[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

The Riverside 100 got delivered today. And the "assembling" part - which was giving me the goose bumps turned out to be a damp squib of a non-event. It came almost fully assembled, you just had to do two things - re-position the handle bars and tighten the Allen key at the top of it. (Err... I cant put it more accurately). Second, the pedals need to be fixed into the crankshaft. In 5 minutes or so, you are ready to go.

I'll need to pick up the side stand, mud-guards, bell and lock - and probably a rear view too.

Anyway, this unboxing experience is a huge relief considering the "this comes 85% assembled and needs an expert technician to assemble" threat you find on practically every other brands' online listing.

The white version is ₹ 1k cheaper than the red one which I got, but is shown as "discontinued", and the red one is sort of a flash sale - available for a few hours before going out of stock.

I had initially ordered the "My Bike" along with the accessories, which was cancelled once I found this one available. Yhere was no way (or may be I missed it) to cancel only a part of an order containing the cycle and itsxaccessories. The replacement came, but waiting for the refund. I'm told by the customer care that there will be a full refund.

PS:- the delivery charges for the Riverside 100 is around ₹ 1.2k, if anybody is curious.

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

The mudguards for the Riverside 100 vanished at the 2 Decathlon stores nearby. The ones they seem to be recommending are these -
Hey! Checkout this product on Decathlon App https://www.decathlon.in/qr/8328053/-1


But I think the kids, and their laundry man will be happier with these -

Hey! Checkout this product on Decathlon App https://www.decathlon.in/qr/8539800/-1

I understand that the Riverside 500 has a "cross bar" on the lower side of front fork, so these stay static relative to the wheel. The rigid fork on the 100 too has such a cross bar with a hole in the middle. Tge tyres seem to be 700C on the 500, and 28 on the 100. So, my guess is there ought to be sufficient space.

What do girls here think?

[ringoism]

Originally Posted by ringoism

we do have some moderately steep gradients on roads here, but not as much as some hill-stations, and I'm not doing trails at this point.

Well, I guess now I'm doing trails... (that didn't take long)

Rode down with family to one of the forests in Manali vicinity. Two sections there - one evergreen, which is full of protruding rocks and a few strewn boulders and roots everywhere, most covered in either moss or a layer of pine needles:




...The other section deciduous, and currently carpeted and canopied in full color:






I'm sure I haven't had this much fun on a cycle since my adolescence, when I rode the hills of my home state on a (Raleigh) Rampar R11-XL (Reynolds 531) BMX bike. Took that one fearlessly over countless jumps (on occasion ridiculously high) and even on frozen streams. But I don't recall doing forest trails much. We typically walked / ran those. So even in my childhood I had missed out on the kind of entertainment I enjoyed today.

Why I had to wait till I was over 50 (when I've been here for years) is beyond me... But glad I've got back to enjoying riding now, and in the forest context, I can see how rock-hopping / stump-jumping can become addictive for some.

I'm no trials rider obviously, but the ACT108 Max seemed very much at home, very controlled and balanced... I was surprised what I was able to do as a not-very-young newbie.



I'd had two hangups about cycling in this region that kept me mostly off the Merida these several years I've owned it:

First is that in cycling on roads I felt the usual conditions of vehicular traffic/dust/pollution combined with the deep breathing of serious exertion was a very bad combination health-wise. And of course I'd wanted to do this for the sake of health more than anything.

Secondly, here in the hills you can often trek places nearly as fast as you can drive them. And much faster than you might be able to cycle them. As good as mountain/trail bikes may be, they cannot manage many of the types of narrow paths / inclines / obstacles you find on mountain trails around here. Trekking allows you to bypass switchbacks on roads in favor of the quicker, more vertical route.

So if it's gonna take me longer to get there, and I'm going to get a lot of unhelpful stuff lodged in my lungs by cycling vs. trekking it, I was inclined towards the latter.

Well, this pretty well solves the dilemma. Not that I'm really getting to any destination out there, but I'm having enough fun to make it an end in itself, I'm surrounded by natural beauty, and I'm breathing clean air. Win-win. Finally. Only wish I'd discovered this 15 years ago, but hey, better late than never!



I do credit this particular cycle for inspiring me to give this kind of riding a try... and am so grateful that I found it... without even looking for such a model or being aware of its existence.


As far as technicals go:

I did get a long aluminum seat-post for it - seems strong and light enough, set me back Rs.625.

The "Alpine" gearing Doc mentioned is probably not going to be required, though I may try it out of curiosity sometime. As it is, First is low enough for anything I encountered on-or-off-road so far. Never had to walk it. As my skills and aspirations increase and I tackle steeper inclines offroad it may be helpful, but as of now, it appears I would be traction (vs. torque) limited.

The front shockers do knock on full-extension under these conditions, so will have to open them this winter and see what can be done about that and also see if they've got replaceable bushes in the top to deal with the fore-aft play.

Brakes (160mm front and I guess 140mm rear) have settled in and are sufficiently powerful for anything I expect to want to do. This is not a high-speed machine.

The twister-shifters are good in terms of basic operation, strike me as pretty unbreakable under trail conditions, but I've got a lot of clunkiness in the rear changing that I need to look into. And for some reason this particular set works at variance with all others I've seen. Right side grip: gears advance when twisted TOWARDS the rider, Left side: they advance when twisted AWAY. It's not that I have them reversed L-R, as the number of detents are right... so this is a bit mysterious. Actually prefer the right one this way, because as I'm beginning to raise my body to stand and pedal up a steep incline, my hands naturally rotate forwards anyway. But would rather have the front gearset working the same - forward for lower gears, backwards for higher.

Never could grasp why all cycles seem to have the left and right changers functionally opposite... One side gearing up with the thumb, other side gearing down... and same with these twist-types. One gets used to it and there's probably some good reason for it that's beyond my current level of skill/understanding, but anyway, it seems naturally counter-intuitive and I might mod this towards my own preference... I also put the rear brake on the right handle as per non-Indian standard... I don't think anyone else will be riding this, and I won't be riding too many other cycles, so not worried about any confusion. And I suspect things will be moving this way anyhow, as higher-end stuff has, and Shimano sells their turnkey hydraulic sets only in this configuration.

I suppose at this point I've got no more than Rs 3-4,000 in this thing, it rides well, and if I ever go in for the full-polish (Wifey would prefer that, she's not too keen on dirty-looking old junk, just doesn't grasp the Mad Max thing!), it's gonna look like a million bucks!!!

-Eric

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ringoism

Never could grasp why all cycles seem to have the left and right changers functionally opposite...

Eric the bike looks like a million bucks already. Brilliant job. Man I cannot begin to describe how much I (and I suspect many others here as well) envy you.

For us Himachal is a luxury. You live in that paradise. I realize every situation has its pros and cons and Poona must look like paradise to many folk as well, but seriously ... Himachal!

On the gears, to get the chain to wrap around a bigger cog, front or back, requires you to take up slack in the cable and the internal ratchet (I suspect) moves in such a way.

To drop to a smaller cog front or rear the derailleur spring tension just needs to be released for its cage to fold up and take up the chain slack around a smaller number of teeth. Hence the trigger action for the thumb and forefinger shifters (or simpler letting out - forward, in a grip shift).

MicroShift trigger shifters from BTwin have thumb shifters for both, placed staggered on the same side of the bar one above the other.

My very lay explanation...

Cheers, Doc

[promit]

My 29 inch MTB tires are 3.5K km old. The rear ones don't have a lot of life left. So need to change soon. Was contemplating going tubeless but the cost doesn't make sense to me.

While I have become a pretty good DIY puncture waala, was purely thinking about tubeless from a trail riding point of view which turns into a puncture fest. A few people around me have gone tubeless to avoid the hassles.

Got a quote of 11K for WTB tires (4k each +3k conversion/sealant charges). Don't want to spend so much on tires for a bike which was originally 22k and also because I am considering upgrading to a road bike in a couple of months.

I checked Michelin tires seem to be 2.5K each on Amazon. Saw Decathlon ones for 1.5k each with awful reviews. Any suggestions and thoughts on reasonable tires. Currently have a set of Kenda, which have been pretty good thus far.

Cheers,
Promit

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by promit

Any suggestions and thoughts on reasonable tires. Currently have a set of Kenda, which have been pretty good thus far.

Schwalbe make good MTB tyres. Very tough. Roll great. And last quite good.

Cheers, Doc

[dreamz_mak]

I am looking for a fat bike, any recommendations? I am overweight 140kg approx. so a regular MTB wont cut if for me, I am kind of bored from walking and would like to take up cycling to help with my weigh loss.

Thanks.

[bharanidharang]

I am around 90Kgs and have recently started doing a daily walk of 6 kms and seeing good results. Would like to expand into cycling and have been reading about it in the last few pages.

I am looking at a hybrid cycle and preferably one which can be used for 15 - 20 Km ride thrice a week. Does a single speed make sense or should i look at geared ones ? I am based in Chennai and most of the driving would be on city roads

Looking at something within the 15 - 20K budget. Any suggestions ?

[greyhound82]

Thinking of starting cycling again after a long gap. There is no good hybrid cycle available in the market. Most of the dealers are not even taking any booking till March 2021. What about building after buying frame and components? Is this a good idea and would it be reliable like a factory fitted one?

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Originally Posted by bharanidharang

I am looking at a hybrid cycle and preferably one which can be used for 15 - 20 Km ride thrice a week. Does a single speed make sense or should i look at geared ones ?

Consider the Riverside range from Decathlon. Starts at 9k and upto 22 - 23k. My son is ga-ga with his new Riverside 100. All prices exclude delivery, side stand, mudguards, bells, locks, etc which are usually standard on most indian brands. A lightweight cycle (approx 14 kg for 100 and 120 / 500) adds to your feel good factor. At 20k, you probably consider Triban flat bar too - if available. These weigh below 11 kg. The weight reduction makes a lot of difference. I suggest start looking at Riverside 100 @ 9k mostly coz you do not know if you will continue long time. Stock becomes vailable online every 2 - 3 days and it is sort of a flash sale.



As the post below shows. Tgere are availability issues.

Originally Posted by greyhound82

Thinking of starting cycling again after a long gap. There is no good hybrid cycle available in the market. Most of the dealers are not even taking any booking till March 2021. What about building after buying frame and components? Is this a good idea and would it be reliable like a factory fitted one?

Wow. Interesting. But are all components available? Like light weight alloy frames? What about matching bottom brackets, cranks, chain, etc? Cottered cranks are widely available but are a nightmare (the hole holding cotter pin gets large, causing play in the pedalling action). Gearless transmission components are cheap but clunky. Forks and stems if not matched properly will cause fore - aft play while braking.

But first, do look at Decathlon's offerings.

[bharanidharang]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

Consider the Riverside range from Decathlon. Starts at 9k and upto 22 - 23k. My son is ga-ga with his new Riverside 100. All prices exclude delivery, side stand, mudguards, bells, locks, etc which are usually standard on most indian brands. A lightweight cycle (approx 14 kg for 100 and 120 / 500) adds to your feel good factor. At 20k, you probably consider Triban flat bar too - if available. These weigh below 11 kg. The weight reduction makes a lot of difference. I suggest start looking at Riverside 100 @ 9k mostly coz you do not know if you will continue long time. Stock becomes vailable online every 2 - 3 days and it is sort of a flash sale.

Thank you BaCkSeAtDrIVeR. Makes sense on looking at either the Triban if available or the riverside range. Does my weight (90kgs) play truant ? I assume I would need to look at "M" size. Will go to decathalon and check it out in person.

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Originally Posted by bharanidharang

Thank you BaCkSeAtDrIVeR. Makes sense on looking at either the Triban if available or the riverside range. Does my weight (90kgs) play truant ? I assume I would need to look at "M" size. Will go to decathalon and check it out in person.

Triban is online only. But if you go there, you can take a test ride - their showrooms are real huge. Sizing is really a matter of height, not weight. Their cheapest bike - My Bike is rated for 100kg rider weight. My guess is that other models are rated for heavier riders. I'm 105.

[bharanidharang]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

Triban is online only. But if you go there, you can take a test ride - their showrooms are real huge. Sizing is really a matter of height, not weight. Their cheapest bike - My Bike is rated for 100kg rider weight. My guess is that other models are rated for heavier riders. I'm 105.

BaCkSeAtDrIVeR - Thank you. My height is 5.10 and I feel it makes sense for me to go in person and check out their range. If the Triban comes up in a flash sale, will pick it up else stick to riverside.

[ringoism]

Hey Doc, ever heard of a Stärkenn?

Scrap guy found this in the village and brought it for me today:



Very light aluminum frame / V-brakes, Shimano thumb-shifters, quick-release wheels in a 24" wheel size. Front shocks / handle are steel, rest all aluminum. All but front rim (run flat on rough ground, apparently) in great condition, seems hardly used/worn, the one Kenda with it in good shape too.

I think I've got everything I need to put it together, excepting tubes and handgrips, so should be a pretty quick/easy build.

Model is a Neo 4400V, but couldn't find anything about it online (I seem to be collecting rare bikes now - speaking of which, this Sangpu I bought, too, only found on a Kyrgyz website...):




Anyway, guess the Stārkenn will be my son's next cycle, as he's about ready to move up from his current 20", which has lots of gears and discs and looks cool, but is extremely heavy.

This one ought to go a lot better in the woods...

-Eric

[greyhound82]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

Wow. Interesting. But are all components available? Like light weight alloy frames? What about matching bottom brackets, cranks, chain, etc?

But first, do look at Decathlon's offerings.

The problem is most of the available cycles from Decathlon are either entry range or high end road bikes . Am looking for one in the mid range budget , like a Trek fx3 or Fx2 .Was using a trek 3700 for over 6 years . Need to start cycling again due to health issues . Weight is at 80kg and alarmingly increasing

Enquired with some dealers in Bangalore, and they have frames available from Merida , Cannondale , Fuji and Surly . Surly is starting at 65,000/- for the frame and so it’s out of my budget . Have to enquire about other components .

Will visit decathlon Indore and check if there is a hybrid available