I purchased my TRIACE S503 from the Wal*Mart web site for $399.00. Within a week it was at my local store for pick-up. Just out of the box, the bike was very well packed with carefully placed layers of foam, bubble wrap and cardboard to protect the frame and components from damage. The bike arrived in excellent condition.
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Assembly was easy and is done with just a handful of tools that most people would have on hand; a set of metric hex wrenches were all I needed as I didn’t intend to ride the bike as is. When I bought the bike, my plan was to upgrade and change the components with parts I had readily on hand. Still, I wanted to see how it looked complete, so I installed the bar and stem and the seatpost, saddle and front wheel. I have to say, that for less than $400, the bike looked pretty good, at least on par with what I would expect. I did manage to break the seatpost clamp by stripping the threads. Upon contacting the 800 number on the owner’s manual, I was advised to return the entire bike to Wal*Mart. To me it didn’t make sense to return a whole bike and have to wait at least a week to get a replacement when all I needed was a new clamp. The representative from Bridgeway International told me he would send a new clamp, but it never arrived. I’m not concerned as I was able to pick up one from my LBS for less than $6.00.
The biggest weakness of this particular bike is the wheelset. Aside from being relatively heavy, the hubs were not smooth at all and felt as if they were over-tightened and/or lacking adequate lubrication. The good thing about the wheels is that they both had quick release alloy hubs and the rear used a freehub/cassette interface instead of the freewheel I had anticipated at this price point. I imagine that with some adjustment to the bearings and after checking for true, these wheels would be serviceable for most riders seeking an entry-level road bike. Nonetheless, I ended up selling the set on eBay in favor of a set of Neuvation M28 Aero X wheels that I had on hand.
The Shimano 2300 drivetrain was actually very good equipment to begin with, but I wanted a 10-speed setup and did not want a triple chainring, so I opted for MicroSHIFT White for the shifting, changing out the levers and both derailleurs and I used an existing crankset I had with 50x38 chainrings.
Other changes included swapping the Velo “Triace” saddle with my Fizik Arione and tightening up the cockpit with a 90mm stem and FSA compact handlebar. The included ~110mm stem and standard drop bar left me too stretched out on this 52cm frame. When all was said and done, only the frame, fork, seatpost, headset and brake calipers were left unchanged. As most changes were personal preference only, I think it’s reasonable that with a proper tune-up and adjustment, the bike would be more that capable to allow the rider to keep up with the group without issue. If I was to change only one thing, it would be the wheels.
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The Assault on Mt. Mitchell
With 102.7 miles and over 11,000 feet of climbing, the Assault on Mt. Mitchell is well known as a very challenging century. On May 16th, I lined up with the other cyclists (Well over 1,000 but I don’t know the actual account) and noted that I didn’t see anyone else on a “department store bike”. I also didn’t notice any of the elitist attitude toward me or my bike; let’s face it, we were all going to suffer today and checking the ego at the door was basically an unspoken, but understood gesture. I didn’t anticipate that my equipment would hold me back. I have ridden at least a few hundred miles on this bike with groups averaging 20+ mph. As the ride progressed and I was maintaining my position with the group, I felt confident that the bike wasn’t a handicap but I did wonder what the experience would be like on a higher-end road bike, or even an entry-level bike from a bike shop. I assume I could expect greater efficiency or a better ride, but for an aluminum frame, I felt no discomfort or road vibrations. The carbon fork with alloy steering tube definitely contributed to smoothing out the rough spots. Climbing was efficient with no noticeable frame flex during out-of-saddle efforts and as the group rolled into Marion, I was able to ride the final straightaway into the park hands-free with no loss of stability.
![Image]()
Upon leaving Marion, the route quickly changed to an upward slant for the next thirty miles. This was my first experience in mountainous terrain and it was even harder than I expected. As I churned slowly up the grade to the Blue Ridge Parkway and onto Mt. Mitchell, I noticed that while I wasn’t going fast, neither was anyone around me. I don’t think at this point that a slightly lighter bike would have made any difference; riders in much better apparent physical condition with lighter bikes were struggling along with me.
The finish finally came and I had never been so relieved to be done with a ride. All things considered, this cheap bike did not let me down. If anything, I was impressed with how well it performed. I’m already planning to ride in the Assault next year and I hope that Triace is able to bring their advanced models to the U.S. market before then. If so, sign me up for something like this…
![Image]()
http://www.triacebike.com
Assembly was easy and is done with just a handful of tools that most people would have on hand; a set of metric hex wrenches were all I needed as I didn’t intend to ride the bike as is. When I bought the bike, my plan was to upgrade and change the components with parts I had readily on hand. Still, I wanted to see how it looked complete, so I installed the bar and stem and the seatpost, saddle and front wheel. I have to say, that for less than $400, the bike looked pretty good, at least on par with what I would expect. I did manage to break the seatpost clamp by stripping the threads. Upon contacting the 800 number on the owner’s manual, I was advised to return the entire bike to Wal*Mart. To me it didn’t make sense to return a whole bike and have to wait at least a week to get a replacement when all I needed was a new clamp. The representative from Bridgeway International told me he would send a new clamp, but it never arrived. I’m not concerned as I was able to pick up one from my LBS for less than $6.00.
The biggest weakness of this particular bike is the wheelset. Aside from being relatively heavy, the hubs were not smooth at all and felt as if they were over-tightened and/or lacking adequate lubrication. The good thing about the wheels is that they both had quick release alloy hubs and the rear used a freehub/cassette interface instead of the freewheel I had anticipated at this price point. I imagine that with some adjustment to the bearings and after checking for true, these wheels would be serviceable for most riders seeking an entry-level road bike. Nonetheless, I ended up selling the set on eBay in favor of a set of Neuvation M28 Aero X wheels that I had on hand.
The Shimano 2300 drivetrain was actually very good equipment to begin with, but I wanted a 10-speed setup and did not want a triple chainring, so I opted for MicroSHIFT White for the shifting, changing out the levers and both derailleurs and I used an existing crankset I had with 50x38 chainrings.
Other changes included swapping the Velo “Triace” saddle with my Fizik Arione and tightening up the cockpit with a 90mm stem and FSA compact handlebar. The included ~110mm stem and standard drop bar left me too stretched out on this 52cm frame. When all was said and done, only the frame, fork, seatpost, headset and brake calipers were left unchanged. As most changes were personal preference only, I think it’s reasonable that with a proper tune-up and adjustment, the bike would be more that capable to allow the rider to keep up with the group without issue. If I was to change only one thing, it would be the wheels.
The Assault on Mt. Mitchell
With 102.7 miles and over 11,000 feet of climbing, the Assault on Mt. Mitchell is well known as a very challenging century. On May 16th, I lined up with the other cyclists (Well over 1,000 but I don’t know the actual account) and noted that I didn’t see anyone else on a “department store bike”. I also didn’t notice any of the elitist attitude toward me or my bike; let’s face it, we were all going to suffer today and checking the ego at the door was basically an unspoken, but understood gesture. I didn’t anticipate that my equipment would hold me back. I have ridden at least a few hundred miles on this bike with groups averaging 20+ mph. As the ride progressed and I was maintaining my position with the group, I felt confident that the bike wasn’t a handicap but I did wonder what the experience would be like on a higher-end road bike, or even an entry-level bike from a bike shop. I assume I could expect greater efficiency or a better ride, but for an aluminum frame, I felt no discomfort or road vibrations. The carbon fork with alloy steering tube definitely contributed to smoothing out the rough spots. Climbing was efficient with no noticeable frame flex during out-of-saddle efforts and as the group rolled into Marion, I was able to ride the final straightaway into the park hands-free with no loss of stability.
Upon leaving Marion, the route quickly changed to an upward slant for the next thirty miles. This was my first experience in mountainous terrain and it was even harder than I expected. As I churned slowly up the grade to the Blue Ridge Parkway and onto Mt. Mitchell, I noticed that while I wasn’t going fast, neither was anyone around me. I don’t think at this point that a slightly lighter bike would have made any difference; riders in much better apparent physical condition with lighter bikes were struggling along with me.
The finish finally came and I had never been so relieved to be done with a ride. All things considered, this cheap bike did not let me down. If anything, I was impressed with how well it performed. I’m already planning to ride in the Assault next year and I hope that Triace is able to bring their advanced models to the U.S. market before then. If so, sign me up for something like this…
http://www.triacebike.com
