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Submitted by
domc
a Recreational Rider
from Date Reviewed: May 23, 2003
Strengths: Great component packages. Eric Sampson's input. Beautiful bike. Great ride qualities.Weaknesses: Internet purchase. I was between sizes and couldn't get 53cm frame. The 54cm may be a little tall. Eric would have change to a 52, if I wanted.Bottom Line: Quality titanium at a great value. This bike has great components and a great smooth and responsive ride. The internet purchase was the one thing that made me unsure. The help of Eric Sampson was great, and he'll exchange components or frame no questions asked. I am 5'10" tall and 215Lb, so I was concerned about flex. Eric steered me towards the Silverton from their stiffer bikes. It was a great suggestion. The ride quality is exceptional, and I feel less flex then my prior steel ride. This bike has great fit and finish as well. If you want a great bike, at a great price, and you want to be different, this is your bike.
Price Paid:
$2568.00
Similar Products Used: First ti-bike. Bianchi TSX Ultralight w/ Veloce groupo
Bike Setup: 2002 Model, Reynolds Ouzo Comp fork, Chorus 10sp, Proton wheels, Axial Carbon tires, Thomson Seat post, Selle Italia Flite TiGel, TTT Forgie Stem, Kestrel EMS Carbon Bar, 13-29 Cassette, Chorus Profit Pedals
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
tcperkins
a Recreational Rider
from SeattleDate Reviewed: January 11, 2003
Strengths: Value, value value!! Great weld finish, Eric Sampson's personal help, easy setup and everything it was represented to be. A compliant silky smooth Titanium ride at half the cost of the competitors. Internet purchase.Weaknesses: The Silverton is great for daily 30-40 mile loops and occasional centuries, especially for urban cyclists on rough streets. There are stiffer bikes (including Sampson's own Z series) out there. While comfortable and really not a weakness, the longish chainstays do not give the Silverton immediate neck breaking acceleration. '01 Decals are a little lame. Internet purchase.Bottom Line: Now that I've had the bike for more than a year I feel I can honestly talk about its strengths and weaknesses. If you have made the decision to go with a Titanium bike, a Sampson deserves a look. After hearing my riding preferences, age (43) and weight (170 lbs on a good day), Eric Sampson steered me to the Silverton. I felt a little nervous about making the purchase over the internet, sight unseen, let alone having no idea whether my choice of frame size (58cm for 5'11" rider)was correct. Eric led me through the process and was very patient with my repeat phone calls. I have ridden other friends' bikes, including Litespeeds, and I think I did as well as I could have hoped with the Sampson Silverton. The ride is silky, the setup by the factory was flawless and after going through a few seats, the fit was perfect. The Silverton is ideal for my daily rides through the rough streets and over the railroad tracks of Seattle. The only (and I mean only) complaint I had was the appearance of a bottom bracket creak at 800 miles. Had I bought the bike at a local bike store, this repair probably would have been covered by warranty. Eric suggested that I take it to Davidson, a local Ti builder, for a diagnosis. He did everything I had tried: retorqued and regreased everthing from the pedal cleets to the BB but additionally refaced the frame thread for the bottom bracket shell. I think the refacing was what took care of the problem, which Davidson refered to as a "typical Campy creak." I was only out $40 for this service and still way ahead of the outlay for a Litespeed, or comparable Ti road bike. So that's the only rub about Sampson- it's an internet purchase usually (unless you live in Denver) and involves all that implies, including substantial cost savings, but no one to run to when a little annoying problem pops up. For certain customers, a local bike store offers some advantages and peace of mind. Eric Sampson falls somewhere in between the LBS and typical internet purchase, doing as much as he can to help you over the phone. I don't know, maybe I got lucky, but I think my experience was fairly typical for those purchasing a Sampson. I recommend the Sampson Silverton Road bike without reservation.
Favorite Ride: West Seattle Perimeter to Mercer Island Loop
Price Paid:
$2218.00
Purchased At: Sampson Sports
Similar Products Used: Various Litespeeds, various Cannondales, Bianchis, Look Carbon, my 25 year old chrome-moly commuter.
Bike Setup: The current spec is slightly different than what I got in '01: I have a Kinesis wedge carbon front fork (unspectactular), Campy Proton wheelset(never have had to true and nearly as light as the Electrons), Campy Chorus (a joy to shift and not nearly as finicky as some reviewers would have you believe-I've turned a screw once or twice in over 2,000 miles), Michelin Axial Pros (still on the first set), Cane Creek S-2 headset, Thompson seatpost. I opted to upgrade the pedals to Speedplays later and threw the Shimano SPDs on my mountain bike. I found the original Selle Italia Flite to be too firm-I dug an old Velo Crossbow out of my bike box and have been happy since.
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