Touring Bike - Bronx?

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Newboy

New Member
Hi,
I'm unashamedly asking for advice on 'What Bike?' - Unashamedly because I just cannot find any info on this bike -

http://www.bronxcycles.com/rx1000t.html

For me the big sell points are - Price (no surprises there!) and Tiagra set-up.

The drawback is that the frame is aluminium (that's a whole new discussion topic) and they are an unfamiliar name to me (then so were Thorn and Hewitt!)

Can't find any reviews anywhere - have found a couple of fleeting mentions in forums that Bronx MTB are rubbish but not a lot of evidence given.

The best price I can find for the above model is £459.99.
Which makes the competitors Dawes Horizon, Raleigh Royal, Revolution Country Traveller.

Any advice would be most welcome, I have a Trek 1400 but am fairly in the dark with the whole Touring bike thing.

Cheers.
 

Yellow Fang

Legendary Member
Location
Reading
Never heard of Bronx before. Where are they based? It looks like their products are designed to be cheap, but not rubbish, judging by the components. They're definitely not £99 supermarket BSOs, but I doubt many bike snobs cycling enthusiasts would be over-impressed.
 
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Newboy

New Member
Hi,
According to their full colour glossy mag they are based in High Wycombe, Bucks I think the website said they'd been going 17.5 yrs. They guarantee their frames and rigid forks for a 'lifetime warranty' (standard practice?) and all other components for a year.
 
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Newboy

New Member
In an attempt to answer my own question and to help anyone else who comes across this forum by way of google;
The pecking order for Shimano gears is as follows (according to Wikipedia)



Road Bike = 1)Sora 2)Tiagra 3)105 4)Ultegra 5)Dura Ace

MTB Groupset = 1)Non-Series 2)Deore 3)SLX 4)Deore XT 5)XTR

Recreational MTB = 1)Tourney 2)Alrus 3)Acera 4)Alvio


Where do they get these names from?

I would therefore suggest that as a Road bike owner I missed the fact that if the Dawes Horizon is packing an Alvio groupset that it's much higher spec than Tiagra (The Bronx RX1000T)

Am I right? and anyway - whats more effective on a tourer - road bike gears or 'rc MTB'?

I suspect I should be outside in the sunshine...
 

PpPete

Legendary Member
Location
Chandler's Ford
Am I right? and anyway - whats more effective on a tourer - road bike gears or 'rc MTB'?

No - the Wikipedia ranking is rubbish.
Tourers often use somewhere between road bike gears and MTB - as do some hybrids. Typical is 48-38-26 front 11-32 back

For the money that Bronx looks like a decent set of components. You could always buy a really nice steel frame a couple of years on, and swop most of the components over?
 
Newboy said:
I

Where do they get these names from?

They have a division to think them up, and each has a "Meaning"

I always love the way that these sometimes back fire and sometimes are more appropriate than planned. There are a number you can google and some are not intentional.

For instance On-One's Pompino is slang for a "blow job" and the Nissan Pajero is allegedly sold as the Montero in Southern Europe as Pajero is spanish slang for 'He who fiddles with himself for sexual gratification'
 
I have never heard of bronx.
I have 2 tourers a Raleigh Pioneer Venture and a Dawes KaraKum is a 2009 model, it's rrp is £749.99
The Raleigh Pioneer Venture is a 2005/6 Model.
I can't remember how much I paid for it.

It's really depending on what you want from a bike is it for commuting and pleasure or will you be going touring ?
 

trek58

New Member
Have you looked at claud butler regent? priced at £540. good deals can be found,
maybe cheaper at evans or j e james.
 
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Newboy

New Member
Decision Made...

Interesting points - thakyou all.
It seems there really is little infor about 'Bronx Bikes'.
I took the plunge and bought the Bronx RX1000T from a bike shop in Cambridge.

The first thing that struck me is that the welding isn't anywhere as smooth as my Trek 1400 - guess this is what you get for £500.
One of the bike shop owners who stocked the Bronx range said he'd heard they were made in the same factory as Trek.
He was trying to sell me one though...

I'll let people know my thoughts and maybe write a review when I feel suitably armed with enough info.

Thanks once again.
 

Alan Whicker

Senior Member
Newboy said:
The first thing that struck me is that the welding isn't anywhere as smooth as my Trek 1400 - guess this is what you get for £500. One of the bike shop owners who stocked the Bronx range said he'd heard they were made in the same factory as Trek. He was trying to sell me one though...

Thanks once again.

If he's right it might have been made in one of Giant's factories, who also produce some (most?) of Trek's frames - or so I've read.
 

Flanker37

Active Member
Newboy, you have had the bike a while now, and you can probably help me decide.

What do you think of the bike so far?

I was considering the Edinburgh Cycles Revolution Cross & the Revolution Country Traveller until i discovered the Bronx

the idea of the Tiagra is really appealing to me.

I am planning to buy on the 14th July, so any input you can provide will be extremely helpful

cheers

PS. what size did you get, ive noticed its only available in 2 sizes, and i am hoping my 32" leg is tall enough for the 55cm frame
 
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Newboy

New Member
SOOOOOOOOOOOO Sorry,

Have been away for the whole month of July in Canada and haven't checked this thread. Happy with it so far - the gears are changing beautifully smoothly (nothing to do with my tuning I assure you) but I haven't done any real distance on it, just short trips. It's prob too late now but I'm just a shade over 32" leg and the 58cm is good for me (I'm 6ft nothing)

Interestingly enough... Whilst fitting my waterbottle holder I noticed four of the teeth on the big chainring are lower and flatter in profile to the others - is there a reason for this? should this be??? Two of the teeth on the mid-ring are of the same profile and in line - am I right in assuming this is to provide a window to aid changing down???

Any ideas, anyone???

Cheers.
 

Canardly

Veteran
SOOOOOOOOOOOO Sorry,

Have been away for the whole month of July in Canada and haven't checked this thread. Happy with it so far - the gears are changing beautifully smoothly (nothing to do with my tuning I assure you) but I haven't done any real distance on it, just short trips. It's prob too late now but I'm just a shade over 32" leg and the 58cm is good for me (I'm 6ft nothing)

Interestingly enough... Whilst fitting my waterbottle holder I noticed four of the teeth on the big chainring are lower and flatter in profile to the others - is there a reason for this? should this be??? Two of the teeth on the mid-ring are of the same profile and in line - am I right in assuming this is to provide a window to aid changing down???

Any ideas, anyone???

Cheers.
 

Canardly

Veteran
yes exactly that read it somewhere recently cant remember where...There are quite a few Bronx dealers around but as has been said little information. Seems to be one of those designed in UK manufactured in far east jobs.
 
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