[silverado]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Big big mistake choosing a Decathlon bike over a Trek thoroughbred. That too at the same price point without paying any brand premium.

You are making the common mistake of getting swayed by componentry, and losing sight of the heart of the bike. Its frame and wheelset.

Cheers, Doc

Well having read all the posts after this one, would you recommend me to buy a Trek Fx2 ( Altus rear derailleur , Alloy fork ) over a RC500?

RC500 looks so enticing in specs, but wasnt aware of the wheelset issues.
Both bikes are not readily available, and yes i am comparing a hybrid with road bike.

Also if i stretch my budget, i land up with GIANT Escape 3 vs GIANT FAST Road SL2.

Mind is set on Trek Fx2 as if now, hopefully should be available soon.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by silverado

GIANT FAST Road SL2.

The FX2 is a real workhorse - we have two of those at home. That said, between the FX2 and Giant Fastroad, the latter feel much more agile, and probably lighter also.

[Brigadier]

Installed this CatEye Rear view mirror, as I am afraid of the traffic mainly when taking turns, and riding on main roads. The mirror does a good job , and looks are also fine. The other rear view mirrors I checked online didn’t look that good (round/ oval big ones).

Also installed a super cheap Speedo meter as suggested by one of the forum members here[Thanks for suggesting]. Just installed it, will check how it performs.

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by Brigadier

Installed this CatEye Rear view mirror, as I am afraid of the traffic mainly when taking turns, and riding on main roads. The mirror does a good job , and looks are also fine. The other rear view mirrors I checked online didn’t look that good (round/ oval big ones).

Good mirror there Brigadier. How much did this cost you? Around a year back I had fitted the mirror from Decathalon for Rs 350/- & it serves the purpose well. I agree that mirror is a must even if a small part of your ride is going through highway.

[Brigadier]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

Good mirror there Brigadier. How much did this cost you? Around a year back I had fitted the mirror from Decathalon for Rs 350/- & it serves the purpose well. I agree that mirror is a must even if a small part of your ride is going through highway.

Thanks mate. I bought this for Rs 690 + shipping from Cyclop, online. Its very, very useful for me. The stem (part connecting the mirror and handle bar end) also looks nice and installing it is 1 minute task !

[smdeep]

Brigadier please do update the thread re the Speedometer, would love to buy one as it is very inconvenient to stop and check the number of kilometers ridden.

[W.A.G.7]

I am looking to replace my current bicycle with a new MTB. I am not really interested in getting a hybrid. I love MTBs (purely heart over mind); even if it means riding them on the road and they are sluggish as compared to a roadie or a hybrid. I am not looking to smash any distance/speed records or BRM's, but just want to get a better MTB than my current one to climb the hilly roads and Vetal tekdi/other local trails in Pune. I have shortlisted 3 bikes - (1) Trek Marlin 6/7 (2) Psynyde Furan (3) Giant Talon 1/2.

Of these, the Furan is readily available, and the Talon 1/2 may be available immediately or in a few weeks' time. I haven't really enquired about Trek Marlin, planning to do that sometime in March. I am biased towards the Marlin 7, but I liked the Furan too when I saw it in flesh.

Looks are something else, and one of my friends suggested calculating the ratios of the front and rear cogs to get an MTB that is better suited for climbing. I am not really technical here, but I get that as dividing the teeth on the front crankset by the teeth in the rear cassette. What do I make of the ratio that I get there?

What do you experts suggest here? I am planning to purchase the bike on the weekend of 2nd/3rd April.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by W.A.G.7

I am planning to purchase the bike on the weekend of 2nd/3rd April.

The Marlin is quite a handsome machine, and you cannot go wrong with either the 6 or 7. If you are not planning to do trails, actually the 6 would be sufficient. The Talon is alright, but if you have the budget I would recommend the Trek above that (for a bit more refined experience).

[W.A.G.7]

Originally Posted by vb-san

The Marlin is quite a handsome machine, and you cannot go wrong with either the 6 or 7.

Thanks, I was also biased towards the Marlin 6/7. The Psynyde Furan is a good bicycle and has a Microshift Acolyte 1x9 drivetrain. Definitely worth a look as it’s manufactured in Pune by an Indian company.

However most of the people that I spoke to have wholeheartedly recommended Trek as a brand. So I guess Trek it will be. I will check out the bike in the next two weeks and will mostly get either the 6/7. I could have got the Marlin 4/5 but those come with a Shimano Tourney (which is what my current MTB has) and I don’t want a Tourney drivetrain again.

[amol4184]

Summer came unusually fast. I remember it used to get hot after Holi (mid March) ..not anymore. Went out around 9 AM and came back sweating in just 16 odd kilometer ride. I used to go out any time during the day past few months, now I doubt I will venture out anything beyond 8 AM.

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by amol4184

Summer came unusually fast. I remember it used to get hot after Holi (mid March) ..not anymore. Went out around 9 AM and came back sweating in just 16 odd kilometer ride. I used to go out any time during the day past few months, now I doubt I will venture out anything beyond 8 AM.

Yes Amol, since last 2 days winter ended abruptly and you could feel the prickly heat of the sun. It won't be wise now to go on a ride beyond 8-9am. But night rides would be the best in this season.

[amol4184]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

Yes Amol, since last 2 days winter ended abruptly and you could feel the prickly heat of the sun. It won't be wise now to go on a ride beyond 8-9am. But night rides would be the best in this season.

Definitely. I was in Pune over last few days and same story there too. Pune historically used to be much cooler and pleasant compared to Ahmednagar. Did a ride mid afternoon and had to finish entire 750ml water bottle. On top of heat, the traffic is maddening and never ending in Pune. So regardless of heat, its a mistake to go out late in the day.

Have to think about night rides. I have done exactly 4 night rides till date. Never felt comfortable even with reflective jacket and tail light. And to go to any good road in any direction from my place we have to cross sections of terrible roads which I despise at night. May be I can think of riding in circles in our colony

[Brigadier]

Originally Posted by smdeep

Brigadier please do update the thread re the Speedometer, would love to buy one as it is very inconvenient to stop and check the number of kilometers ridden.

Hi smdeep, no the speedometer is not working. I tried changing the sensor / magnet positions many times, but the speedo works for 1 second sometimes and then stops. May be my unit is faulty, but its not working as expected. May be I'll invest in XOSS G+ or Magene c406 cyclocomputer once I start cycling more often.

[smdeep]

Originally Posted by Brigadier

Hi smdeep, no the speedometer is not working. I tried changing the sensor / magnet positions many times, but the speedo works for 1 second sometimes and then stops. May be my unit is faulty, but its not working as expected. May be I'll invest in XOSS G+ or Magene c406 cyclocomputer once I start cycling more often.

Many thanks for your reply. I think it is a bit of a hit and miss product. Works well for some. I was checking Amazon and there are two cyclometers by Sunding which have good reviews. The one costing 700 is back lit. If I buy I will get back here.

[amol4184]

My bike is making a cut-cut-cut sound. The sound is louder when there is more pressure on the pedals. Surprisingly, it has started only after a recent servicing about 2 weeks ago. I noticed it first time today. I can't locate the exact source of the sound though. What could it be, any idea? To me it feels like some part is torqued way too much.