[prabuddhadg]

Originally Posted by Slick

Thank You for clearing that out, that helps

......I think I will stay away from that bike as I am sure I will be needing gears as I ride more, pity really as the bike looks lovely, though will be sure to take a TD if I come across one at a dealer. ......
- Slick

That conclusion is not entirely correct. I see you live in Bombay. So, unless you ride in Malabar hill or Yeoor, Thane or Kharghar hills or Utan, there is little scope for climbing.

I do ride multi speed road bikes more, but I also ride a fixie which I have taken through Ghodbunder Road with its mild inclines and NH8 through Vasai.

All you need is a certain level of fitness. And a single speed bike needs so little maintenance, that just that feature makes it hugely attractive.

[Slick]

Originally Posted by muralisk

You need to understand the pros and cons of MTB Vs Hybrid Vs Road before making any purchase decision. The weight difference between and MTB and Road is about 3.5-4.5 kgs (depending on the brand). The weight is mainly from the rims and the tires ....

Thanks,
Now I understand that a road bike might cause different set of issues. I have a decathlon roughly 15-20 mins from home, had anyway planned to visit and check out their bikes this saturday, will do that with this aspect in mind as well.

Originally Posted by prabuddhadg

That conclusion is not entirely correct. I see you live in Bombay. So, unless you ride in Malabar hill or Yeoor, Thane or Kharghar hills or Utan, there is little scope for climbing.
......

Thanks,
I understand that a fixie has it's merit (I was completely sold on the montra), My idea was to buy a fixie and upgrade it later if the need arose. Thankfully those possibilities were cleared by you and @muralisk

I stay near Eastern Express Highway, Bhandup, so a complete end to end round of eastern express from my area (using service road) and internal lanes would be a good 10-15 Kms, Now I don't need gears for that but I have like minded friends who are also getting into this with me and we intend to make slighly more ambitious plans once we are convinced of our physical condition at this age, I am 37.

I was hoping that one cycle addresses both the needs. Unlike an enthusiast I am not inclined on maintaining two cycles or selling the first one and then buying a new one.


Thank You for the help, I will check out some cycles over the weekend and share my thoughts and concerns.

I will also try and get my hands on a fixie to see how it feels

- Slick

[Slick]

@ muralisk & @prabuddhadg,

Thank You for your advice & explanation, I went to Decathlon Thane (because it has a bigger store to test cycles) and test rode their cycles,

Rode the following -

Riverside 120 - Nice relaxed hybrid cycle, Easy to ride & has 7 gears,
makes a lot of sense for beginners like me and city users. INR11-12K

Rockrider 340 - Beginner MTB, surprisingly light to ride, was expecting it to be heavy to pedal but was acceptable (Maybe the shop floor was too smooth.) Not a bad idea for people willing to put slightly extra effort INR14-15K

Triban100 - Their basic road bike with dropdown handlebars, 7 speed, It has hybrid tyres like the riverside (not thin road tyres), it was the most nice to ride. Somehow I was able to balance at much much slower speeds on the Triban100. INR 25-26K


I clearly loved the Triban100, of the lot, but am reluctant to spend that money as am not certain I will use it.

My friend sensing my dilemma offered to lend his 21 speed Raleigh (Aluminium alloy frame) for a month, I will use and decide in a month or two, whether my usage justifies that investment. If I feel I can justify the 25K with my usage, I will go for the Triban100, else riverside or any other cheaper hybrid.

Thanks again
- Slick

[silverado]

Does anyone own Fantom 727 Sport?

One of my friend in Pune got it for 12.5k inclusive of all accessories.
This is 21 speed, aluminum frame, discs all round and Shimano gears with thumb shifter.

Sounds really really VFM to me.

[Sebring]

Lugged a light folding bike to Bangalore for those outstation trips in my Nexon. The model is from Japan and a Giant ExpressWay. Compared to Dahon/Brompton/Tern, popular the world over, this model felt more compact with tinier wheels and is sturdier.

Sports Shimano 7 speed gear set. Tyres are Kenda Kwest (20X1.25). Removable (front and rear) LED lights are really bright. Handle inclines forward for comfort. It even comes with its own carry bag (no problem with Emirates Airlines during check in). And so compact that even the smallest boot (ERTIGA) can accommodate one. The handle and seat collapses to less than half the size, foot pegs fold in, body folds in half - it's incredible. Thrilled with this one!

[phamilyman]

Originally Posted by Sebring

Lugged a light folding bike to Bangalore for those outstation trips in my Nexon. The model is from Japan and a Giant ExpressWay.

Very nice - do share photos of you riding your beauty, as well as it folded up.

What were the damages?

[silverado]

Does anyone own BTWIN Riverside 120?

I am contemplating buying one soon. I feel this is a VFM Hybrid bike costing around 12k, plsu another 1.5 for essential accessories.

[eyesice]

I own a BTWin My Bike - the cheapest single speed available from decathlon. After riding it for 6 months, the maximum distance I have covered is around 80 KM up and down.

I am looking for an upgrade to a better hybrid on which I can do a 200 KM next year. I average around 20 km/hr on my basic BTWIN and the need for speed comes up every now and then.

After reading up a lot on this thread and on the internet, I am even more confused given the range of bikes that are at our disposal these days.

I live in Chennai and the roads are mostly flat here. So should I be spending my money on a geared cycle or am I better off getting a good single speed for the same money? My budget is 20K at max. I saw someone who has bought a montra fixie in this thread.

Can anyone who ride a fixie / single speed comment on whether there would be a significant improvement in my performance with a better single speed than I currently own?

Thanks in advance!

[nijelj]

Does know of any lockable storage possible to be retrofitted on cycles? I need to keep my action cam safe while bike is parked in company parking, i.e. in company parking, making off with the cycle is not a possibility.

[silverado]

Originally Posted by eyesice

Can anyone who ride a fixie / single speed comment on whether there would be a significant improvement in my performance with a better single speed than I currently own?

I didn't ride the Fixie model, but I tested BTWIN Mybike and Riverside 50 ( single speed ), there is surely a difference. The effort required to ride riverside 50 is lesser and pedaling effort is lower.

Riverside 50 also comes in road biased tyres , so low drag than MTB tyres of Mybike.

[gkrishn]

Originally Posted by eyesice

Can anyone who ride a fixie / single speed comment on whether there would be a significant improvement in my performance with a better single speed than I currently own?

Thanks in advance!

I would suggest to get a Sora groupset entry level roadie. With a nice carbon fork seat post, etc. Have a Merida ride. And it is pretty good for a 200+ rides.
Reason I would suggest roadie over a single speed, is for the climbs.

And yeah, Madras is flat. And single speed, yes, for commute rides!

[eyesice]

Originally Posted by silverado

I didn't ride the Fixie model, but I tested BTWIN Mybike and Riverside 50 ( single speed ), there is surely a difference. The effort required to ride riverside 50 is lesser and pedaling effort is lower.

Riverside 50 also comes in road biased tyres , so low drag than MTB tyres of Mybike.

Originally Posted by gkrishn

I would suggest to get a sora groupset entry level roadie. With a nice carbon fork seat post etc. Have a merida ride. And it is pretty good for a 200+ rides.
Reason i would suggest roadie over a single speed, is for the climbs.

And yeah, madras is flat. And single speed, yes, for commute rides!

Thanks guys. I was on a tight budget and ended up getting a Montra Trance Pro Hybrid. So it's a geared bike and I am finding more taxing on the muscles than the single speed! Maybe I am new to the whole gears thing. Let's see how it works out.

Thanks for your suggestions again.

[gkrishn]

Originally Posted by eyesice

Thanks guys. I was on a tight budget and ended up getting a Montra Trance Pro Hybrid. So it's a geared bike and I am finding more taxing on the muscles than the single speed! Maybe I am new to the whole gears thing. Let's see how it works out.

Thanks for your suggestions again.

Not sure if you have cadence meter. If yes, try to maintain a gear ratio in which you can spin at no less than 80.
If it is taxing your muscle, in a flat section at commute speed, then you are probably at the toughest gear. And grinding the pedals. Need to avoid this.
In FD, move to middle gear, stay there and keep dropping the rear gear till you are freely spinning and still maintaining a decent speed.
At commute speed, you should not be engaging much power at all.

[prabuddhadg]

Originally Posted by eyesice

Thanks guys. I was on a tight budget and ended up getting a Montra Trance Pro Hybrid. So it's a geared bike and I am finding more taxing on the muscles than the single speed! Maybe I am new to the whole gears thing. Let's see how it works out.

Thanks for your suggestions again.

If multiple gears are feeling more taxing than a single speed, that clearly indicates you are riding a very high ratio. I gather your bicycle has three front chain rings and 7 cogs at the back. The simplest way to go about it is to choose the middle chain ring and one of the middle to larger cogs and start riding.

A pedalling cadence of 75- 100 is okay. Since you are riding platform pedals, you will feel a little more comfortable on a relatively lower cadence than you would if you had foot retention.

Ride on the same ratio for a while and shift to a smaller cog only if you feel you are pedalling too fast - like bouncing on the saddle. Initially a high cadence feels awkward, but it is more efficient than grinding a high ratio.

[eyesice]

Originally Posted by prabuddhadg

A pedalling cadence of 75- 100 is okay. Since you are riding platform pedals, you will feel a little more comfortable on a relatively lower cadence than you would if you had foot retention.

Ride on the same ratio for a while and shift to a smaller cog only if you feel you are pedalling too fast - like bouncing on the saddle. Initially a high cadence feels awkward, but it is more efficient than grinding a high ratio.

Thanks for the tip. Due to the initial excitement I never missed the slightest gradient for changing gears and this could have been the problem.