My Triban 3 commuter

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defy-one

Guest
hi all, some of you know i was looking at either a 2nd hand quality bike or a brand new Triban 3. Well this morning i happened to be out towards Docklands and popped into Decathlon at Surrey Quays. It's HUGE!!

tried a couple of sizes and eventually settled for the 57cm frame, rear pannier rack and of course a pannier. This is my first foray into the world of panniers. up to now i was using a rack on my BSO but it wasn't very good for centre of gravity or trying to get my leg over the bike (ooh err).

enough yapping , here are the pics .....

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an hour (or 3) of fettling adjusting and general messing about, and i have converted her into my new commuter. The universal full mudguards didn't fit very well under the brakes, so i hacked them and made a custom job, hope you like them. Already tried fitting my work rucksack (laptop/tools) inside the panniers and it's a great fit, with room for sundries.

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been out a couple of times for test runs and will probably put a stem on that raises the bars, as my Defy has a relaxed geometry, and the seat isn't the best, again will change in due course. Other than that i would say a good bike at £300.
total outlay with all the bits and pieces has been just shy of £400, and will take me between 2 & 3 months to claw back, from saved diesel & parking in Central London. Not to mention getting much fitter, losing weight ( 16lbs already) and saving loads of wear & tear on the car.

thanks for reading :-)
 

Andrew_Culture

Internet Marketing bod
thanks for reading :-)


total pleasure, I don't have a Decathlon anywhere near where I live, but I might have to make a trip!
__________________________________________________________________________________
Sent from Backup hand no.2
 

gambatte

Middle of the pack...
Location
S Yorks
I've got a 5 year old B'Twin I use as a commuter. It's kitted out with all the commuting gear and taken loads of hammer, with no complaints. I was thinking about getting the T3 as my Sunday bike. Luckily though they had problems getting my size in and in a surprise moment,when I mentioned it, our lass said "I don't know about bikes if the next model ups OK......" So I ended up with the T5.
Can't knock 'em, great machines for the money :smile:
 

mikmurray

Regular
you'll have to let me know how you get on with the panniers, i'm thinking about panniers, but just wondering on the handling and what speed they take off
 

Speedking

Regular
Location
london
you still talking about that?:blink: so r the other type or gear changers better microshifters
 
OP
OP
defy-one

defy-one

Guest
As Vickster states - the little buttons are to change gears up and the big brake levers when pushed towards the centre of the bike change down.

The Defy 105 shiters are better, but that bike is 3 X as expensive.
As a cheap commuter I can't complain about the quality of this bike. It's way way better than my BSO, and hence fit for purpose.
Looks smart aswell :-)
 
OP
OP
defy-one

defy-one

Guest
you'll have to let me know how you get on with the panniers, i'm thinking about panniers, but just wondering on the handling and what speed they take off

Early indications are very good. I'm comparing to having my rucksack sitting up high right behind me on BSO hybrid. Luggage weight is the same, but this bike is way lighter than BSO and most importantly the centre of gravity has come way down. This gives a much better feel when cornering and will be very important when whizzing in/out of London traffic. Speed on a quick 3 miler around home showed maybe a 2-3mph increase on my BSO.
Will update once I've done a few 44 mile round trips in/out of London.
 

subaqua

What’s the point
Location
Leytonstone
i have kept mine as the sunday bike , or for commuting with a light rucksack . I got the riverside 7 for commuting in and it hasn't knocked much off my speed. whats great is not having a sweaty back from a rucksack. panniers all the way for me now
 

Mike!

Guru
Location
Suffolk
My other half has expressed an interest in getting a roadie to loose her baby weight after our second is born in November. One of these seems ideal if the fit is ok
 
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