Hi again guys and girls - time for an update about the Revolution Country Traveller!
Firstly sorry I've not been on this thread but it's been a hectic few weeks for me.....but I thought I'd come back and give you an update on all things about my experience of my new bicycle.
I took it out for a good old test ride on the Sunday after I got it, maybe did 25-30 miles on it, plenty of big hills to have a nibble at, get my legs going and generally see what we could get up to. At first it was a git as the gears were slipping and grinding a bit but that all ironed itself out (perhaps it was me doing things wrong having never used STI shifters before).....anyway - all that ironed out nicely.
The brakes scared the life out of me (having always had a flat bar bike in the past) the drop handlebars and location of brakes really put the wind up me when I braked and it wasn't as "instant" as the old bike coming down a big hill. I've since found that I'm not applying enough pressure by riding mainly in a relaxed riding position with my hands on the tops of the bars rather than in the crouched drop position.
The brakes on the flat part of the bar are absolute godsends!!! As I'm getting used to riding the bike more and more, they give me the security of a quick hand position switch and I KNOW there will be plenty of brake there when I need it.....I'm sure as I ride more and more and further out, I'll get used to the drop handlebars and brake positions.
Now....unloaded the bicycle is pretty damn good, it's deceptively quick and very easy to handle.....but the fun really starts when you load it up. WOW - small word big meaning. I really do feel like I could just ride forever when I've got a good fully loaded bike, I've pootled off to the supermarket, loaded the panniers up and cycled back home and hardly felt like I'd done anything! LOL
I'd say the panniers are great....perhaps overkill for me as I just wanted one compartment to dump everything in....these babies have got more nooks and crannies than you could imagine. I should have bought the
EBC bright orange ones when they were on sale back in Jan/Feb as they're waterproof and one compartment. These would suit someone needing to keep dry kit, maybe food, spare parts etc...they're designed really well, fit really well and are just a bit "overkill" for me.
I did buy a back light for the bike (one that you attach to the seatpost) but with the pannier rack having a reflector on the back it is a bit obscured under the seat. What I'm looking for now is a screw on light rather than one that goes on with a bracket - if anyone can help that'd be great - if you look at my pictures, the back of the pannier has a reflector on - I wanted to put the light there but it won't fit...and I've tried just about everything!!
So to summarise - it's a wonderful bike when you carry no load....it's nippy enough for someone like me who is a bit scared of these really fast skinny road bikes. But to truely appreciate and love what this bike is built for......get the panniers loaded up and feel just how wonderful the ride is.
AWESOME BICYCLE...and the customer service at EBC was everything and more that I'd hoped for.....and I've emailed them to tell 'em so!!!
Pssst - also posted it on "beginners section" as I thought it best to keep them informed too!