjCkzatKI2hXJMa2HNrCihK81hqC2gwd4sc5gBK06GrFMqxVwah9vbMz7oL76m-zOVp-TA4oBVOIJ44X-yvkPSnAItcohdBJ1V0aVGt2\/s1600\/IMG_0655+2.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgbzroR70S_CPFQoKZqOm6mL2RDfXnRL9e0Kh0ctjCkzatKI2hXJMa2HNrCihK81hqC2gwd4sc5gBK06GrFMqxVwah9vbMz7oL76m-zOVp-TA4oBVOIJ44X-yvkPSnAItcohdBJ1V0aVGt2\/s1600\/IMG_0655+2.jpg\" width=\"480\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nCompared to my old 34mm Schwalbe Smart Sam tyres that I ran before they are noticeably bigger. \u0026nbsp;Doing the maths a 40mm tyre is about 1250mm² in cross sectional area and a 34mm tyre is about 900mm², which at 38% increase which is quite a bit. \u0026nbsp;Now to test these out.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\n\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\nFirst impressions\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\nOne of the first places I was eager to test it out was the South Downs Way, this is a chalky, dusty long distance bridleway dotted with gravel and lots of sharp flinty rocks mixed with some grass and some soft loamy soil. \u0026nbsp;Initially I set these up at 45psi (3.0bar) and was impressed at how fast these were on pavement, despite having knobs these things really flew on the road. Don't get me wrong though, they aren't going to come near proper slicks and they have a slightly audible buzz on tarmac, but looks can be deceptive.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhAVh7e22M8NwYUWklba_NLyPn0gbp4fSeq01NvHzCd4vmsBkFgubFj2dabPylkHjCLT0I82T8l0z8Y5t5nKxpvvVaZh0ihwSYZSz5VpcP9gKztZp-Tk1qKqTobo6qRBxcd-TTvvtGwIz6i\/s1600\/IMG_0865.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhAVh7e22M8NwYUWklba_NLyPn0gbp4fSeq01NvHzCd4vmsBkFgubFj2dabPylkHjCLT0I82T8l0z8Y5t5nKxpvvVaZh0ihwSYZSz5VpcP9gKztZp-Tk1qKqTobo6qRBxcd-TTvvtGwIz6i\/s1600\/IMG_0865.jpg\" width=\"480\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\nOnce on the gravel they really came into their intended environment. \u0026nbsp;I played around with pressure a bit and ended up dropping them to 30\/35psi(2.0\/2.4bar) \u0026nbsp;front\/rear, the recommended pressure is 50psi however I think this is far too much air and you can safely drop them a lot lower, as long as you aren't burping them you should be fine. Compared with my old tyres the first thing I noticed was the plushness of the ride, these were the first tubeless tyres I'd ever ran and I was very impressed. \u0026nbsp;Lots of the small flinty, rocky parts it soaked up with ease. \u0026nbsp;Transition to grass and then tarmac and they feel really fast and plush. \u0026nbsp;However where they came unstuck was when there was damp, these tyres do not like any wet conditions at all! \u0026nbsp;The rear just simply doesn't have the knobs to really grip, it slips which means you really have to weight the back wheel on muddy climbs.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEi7F9M8UJ_9RkXmFRZM36Di9Eqb1pa-lXlhbTP6klMHrQd8yDchdqs0koTXfE2RW_NS7B4PDgBp-JQWIw2Hzfjv_xb6ypKesLOp3leQBcqTPwdvq2VdsyzAqgceFlbRwjHRN3f1VN4_uaBw\/s1600\/IMG_0725.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEi7F9M8UJ_9RkXmFRZM36Di9Eqb1pa-lXlhbTP6klMHrQd8yDchdqs0koTXfE2RW_NS7B4PDgBp-JQWIw2Hzfjv_xb6ypKesLOp3leQBcqTPwdvq2VdsyzAqgceFlbRwjHRN3f1VN4_uaBw\/s1600\/IMG_0725.jpg\" width=\"480\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\nSlippery when wet\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nOne of the first times I tried out these out it was a rainy day in Surrey Hills, on some of the MTB trails they simply can't cope and are a bit dangerous when it's wet. \u0026nbsp;Off camber sections of singletrack had to be taken at a snails pace and wet rooty trails were difficult to say the least, this is probably due to the lack of significant shoulder knobs. \u0026nbsp;Not really a surprise as the tread on these is minimal. \u0026nbsp;Even in the dry the tyres don't have the sheer stickiness or knobblyness to make it over more gnarly trails with big rocks and roots. Large roots and rocks tend to deflect the tyre completely, it simply doesn't have the volume or knobs to just grip and float over these.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEg6uhOnZovf7Tokvo-zWrKgnAAJKEY-eeRH5uhokGMnb2mBFePcNKdzu1GBErEwOCwCOdXVwRSgURLvgwHKAFJZbbyJz4tVSch9Wbv7m8ScMA2SFOCk7ANm3_XeRF3KUIohu9blfkAxqtSf\/s1600\/IMG_0872.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEg6uhOnZovf7Tokvo-zWrKgnAAJKEY-eeRH5uhokGMnb2mBFePcNKdzu1GBErEwOCwCOdXVwRSgURLvgwHKAFJZbbyJz4tVSch9Wbv7m8ScMA2SFOCk7ANm3_XeRF3KUIohu9blfkAxqtSf\/s1600\/IMG_0872.jpg\" width=\"480\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nOver grass they are quite fast, they have little rolling resistance and braking\/cornering traction is good. \u0026nbsp;Despite being out of their league in muddy conditions, they seem to clear mud pretty quickly unless it is of the clay type which I think would clog up even slicks! \u0026nbsp;Ultimately though they are not meant for muddy or wet conditions, this is pretty obvious. \u0026nbsp;Despite this they are still much better than slicks in these kinds of conditions!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nPerformance on tarmac is good, whilst not the stickiest rubber they have decent grip \u0026nbsp;and only emit a slight hum but are really easy to push, you almost forget that these are meant for off-road. \u0026nbsp;The voluminous 40mm (for a 700c tyre) soaks up pretty much anything you'd encounter on a paved road apart from giant sinkholes, potholes, ruts and manhole covers just disappear.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEh43LGkxuf2XFdBH0JVVGd32U0VI1rsopdLpFev4CiOQF7dEhyDzYneI0crYXSCUvOovn9cJ2qpKQm0aKRGwd_Ui6Mgxar3xYNC6yMcgysk1LhHzpXAtN9CVUbdUQNg-SYRlZHLMGB2tQ9r\/s1600\/IMG_1317.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEh43LGkxuf2XFdBH0JVVGd32U0VI1rsopdLpFev4CiOQF7dEhyDzYneI0crYXSCUvOovn9cJ2qpKQm0aKRGwd_Ui6Mgxar3xYNC6yMcgysk1LhHzpXAtN9CVUbdUQNg-SYRlZHLMGB2tQ9r\/s640\/IMG_1317.jpg\" width=\"480\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Ch3 style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\nA visit from the fairy\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nTheir light weight and supple ride does come with a price, despite having the EXO puncture resistant casing they punctured a fair bit over the past 8 months. \u0026nbsp;The sharp flints of the South Downs caused two punctures in one ride alone. \u0026nbsp;However as I've set them up tubeless with Orange Seal sealant this isn't really an issue at all, all I have to do is let the sealant pool a bit, then spin the tyre around. \u0026nbsp;Once the puncture is sealed the air just needs to be topped up and you're good to go. \u0026nbsp;The first puncture I got was in the wet and it only lost about 5psi before it sealed itself and I kept on riding. \u0026nbsp;I've never been left stranded by these tyres, nor have I ever had to resort to using a tubeless patch kit or god forbid an inner tube! \u0026nbsp;However this has happened to me with other tyres and was relatively easy to do.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEg08bHoxpt_ftIrbSW_rnCyD5izvSjkllY7nAGwLI7O8Unjl8220roxbpuEoIQjN7Tkcx3A0hZY3un-vrasbAxtv7jArg69O0UG7P3uOAZmtAWlidI6LrCeGxRYAoDqd8XwYbjHrPkW9wUu\/s1600\/IMG_0664.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEg08bHoxpt_ftIrbSW_rnCyD5izvSjkllY7nAGwLI7O8Unjl8220roxbpuEoIQjN7Tkcx3A0hZY3un-vrasbAxtv7jArg69O0UG7P3uOAZmtAWlidI6LrCeGxRYAoDqd8XwYbjHrPkW9wUu\/s1600\/IMG_0664.jpg\" width=\"480\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\nVerdict\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nAfter riding these for about 6 months and about 1000km, I really like these tyres, they really transformed the bike into a do-it-all machine. \u0026nbsp;The Ramblers excel at their intended purpose which is a diet of mostly gravel, road and the odd bit of loamy singletrack. \u0026nbsp;Just don't expect too much when it's wet or a rooty\/rocky trail. Though they aren't the grippiest tyres, \u0026nbsp;their best quality is their super supple ride and low rolling resistance. \u0026nbsp;When you have them spun up they seem to be so easy to push, their plushness soaks up most small bumps. \u0026nbsp;The casing is very lightweight and flexible which gives them their suppleness, much more than their 40mm width would suggest, they even feel better than some much larger 2.0\" mountain bike tyres yet are much lighter and faster. \u0026nbsp;However this comes at a price, they are somewhat prone to puncture. Set up tubeless with sealant this isn't really much of an issue as they work great this way and seal quickly and effectively. \u0026nbsp;They really are a bit of a jack of all trades tyre, ideal for rides which are 75% road with 25% off-road to 100% off-road. \u0026nbsp;So in short, get these if you want really light, fast supple tyres that are somehwhat delicate, suited to mostly dry conditions. \u0026nbsp;Definitely recommended.\u003C\/div\u003E\n"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.com\/feeds\/7790920549493981721\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.com\/2017\/04\/maxxis-rambler-gravel-tyre-review.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/1318315606520498015\/posts\/default\/7790920549493981721"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/1318315606520498015\/posts\/default\/7790920549493981721"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.com\/2017\/04\/maxxis-rambler-gravel-tyre-review.html","title":"Maxxis Rambler Gravel Tyre Review"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Smut Pedaller"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05939627997312788346"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"33","height":"30","src":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_8wbLBACjkVk\/THEfqDSs-5I\/AAAAAAAAALE\/wGfOiDm05kU\/S220\/Screen+shot+2010-08-22+at+11.00.00+.png"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhORaZhWRsZUrWS9RAq0vrPJEJLLD_4IoSuplg3tN8EP_A_mDSwhQJqj28ku-LOtbOeJnluDIaWm23pXwQbB4JuwYq9N7hkC_IFK7yF35WT2D3tIkPMvk2CFJsZyrfrhRNltgk-8zGmFczZ\/s72-c\/DSCF9171.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318315606520498015.post-1280628036452520714"},"published":{"$t":"2017-02-19T22:51:00.001+00:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-02-19T22:51:39.554+00:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"3-speed"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Brompton"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"london"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"reviews"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Entering the fold"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I've been riding \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.co.uk\/search\/label\/postmaster\"\u003EThe Postmaster\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and before that \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.co.uk\/search\/label\/charles\"\u003ECharles\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;for a total of about 5 years now, both bikes shared the same basic parts, traditional English commuting bike with 3 speed hub gears and drum brakes. \u0026nbsp;Even though they were a little bit different from each other they were like brothers. \u0026nbsp;As much as I loved commuting on them both, I managed to \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.co.uk\/2014\/03\/an-unfortunate-end.html\"\u003Edestroy Charles\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and there has been a persistent problem with the headset on The Postmaster which I have been unable to get parts for. \u0026nbsp;The other thing is that the ethos of these bikes is basically slow and steady and I decided I wanted to change that.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgxdVSUeN4OCryACPrUUxlOh9y-c_5ZYdD-u6yJ1emmsWUJxHAG5WM0jC8MhRdhFd95SFdYP-XU2-rckrCtrSaRxs_BPrFQPvvL1SFF-t2y9l3Z4EAOef_2_IrrooZqLazHBu6ZvwWX254G\/s1600\/DSCF9411+%25281%2529.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgxdVSUeN4OCryACPrUUxlOh9y-c_5ZYdD-u6yJ1emmsWUJxHAG5WM0jC8MhRdhFd95SFdYP-XU2-rckrCtrSaRxs_BPrFQPvvL1SFF-t2y9l3Z4EAOef_2_IrrooZqLazHBu6ZvwWX254G\/s640\/DSCF9411+%25281%2529.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\nA matter of time\u003C\/h3\u003E\nWhich leads to the title of this post, Entering the Fold. \u0026nbsp;I've always admired Bromptons and have considered getting one several times in the past. \u0026nbsp;The compactness of the fold and the sheer ingenuity of the design and how well integrated and refined it is has always impressed me. \u0026nbsp;When I was looking for a flat to purchase about a year ago, I fretted over being able to store all my bikes, in particular if a flat had no bike storage facility I would have no other choice but to get a Brompton. \u0026nbsp;Finally what made me pull the trigger was this...\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\nFor the past five years, every day when I arrived at the work on my bike, I had to enter the underground carpark and lock it up there, then walk for about 5 minutes to the other side of the building to get to my office upstairs. \u0026nbsp;There was no other secure place to lock it up otherise, this meant every day I would waste 10 minutes walking to and from my bike, this may not sound like much but it added up to 50 minutes every week, nearly a whole hour! \u0026nbsp;Also if I decided to go out at lunch or after work nearby I would have to decide whether it was worth walking to my bike, unlocking and re-locking it and walking back.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Ch3 style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\nPulling the trigger\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\nOver the holiday break I decided it was time, I was sick of wasting time and I felt I should take advantage of the cyclescheme in the UK. \u0026nbsp;This basically is a government scheme where they let you spend up to £1,000 on the retail cost of a bike then pay it back over 12 months as a salary sacrifice tax free. \u0026nbsp;So basically of that £1,000 you pay back only the cost before tax which is about 2\/3rds. \u0026nbsp;I figured my time was worth more than that over the course of several years so I went ahead with it. \u0026nbsp;I had always wanted a Brompton, the appeal of a portable bike that you could take into pubs, cinemas, the tube and buses was too tempting.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgMWzGY-WB_l3qHM_7SPy_OL7SYui-uHaa93NO-3nKrnMlVfqSrS77otLrvMDiCjJ-WbELez66E3GL06vWhhOuyruoxd1szFbqBH2i7dK4Rbr9-tWfGXfy01XNLB0v8Zu2XqOcwsE1ysQwx\/s1600\/DSCF9419.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgMWzGY-WB_l3qHM_7SPy_OL7SYui-uHaa93NO-3nKrnMlVfqSrS77otLrvMDiCjJ-WbELez66E3GL06vWhhOuyruoxd1szFbqBH2i7dK4Rbr9-tWfGXfy01XNLB0v8Zu2XqOcwsE1ysQwx\/s640\/DSCF9419.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nSo I got this guy, it's a 2017 Brompton S6R with dynamo lights which is quite an odd combination. \u0026nbsp;Normally you can customise a Brompton on their website and choose colours, fittings and accessories, however this is a black edition one which meant that you could only buy it as a preconfigured bike. \u0026nbsp;The Black edition is a purely cosmetic thing, the stem, handlebars, cranks, hubs etc are black and that's it. \u0026nbsp;I had to search high and low to find this as these are limited edition and the black editions tend to disappear quite quickly off the shelves. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nLet's take a minute to decode the Brompton model designations. \u0026nbsp;When I describe the bike as an S6R this means three things. \u0026nbsp;The first letter describes the handlebar as \u003Ci\u003ES \u003C\/i\u003Ewhich is a Sport model with a flat bar which is the most aerodynamic and least flexy handlebar. \u0026nbsp;The \u003Ci\u003E6 \u003C\/i\u003Edenotes the number of gears, it is a slightly oddball 2x3 system with a two-speed derailleur setup mated to a Sturmey Archer 3-speed hub. \u0026nbsp;The \u003Ci\u003ER \u003C\/i\u003Edenotes that it has a full rack on the rear. \u0026nbsp;This model also came with a Shimano dynamo setup with Busch and Muller lights, however I have already swapped the Philips Saferide headlight and tailight I had on The Postmaster onto it. \u0026nbsp;Originally the bike came with a telescopic seatpost which has a smaller seatpost inside the main seatpost, this is meant for particularly tall people (taller than 6'0\" or 183cm). \u0026nbsp;However I've since swapped this for the standard seatpost to save weight but also because the telescopic seatpost has two sets of seatpost clamps which I found rubbed on my inner thigh which was a bit annoying.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEh_qFdi2N5qFnH6z8Yavq0yEJOZphw-dgCrve08cTefdtxMRizBcGsVswka1g1FKb5xG7joX1PGOTmABsQszjFiixszs6M-lh-EvFvxrgtZOYKkstL4wA-6mS1Mehs4Uw_WqW8FaV34mqKV\/s1600\/DSCF9420.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEh_qFdi2N5qFnH6z8Yavq0yEJOZphw-dgCrve08cTefdtxMRizBcGsVswka1g1FKb5xG7joX1PGOTmABsQszjFiixszs6M-lh-EvFvxrgtZOYKkstL4wA-6mS1Mehs4Uw_WqW8FaV34mqKV\/s640\/DSCF9420.jpg\" width=\"426\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\nFirst Impressions\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nPrior to this I had ridden a Brompton before only briefly, it was my old landlord's one and it had the M-type handlebars which is a more upright one shaped a bit like an upside down moustache. \u0026nbsp;I distinctly remember it being pretty flexy and slightly odd to ride. \u0026nbsp;However I managed to test ride quite a few different setups and quickly preferred the S-type handlebars which have significantly less flex and a lower more racy position that I am used to from my road background.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjs5mbZa8YWvDsxo_hGBcHwwKu_kq2amoHb2I9SX7v_m19O4m2Em5aFmZh77mqUSjqGwfTTS5hyuaElsw-I699TgnadtFZFe9_Ta6gqrE_HktYeagIYbQRnQenYehsU2NxdUG1FuGCGjGw7\/s1600\/DSCF9434.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjs5mbZa8YWvDsxo_hGBcHwwKu_kq2amoHb2I9SX7v_m19O4m2Em5aFmZh77mqUSjqGwfTTS5hyuaElsw-I699TgnadtFZFe9_Ta6gqrE_HktYeagIYbQRnQenYehsU2NxdUG1FuGCGjGw7\/s640\/DSCF9434.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EThe rear triangle folds underneath the bike and also acts as a suspension pivot which has a shock absorber which attaches to the seatpost clamp\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nAs this bike was an off the shelf configuration I managed to get it quite quickly after ordering it, right out of the box the bike worked beautifully, the dynamo lights worked great and I was able to ride it home. \u0026nbsp;It took a few tries to fold and unfold it without stopping to think and quickly became second nature, although admittedly even now I'm pretty slow at folding it. \u0026nbsp;The riding position was pretty aerodynamic with the bars and saddle almost level, this combined with the 6 speeds makes it quite a zippy bike compared to what I was commuting on before. \u0026nbsp;I noticed that now I arrived to work having a little sweat on my brow...\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhGKvejil-BOp-r1tATE7HE8SzgY2fv4H49eTK7spEFqBsI0RIwUxGDorKckHGlKpg8hEZdGtQeRSiEpO9-T77GiRSGkvSlisPwSUW7XrpQmvtwvw8Rkte2sPrQsp4oICM23LqcIlZEHmO-\/s1600\/DSCF9441.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhGKvejil-BOp-r1tATE7HE8SzgY2fv4H49eTK7spEFqBsI0RIwUxGDorKckHGlKpg8hEZdGtQeRSiEpO9-T77GiRSGkvSlisPwSUW7XrpQmvtwvw8Rkte2sPrQsp4oICM23LqcIlZEHmO-\/s640\/DSCF9441.jpg\" width=\"426\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EThe bike folds the frame as well as the base of the stem using two clamps\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nAdmittedly the best thing about the bike is the accessibility, not having to worry about locking it and using less space to store it. \u0026nbsp;I was able to straight away fold it up and enter a pub or restaurant, which felt very liberating. \u0026nbsp;The Brompton is generally unmatched when it comes to folding efficiency, \u0026nbsp;for several reasons. \u0026nbsp;Many many years ago when it was being conceived, one of the original premises of it was to fold it so that that the greasy drivetrain ends up sandwiched in the middle, in addition the nose of the saddle becomes a convenient handle for it, and when tilted sideways slightly when dropped also happens to be the centre of gravity of the folded package.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nI managed to not only to save time by avoiding the long walk from the carpark, but also by riding to work in a shorter period of time. \u0026nbsp;On average I would estimate it's a few minutes faster over about 10km mostly due to the additional gearing and more aerodynamic riding position, I could average a higher speed.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgWseJy1TDp2cxdSjNzShpRBkVgVLEfvanUOSnVDTen4pu4mANWlAPnKRqqyqJ2t9EBkzEStUOXpKotRJF3hihkA3a1wvIlMlDroOTWB0L33cyEbL-PaiNsyXvp37dWgWlKUv5PyiDDDPya\/s1600\/DSCF9428.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgWseJy1TDp2cxdSjNzShpRBkVgVLEfvanUOSnVDTen4pu4mANWlAPnKRqqyqJ2t9EBkzEStUOXpKotRJF3hihkA3a1wvIlMlDroOTWB0L33cyEbL-PaiNsyXvp37dWgWlKUv5PyiDDDPya\/s640\/DSCF9428.jpg\" width=\"426\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nOne other thing I always liked about Bromptons is the luggage situation. \u0026nbsp;As any long time readers of this blog may know, I'm a big fan of carrying things on bikes, and this is no exception. \u0026nbsp;Bromptons have a luggage block attachment point on the headtube which is separate from the steering. \u0026nbsp;This means you don't get the odd effect of having a bag swinging around with your handlebars.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEj6u5MEOuUEsn9Bm8Hoaihg4aBFg3XDiPn3J7PavIc4uyWxHBitsm3sVg81cz2wq1bLr55gPZ5CHDkIjUHyyfxN9Ak8siY_ihvPDSHNuA2KU1oQ4RoNQApR5_LCczFhk12Hm226PSqEwFr3\/s1600\/DSCF9449.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEj6u5MEOuUEsn9Bm8Hoaihg4aBFg3XDiPn3J7PavIc4uyWxHBitsm3sVg81cz2wq1bLr55gPZ5CHDkIjUHyyfxN9Ak8siY_ihvPDSHNuA2KU1oQ4RoNQApR5_LCczFhk12Hm226PSqEwFr3\/s640\/DSCF9449.jpg\" width=\"426\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EThe luggage block fixes onto the frame with two bolts\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\n\u0026nbsp;There are plenty of different luggage options for Bromptons, some made by the Brompton company themselves to other manufacturers such as Ortlieb and Carradice. \u0026nbsp;I needed a bag which I could take what I normally would fit in my Ortlieb City Roller panniers I was used to using on my previous commuting bikes, the capacity of which is about 20L. \u0026nbsp;I initially had my heart set on the Ortlieb O-bag which was developed in conjunction with Brompton but in the end decided to go with the Carradice Stockport bag. \u0026nbsp;I initially though I needed the Ortlieb because it was 20L, however once I saw the Stockport in the flesh it was about the same size or bigger than a messenger bag I occasionally use so I decided to get it, despite the Stockport being 16L. \u0026nbsp;Also I'm a bit of a sucker for Carradice stuff having owned a few of their saddlebags in the past. \u0026nbsp;The Stockport bag is of a much nicer appearance and finish that what I have seen in the past with their products.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiRx_pHg3K-cQZMeTahuzPRL6tZKwkMrCOPiyaQqbYxvoFFs91eFAT_KLovuwPvF2svXdREP79jPilH00Gm4NtbRhCQhxtp5z_1SW5ZlowG_o9pkn61cITrdHzjxB4sHYQtKUU15OrEyjhW\/s1600\/DSCF9450.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiRx_pHg3K-cQZMeTahuzPRL6tZKwkMrCOPiyaQqbYxvoFFs91eFAT_KLovuwPvF2svXdREP79jPilH00Gm4NtbRhCQhxtp5z_1SW5ZlowG_o9pkn61cITrdHzjxB4sHYQtKUU15OrEyjhW\/s640\/DSCF9450.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEi17ShhMztyFMevwPqxw-PYW9nOlRcoQYJQlaF7GRILNX-vtieXZ1Fz0nzaigLKDT_SnIzphlu9jrdM9iO-3fSXNI4nO7cV0QDcEFDTYHgRjvEI5RfKOYz6z_Vbm1qhHwKr6sy7GGm-MCco\/s1600\/DSCF9452.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEi17ShhMztyFMevwPqxw-PYW9nOlRcoQYJQlaF7GRILNX-vtieXZ1Fz0nzaigLKDT_SnIzphlu9jrdM9iO-3fSXNI4nO7cV0QDcEFDTYHgRjvEI5RfKOYz6z_Vbm1qhHwKr6sy7GGm-MCco\/s640\/DSCF9452.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe Stockport bag requires a separate aluminium frame made by Brompton to interface with the luggage block, this also conveniently includes a handle. \u0026nbsp;The exterior is the classic waxed cotton duck fabric with a tartan interior lining and black leather straps, nice and classic looks which wouldn't look out of place at a work meeting. \u0026nbsp;Combining this with the rack means you can carry a fair bit of stuff on it for such a small bike.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjKbYPpUSeoANJoHQDghqxDp-wHohvfWU7cyFvhtoX5KHrZbUhfUYHG8Mu2UfMBuWyK2gla92Bs5Y3_bTkr_dSsUQYl_u_0nDYFRPqf88fkzwVEna8HybmucALu6oi4usDmTY188tVsRxlv\/s1600\/DSCF9458.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjKbYPpUSeoANJoHQDghqxDp-wHohvfWU7cyFvhtoX5KHrZbUhfUYHG8Mu2UfMBuWyK2gla92Bs5Y3_bTkr_dSsUQYl_u_0nDYFRPqf88fkzwVEna8HybmucALu6oi4usDmTY188tVsRxlv\/s640\/DSCF9458.jpg\" width=\"426\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nFunnily enough with a bit of weight over the front wheel the bike feels less skittish, initially when I test rode Bromptons I felt they were a little twitchy. \u0026nbsp;The luggage setup on Bromptons is great though! \u0026nbsp;When you attach the bag it clicks into place and is released by depressing a lever on its underside. \u0026nbsp;The shoulder strap tucks into the subframe handle and away you go. \u0026nbsp;It's just so easy to remove and then fold up the bike, then you're ready to go enter a pub or restaurant.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhdRhspSP8_FwSL46H7RlIdFhyphenhyphenMY0O1BzNB3wk7G4gBClRJY42iQDNXOFXyKSMz-WZy5yYNleQi60vD3fcidviQMelEad0PRGhmlXaglCgb1nfUFSYYQTuLwui3nrvjhJaBl90HmgaAuMxs\/s1600\/DSCF9448.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhdRhspSP8_FwSL46H7RlIdFhyphenhyphenMY0O1BzNB3wk7G4gBClRJY42iQDNXOFXyKSMz-WZy5yYNleQi60vD3fcidviQMelEad0PRGhmlXaglCgb1nfUFSYYQTuLwui3nrvjhJaBl90HmgaAuMxs\/s640\/DSCF9448.jpg\" width=\"426\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\nA shopping trolley with pedals\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\nI'd seen this done before but now have experienced using it this way myself. \u0026nbsp;As you can see in the picture above in the semi-folded position with bag attached it becomes a shopping trolley. \u0026nbsp;The wheels on the rack (known as Eazy wheels) allow it to be rolled along with the handlebars. \u0026nbsp;For the commuter this is godsend. \u0026nbsp;This is what attracted me to the Brompton in the first place, the well thought through design and refinement which you don't find in many other folding bikes.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEi24SmB9ta-ed32IsMriVcj15y3VtoQT3G6AgrGTeO0gUF9FkZejW08qHMGfIyakuzY0OfKnKuPsWxMcAjuBBTr84Vlcyd6s8l4V2t7txpIAxC_2KjsjhA6POiYNaQqNEv-aEul9RDCpv6W\/s1600\/DSCF9459.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEi24SmB9ta-ed32IsMriVcj15y3VtoQT3G6AgrGTeO0gUF9FkZejW08qHMGfIyakuzY0OfKnKuPsWxMcAjuBBTr84Vlcyd6s8l4V2t7txpIAxC_2KjsjhA6POiYNaQqNEv-aEul9RDCpv6W\/s640\/DSCF9459.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAfter you've done your shopping the bike unfolds and you're off. \u0026nbsp;One change that has been made to the later Bromptons is an adjustable insert in the seat tube which stops the seatpost at a predetermined height which you can set, this saves time and hassle as you always can be sure it's at the correct height for you.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ch3 style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\nDrivetrain\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nThe drivetrain on the Brompton is somewhat unique, the 6-speed version employs a special wide range version the the classic 3-Speed Sturmey Archer hub combined with a two speed derailleur. \u0026nbsp;This creates 6 evenly spaced gears which gives a 245% overall range which is more than enough for most commuters. \u0026nbsp;However the downside to this is that this means you have a two gear shifters, and if you want to go through the gears sequentially it means every second gear is a double shift. \u0026nbsp;However this is made slightly easier due to the redesign of the gear shifters in the 2017 Bromptons, these are a bit more like the standard Shimano Rapid-fire MTB shifters which are slung under the bars. \u0026nbsp;Prior to that Brompton's shifters had thumb levers which stuck up above the bars in a slightly awkward way a bit like two pairs of rabbit ears.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhVxxWFzsZ00v7vf3FM7juy-xtwxB-nJvKCcQePLKFz_UJRgQuVG13c-92rUeiIT0vTOUFMa6VXxGSfY3UX9ApEEAobx32Xrgcl-dhSHUIn75Fk2ky2RIieCoRf4yxcLwWfNSQnpV6OOK1b\/s1600\/DSCF9431.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhVxxWFzsZ00v7vf3FM7juy-xtwxB-nJvKCcQePLKFz_UJRgQuVG13c-92rUeiIT0vTOUFMa6VXxGSfY3UX9ApEEAobx32Xrgcl-dhSHUIn75Fk2ky2RIieCoRf4yxcLwWfNSQnpV6OOK1b\/s640\/DSCF9431.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiqVqbc47He21QlhXx0T-l7FfSjqD9rPbD_yxb-DxxGy94Y6_9sNhF9QJx6WyEeKoKE5V7x7lKVQiKEXlngPbDT0scem89K4kVGM-J91uTikLX8qKBhINe242R9JR8qCuGDUUvA3bgwEzMS\/s1600\/DSCF9433.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiqVqbc47He21QlhXx0T-l7FfSjqD9rPbD_yxb-DxxGy94Y6_9sNhF9QJx6WyEeKoKE5V7x7lKVQiKEXlngPbDT0scem89K4kVGM-J91uTikLX8qKBhINe242R9JR8qCuGDUUvA3bgwEzMS\/s640\/DSCF9433.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjCOv1FmyT-Nf3_4RzVW-_I9qjExWRgUQZpaFZEN4mYRZhwAq8hVCWdRAN2mu9NsTokPbXc7QWQm3a9Wqw0X5N2lDsZWa165XRcDz4_-xjVLrBwx3wgFPUuHG7dhKgVWiE5fgjMdqQBrF-Y\/s1600\/DSCF9429.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjCOv1FmyT-Nf3_4RzVW-_I9qjExWRgUQZpaFZEN4mYRZhwAq8hVCWdRAN2mu9NsTokPbXc7QWQm3a9Wqw0X5N2lDsZWa165XRcDz4_-xjVLrBwx3wgFPUuHG7dhKgVWiE5fgjMdqQBrF-Y\/s640\/DSCF9429.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nWhere there could be some improvement in the drivetrain is the derailleur shifting, the Sturmey Archer hub has a driver with two sprockets on it. \u0026nbsp;This is shifted by a sort-of derailleur which is a C shaped channel which rotates on the chainstay guiding the chain towards one of the two sprockets. \u0026nbsp;The chain tensioner doesn't move sideways like a conventional derailleur, rather the two jockey wheels slide on their spindles either way. \u0026nbsp;It works reasonably well going from the bigger to smaller sprocket, however it sometimes doesn't shift particularly well from smaller to bigger sprocket. \u0026nbsp;This is particularly true when shifting under load or when it's quite dirty. \u0026nbsp;Normally on a derailleur system shifting up to a larger sprocket under load happens quickly and smoothly if it is a modern ramped sprocket. \u0026nbsp;However on the Brompton, despite being ramped it tends to struggle a bit and needs backing off on the pedals to allow it to catch the larger sprocket. \u0026nbsp;This may be due to the 3 tooth jump from the 13t to the 16t sprocket and\/or the derailleur design or maybe even the Sram chain which doesn't have chamfered outer plates.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHowever the Sturmey Archer hub shifts quickly and precisely like I'm used to, it just needs a very quick backing off of the pedals while it shifts in a split second which I'm used to. Overall I think the six speed option is pretty neat, although I may want to improve the derailleur shifting at some point and may look into getting the ratios a little bit closer as I find the jumps a bit big when really putting down the power.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgGw6z0AnIwcdSbR_42J4Flexmw2G6p4pdAViVeA8bQm5KuC97WEvhoj6C0uo2gE7I-4sObORTvH_t8xUwCRkcXUaCADE_0SGVY_Xk6aIN4tU5F2QXPb1mggU691EHKHMXO67pHW_yTADhA\/s1600\/DSCF9444.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgGw6z0AnIwcdSbR_42J4Flexmw2G6p4pdAViVeA8bQm5KuC97WEvhoj6C0uo2gE7I-4sObORTvH_t8xUwCRkcXUaCADE_0SGVY_Xk6aIN4tU5F2QXPb1mggU691EHKHMXO67pHW_yTADhA\/s640\/DSCF9444.jpg\" width=\"426\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\nLittle surprises\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nOne of the really great things about Bromptons is the little things, in particular is the accessory tool kit. \u0026nbsp;While not cheap at just under £50, almost every nut and bolt on the bike can be turned with this. \u0026nbsp;Also it includes a patch kit and tyre levers, and best of all it fits snugly into the frame...\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjh7R4Bie1MDgS7DY5tIJQsM4HsNyP91y7CL1p02sziVwwD6IKOJRDze6jVnhBndfBnQrpR7aOdfl62NvWGqXhf4WgyBh4CZwwTY5dfDwcTofN0vsZkKcWOYbqdUytHO2aqxWug2OYoocMr\/s1600\/DSCF9445.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjh7R4Bie1MDgS7DY5tIJQsM4HsNyP91y7CL1p02sziVwwD6IKOJRDze6jVnhBndfBnQrpR7aOdfl62NvWGqXhf4WgyBh4CZwwTY5dfDwcTofN0vsZkKcWOYbqdUytHO2aqxWug2OYoocMr\/s640\/DSCF9445.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgZOGufRU68VgBLg2Mi6LSEC8FEtdCngFfH33wOOAefNNVzE9CF0vSoI4GlAMGsDfzADXU71pULvS2ktz5MW-ik_2MfJ4fR2jR6PfBPuC5HkmRILfUARu43OvpFbQHrtBBX0zKc-640vSET\/s1600\/DSCF9446.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgZOGufRU68VgBLg2Mi6LSEC8FEtdCngFfH33wOOAefNNVzE9CF0vSoI4GlAMGsDfzADXU71pULvS2ktz5MW-ik_2MfJ4fR2jR6PfBPuC5HkmRILfUARu43OvpFbQHrtBBX0zKc-640vSET\/s640\/DSCF9446.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\nThe ride\u003C\/h3\u003E\nOverall I'm really happy with the bike and it's already saved me a lot of time and been extremely convenient. \u0026nbsp;It's significantly faster than my older commuting bikes. \u0026nbsp;The steering is a little twitchy at first but I quickly got used to it, in fact I almost prefer the nimbleness in the city. \u0026nbsp;When it's up to speed it feels quite stable too, every morning I go down a hill and hit 40+ km\/h, at the bottom the stock brakes pull it to a stop quickly, they are actually quite good. \u0026nbsp;When it is a bit wet their power is somewhat reduced, however compared to other rim brakes I've used the stock Fibrax pads perform quite well in the wet. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe downside of small wheels though, as I already knew from owning a Raleigh Twenty for a while is that they don't tend to roll over things as easily as larger wheels, hence you really feel bumps and road irregularities a lot more. \u0026nbsp; The rear suspension goes some way to taking the edge off that, however I have the firm block installed and at 68kg weight I probably don't weight enough to warrant it. \u0026nbsp;Many users fit the firm block to avoid excessive bobbing when pedalling. \u0026nbsp;The stock Brompton Kevlar tyres that I have fitted advise you to inflate to 100psi (6 bar) which is excessive for a 35mm wide tyre, I found for my weight about 70-80psi (5 bar) is about right. \u0026nbsp;In summary though, when riding a Brompton you sometimes forget you're on a folding bike, it rides surprisingly well for a bike that folds up so small, just avoid the potholes!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThat's all for now, I'll probably write another post on it pretty soon. \u0026nbsp;Thanks for reading.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEixxLUhsrW69H8-X_u-52VbjPNev4lL0fh5kpA_usYPSJm7lfrq6LzsXs0d9YBB374ygU1V9pPToHnL2ZSkTSb3HAD3YKHvhlsHRUKpH1EmsjrzlOlod-bPpczOewEFe1CHBTN083df7EpI\/s1600\/DSCF9460.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEixxLUhsrW69H8-X_u-52VbjPNev4lL0fh5kpA_usYPSJm7lfrq6LzsXs0d9YBB374ygU1V9pPToHnL2ZSkTSb3HAD3YKHvhlsHRUKpH1EmsjrzlOlod-bPpczOewEFe1CHBTN083df7EpI\/s640\/DSCF9460.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.com\/feeds\/1280628036452520714\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.com\/2017\/02\/entering-fold.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/1318315606520498015\/posts\/default\/1280628036452520714"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/1318315606520498015\/posts\/default\/1280628036452520714"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.com\/2017\/02\/entering-fold.html","title":"Entering the fold"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Smut Pedaller"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05939627997312788346"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"33","height":"30","src":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_8wbLBACjkVk\/THEfqDSs-5I\/AAAAAAAAALE\/wGfOiDm05kU\/S220\/Screen+shot+2010-08-22+at+11.00.00+.png"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgxdVSUeN4OCryACPrUUxlOh9y-c_5ZYdD-u6yJ1emmsWUJxHAG5WM0jC8MhRdhFd95SFdYP-XU2-rckrCtrSaRxs_BPrFQPvvL1SFF-t2y9l3Z4EAOef_2_IrrooZqLazHBu6ZvwWX254G\/s72-c\/DSCF9411+%25281%2529.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318315606520498015.post-2869222733908286385"},"published":{"$t":"2015-10-07T22:50:00.000+01:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-10-07T22:50:49.302+01:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"mei san"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"reviews"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Genesis Col du Glandon Part 2: First Impressions"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.com\/2015\/09\/genesis-col-du-glandon-part-1-choosing.html\"\u003EContinuing on from Part 1\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;which covered the selection of the Col du Glandon, this post will be written by my partner giving her thoughts on the bike. \u0026nbsp;After first buying it we have ridden a decent amount of distance around London as well as the Lake District which involved a mixture of different terrain and surfaces. \u0026nbsp;Here are her first impressions:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgOsvnu8P4TRgIufYVoNhgu-olIAJx7y-8OwchgynaS9ZYUl21-vtqjlDz5TS79_IbT1aVpjBD04ekbgQPeY6L5C6DxzjAM85Z_vnMnYQZ95d5xT4xHvLR4JvLQ4EMTOAr-1jfCPml10WZZ\/s1600\/DSCF6597.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgOsvnu8P4TRgIufYVoNhgu-olIAJx7y-8OwchgynaS9ZYUl21-vtqjlDz5TS79_IbT1aVpjBD04ekbgQPeY6L5C6DxzjAM85Z_vnMnYQZ95d5xT4xHvLR4JvLQ4EMTOAr-1jfCPml10WZZ\/s1600\/DSCF6597.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgOsvnu8P4TRgIufYVoNhgu-olIAJx7y-8OwchgynaS9ZYUl21-vtqjlDz5TS79_IbT1aVpjBD04ekbgQPeY6L5C6DxzjAM85Z_vnMnYQZ95d5xT4xHvLR4JvLQ4EMTOAr-1jfCPml10WZZ\/s1600\/DSCF6597.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Ch3 style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\nFirst Impressions\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\nHaving made up my mind to buy my first drop bar bike I was very excited about the prospect of picking it from all the different road bikes out there. I owned several different bikes before, however as they were mostly town bikes, used only for commuting I never worried too much about fitting.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\nGenerally with most wearables I am used to simply get the smallest size and be happy with it. However after a month of researching my options I started to feel like being told that small jumpers are unavailable so I should get a medium one with it's sleeves cut shorter. I didn't understand why would I use the same wheel diameter as a guy 20cm taller than me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjJ0o2uW5WFRsH1miG3pHZdPZbAntnupIUt0dEK6-ZaRN7dzI8YUVoQrqGPDSfejo-3TsGFh3L00sP7phyphenhypheneAZpb2vdB4wNjVbL12sqvpHpqFwS6VQ5AMxvVUoDzoh1scSB5BGI_h5p-b_k1\/s1600\/DSCF6625.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjJ0o2uW5WFRsH1miG3pHZdPZbAntnupIUt0dEK6-ZaRN7dzI8YUVoQrqGPDSfejo-3TsGFh3L00sP7phyphenhypheneAZpb2vdB4wNjVbL12sqvpHpqFwS6VQ5AMxvVUoDzoh1scSB5BGI_h5p-b_k1\/s1600\/DSCF6625.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nProbably if I hadn't gotten advice about all the details regarding size to consider, I would have just bought the small size of one of the few female road bikes available and wondered later why it handled funny, or why I am clumsier than usual. I might even have decided that I'm simply not good enough at cycling to ride a road bike.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjJ0o2uW5WFRsH1miG3pHZdPZbAntnupIUt0dEK6-ZaRN7dzI8YUVoQrqGPDSfejo-3TsGFh3L00sP7phyphenhypheneAZpb2vdB4wNjVbL12sqvpHpqFwS6VQ5AMxvVUoDzoh1scSB5BGI_h5p-b_k1\/s1600\/DSCF6625.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEg5ttFzfI_ZMRgmNzLCStulq3g-LZI42yGfu7ycXYa5_nZdz9Id_cwmEplvOHPb-vhTDrDWVrVIfeHhkMYjTcs45kdLr061K4XWOpyF9Uk6Q0At7JCAz-7iS3veEDLomb6DgaifT-Zo22Jd\/s1600\/DSCF6626.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEg5ttFzfI_ZMRgmNzLCStulq3g-LZI42yGfu7ycXYa5_nZdz9Id_cwmEplvOHPb-vhTDrDWVrVIfeHhkMYjTcs45kdLr061K4XWOpyF9Uk6Q0At7JCAz-7iS3veEDLomb6DgaifT-Zo22Jd\/s1600\/DSCF6626.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhiarBqF76VUDcOg_m8zB3-3L6EJdeDNAcHVa26e6OeGhb3yQ-zV5_lXuadr7QG7knZW48MwUOumajwsPPcGaf4QDl9cmAC8nYFT4mIRG-vIPGF_BzEUEtMfF36ws0iiCaSoipnCLBY9GLx\/s1600\/DSCF6627.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhiarBqF76VUDcOg_m8zB3-3L6EJdeDNAcHVa26e6OeGhb3yQ-zV5_lXuadr7QG7knZW48MwUOumajwsPPcGaf4QDl9cmAC8nYFT4mIRG-vIPGF_BzEUEtMfF36ws0iiCaSoipnCLBY9GLx\/s1600\/DSCF6627.jpg\" width=\"426\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\nSeeing how I am only slightly shorter than the average female I found it very surprising that in the end I had to narrow down my reasonable options to a single bike, as opposed to all the different ones most men could choose from. \u0026nbsp;I am really happy with the Col du Glandon, it feels right, it is exactly the bike I wanted, but I hope in the future there will be much more \"small\" bikes out there for all the people who might be missing out on riding adventures otherwise.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhd4ij79ylHEDesC98Cbrw7BX-jv7Q6fKRGfsoWhoOygjn_89j2qkXu8vGBJaU_wnCdWgf4DGJw1APsf_4iO6SVbt9rRpzEOjrI-BMuS3Ca9ccOOBwJtrO2cB046BSG6ahQyJeeqqGkUf3u\/s1600\/DSCF6628.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhd4ij79ylHEDesC98Cbrw7BX-jv7Q6fKRGfsoWhoOygjn_89j2qkXu8vGBJaU_wnCdWgf4DGJw1APsf_4iO6SVbt9rRpzEOjrI-BMuS3Ca9ccOOBwJtrO2cB046BSG6ahQyJeeqqGkUf3u\/s1600\/DSCF6628.jpg\" width=\"426\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.com\/feeds\/2869222733908286385\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.com\/2015\/10\/genesis-col-du-glandon-part-2-first.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/1318315606520498015\/posts\/default\/2869222733908286385"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/1318315606520498015\/posts\/default\/2869222733908286385"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.com\/2015\/10\/genesis-col-du-glandon-part-2-first.html","title":"Genesis Col du Glandon Part 2: First Impressions"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Smut Pedaller"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05939627997312788346"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"33","height":"30","src":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_8wbLBACjkVk\/THEfqDSs-5I\/AAAAAAAAALE\/wGfOiDm05kU\/S220\/Screen+shot+2010-08-22+at+11.00.00+.png"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgOsvnu8P4TRgIufYVoNhgu-olIAJx7y-8OwchgynaS9ZYUl21-vtqjlDz5TS79_IbT1aVpjBD04ekbgQPeY6L5C6DxzjAM85Z_vnMnYQZ95d5xT4xHvLR4JvLQ4EMTOAr-1jfCPml10WZZ\/s72-c\/DSCF6597.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318315606520498015.post-3586762933076407002"},"published":{"$t":"2015-09-21T23:11:00.004+01:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-04-25T00:19:20.446+01:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"mei san"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"reviews"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Genesis Col du Glandon Part 1: Choosing the one"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Fitting things to the human body is a bit of an art, road bikes are generally based around the standard size range of adult males. If you don't fit this range then finding a good fit can be difficult. This is particularly true of the average sized UK adult female who is right off the bottom of this range.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgLHVD9h0R-ZtaMi2I-EiZtdkcTBM-ZEQzXxCssed2G3UpDuNTc4z9vqMurOVA9M_LlnhL14JuInnbD4wiTBr8zi79i5QT35m9WJW1_U_TtJ1PlbSt5ipkMVCv7Lk5bq3q-uRGKaXv-jiaA\/s1600\/DSCF6602.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgLHVD9h0R-ZtaMi2I-EiZtdkcTBM-ZEQzXxCssed2G3UpDuNTc4z9vqMurOVA9M_LlnhL14JuInnbD4wiTBr8zi79i5QT35m9WJW1_U_TtJ1PlbSt5ipkMVCv7Lk5bq3q-uRGKaXv-jiaA\/s1600\/DSCF6602.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThis presents a problem as the smallest road bikes traditionally go down to about a 52cm top tube\/seat tube measurement with 700c wheels. Much of this is covered in this article\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.rodbikes.com\/articles\/650-vs-700.html\"\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.rodbikes.com\/articles\/650-vs-700.html\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIn summary, cramming 700c wheels into a frame smaller than about 52cm results in a multitude of compromises such as odd geometry or excessive toe overlap. \u0026nbsp;My partner and I were searching for a drop bar bike to fit her, at 161.5cm tall she would not fit particularly well on a standard small men's road bike, this led to a search for a bike that would.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\nWheel size\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nSmaller wheels should go with smaller bikes and vice versa, correct? \u0026nbsp;Well not really in the world of road bicycles. \u0026nbsp;Almost all bikes are built around the 700c size, so someone who is 160cm tall would use the same size wheels as a 190cm tall person. \u0026nbsp;There are a multitude of wheel sizes of varying popularity and use smaller than 700c ISO622mm, the most popular being the 26\" ISO 559mm mountain bike which has a vast array of choice. \u0026nbsp;Between these two sizes is the 650 series, currently gaining in popularity is the 650B ISO584mm size, praised for it's agility and nimbleness it also happens to be suited to smaller riders...\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\nChoices choices choices...\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nThere are more limited choices for smaller riders, before committing to any we were determined to try out as many as possible. The main criteria was as follows:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EThe bike must be a drop bar style for multiple positions on the bike for long distance riding\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EAbility to fit largish tyres for some unpaved riding\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EMudguard and rack capable\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EBelow the £1000 limit for UK cyclescheme\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nIn summary the type of bike she needed was a versatile road bike, there were plenty of road racing style bikes however they could not accommodate larger tyres for unpaved riding so these were ruled out. \u0026nbsp;The strategy was to try a range of different bikes to try to get a diverse range of experience with different sizing and set\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003Eups which would help inform her decision. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EThe hardest part was determining fit as she had never really ridden a drop bar bike. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EFirstly a friend lent her bike which is a drop bar road bike in 52cm sizing with a short and upright stem. \u0026nbsp;Even this was too large for my partner, also the brake levers were difficult to use as the reach on them was too big being standard Shimano STI levers. \u0026nbsp;This was no surprise as the owner of the bike is about 165cm tall and has larger hands.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EGiant Liv Invite\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nNext we decided to look at the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.giant-bicycles.com\/en-gb\/bikes\/model\/invite.2\/19222\/77394\/\"\u003EGiant Liv Invite\u003C\/a\u003E series which is a drop bar disc brake bike meant for women. \u0026nbsp;This series of bikes comes with reasonably wide tyres and a triple crankset which are both pluses however it is a 700C\/622mm bike which would mean some compromise somewhere. \u0026nbsp;The head angle was a bit slack at 70.5º and it had quite a steep 74.5º seat angle. \u0026nbsp;My partner had a ride of it and it generally fit, I had a ride as well but something felt a bit weird. \u0026nbsp;I suspect it was a product of the geometry and the wheel size, they tried to squish in big tyres into a small frame and it felt odd.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe other factor was the aesthetics, neither of us was particularly excited about it, it was in the typical\u0026nbsp;\"women's bike\" colours of pastel purples. \u0026nbsp;The good part of the bike was that it was disc brake equipped and it generally fit, however it was really the odd handling and the looks that was the bad part.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\nGenesis Col du Glandon\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nThere was little else choice but a handful of models which fit the criteria. \u0026nbsp;One of my first suggestions was the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.genesisbikes.co.uk\/bikes\/youth\/b-road\/col-du-glandon\"\u003EGenesis Col du Glandon\u003C\/a\u003E or the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/surlybikes.com\/bikes\/straggler_650b\/bike_info\"\u003ESurly Straggler\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;which was an alternative. \u0026nbsp;Both these bikes come in 650B wheel size and actually have near identical frame geometry to the Giant except for a slightly slacker seat tube angle at 74º. \u0026nbsp; However the Surly Straggler 650B retails at £1499 which was out of her price range. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThis left the Genesis Col du Glandon as the only other contender. \u0026nbsp;We looked and looked but couldn't find any shops that had it in stock for a test ride in London, however we thought that Genesis might have one at the annual London bike show. \u0026nbsp;Sadly we were disappointed and there wasn't one which was frustrating, there doesn't seem to be much of a market for road bikes for smaller riders, particularly women. \u0026nbsp;However we did get the chance to try one of the road bikes from Islabikes which is a specialist manufacturer for smaller riders and children's bikes.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjkWsX4h_wGxLhkyYkJylGyRdmZB4o-QRecfcHr9t8duxBGjW3c49JYZX0vezwcO9kMIGEVBe563GteinKN5qT5awjGMNlrzqjlKDpZTxYkF5WDBMFiVcHeXZm4Ymh5lYETbmcvOGgb9NXV\/s1600\/DSCF6659.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjkWsX4h_wGxLhkyYkJylGyRdmZB4o-QRecfcHr9t8duxBGjW3c49JYZX0vezwcO9kMIGEVBe563GteinKN5qT5awjGMNlrzqjlKDpZTxYkF5WDBMFiVcHeXZm4Ymh5lYETbmcvOGgb9NXV\/s1600\/DSCF6659.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nWith these experiences we called around and managed to find a shop out in Surrey which had one in stock. \u0026nbsp;We caught a train out to Surrey and finally caught sight of the bike in the flesh after months of trying out different bikes. \u0026nbsp;My partner test rode it and she said it felt right straight away, the reach was a lot shorter, much like the Giant however it didn't have the odd handling and it also looked a lot better. \u0026nbsp;This was to be \u003Ci\u003Ethe bike\u003C\/i\u003E, also priced at a little over £500 was well within the cyclescheme cost and would allow the remainder of the money to be spent on accessories and clothing.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\nSpecifications\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cb\u003EFrame:\u003C\/b\u003E Double butted 6061 Aluminium Alloy\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cb\u003EDrivetrain:\u003C\/b\u003E Shimano Claris 8sp shifters\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cb\u003EWheels:\u003C\/b\u003E Alex 32H rims and Shimano Claris hubs w\/ Michelin World Tour 650B tyres\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cb\u003EBrakes:\u003C\/b\u003E Tektro Oryx cantilevers w\/ cross top levers\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cb\u003EFinishing Kit:\u003C\/b\u003E Genesis branded seatpost, stem and bars. The stock saddle was mightily uncomfortable and was swapped out for a Fizik item.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\nFirst Impressions\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\nThe bike was bought already assembled from the shop, however there was one glaring issue in the way that the shop set it up. \u0026nbsp;The brakes were weak and required a lot of hand effort to bring the bike to a stop, this was caused by sharp turns in the cabling which caused a lot of unnecessary friction. \u0026nbsp;I changed the setup so the cable run had a lot more gentle turns and I also changed the cantilever straddle cable so it was shorter which increased the brake leverage. \u0026nbsp;The cables and outers were replaced with a braided compressionless kit all around. \u0026nbsp;All these changes increased the power of the brake and reduced the hand effort significantly. \u0026nbsp;My partner would not have been able to brake properly the way it was setup originally.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjOW9K5SQ9NM2YEK6jh0-PJRiuzFOoMIcJ4l94mo5_UMyl69DLbjVSv83XFJZZSRoeohJYceABZADAYbpzwFSoTWptfNy4GD9fXhhDFZOhb8GD5lo_PXqZBhz4EchYP5kTA2oe2SCOASH6o\/s1600\/IMG_0791.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjOW9K5SQ9NM2YEK6jh0-PJRiuzFOoMIcJ4l94mo5_UMyl69DLbjVSv83XFJZZSRoeohJYceABZADAYbpzwFSoTWptfNy4GD9fXhhDFZOhb8GD5lo_PXqZBhz4EchYP5kTA2oe2SCOASH6o\/s1600\/IMG_0791.jpg\" width=\"480\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nDespite the setup issues, the frame quality is good with lots of clearance for bigger tyres, there are some nice little details like the reinforcement gusset at the head tube and the metallic paint decals. \u0026nbsp;The overall style of the bike is nice, it's a little bit retro with the gumwall tyres and monochrome paint job. \u0026nbsp;Minimal with a bit of flair is how I would summarise it. \u0026nbsp;The thing that really appealed to both of us apart from the fit, was how it is not specifically marketed at women, It has a more neutral look to it. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThanks for reading\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.co.uk\/2015\/10\/genesis-col-du-glandon-part-2-first.html\"\u003Eto be continued in Part 2: First Impressions\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.com\/feeds\/3586762933076407002\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.com\/2015\/09\/genesis-col-du-glandon-part-1-choosing.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/1318315606520498015\/posts\/default\/3586762933076407002"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/1318315606520498015\/posts\/default\/3586762933076407002"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.com\/2015\/09\/genesis-col-du-glandon-part-1-choosing.html","title":"Genesis Col du Glandon Part 1: Choosing the one"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Smut Pedaller"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05939627997312788346"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"33","height":"30","src":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_8wbLBACjkVk\/THEfqDSs-5I\/AAAAAAAAALE\/wGfOiDm05kU\/S220\/Screen+shot+2010-08-22+at+11.00.00+.png"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgLHVD9h0R-ZtaMi2I-EiZtdkcTBM-ZEQzXxCssed2G3UpDuNTc4z9vqMurOVA9M_LlnhL14JuInnbD4wiTBr8zi79i5QT35m9WJW1_U_TtJ1PlbSt5ipkMVCv7Lk5bq3q-uRGKaXv-jiaA\/s72-c\/DSCF6602.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318315606520498015.post-6960834148312213553"},"published":{"$t":"2014-11-25T00:57:00.001+00:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-04-14T22:48:13.560+01:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Phil"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"reviews"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"TRP Spyre disc brake: Long term review"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhCKNUYeAvhFhesKGCqPzMbeY1Gfk2pdd4eEpvbCn20mGQ2L5bIsaMBsJjWf3vwRA8oZdDDJWUOShPlQzg5TsePbEq9C6NV_Zucx4cLlzsFMb61LlyNebzW8gJHxPASy7BZvbl7Nus3cbtn\/s1600\/DSCF5451.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhCKNUYeAvhFhesKGCqPzMbeY1Gfk2pdd4eEpvbCn20mGQ2L5bIsaMBsJjWf3vwRA8oZdDDJWUOShPlQzg5TsePbEq9C6NV_Zucx4cLlzsFMb61LlyNebzW8gJHxPASy7BZvbl7Nus3cbtn\/s1600\/DSCF5451.jpg\" height=\"426\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIt's been a little while since my\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.co.uk\/2014\/01\/trp-spyre-disc-brake-review-first.html\"\u003Efirst impressions\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;of the TRP Spyre disc brakes, and I've put on a fair bit of distance (approximately 3000km) on them in many \u0026nbsp;different scenarios, through thick mud, heavy rain as well as warm and dry. \u0026nbsp;So far they have served me quite well with no real problems apart from the inconvenience of the recall at the end of 2013.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEi92mwFf_cHEV5GMX2ruu4ydkgXdm59J6Ae6Pcy-y-Af9nf1d3C1w26a6EnlApRYqxDbbcQv2J4oQFQOhfJ8xe4YXSJ6yPYARDVieLxnwz1EDRqrdus0gCuy4wdy7ut0r-7kouSz6L3SeWS\/s1600\/DSCF5464.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEi92mwFf_cHEV5GMX2ruu4ydkgXdm59J6Ae6Pcy-y-Af9nf1d3C1w26a6EnlApRYqxDbbcQv2J4oQFQOhfJ8xe4YXSJ6yPYARDVieLxnwz1EDRqrdus0gCuy4wdy7ut0r-7kouSz6L3SeWS\/s1600\/DSCF5464.jpg\" height=\"426\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EEpping forest where I got these brakes nice and muddy...\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\n\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\n\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\n\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\nIf you're reading this review you're probably already convinced about disc brakes. \u0026nbsp;Despite being used on pretty much all high performance wheeled vehicles and being standard on MTBs for a decade or more there still are a lot of cynics. \u0026nbsp;Most of the same arguments are brought up again and again against discs. \u0026nbsp;One of the most common arguments is:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\"Discs have too much power and they will overcome the grip of a skinny road tyre\"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIf anything the factor that limits braking on upright bicycles is the bike overturning, easily achieved with rim brakes and 23mm tyres on dry asphalt. \u0026nbsp; Disc brakes are not necessarily about more power, but more about more consistent and better control in all conditions. \u0026nbsp;Now that I have that off my chest, let's get on with the review...\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\nInstallation\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nBasically my opinion of this hasn't really changed. \u0026nbsp;The initial installation was quite straightforward, with no problems encountered. \u0026nbsp;I have a suspicion that the Campagnolo levers I have are a little on the short side for cable pull, to get a good lever engagement point I had to true the rotors and centre the callipers. \u0026nbsp;The current crop of Shimano STI lever pulls a little bit more cable. \u0026nbsp;However this is a general characteristic of road levers with discs, compared to MTB levers which typically have a much higher cable pull; and thus less cable tension for the same braking force. \u0026nbsp;I would thoroughly recommend using compressionless brake housing which not only improves the brake feel, but also increases the power and gives an earlier engagement point.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhQdiY0mZ6aXBZYFDHH-01YoWKryxao84T8eFPA9HQz4TnhEzfemzQtix5HMng1yaWUaLJSCGRpVNJIJZh0h1zfvB9i5O0f3zkCGvgdNq_uwq4JkLRlXfGHOntDnmQBfgPSPsbab-5JYxG0\/s1600\/DSCF5447.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhQdiY0mZ6aXBZYFDHH-01YoWKryxao84T8eFPA9HQz4TnhEzfemzQtix5HMng1yaWUaLJSCGRpVNJIJZh0h1zfvB9i5O0f3zkCGvgdNq_uwq4JkLRlXfGHOntDnmQBfgPSPsbab-5JYxG0\/s1600\/DSCF5447.jpg\" height=\"640\" style=\"cursor: move;\" width=\"426\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003ESetup\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nLevers:\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nCampagnolo Athena 11s 2010 year model\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nCables:\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nJagwire Road pro compressionless brake cable set. \u0026nbsp;Full length cable to rear.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nFront:\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n180mm Shimano RT81 Ice-Tech rotor\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nEBC Gold metallic pads\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nRear:\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n160mm TRP Rotor\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nFactory TRP Pads\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe setup is not completely stock, \u0026nbsp;the Shimano dynamo hub I chose only came in centrelock and the price of a centrelock to 6-bolt adaptor was about the same as an entirely new disc. \u0026nbsp;So I decided to upsize to 180mm and get an Ice-tech rotor, these have a layer of alloy sandwiched between the outer stainless steel layers which increases heat loss. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nI covered the break-in process in my previous post, and this hasn't really changed. \u0026nbsp;The stock pads were a little worn and I was a bit concerned at how fast they wore in wet or muddy conditions. \u0026nbsp;I switched to EBC Gold metallic pads a few months ago and they have required very little adjustment due to wear despite being ridden in quite poor conditions. \u0026nbsp;Other than wearing quickly the stock pads give good bite and stay quiet.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nWhat I have found though is that on the revised Spyre calipers, the new pad adjusters aren't too great, as once they are set they screwed in to set a pad position, they don't hold their adjustment. \u0026nbsp;The screw must be loosening itself under use and resetting itself. \u0026nbsp;I now compensate the brake for wear by using the cable adjuster and leave the pad adjusters wound all the way out. \u0026nbsp;I suspect the problem is with the design, they are grub screws with a layer of thread lock on them, however I suspect under usage the heat renders it useless which causes it to reset. \u0026nbsp;This seems like a poor workaround instead of locking it mechanically with a ratchet system like on Avid's BB7 calipers.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe Spyres are unique in that they are so far the only cable operated disc on the market that is dual piston, most other brakes have a fixed pad inboard and an outer pad which is worked on by the piston and lever. \u0026nbsp;Typically these brakes are setup with the inner fixed pad 1mm or so away from the rotor, the outer piston comes in and the rotor is deformed slightly which creates the braking force. \u0026nbsp;What are the advantages of dual pistons? \u0026nbsp;Firstly the power and rotor clearance is identical to a single piston setup, however adjusting pads due to wear is as simple as using the barrel adjuster, it's a little tricker with a single piston setup. \u0026nbsp;The other is that possibly the pads would wear more evenly. \u0026nbsp;I can't really say for sure as I have only ever owned one other disc setup and that was a dual piston hydraulic.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEi5sxJrRW4hPGHoNIhaAorCmGsYcUVHXiKptMz0RLr8s5Llwvf7ltMQ_GK4qCZ_3kLaqcLCmAedzt-SVx_47z5GJYMueeX77EBjALSRQc7aKe-Vn6KbJU2cx0oLnjdWANe5_V9r7ha8cqUK\/s1600\/DSCF5460.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEi5sxJrRW4hPGHoNIhaAorCmGsYcUVHXiKptMz0RLr8s5Llwvf7ltMQ_GK4qCZ_3kLaqcLCmAedzt-SVx_47z5GJYMueeX77EBjALSRQc7aKe-Vn6KbJU2cx0oLnjdWANe5_V9r7ha8cqUK\/s1600\/DSCF5460.jpg\" height=\"426\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\nPerformance\u003C\/h3\u003E\nIf you are used to riding a rim braked bike you will find that discs are grabby at first, but your brain naturally adjusts to the lower hand effort required. \u0026nbsp;This makes the brake quite good on longer descents where hand fatigue can come into play. \u0026nbsp;Stopping happens generally quite quickly, modulation is quite good however not quite on par with a hydraulic disc setup though. The compressionless cable outer certainly helps here which removes most of the spongy feel you typically get with cable discs. \u0026nbsp;It's quite easy to lift up the back wheel when braking from the hoods at slower speeds, which is reassuring as this isn't always possible with rim brakes, typically you need a lot more hand effort which means braking from drops; you don't get full braking power from the hoods.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgaATEfHrbWBZb_Km7bZNoKAzmyiZLjYFUMN_x8H0VWRCtOC-3oCO7NcLsGqBGivLqResn3rQFAg5zaarb4Z8SeJd8KKFPVUdiwzXopsYxrCeNzRLgj5xhcAIrNKiNZSVTxLXq5GHQGbTc3\/s1600\/DSCF5456.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgaATEfHrbWBZb_Km7bZNoKAzmyiZLjYFUMN_x8H0VWRCtOC-3oCO7NcLsGqBGivLqResn3rQFAg5zaarb4Z8SeJd8KKFPVUdiwzXopsYxrCeNzRLgj5xhcAIrNKiNZSVTxLXq5GHQGbTc3\/s1600\/DSCF5456.jpg\" height=\"426\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nI've truly tested these brakes in possibly some of the worst conditions possible, when I was in the Lake District recently \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.co.uk\/2014\/11\/lake-district-day-1-coniston-water.html\"\u003EI descended Hardknott and Wrynose passes in heavy rain\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;This ride consisted of many descents down very steep, narrow and slippery hairpin roads, some of which were in complete darkness apart from my headlight. \u0026nbsp;Often at gradients exceeding 20%, so steep that you had to constantly drag the brakes otherwise you would most likely skid and run off the road if you tried braking just before the hairpins. \u0026nbsp;This really tested the brakes, enough that several times at the bottom of the descents you could hear the raindrops hitting the rotors and sizzling on contact. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nDespite this torturous test, the Spyres were dependable and braked consistently, the good modulation of the brakes let me brake quite hard but avoid skidding, you can very precisely control the braking force. \u0026nbsp;Those descents done in heavy rain would not have been particularly fun, or particularly safe on rim brakes. \u0026nbsp; Even towards the bottom of these descents I did not feel any fade or any change in braking power. \u0026nbsp;I am yet to try these out on long alpine style descents though.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgZmWn_MfMiFJunLrhAQHXhAx3y5lF0MGzZV2BSo6aiiOI7UQhCtdVRMzWxS4LKWD_HMzzbYwY0uUxFAfSSWV1njzmOE8B4M25LvOguegvW2JbvzoHdKo_fKsyolgAtZevjssSHjAIISwr0\/s1600\/DSCF5457.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgZmWn_MfMiFJunLrhAQHXhAx3y5lF0MGzZV2BSo6aiiOI7UQhCtdVRMzWxS4LKWD_HMzzbYwY0uUxFAfSSWV1njzmOE8B4M25LvOguegvW2JbvzoHdKo_fKsyolgAtZevjssSHjAIISwr0\/s1600\/DSCF5457.jpg\" height=\"426\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nI've also ridden them in lots of mucky conditions, several times now in Epping forest which has a fair bit of mud. \u0026nbsp;When mud and\/or water gets in the Spyres there is some grindy noise as well a very slight reduction in braking power intially with a slight squeal. \u0026nbsp;However the rotors have to be very wet or completely covered in mud for this to happen, they clear within a few rotations and quieten down as well. \u0026nbsp;As far as I'm aware this is quite normal for most disc brakes.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThey don't tend to catch too much mud either as they are pretty low profile and they are reasonably easy to wash as well. \u0026nbsp;The finish has held up quite well as they are an all metal design unlike the Avid BB7. \u0026nbsp;The only thing I would mention is that to make sure you don't wash off all the lubricant between the piston and the backing of the pads, as when it was completely dry I experienced shudder under heavy braking. \u0026nbsp;This went away with a very thin layer of copper grease applied to the backing plate of the pads.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\nConclusion\u003C\/h3\u003E\nOverall I'm quite happy with the TRP Spyres, despite having gone through the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.co.uk\/2014\/01\/trp-spyre-disc-brake-review-first.html\"\u003Einitial recall\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and not having had any of the reported problems. \u0026nbsp;They're very low profile and sleek and are unique in having a dual piston design which simplifies adjusting pads for wear, something that is peculiar to cable operated discs. \u0026nbsp;The pad adjustment system does not really work particularly well however, as the grub screws always manage to reset themselves, I'd advise TRP to look into making some kind of locking system for this. \u0026nbsp;However I think that is really their only real flaw, they offer a decent amount of power and good feel for a cable disc brake.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEi5sxJrRW4hPGHoNIhaAorCmGsYcUVHXiKptMz0RLr8s5Llwvf7ltMQ_GK4qCZ_3kLaqcLCmAedzt-SVx_47z5GJYMueeX77EBjALSRQc7aKe-Vn6KbJU2cx0oLnjdWANe5_V9r7ha8cqUK\/s1600\/DSCF5460.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEi92mwFf_cHEV5GMX2ruu4ydkgXdm59J6Ae6Pcy-y-Af9nf1d3C1w26a6EnlApRYqxDbbcQv2J4oQFQOhfJ8xe4YXSJ6yPYARDVieLxnwz1EDRqrdus0gCuy4wdy7ut0r-7kouSz6L3SeWS\/s1600\/DSCF5464.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.com\/feeds\/6960834148312213553\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.com\/2014\/11\/trp-spyre-disc-brake-long-term-review.html#comment-form","title":"25 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/1318315606520498015\/posts\/default\/6960834148312213553"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/1318315606520498015\/posts\/default\/6960834148312213553"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.com\/2014\/11\/trp-spyre-disc-brake-long-term-review.html","title":"TRP Spyre disc brake: Long term review"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Smut Pedaller"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05939627997312788346"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"33","height":"30","src":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_8wbLBACjkVk\/THEfqDSs-5I\/AAAAAAAAALE\/wGfOiDm05kU\/S220\/Screen+shot+2010-08-22+at+11.00.00+.png"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhCKNUYeAvhFhesKGCqPzMbeY1Gfk2pdd4eEpvbCn20mGQ2L5bIsaMBsJjWf3vwRA8oZdDDJWUOShPlQzg5TsePbEq9C6NV_Zucx4cLlzsFMb61LlyNebzW8gJHxPASy7BZvbl7Nus3cbtn\/s72-c\/DSCF5451.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"25"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318315606520498015.post-2890378357508719917"},"published":{"$t":"2014-07-22T00:31:00.001+01:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2014-09-29T00:20:59.262+01:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Phil"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"reviews"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Genesis Croix de Fer Frameset 2014 review"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgJ8WimPdp9PYINA5vZAqPy_EdzlMJDViaJhpOK6keolNMFyNTUEWGfsBWFtFwCqJ19jvvT38Hna3Kx7t7iKVYP7LICw_PTvXuiKUmGsB8YA6BHMacugIl35XqWZCWda6je8yPHbRG-L2H1\/s1600\/DSCF3207.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgJ8WimPdp9PYINA5vZAqPy_EdzlMJDViaJhpOK6keolNMFyNTUEWGfsBWFtFwCqJ19jvvT38Hna3Kx7t7iKVYP7LICw_PTvXuiKUmGsB8YA6BHMacugIl35XqWZCWda6je8yPHbRG-L2H1\/s1600\/DSCF3207.jpg\" height=\"426\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIt's now been a while since I built my \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.co.uk\/2013\/12\/project-phil-part-1-frame.html\"\u003ECroix de Fer\u003C\/a\u003E, at this point I've put probably 1000km+ on my frameset. \u0026nbsp;At this point I've ridden it in \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.com\/2014\/01\/ride-in-forest.html\"\u003Emud through Epping forest\u003C\/a\u003E, through \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgsI0I6ezsZIPYSNbMBy2KwTQY1E8p3thnSmt38BtTVZ_qmzz88BGRsQpFhhVLqcDAvNaFx5HToUalhVhtPqKz5mCi3qZjDQuom9zB1RObdEv75jJrD2_ZtJ3Bk8Nj0OxPAWFCx3e9rqcqa\/s1600\/DSCF2624.jpg\"\u003EThe Chilterns\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.com\/2014\/05\/new-forest.html\"\u003ENew Forest\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;In short, I've put in quite a lot of time on this bike in lots of different conditions, and now I think I have a pretty good idea what it's like. \u0026nbsp;I purchased the 2014 model Croix de Fer, the difference from the earlier models is subtle, the biggest difference being that the rear disc mount is inboard on the 2014 model which makes rack mounting a lot easier. Also this means that the rear brake cable is routed along the downtube to suit.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgXvQU9n0EVMhkIK2xbh25OHPOL5k6K4TX-bLJQEqD7yVZ5UZYvYRyszNrJFsjWk67NBdN3FB-5f4FhctRn35Kf9gTlQ2O5-7WBgsbBxf4FDIFMs4Egc3gUqoFNCRUOkvUtaEb2U_wxDEkI\/s1600\/DSCF3118.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgXvQU9n0EVMhkIK2xbh25OHPOL5k6K4TX-bLJQEqD7yVZ5UZYvYRyszNrJFsjWk67NBdN3FB-5f4FhctRn35Kf9gTlQ2O5-7WBgsbBxf4FDIFMs4Egc3gUqoFNCRUOkvUtaEb2U_wxDEkI\/s1600\/DSCF3118.jpg\" height=\"426\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cb\u003EBrief\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nOriginally I set out to build a versatile bike that combines qualities of a road racing bike and a cyclocross bike with the practicality of a tourer, like a modern version of a Randonneur style bike. \u0026nbsp;This category is becoming increasingly popular with manufacturers, whether it goes under the guise of cyclocross or \"gravel bike\" the basic idea is that most people don't race and just want a versatile ride that can handle most things. \u0026nbsp;In the end I chose the Croix de Fer because the frameset met this criteria, additionally I had to have a bike with disc brakes as I see these as superior to caliper brakes, particularly for bikes with fatter tyres.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nMy requirement is that the bike would have to be able to fit 32c tyres at a minimum, to allow fitting cyclocross tyres for some off road jaunts and then be able to fit slicks for road riding. \u0026nbsp;The Croix fits this mold perfectly, compared to other similar framesets like the Kinesis Tripster, the Croix is slightly more road biased with tighter clearances around the tyres and a lower more aggressive posture with its short head tube.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgDcZcSGLxMcDs6CsZX4lerW-rw4eb6bDKqCbByeFfw5NMV0szVpwS-cKiSF7rBzBVe9TWtBHhhSDOIsJudP0CEpIXT1JHDMgjOZ24yFTNdJX4w_K3zD-j7kf9gRDZ0DuFpHyw8Ij_R4Y_j\/s1600\/DSCF3134.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgDcZcSGLxMcDs6CsZX4lerW-rw4eb6bDKqCbByeFfw5NMV0szVpwS-cKiSF7rBzBVe9TWtBHhhSDOIsJudP0CEpIXT1JHDMgjOZ24yFTNdJX4w_K3zD-j7kf9gRDZ0DuFpHyw8Ij_R4Y_j\/s1600\/DSCF3134.jpg\" height=\"426\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiaQHuQ5BaEJLuk2ZZW14zQWsa_2-JVKz1Nwbq-OqSFZIYLvad6H4fcdSQT0RF5_DLrBJeXE-ID_o6SsbXCDdXwbqXehXiTmvv7MPwi21rDe9kbunNR7-NkHIX-jv9U06Vlu-e1GJJPWq0Y\/s1600\/DSCF3130.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiaQHuQ5BaEJLuk2ZZW14zQWsa_2-JVKz1Nwbq-OqSFZIYLvad6H4fcdSQT0RF5_DLrBJeXE-ID_o6SsbXCDdXwbqXehXiTmvv7MPwi21rDe9kbunNR7-NkHIX-jv9U06Vlu-e1GJJPWq0Y\/s1600\/DSCF3130.jpg\" height=\"640\" width=\"426\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cb\u003EConstruction\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe Croix de Fer is a welded steel frame made in Taiwan from Reynolds 725 tubing, it features mounts for disc brakes, rackmounts and lowrider mounts. \u0026nbsp;This allows for a lot of versatility and means it could serve for brisk road rides as well as light touring. \u0026nbsp;Part of the reason I chose the Croix de Fer over other framesets was that it had standard fittings, the bottom bracket is standard 68mm BSA threading, the headset is standard 1 1\/8\" threadless. \u0026nbsp;As the bike industry is currently filled with many proprietary standards for headsets and bottom brackets, this is a positive as there will likely be replacement parts for a long time to come. \u0026nbsp;I'm particularly wary about integrated headsets as there is little standardisation, and certain designs mean the bearings wear directly into the frame rendering your head tube (and frame) useless after some time.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEilOZMDa9mo42VZxbCeQMbrrkKURgAg3YzL26z9dMPsqbT5OIekInsfVh5TWF5pOROoAZPwnxr5eG6VHa3MC9hWOylXdtoSVfMDEXoHFumAyhTsJjxKYAfLqg7PLd_iR97bkgGyV9njaGqP\/s1600\/DSCF3189.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEilOZMDa9mo42VZxbCeQMbrrkKURgAg3YzL26z9dMPsqbT5OIekInsfVh5TWF5pOROoAZPwnxr5eG6VHa3MC9hWOylXdtoSVfMDEXoHFumAyhTsJjxKYAfLqg7PLd_iR97bkgGyV9njaGqP\/s1600\/DSCF3189.jpg\" height=\"640\" width=\"426\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiCniqOnvaBscAcADH2A2tYoWxIBoIkLS-WKh2nfXdmNLuBKpyVGd_K5TJT-prykfEBjZPOWx5_o7CIOMhc4YJt5lY9fW7xzxSTPAAoVd2e-A3khNMa8YHeNCCGh9HWdhdqV9abXLrKpSO3\/s1600\/DSCF3159.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiCniqOnvaBscAcADH2A2tYoWxIBoIkLS-WKh2nfXdmNLuBKpyVGd_K5TJT-prykfEBjZPOWx5_o7CIOMhc4YJt5lY9fW7xzxSTPAAoVd2e-A3khNMa8YHeNCCGh9HWdhdqV9abXLrKpSO3\/s1600\/DSCF3159.jpg\" height=\"426\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEi9t_ikDSf0ZlNCg_o1lol6P-F5qystaBKQJNACX3I20yO7AHbuWncbONYm6M4bUGmphYONmNQXGAALvZnlPgYePxBt2NG-eqjbUlYh_hggSFzRuPNq_h3Ui1v5Q3fIJYxnZ0HQMPNDD1uu\/s1600\/DSCF3155.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEi9t_ikDSf0ZlNCg_o1lol6P-F5qystaBKQJNACX3I20yO7AHbuWncbONYm6M4bUGmphYONmNQXGAALvZnlPgYePxBt2NG-eqjbUlYh_hggSFzRuPNq_h3Ui1v5Q3fIJYxnZ0HQMPNDD1uu\/s1600\/DSCF3155.jpg\" height=\"426\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiq82CncNkyX5OEDsgyOczo9iWn5DwMIx1UQ4lnGwjJItXQ443N5ms1CBUMVJOUlah2gwKl4FMoTDcfFAHqB4c1xw6NObT4MKI9zOSYdHUztdJlXgw6S6HxdfoHONt8wW_BcIYR0Uw8Xxzr\/s1600\/DSCF3158.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiq82CncNkyX5OEDsgyOczo9iWn5DwMIx1UQ4lnGwjJItXQ443N5ms1CBUMVJOUlah2gwKl4FMoTDcfFAHqB4c1xw6NObT4MKI9zOSYdHUztdJlXgw6S6HxdfoHONt8wW_BcIYR0Uw8Xxzr\/s1600\/DSCF3158.jpg\" height=\"426\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe forks are a welded straight bladed steel unit with lowrider mounts, although the fork isn't as nice as the lugged unit of the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.genesisbikes.co.uk\/bikes\/frames\/road\/equilibrium-disc\"\u003EGenesis Equilibrium\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;it does its job well with a minimum of fuss. \u0026nbsp;Notably the rear dropout design on the Croix is unique, being a solid laser cut unit with inboard rear disc mounts which makes fitting a rack a doddle. \u0026nbsp;The tubing is oversize steel, and the joints are neatly welded, the paint finish is a slightly off-black finish. \u0026nbsp;There are some nice little details like the forward facing slot on the seat tube collar, presumably to protect it from dirt from the rear wheel. Otherwise the frame itself has pretty standard geometry for a laid back road bike, the wheelbase is a little longer and the head angle is more relaxed at 70.5º. \u0026nbsp;The tyre clearance is 32mm tyres with mudguards and 35mm without, however I've managed to fit 34mm Schwalbe Smart Sam knobblies underneath guards although I wouldn't recommend this as the clearances are minimal, particularly under the fork crown.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgz0iYVrFW8ZBO_n6x77GaUBiqxDS9fpi58LdQWfpYqCPuR7quQhSRjTqNSKgZ_2tdn0SrHrEAzauiagcUGeAjbXfur-7sQS8pwv-ol_cZPCElWll_BFpdDP3KQHrJjQABciK6U6-9eXG5m\/s1600\/DSCF3152.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgz0iYVrFW8ZBO_n6x77GaUBiqxDS9fpi58LdQWfpYqCPuR7quQhSRjTqNSKgZ_2tdn0SrHrEAzauiagcUGeAjbXfur-7sQS8pwv-ol_cZPCElWll_BFpdDP3KQHrJjQABciK6U6-9eXG5m\/s1600\/DSCF3152.jpg\" height=\"640\" width=\"426\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhJ3XA6CnNfKvC2-J5leFidm3oVVCEVvxz26qiABxP9w-ntoAU0IQr6fI7F1p-Losnzv7ipE1lhpduFukoPG5SWS1FB-jja5YKXUN-Fw15_xA6EpDzH7QuZ6Mz3I6RD26ZJOOy2Kht7sDZ1\/s1600\/DSCF3214.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhJ3XA6CnNfKvC2-J5leFidm3oVVCEVvxz26qiABxP9w-ntoAU0IQr6fI7F1p-Losnzv7ipE1lhpduFukoPG5SWS1FB-jja5YKXUN-Fw15_xA6EpDzH7QuZ6Mz3I6RD26ZJOOy2Kht7sDZ1\/s1600\/DSCF3214.jpg\" height=\"426\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhVhr_Q-MckSV-A6GDzJ0URdy4pQnsfM2QWknCosoriw-sOqnd0MHsboENpWiIZoEv48jtn4KpJV3rM7vINXnHidZJ2oX6_Y4_-JzUKnw4mvQiM3IohoCC4R5Z5_jCsdU-j23ra1mWrOsHE\/s1600\/DSCF3228.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhVhr_Q-MckSV-A6GDzJ0URdy4pQnsfM2QWknCosoriw-sOqnd0MHsboENpWiIZoEv48jtn4KpJV3rM7vINXnHidZJ2oX6_Y4_-JzUKnw4mvQiM3IohoCC4R5Z5_jCsdU-j23ra1mWrOsHE\/s1600\/DSCF3228.jpg\" height=\"426\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEieak_0mpyafG0kNAe5jB1ZK0VXpNgwfN0_yLLBMVrOk-sPjpcXLnLfm2JylcqB6T9goxWfv-Q6b7EzKN5WV0VH1dyPHLt6G4BGOcH9hPEoJCvtV7m8008xLLx8J8Us5Tpn46Fu2YZtzzUI\/s1600\/DSCF3170.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEieak_0mpyafG0kNAe5jB1ZK0VXpNgwfN0_yLLBMVrOk-sPjpcXLnLfm2JylcqB6T9goxWfv-Q6b7EzKN5WV0VH1dyPHLt6G4BGOcH9hPEoJCvtV7m8008xLLx8J8Us5Tpn46Fu2YZtzzUI\/s1600\/DSCF3170.jpg\" height=\"640\" width=\"426\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgh-LzfSBEPi6yYjSh2UInasnd66VfcpP7RomszQXX8C0RhofQS3Dz0PPcB2ToApl-Lguo829GdatvtUzMhlHbmqenq5uJneWrnEhZG4pKEdYSFKSMCAdtUqRqeBc4J3JJ0msrm_bCAP3XP\/s1600\/DSCF3139.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgh-LzfSBEPi6yYjSh2UInasnd66VfcpP7RomszQXX8C0RhofQS3Dz0PPcB2ToApl-Lguo829GdatvtUzMhlHbmqenq5uJneWrnEhZG4pKEdYSFKSMCAdtUqRqeBc4J3JJ0msrm_bCAP3XP\/s1600\/DSCF3139.jpg\" height=\"640\" width=\"426\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cb\u003EFeel\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nI've ridden and owned a lot of steel bikes, most of them have been traditional lugged steel road bikes. Traditionally, people often write about the feel of steel bikes, how they give a hint of flex that allows all day rides to be a comfortable affair. \u0026nbsp;The Croix is somewhat different to this, partly because of the more modern oversize Reynolds 725 tubing as well as the welded joints; this lends a significantly stiffer, stronger feel to the frame compared to a traditional lugged steel frame. \u0026nbsp;Despite this stiffness, it still feels somewhat more forgiving than a full alloy bike, like the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.com\/2011\/04\/campagnolo-athena-gruppo-zonda-wheels.html\"\u003ECinelli Xperience\u003C\/a\u003E that I used to own. \u0026nbsp;Subjectively I don't feel much flex at all, standing with all my weight on one pedal you can't feel all that much torsional flex in the frame compared to older steel bikes. \u0026nbsp;In the saddle it has quite a nice direct, stiff feel to it without feeling overly harsh.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe weight is somewhat falsely advertised, the quoted weight is a shade under 2kg, however I weighed it in at 2.18kg which is significantly more. \u0026nbsp;Personally I wasn't too concerned with weight, and 2.18kg is well within light weight for a steel frame, however listed weights should match with reality.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEg_uKPMWpMsbWG8XNZN-EEHLN9OgQdkueL-GFTs_mh3OiYnmphMz_KbJWlr8ThWRrSiFTLT5MWonum0DI5u-2KO05z25OHe88sjhCvfHdhLEDTwPGMioKJXUwVZ6hu5ncSwyBMUvFfHmg0d\/s1600\/DSCF3175.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEg_uKPMWpMsbWG8XNZN-EEHLN9OgQdkueL-GFTs_mh3OiYnmphMz_KbJWlr8ThWRrSiFTLT5MWonum0DI5u-2KO05z25OHe88sjhCvfHdhLEDTwPGMioKJXUwVZ6hu5ncSwyBMUvFfHmg0d\/s1600\/DSCF3175.jpg\" height=\"640\" width=\"426\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cb\u003EGeometry\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe longer wheelbase at 1010mm combined with the slightly slacker head angle at 70.5º gives it a more relaxed, stable feel. \u0026nbsp;It feels at home at high speed on tarmac or equally on gravel laden singletrack. \u0026nbsp;It's not the tightest or quickest turning bike but it feels very stable in corners and down steep descents. \u0026nbsp;I have the 50cm frame which has a short head tube which means you can set it up the cockpit in quite an aggressive posture. \u0026nbsp; The BB height is a little higher than a standard road bike, presumably to give a little more clearance over rocks; this doesn't seem to detract from the handling from what I've noticed.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhY3oyDoEmM7qV2nTVjSeezl-ileK7Q4t6MtRuroPBoMqkP5dUL-J9S_NC3zLmEtSgPmmrgEoIcRt2M7L1fa2G7_YRwtgiYxkt2QnKCw1uh0P35oamAOoggXY_FLFdLo3FRnuAj2kj6euOl\/s1600\/DSCF3164.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhY3oyDoEmM7qV2nTVjSeezl-ileK7Q4t6MtRuroPBoMqkP5dUL-J9S_NC3zLmEtSgPmmrgEoIcRt2M7L1fa2G7_YRwtgiYxkt2QnKCw1uh0P35oamAOoggXY_FLFdLo3FRnuAj2kj6euOl\/s1600\/DSCF3164.jpg\" height=\"640\" width=\"426\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u0026nbsp;The general feel of the frame is basically what I was after, not quite a race bike but certainly able to tackle a variety of surfaces. \u0026nbsp;The larger tyre size it is designed for as well as the slightly more relaxed geometry gives it stability on rougher surfaces. The inclusion of disk brakes means that the chainstays have to be longer at 425mm than usual to afford proper heel clearance, however one thing I have noticed is that occasionally I do still rub them with my heels when using flat shoes. \u0026nbsp;As you can see there isn't too much room between the crankarms and the chainstays, heel rub is minor issue though as when I'm clipped into SPDs this is not really a problem. \u0026nbsp;I think an improvement would be a slight bow to the chainstay to give it more clearance in this zone.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiE-D5YAZbcNJjnMTD6MIm2UbELC25Pg26VwNtIHEH_TE6E1lq80SgixSb3tDVFkUtf7w7cNxjkonvb73CrlJltR7Jql4K-dSgWny1AESbK9OGAvcOD-vA4GJTGUqqHErQqhC_ds3I9bfLl\/s1600\/DSCF3163.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiE-D5YAZbcNJjnMTD6MIm2UbELC25Pg26VwNtIHEH_TE6E1lq80SgixSb3tDVFkUtf7w7cNxjkonvb73CrlJltR7Jql4K-dSgWny1AESbK9OGAvcOD-vA4GJTGUqqHErQqhC_ds3I9bfLl\/s1600\/DSCF3163.jpg\" height=\"426\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\nThe brake cable mounts are versatile, so fitting hydraulic lines at a later date is easy. \u0026nbsp;The frame is quite adaptable, as \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.co.uk\/2014\/06\/the-bar-bag-part-1-let-there-be-light.html\"\u003EI recently fitted a front rack and handlebar bag\u003C\/a\u003E, the front rack is a Nitto M18 which has lower struts which fix to the lowrider mounts. \u0026nbsp;There are actually few bikes apart from full blown touring bikes that have these mounts. \u0026nbsp;Although the trail and head angle aren't optimised for a front load, the steering isn't too affected when up to speed, there is noticeably more front wheel \"flop\" at very low speeds however.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEh4zPLkIpReclInSyVpVqfFPiLXoWpOB0XrROjx5ZDSgyLWr7JuaxTi8DEckfoZQ4vN5dezvJKPiB9zFUALNlnQMDFpKXfvxVzAWulQm1nwlLb5YMIN7BYRTBpwp0a4TOGp4O_XfYG_A9-S\/s1600\/DSCF3168.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEh4zPLkIpReclInSyVpVqfFPiLXoWpOB0XrROjx5ZDSgyLWr7JuaxTi8DEckfoZQ4vN5dezvJKPiB9zFUALNlnQMDFpKXfvxVzAWulQm1nwlLb5YMIN7BYRTBpwp0a4TOGp4O_XfYG_A9-S\/s1600\/DSCF3168.jpg\" height=\"426\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEglvcPMiBnfEUvALpx8J4Nw3S1zVgjv7PG21fV6iAEeWFiafPCenUtSY3r2jlxrGVbE44D93_ov8AvX7n8MBedE4kLjMXODWeedytzc4GzK8Qeci_fQBDcwiRajVICqf7lorCsciKf5kI7n\/s1600\/DSCF3182.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEglvcPMiBnfEUvALpx8J4Nw3S1zVgjv7PG21fV6iAEeWFiafPCenUtSY3r2jlxrGVbE44D93_ov8AvX7n8MBedE4kLjMXODWeedytzc4GzK8Qeci_fQBDcwiRajVICqf7lorCsciKf5kI7n\/s1600\/DSCF3182.jpg\" height=\"640\" width=\"426\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhHmen2jkkAjq11z2zfr4eQtoezwZri3Ea_2HNuNxEINM_z_jV00k4LxdOwhlBBKUmYyJD8lJQ4W_8oMxvk1Usezf85yZMmSnbcjfDXwrhvYs3tdYw_DWa0tYNT0yPtvIjatcqPnZobDdwT\/s1600\/DSCF3217.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhHmen2jkkAjq11z2zfr4eQtoezwZri3Ea_2HNuNxEINM_z_jV00k4LxdOwhlBBKUmYyJD8lJQ4W_8oMxvk1Usezf85yZMmSnbcjfDXwrhvYs3tdYw_DWa0tYNT0yPtvIjatcqPnZobDdwT\/s1600\/DSCF3217.jpg\" height=\"640\" width=\"426\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhATOy24BmlpxL1ktoDGJ2n8LFA2AL3ex8yHV-yQYo12mSjFzDKbd9JHQa8WF0Vp53YSb2NbXPoaP8wHXOndQIPc7a88vFo9dZlAKYXLwz1shQxY3JiAPrFzB1AMl6iGBTfjplp52oJRf83\/s1600\/DSCF3223.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhATOy24BmlpxL1ktoDGJ2n8LFA2AL3ex8yHV-yQYo12mSjFzDKbd9JHQa8WF0Vp53YSb2NbXPoaP8wHXOndQIPc7a88vFo9dZlAKYXLwz1shQxY3JiAPrFzB1AMl6iGBTfjplp52oJRf83\/s1600\/DSCF3223.jpg\" height=\"640\" width=\"426\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cb\u003EConclusion\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\nGenerally I'm very happy with the frameset, it is a fair bit stiffer and more solid feeling that traditional lugged steel frame, however it still gives that characteristically supple steel ride. \u0026nbsp;The fittings and interfaces of the frame are all standard which means that long term, there will be little problem finding spares or fitting replacement parts when things start to wear out. \u0026nbsp;The strength of this bike is its versatility, being adaptable to most uses from straight road riding, touring and the odd off-road jaunt. \u0026nbsp;Add to this that the RRP on the frameset is £375 and it's TIG welded Reynolds 725 tubing and you have a bargain. \u0026nbsp;The only criticisms I would add are that the front fork has a tight spot in tyre clearance just underneath the crown which limits maximum tyre size, also the minor issue of heel rub which could be improved by bowing the chainstays.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\nThe build has generally turned out how I had intended with the bike fitting the bill perfectly. \u0026nbsp;My only regret is that I didn't get the 2015 model which as just been announced. \u0026nbsp;This comes with a carbon fork and horizontal front dropouts which are more improvements on an already great bike.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.com\/feeds\/2890378357508719917\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.com\/2014\/07\/genesis-croix-de-fer-frameset-2014.html#comment-form","title":"18 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/1318315606520498015\/posts\/default\/2890378357508719917"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/1318315606520498015\/posts\/default\/2890378357508719917"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/smutpedaller.blogspot.com\/2014\/07\/genesis-croix-de-fer-frameset-2014.html","title":"Genesis Croix de Fer Frameset 2014 review"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Smut Pedaller"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/05939627997312788346"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"33","height":"30","src":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_8wbLBACjkVk\/THEfqDSs-5I\/AAAAAAAAALE\/wGfOiDm05kU\/S220\/Screen+shot+2010-08-22+at+11.00.00+.png"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgJ8WimPdp9PYINA5vZAqPy_EdzlMJDViaJhpOK6keolNMFyNTUEWGfsBWFtFwCqJ19jvvT38Hna3Kx7t7iKVYP7LICw_PTvXuiKUmGsB8YA6BHMacugIl35XqWZCWda6je8yPHbRG-L2H1\/s72-c\/DSCF3207.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"18"}}]}});