Submitted by
toomanybikes
a Recreational Rider
from Kelowna
Date Reviewed: April 13, 2003
Strengths: All said above, a pleasure to ride.
Weaknesses: None to speak of.
Bottom Line:
I have read the other reviews on this product and am really surprised. I now have in excess of 4,000 km on this bike and have had none of the problems people are taliking about.
Yes I got a flat yesterday, glass on the road.
This is the first bike I have ever had with Shimano gear and am pleasantly surprised though I will swap out for Campy as replacement time comes around.
I think the bike itself is tremendous, the frame is solid and responsive and plenty light. The components work well, though I have put a Brooks Team Pro saddle on it. Much better.
I also have a second set of rims I swap out when I want to go riding on the road and have skinny tires. The stock Michelins it came with were actually pretty good but I swapped them out for Vredesteins.
A VERY GOOD bike, made even better by the fact that my bike store set it up properly before I took it home.
Weaknesses: QC! Big one..
Stickers
Color (for some)
Bottom Line:
I will have to agree with the others here about the quality of build. CC or RM did not do a good job. Same problem with flats (6 before I swapped to tape), crank bolt, and stickers that are just about worthless. I did NOT have the brake cabling problems that others mentioned.
I have now got it dialed in. Torqued that one pesky crank bolt, replaced the crap rim strips with tape.
Overall, I like the bike. I have put on some conti grand prix tires and have been riding it on the trainer and road. It handles well, and is fairly light. Off road was good, but the flat problem really caused headaches. I am a mountian biker and this is my first road bike so I am no expert.
The bike it self is good. CC and RM need to be flogged for the quality control problems. The bike is a 4, The companies are a 2.
Bike Setup: Stock (105, Ritchey cranks, hubs, post, stem, and bars, Sun rims.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Ukla Mok
a Recreational Rider
from Portland
Date Reviewed: October 21, 2002
Strengths: Stiff, fast ride. Climbs well. Brightens my day on the rainiest.
Weaknesses: Braking: No chance at stopping the squeeeellling.
Paint (Red with Gold flakes)
Weight 22lbs.
May switch fork to carbon for weight issues.
Cable Placement: Try tossing it over your right shoulder and running with it. (ouch) difficult to place frame mud flap.
Bottom Line:
Sounds as though a few riders in Colorado have some issues with thier local shop. (I have heard nothing but good about Colorado Cyclist, you guys get a newbie or something)
Similar Products Used: Bianchi, Cannondale, Kona, Kelly, Gunnar, Ellsworth.
Bike Setup: 105 Group (Shift and Derail), Raceface Crank, Time pedals. Richey bar and seat post.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
cmgauch
a Recreational Rider
from Nutley, NJ
Date Reviewed: October 11, 2002
Strengths: Great handling, sprinting and climbing. 2 water bottle mounts, rear rack mounts, front fender eyelets.
Weaknesses: Shoddy QC work by either Rocky, Colorado, or both. I'm not crazy about the Ritchey seatpost - I'll probably swap it for a Tompson.
Bottom Line:
I couldn't resist the deal from The Colorado Cyclist on the Rail (desite the color). I've been eyeing up 'cross bikes for a few years now.
I too, experienced the brake squeal, the self-extracting chainring bolt (the one behind the crank) and the short leash on the rear brake cable. My bike also came without pedals, but Colorado made good and sent me a set via next day air. These are relatively minor annoyances, but I didn't expect them on a purchase from Colorado.
The bike itself is great. It handles so well I'd love to slap some smoothies on it to see how it carves. It sprints and climbs like a scalded cat, but don't expect any coddling over the bumps.
Off-road, I'm happy so far but I haven't hit it real hard yet. It's got enough BB height to clear pretty big log jumps (especially if they are built up).
Submitted by
Woodman
a Road Racer
from Frankfort, Kentucky
Date Reviewed: September 19, 2002
Strengths: Sturdy construction, mostly nice component spec, great handling.
Weaknesses: See above. Plus the Ritchey Bio-Max handlebars are not too comfortable--the ergo bend doesn't match my ergo.
Bottom Line:
I, too, got this bike on sale at Colorado Cyclist because it seemed like the best value out there in a decent 'cross bike. On the whole, I really like the bike. It handles excellently off road, even on moderately technical single track.
However, there were several flaws that should not have been there in the first place. When I first got it, the cable going to the rear derailleur was touching the frame, making a loud noise with every shift. Why? Because the cable stop on the drive-side chainstay was misplaced. I was able to fix this by putting a shim (three thicknesses of water-bottle material) under the cable guide under the bottom bracket, which gives the cable adequate clearance.
Second, when I tried to take the rear wheel off, I found that this was impossible without unbolting the brake cable from the brake caliper. Why? The location of the rear brake cable hanger was so close to the straddle cable that even when the straddle cable was unclipped from the quick-release side, the bolt-down side had nowhere to go and thus the brake shoe wouldn't let the tire out. Solution: grab an ancient straddle cable from my oldest bike in the basement.
And, yeah, I've already replaced one of the rim strips and will replace the other as soon as I get another roll of Velox.
If I had paid the full list price for this bike I would not be too pleased, but at $999, even with a few hassles, I think I'm going to have a lot of fun with it.
Rail trails can be pretty straight, flat, and boring.
But today, that's just what I was craving. A steady and smooth ride. Just a few climbs. No traffic. Views of vast fie Read More »
Anyone know if its possible to use a carbon rail saddle with the 2011 SLR01 seatpost? I'm looking to buy a Selle Italia SLR saddle but the carbon rails look a little oversized and Read More »
I'm eying Williams Cycling new AuroraSLC ( I would post a link but am unable) saddle and I've seen where they say that it can only be used with Carbon rail compatible seatclamps. Read More »
I set out on a bike camping trip over New Year's eve. I'd heard that the trail wasn't in great condition so I took the MTBeater with knobby tires and my home built Neandertrailer. Read More »
Just, wow.
Ok, somebody want to try and defend this?
[url=http://www.businessinsider.com/bait-and-switch-california-high-speed-rail-to-nowhere-2012-2]California's High Speed Read More »
