Isn't the term 'cross' bike so last year? I thought they were 'gravel', or 'adventure' bikes now?
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh
Not sport - Transport
(41 posts)-
Posted 9 years ago #
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Crossbikes' big selling point (for the general consumer) is their versatility. You can offroad, on road, light tour, commute, etc on one. I've only ever really used mine for offroad trails, but there's something comforting about knowing that, at a push, I could use it for other stuff.
We should not forget peer pressure/what will other people think of my bike issue that is particularly prevalent in boys/young men. Years ago, I chose a BMX for my first proper bike because that's what my mates had, rather than a racer which would have much better suited the types of trips I did (mainly riding to friends' houses, but there were hills involved). Racers weren't cool then. Not round our way anyway.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I love my cross bike. I love being able to ride anywhere on it. And I have adventure raced it too, they are perfect for that.
So upright, great traffic-viewing ability, good too for spacial awareness.
Yes, in all respects apart from speed (or drivers perception of speed) they are perfect for town cycling. Probably why they are popular in countries/town with a real cycling culture..
Posted 9 years ago # -
Adventure Road Bikes, to be precise, are a 'new' category separate to Cyclocross bikes at least according to the Evans web site:
"Introducing the Cannondale Synapse Rival Adventure Disc 2015 Road Bike, a UK exclusive to Evans Cycles. Utilising the award winning Synapse frame, it provides an upright position for greater riding comfort, combined with silky smooth SAVE PLUS technology gives first-time road riders, commuters and fitness-lovers a versatile blend of comfort, speed and value. Advanced alloy construction creates a lightweight, responsive frame with the crisp handling youd expect from a Cannondale. SRAM hydraulic disc brakes provide incredible stopping power in all conditions, and the custom colour matched full length guards not only compliment the bike, but make sure stay dry from surface water and spray."
Sounds a bit like a cross/fitness hybrid/tourer/road bike with mudguards to me.
A snip at 1200 quid (was 1600 quid).Market segmentation continues.
Which category do you fit into?http://www.evanscycles.com/categories/bikes
(Ranked according to polarity, presumably).
Posted 9 years ago # -
On fashion, an anecdote.
Recently picked up a second hand Kona Paddy Wagon single speed/fixed gear bike. Seller had commuted on it for a few years. I sought a replacement for my home-built road bike single speed which I'm going to convert back to a geared bike.
The reason the owner was selling the Kona? Bought an adventure road bike for commuting and 'fun'.
I don't mind being behind the curve if I get a good deal on a decent bike...
Posted 9 years ago # -
Isn't every one on "dutch" bikes just as much fashion as anything else, especially if they're not really appropriate for the conditions?
Posted 9 years ago # -
Less Dutch, more Norfolk, is Mike Burrows' latest idea for a town bike. A true monocoque frame (of course), cantilever axles (of course), carbon fibre because it's good for making shapes, and! – the Pinion 9 speed gearbox. Photos courtesy of Bikefix in That London:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.683972945042192&type=3&l=7183b72b2a
Though for sheer might, it's hard to beat that gigantic Pastoorfiets bike that Laid Back sold.
Posted 9 years ago # -
"carbon fibre because it's good for making shapes"
Which would be marketing(?)
Unless this is easier/cheaper to make for this sort of bike, not sure there's any real advantage over metal.
Would certainly be good if 'a lot lighter' than many Dutch/transport bikes.
Presume gearbox is far from cheap.
As always, number of gears is seldom the issue. It's about whether bottom gear is low enough to get user up steepest hill they frequently encounter.
Obviously for a conventional 3 speed this would definitely be at the expense of a high top gear. But that may well be fine for a lot of users - and potential users.
Another good feature of MB's latest is the fully enclosed chain.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I'm the happy owner of the gigantic pastoorfiets and I love it to bits.
Frankly I wouldn't know fashion if it hit me in the face; I'm always different from other folks and, if it's relevant, rarely very well dressed.
Why I love my big Dutch bike:
- I love riding upright, and the pastoorfiets was the most upright bike I could find.
- I love the funny-looking frame.
- The all-steel frame flexes and smooths out bumps for me.
- It's so relaxing to ride. I get far less stressed than I used to on my old nippy aluminium bike.
- I don't want to keep up with the traffic. I'll go at my own pace, thanks. Less stress and anxiety for me. And anyway I try to avoid routes where I'd feel the need to keep up with the traffic.
- Me and my bike are so big together that I feel very visible, which makes me feel a lot safer. And since I don't dart about the road on it, I reckon my motion is more predictable for other road users.
- Riding something unusual also makes me feel more noticed, which again makes me feel safer. There's not so much chance of nobody noticing me and the pastoorfiets coming along the road.
- (Perhaps the silliest, dreamiest reason.) I had a kind of cargo cult idea that maybe riding such a take-your-time relaxing bike would, just by its visible presence in the city, do its bit to help to encourage the less frantic, more universal 8-to-88 sort of cycling, and the infrastructure and road changes which are needed for that.
- I love it.
It's light enough for me to carry it up & down the stairs every day btw.(And by the way I'd recommend Laid Back Bikes too; endlessly patient and helpful with my oddest questions from first to last.)
Posted 9 years ago # -
Part of this is about whether one bike can do 'everything' - or not -
Posted 9 years ago # -
Which would be marketing(?)
Unless this is easier/cheaper to make for this sort of bike, not sure there's any real advantage over metal.
Marketing for the high-end consumer, yes.
In mass production terms you'd probably create an aluminium monocoque in a complex hydroforming mould. Less quick would be seam welding together two hydroformed halves. Both would end up heavier than carbon for the same level of performance. Carbon and glass allow complete control over fibre orientation, weave and layup thickness and have no grain to worry about, so you can optimise for weight, strength and stiffness and not worry about corrosion (except galvanic, with certain metal parts). But carbon is labour intensive and energy intensive, and the raw materials (remember there's epoxy and mould release to consider too) have a terrible 'carbon footprint' compared with using recycled aluminium or wood.
A utility bike is basically a heavier built road bike, in carbon terms. It won't dent, though it can be a bit splintery if the epoxy is squeezed out a fraction too much during production. It's also very repairable because you just glue it back together and add a few more layers of matting. But while you could take a steel frame to a framebuilder, it's not so straightforward to repair carbon, or at least repair it well.
Posted 9 years ago #
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