[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by jsrakkar

I'm a bit skeptical of pure road bike for two reasons:-
1. My back ins't in the best of the shape and I'm not sure if the direct ride of a roadie will suit me.
2. I don't really want to restrict myself to the roads (only); even though the roads in Chandigarh are very good overall, but don't want to miss out on mild trail riding on muddy roads due to the fear of spoiling my bike/components.

That's why I'm inclining more towards a Hybrid with more aggressive geometry.

Good call. Road bikes have a more specific purpose, although in India we seemingly (and erroneously) consider it as a natural progression of choice as our cycling increases. My view - choose a road bike for the benefit it provides - long hours of fast(er) riding where the focus is on efficiency more than other aspects.

I know a bunch of riders in Bombay and Pune who do a set of fixed routes day in and day out, with planned workout regimes. Road bikes make sense for such an audience. The vast majority of folks like us, enjoying a mix of casual and at times proper racing, would be better off in a hybrid. And it's cheaper too.

[rdst_1]

Originally Posted by jsrakkar

I did check out the Origine at the Chandigarh FireFox store and quite liked it, but not sure whether it's worth the 43k tag. Might be visiting them again to check the Tarmak in 52 size since they currently had 54 only. My overall impression with their customer service wasn't very positive.

Do check out the Track and Trail store in sector 8 as well. I have only been there once but it seems to be run by a cycling enthusiast from the small interaction I had there.

[drive_angry]

Originally Posted by rdst_1

Do check out the Track and Trail store in sector 8 as well. I have only been there once but it seems to be run by a cycling enthusiast from the small interaction I had there.

Thanks for bringing this up. This guy in Sector-8 now keeps all the Vietnamese, Chinese brands and what not. He used to keep really good stuff earlier. Might I suggest 'Phirki' in sector-35 who is the official dealer of Trek and Cannondale bikes here in Chandigarh. He had this avaialble thats a real beauty in glossy black finish. He also had Cosmic, Schnell and Specialized avaialble as of Friday. :-)

[jsrakkar]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Good call. .................The vast majority of folks like us, enjoying a mix of casual and at times proper racing, would be better off in a hybrid. And it's cheaper too.

Thanks for the advice! Your trails have been one of the inspirations to stick to Hybrids; let's see where I end up!

Originally Posted by rdst_1

Do check out the Track and Trail store in sector 8 as well. I have only been there once but it seems to be run by a cycling enthusiast from the small interaction I had there.

Track and Trail Chandigarh has shutdown and has been replaced by another store dealing mostly in unknown brands. Maybe the management/ownership is same but they have moved away from T&T.

Have exhausted most of the biking stores in Chandigarh and areas around, but like everywhere else, good bikes are out of stock and no one is in a hurry to bring in road or hybrids in the initial lots; most of the customers are lining up for MTBs only!

Regards,
Jaspreet Singh

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by jsrakkar

I
Triban RC/Flatbar both have very basic gearing. Triban 100 RC doesn't even have brifters, which, to me are the bare basic necessity in a roadie. Also, none of them are currently in stock online/in-store.

I'll take a slightly contrarian stand here and tell you that the Triban 100 is a brilliant bike and you would be hard pressed to buy a better bike overall in India today at sub 20k.

My friend and senior BHPian @arpandiv just picked up one in Bombay yesterday





Cheers, Doc

[Sebring]

I tried this bike but found the geometry to be a bit tight. My back started hurting since the seat post is a little closer to the handlebar. Their offerings (Over this), all the way up to VanRysel is simply VFM. Love it

Originally Posted by ebonho

the Triban 100 is a brilliant bike and you would be hard pressed to buy a better bike overall in India today at sub 20k.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Sebring

I tried this bike but found the geometry to be a bit tight. My back started hurting since the seat post is a little closer to the handlebar. Their offerings (Over this), all the way up to VanRysel is simply VFM. Love it

Bike fit is definitely a personal thing. The bike is basically designed as a relatively upright hybrid with a drop bar and 32c gravel tyres. A really pro rider friend of mine who works for Decathlon has the entire range of their top end carbon Roadies at his disposal but loves his Triban 100, having done thousands of long distance kilometers on it. Swears by its elegant simplicity, rolling and comfort. It's specifically been give a really short acutely angled 35 mm stem, which he's slammed. The steel fork adds a lot if rough road compliance to what is a really well built frame, with double walled sport rimmed wheels. The gearing could be an issue for less strong riders, but he's happily climbed Lavasa on his. The new one has road slicks, a cassette and the gearing is a bit taller. I'd have bought this beauty in a heartbeat if I did not already have my ACT for all-road all-weather duty. Seen so many of them on the roads in Europe. The 1x urban gearing and simplicity and clean lines are an international hit. And it's difficult to get any sub 40k bike, Indian or import, that weighs in at the ridiculous 11.3 kilos this one tips the scale at.



Cheers, Doc

[jsrakkar]

Originally Posted by ebonho

I'll take a slightly contrarian stand here and tell you that the Triban 100 is a brilliant bike and you would be hard pressed to buy a better bike overall in India today at sub 20k.

Originally Posted by ebonho

....... The bike is basically designed as a relatively upright hybrid with a drop bar and 32c gravel tyres.....................................And it's difficult to get any sub 40k bike, Indian or import, that weighs in at the ridiculous 11.3 kilos this one tips the scale at.

Cheers, Doc

Doc,

Your saying this holds a great value and weight for me!
Currently, even the RC100 is out of stock with no updates of when it'll be back in stock. I have initiated talks with a seller who is letting go of a 1.5 years old BTwin branded one (specs are same), let's see if things materialize.

I'm also in talk with a seller for Scott Metrix 10.. I know both these are not on the same spectrum, but from what I see, even the Scott will serve as a comfortable touring bike with less restrictions about the terrain where it can be used.

Thanks again to everyone for their valuable advice!

Regards,
Jaspreet Singh

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by ebonho

My friend and senior BHPian @arpandiv just picked up one in Bombay yesterday

Cheers, Doc

Were these pics taken just after unwrapping the bike?

I might be wrong but the seat's kept pretty low.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Were these pics taken just after unwrapping the bike?

I might be wrong but the seat's kept pretty low.

The bike was picked up from the store and driven home and then saddle height adjusted.

His height puts him at an XS, but only the flat bar comes in XS. The road bike comes with S as the smallest size in India.

Cheers, Doc

[shipnil]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

.

Originally Posted by ebonho

Cheers, Doc

Ninja / Doc, do any of you use or tried to use full size mudguards on your hybrids? In such a rainy weather lot of muck and grime gets accumulated on the drivetrain, as well as on your back? How do you clean that? Especially, cleaning the derailleurs and cassette is such a pain.

Do we even get full size mudguards for hybrids? I dont think those fancy/ half size mudguards are effective.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by shipnil

Ninja / Doc, do any of you use or tried to use full size mudguards on your hybrids? In such a rainy weather lot of muck and grime gets accumulated on the drivetrain, as well as on your back? How do you clean that? Especially, cleaning the derailleurs and cassette is such a pain.

Do we even get full size mudguards for hybrids? I dont think those fancy/ half size mudguards are effective.

I used to use the BTwin plastic mudguards. But they look dorkish (lol) and they are way too fiddly and not firmly mounted. And your bike and your legs are still muddy. Probably only your jersey back is largely protected ... that too after extending the back of the mudguard with an additional plastic flap because tge original design is too short.

I used to fit a flap of rubber from an old tube to the end of the rear mudguard just behind the front derailleur mech which did a great job of protecting it from mud.

This year I've been lazy and just fitted an ass-saver from BTwin which protects your sorts from the majority of the cold muddy water (which you can actually feel in delicate areas). Dies nothing to save your jersey. These Mudd splatter marks dont go. So I wear a black jersey. But I can see the brown stains on the lighter colored inside.

The only solution is to wash your clothes (multiple water rinses first) and your bike after every ride. I usually then lube it mid week in preparation for the next weekend ride.

Rest of the week days I'm grinding away on the turbo. Looking forward to the approaching Sunday.

Got a mid week holiday today so did a quickie to Kamshet and back solo. Maybe you can make out the mini mud flap at the back.





Cheers, Doc

[Mi10]

Good progress from where I started in Jun !



Progress is not only in terms of distance covered but also in terms of Speed / Cadence and HR .

My last two rides were averaging 30.4 kmph for a 2 hour ride !

[rayjaycleoful]

Hello cyclists,

I'm looking for a car cycle rack. The online decent one I can find online is the B'Twin one on Decathlon.
Does anyone have any experience with it?

I'm open to other options available in Gurgaon/ South Delhi as well, as long as it can carry two bikes and not scratch the car
Also how do these racks fare with SUVs/ hatches with rear wipers?

Thanks!
r

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by shipnil

Ninja / Doc, do any of you use or tried to use full size mudguards on your hybrids? In such a rainy weather lot of muck and grime gets accumulated on the drivetrain, as well as on your back? How do you clean that? Especially, cleaning the derailleurs and cassette is such a pain.

Do we even get full size mudguards for hybrids? I dont think those fancy/ half size mudguards are effective.

I had the decathalon mudguards on my hybrid back in 2014-15. Looked odd but they did the job. Currently I don't ride with a mudguard - as a result my riding gear gets thoroughly dirty with the dirt/water stream.

As for cleaning, I do it about every 2 weeks - wash down the bike completely, let it dry overnight and then oil/grease the components. This for the current monsoon season where I ride the bike in the rains every weekend.