Genesis Flyer v Kona Band Wagon

[mcb2080]

Hi, appreciate any help or advice giving.

I have narrowed my first fixed bike down to either a Kona or Genesis

I can get a:
Kona Band Wagon 2010 for £450
Genesis Flyer 2011 for £490
Genesis Flyer 2012 for £570

First things first what is best value for money between Kona and Genesis, also is it worth paying extra for the Genesis 2012 over the 2011 or is it just a new paint job?

I currently ride a 54cm Cannondale Synapse ( I like the relaxed geometry) I am 5'9 with a 30inch inside leg.

According to genesis sizing guide a 56cm frame is for someone 5'7 - 5'9 and a 54cm is for 5'5 - 5'7 is this accurate as a guy in a bike shop told me I would be fine on a 54cm although he didn't have any in stock for me to try out.

Would I need a Kona in a 54cm frame?

Is either of these frames a relaxed geometry as I don't like to be to stretched out on the frame?

I am going to have to buy over the internet so I won't be able to try out any of the bikes before hand.

I will have more question about gear ratio with climbing hills but I will leave that for my next thread

Cheers

 

[mcb2080]

I have now joined the single speed / fixed club.

Just ordered the 54cm 2011 Genesis Flyer

Should have it by friday, will get some pics up when it arrives.

Ah well the challenging hills of east kilbride await

 

[djb1971]

Nice bike!

I had the light blue flyer and regret selling it. My dimensions are similar to yours and I had the 54 but was equally as happy on the 56. I fitted a slightly longer stem on it by 10mm. I think I loved it so much because it fitted and felt perfect when I was on it. If you don't want to be stretched just have the stem angled upwards on it or a 90mm stem if the 100mm is too stretched. I think it'll be okay, you can always adjust the little things when the frame is right.

The gearing is something only you can choose, most people use 69-72 gear inches on fixed but depending on fitness and terrain you may want higher or lower gearing. Mine was 77 but nearly killed me with a landed rack on climbing through the welsh hills! It's now 72ish and is great for local riding but just enough to climb loaded and not spin out too much.

Just enjoy it and ride it a bit to sort the gearing!

 

[mcb2080]

Thanks djb1971.

I am going to ride it locally for a few weeks and try hills with different inclines to get used to not spinning at 90 cadence all day.

Once I have it sorted I will do a test cycle to my work and back on a day off, just in case I need to get off and push, which hopefully I won't, there is one bugger of a step incline that I can just get up on my road bike at 34 x 22 so the single speed will be a tough here.

But hey it will make me stronger

Hopefully the bike fits from the off but if not I will see my local bike shop guy as he is pretty sound.

Thanks again for the info.

 

[djb1971]

You'll be amazed at the climbs you can get up on a fixed, the momentum helps you on fixed but when you've not got a bail out gear you just grit your teeth and push on

 

[mcb2080]

I am gambling on this being the case!

I am going to go single speed for a while to get used to the bike and then I will give fixed a try.

I should go single speed in to work in the morning as it is mostly downhill then swap over to fixed on the way home

 

[djb1971]

Enjoy it and just take your time on fixed if it's the first time. If you manage the run on ss you'll definitely do it fixed, it's easier fixed!

You just have to keep pedalling but the bike will remind you if you stop

 

[ror3h]

I got a 54cm 2011 Flyer last month and have since been using it to commute on (after squeezing some mudguards on), oh and I ride a 54cm Cannondale Synapse too!
The Flyer is definitely racier, the steering felt a little twitchy at first but you'll soon got used to it. There are a couple of steep but short climbs on my commute but I can power up them ok on the Flyer. I do tend to spin out a lot on the way home though, but I just think of it as cadence training...
The only thing I don't get on with is the brake hoods as they're quite narrow compared to the Shimano 105 hoods on my Synapse, but it's definitely not a deal breaker. Oh, and I changed the saddle and bar tape too as the white soon got grubby and I didn't get on with the saddle anyway.
Enjoy!
Here's a pic of mine:

 

[Harry_Palmer79]

I got a 54cm 2011 Flyer last month and have since been using it to commute on (after squeezing some mudguards on), oh and I ride a 54cm Cannondale Synapse too!
The Flyer is definitely racier, the steering felt a little twitchy at first but you'll soon got used to it. There are a couple of steep but short climbs on my commute but I can power up them ok on the Flyer. I do tend to spin out a lot on the way home though, but I just think of it as cadence training...
The only thing I don't get on with is the brake hoods as they're quite narrow compared to the Shimano 105 hoods on my Synapse, but it's definitely not a deal breaker. Oh, and I changed the saddle and bar tape too as the white soon got grubby and I didn't get on with the saddle anyway.
Enjoy!
Here's a pic of mine:

Can I ask what mudguards you have on your Flyer? I just picked one up at the weekend week (that's it in my avatar) and I've yet to kit it out with mudguards, lights, etc...

 

[mcb2080]

I got a 54cm 2011 Flyer last month and have since been using it to commute on (after squeezing some mudguards on), oh and I ride a 54cm Cannondale Synapse too!
The Flyer is definitely racier, the steering felt a little twitchy at first but you'll soon got used to it. There are a couple of steep but short climbs on my commute but I can power up them ok on the Flyer. I do tend to spin out a lot on the way home though, but I just think of it as cadence training...
The only thing I don't get on with is the brake hoods as they're quite narrow compared to the Shimano 105 hoods on my Synapse, but it's definitely not a deal breaker. Oh, and I changed the saddle and bar tape too as the white soon got grubby and I didn't get on with the saddle anyway.
Enjoy!
Here's a pic of mine:

Thanks for the reply ror3h

Looks good mate, and mudguards look good on it too.

If you don't mind me asking, what guards are they?

I went and bought a White Selle Italia Max Flite Gel Flow Saddle, so I will need to percervere with the white bar tape

Did you have too mess about with the stem or bar height?

Cheers for the tip on the steering, I will take this into account when I get out on the bike.

Getting delivered this afternoon

 

[clarion]

Sounds like you made a good choice. I have a Ridgeback World Tour Solo, which is the same as a Genesis Skyline (the Flyer with mudguard/rack braze ons). It's very comfortable, yet pretty fast. I've adapted mine, adding an S3X, hub dynamo, bullhorns and a prop stand. But it's still essentially the same bike.

Don't be bullied into getting too big a gear to start with, if you love your knees. And learn to spin a bit, which will help your cycling in so many ways. I had 48/15, or about 67" on mine, which is a good compromise.

You'll be amazed how much you can climb on the one gear, but do watch out for descents. If you're not putting power down into it, just relax your legs for an equivalent of freewheeling. I do run two brakes, mind, though I do use leg braking naturally much of the time.

 

[Harry_Palmer79]

Thanks for the reply ror3h
Cheers for the tip on the steering, I will take this into account when I get out on the bike.

Getting delivered this afternoon

Enjoy, hope it's a good fit!

I can confirm the steering is nimble, though I'm used to a heavy Carrera Crossfire with the turning circle of a cross channel ferry, so anything would feel pretty nifty in comparison!

 

[mcb2080]

Well here is my bike

I have took it out for a quick 6 mile run and it feels good.

I done two hills that I was worried about and done both of them fine, I was spinning out a lot at about 18 - 22 mph on the flats, my feet kept slipping off the pedals as I wasn't clipped in, I am just using the ones that came with the bike.

I am also going to order a new pair of Shimano A530 pedals as these are what's on my road bike and I quite like them.

I can't find my pedal magnet so I don't know what my cadence was, need to order a new one.

I found the steering to be ok although I might move the bars up slightly so that it is easier to rest my hands on the hoods.

I will take it on a test commute run over the weekend so that I have plenty of time to test myself on the big hills....I will not walk LOL

Right, now the tweeking begins.

Both of my brake levers rattle, if I pull on them slightly whilst riding the noise goes away, is there away of tightening them to take the rattle noise away? They even make a rattle noise when bike is stationery even if I just tap the middle of the handlebars.

This will sound silly but I will ask anyway, having never owned a single speed, what are the bolts on the back wheel next to the nuts for?

I am going to change the tyres over, is it just a case of loosing the nuts to take the wheel off or do I need to mess about with the bolt / screw?

Can I replace the nuts on both wheels to quick release levers?

I think my back wheel might be a tiny bit out of true, when I lift the bike and spin the back wheel there is a wee bit of movement from side to side, also when I look at the cog this also seems to have a wee wobble.

I am going to get the LBS to have a look at this tomorrow, but I just though I would ask here in case this is normal. The back wheel also stops spinning very quickly and sounds a wee bit rough, where as the front wheel just spins for ages with no noise at all.

I think there is also dirt between the fork and the frame, as when I turn the bars you can hear a light grinding noise, will have to get the LBS to sort this as well as I don't know how to take headset apart to get to the fork to give it a clean and grease.

The above things are all very minor but I want my bike to run as silently as possible.

Apart from that I am loving it

 

[clarion]

I'd advise against changing to qr on the rear wheel. You'll be putting a lot of power into one side of that wheel, and you really really really don't want it to shift.

Getting clipped in will improve things without a doubt. I used double sided SPDs on fixed, as it can be a bit of a faff getting the right side.

The wee bolts are to set the position of the axle in the dropout to help prevent it moving, and so you can refit the wheel to exactly the same place as before. The downside to that for track ends rather than horizontal dropouts is that, when you release the axle nuts, you need to drop the wheel forwards slightly to get the chain off the sprocket and chainring. Never mind, they do help, though mine dropped out quite early on. Yours look a sensible size. Mine were narrow, of an indeterminate thread, and far too long.

Good thing about fixed is that you know the ratio, so you can calculate the cadence for a given speed, using something like Sheldon Brown's Gear Calculator.

Brake lever rattle: Just check they are tight to the bar, and that the caliper is taking up all the slack cable when at rest. Might cure it. No promises on that one, as I had a persistent rattle in one lever.

You might find that you become obsessive about keeping your wheels true, as it does seem to make more of a difference on fixed. But ask the shop to do it this time.

Have fun!

 

[mcb2080]

Thanks for the reply clarion, point noted about the quick release, Cheers.

I used to to run double sided spd's but sometimes I just like to go out on my bike with trainers or if I just have a short journey to do, that's why I like the A530's.

Once I get the hills into my legs, I will look at going for a lower cog so that I can go a bit faster before I spin out.

On the back wheel issue, just to get this clear, I undo the nuts then undo the bolts to slacken chain, then tighten the nuts once chain is tensioned then tighten the bolts? Sorry if this is a dumb question

I am going to go to you tube the now for some tutorial videos

I will report back tomorrow once I have had the chance to go to the LBS.

Cheers again