Cush
Veteran
- Location
- North Cumbria but still a Geordie
Just got over the dreaded late winter lurgy, so yesterday I decided to have a short ride and visit a couple of not so local bike shops, who have more stock in than my LBS. I have done my homework and know what I am looking for and the reasons why. I am in my late sixty’s, have always been a recreational cyclist, who has done a few longer rides (End to End C2C etc) but I still walk almost as much as I cycle.
So I want a bike that is going to be a workhorse, last me as long as I can mount up (hopefully 10+ years) and be useful as a B & B tourer. I have worked out the basic requirements: Alfine 11 hub gears, disk brakes and either butterfly or straight bars ( I have never really used drops) and flat pedals. So I know there is plenty of choice on the market. Oh yes and I want a PX if possible.
First stop very large bike warehouse, loads of expensive bikes in but only three with Alfine gears and disk brakes and two of these were the Alfine 8, the other one was an Alfine 11 but all three had dropped bars. The 11 was a neat looking bike very light and a possible contender but there was no way of getting the bars changed and the wheels were narrow and fast. I had explained what I wanted but the lad tells me, there are very few tourer’s on the market, all most all are cross overs and sorry no one does PX now but we may be able to do a deal on the price.
Second shop a well-known national chain, almost the same patter but nothing in stock with Alfine 11 gears, no call for them, they are too heavy etc but I can order one with a £50 deposit and try it out.
So what do I do now? I know what I want and I know it is available but I don’t want to buy a bike without trying it out first but there is only a limited amount of travel that you can do before it becomes too expensive. It looks like I may have to forget the disk brakes as the main contender the Dawes Nomad does not have them and the Trek Soho is not imported now.
So I want a bike that is going to be a workhorse, last me as long as I can mount up (hopefully 10+ years) and be useful as a B & B tourer. I have worked out the basic requirements: Alfine 11 hub gears, disk brakes and either butterfly or straight bars ( I have never really used drops) and flat pedals. So I know there is plenty of choice on the market. Oh yes and I want a PX if possible.
First stop very large bike warehouse, loads of expensive bikes in but only three with Alfine gears and disk brakes and two of these were the Alfine 8, the other one was an Alfine 11 but all three had dropped bars. The 11 was a neat looking bike very light and a possible contender but there was no way of getting the bars changed and the wheels were narrow and fast. I had explained what I wanted but the lad tells me, there are very few tourer’s on the market, all most all are cross overs and sorry no one does PX now but we may be able to do a deal on the price.
Second shop a well-known national chain, almost the same patter but nothing in stock with Alfine 11 gears, no call for them, they are too heavy etc but I can order one with a £50 deposit and try it out.
So what do I do now? I know what I want and I know it is available but I don’t want to buy a bike without trying it out first but there is only a limited amount of travel that you can do before it becomes too expensive. It looks like I may have to forget the disk brakes as the main contender the Dawes Nomad does not have them and the Trek Soho is not imported now.
