BIKES

More documents

Recommendations

Info

MULTI-BIKE VERDICT Our verdict T hat either one of these bikes could be yours for under £500 seems, frankly, staggering. It’s hard to pick fault with either model for the money, both featuring well-made frames and a component selection that offers great value. Both bikes are built to last, with tough frames and tried-and-tested drivetrains from industry leader Shimano with absolutely no corner cutting on the spec sheet in this highly competitive area of the bike market. On road, the Scott Metrix 40 excelled. Its compact frame and rigid forks gave a speedy and direct ride — perhaps a little too rigid over some of the crumbling road surfaces on our regular road test route. The straight-bladed alloy forks could be jarring, but some of the road buzz was thankfully absorbed by the good quality Schwalbe tyres, in a sensible 30mm width. Although it has wider tyres and a more upright position than a drop-bar road bike, the difference in performance is less than you might think — and it’s certainly a more comfy ride than some similarly priced road offerings. Ghost’s Cross 1300 was something of a revelation in that we thought it would be a step too far in the off-road direction. What we weren’t expecting was how agile it turned out to be on any terrain, on or off-road. True, the suspension fork adds around a kilogram of weight to the package over the Scott, but the extra comfort and give at the front end made picking our way through potholes less stressful. Riding on rough, gravelly tracks such as those typically found on the National Cycle Network was great fun. We’d be happy with either one of these bikes on a regular commute. If you stick to the tarmac, then the Scott is probably the better bet. But if you like to put a variety of surfaces under your rubber, then the Ghost Cross 1300 really is a proper all-rounder. ALTERNATIVES For £150 more… HOY Shizuoka .002 £650 Sir Chris’s hybrid has hydraulic disc brakes and a Shimano Sora groupset. Its rigid fork, skinny 28c tyres and road drivetrain means you’d have to stick to the tarmac, though. For £50 less Specialized Crosstrail Disc £450 You can’t go far wrong with a Specialized, and the Crosstrail Disc features Suntour suspension fork and mechanical disc brakes. Some money has been saved on the drivetrain components, though, to squeeze those trinkets in the spec. Or try this… Felt Z95 Sora £649 If you stick to the roads and like to go fast, then why not get a road bike? Shop around and you’ll be able to pick up a 2014 Felt Z95 with alloy frame, carbon fibre fork and Shimano Sora 9-speed groupset for under £500. 68 CYCLING ACTIVE SEPTEMBER 2014
ADVICE Make your own hybrid If you already own a mountain bike, then a few minor changes could provide you with a decent road commuter. It’s remarkable what a set of narrow, slick or semi-slick tyres will do to improve your average speed on the asphalt in comparison to the rolling resistance of wide, knobbly rubber. SCOTT METRIX 40 GHOST CROSS 1300 85/100 90/100 Spot on Q Quick on the tarmac Q Faultless spec for the money Q Decent weight Near miss Q Rigid fork was, well, rather rigid Spot on Q Comfy ride, whatever the terrain Q Great looks Q Built to last Near miss Q Heavier than a rigid bike
Page 1:
RIDEYOURWAYTOAFITTER,STRONGER&HEALT
Page 6 and 7:
0\ WLPH WKRXJKW LW ZDV VDIH ΖW ZDV
Page 9 and 10:
INSIDE SEPTEMBER ISSUE 63 46 Sub-£
Page 11 and 12:
SEPTEMBER 2014 CYCLING ACTIVE 11
Page 13 and 14:
9x At the scene of an accident, cyc
Page 16:
Photos: Phil O’Connor, Andy Jones
Page 19 and 20: -,3; - ! !! 997 :(3
Page 21 and 22: -PDL *U PS -PTF *U +H VJKGXGU DTGCM
Page 24 and 25: Photos: Daniel Gould, Chris Catchpo
Page 26 and 27: '' '
Page 28 and 29: NEW BIKE TESTED WHY THIS BIKE? It
Page 30 and 31: Bikes Merlin racer Canyon Ultimate
Page 32 and 33: NEW BIKE TESTED WHY THIS BIKE? Perh
Page 34 and 35: Bikes Cannondale cross bike Special
Page 36 and 37: NEW BIKE TESTED WHY THIS BIKE? Slee
Page 38: Bikes Raleigh Revenio 2.0 Boardman
Page 41 and 42: POC Octal £225 Giro Savant £59.99
Page 43 and 44: LAS Asteroid £54.99 B’Twin 700
Page 46 and 47: MULTI-BIKE TEST Alloy sports bikes
Page 48 and 49: Tech Sub-£1k alloy sports bikes Gi
Page 50: Tech Sub-£1k alloy sports bikes B
Page 54 and 55: Tech Sub £1k alloy sports bikes Sa
Page 56 and 57: MULTI-BIKE VERDICT B’Twin win win
Page 58 and 59: 7OF THE BEST Women’s shorts Wheth
Page 60 and 61: Tech Women’s shorts Maloja Doukal
Page 62 and 63: MULTI-BIKE TEST Hybrid bikes under
Page 64 and 65: Tech Hybrids Scott Metrix 40 £499
Page 66 and 67: Tech Hybrids Ghost Cross 1300 £499
Page 70 and 71: 7OF THE BEST Gilets Bag yourself on
Page 72 and 73: %8//'2* ¯3222 *ĵ* &(%** %$ ¯3722
Page 74 and 75: TECH INVESTIGATES Cycle safety The
Page 76 and 77: Tech Cycle safety bicycle light? Wh
Page 78 and 79: CA LONGTERMERS Meet the team VooDoo
Page 80 and 81: Bikes Longtermers Photo: Ruth Glads
Page 82 and 83: :,1 7+,6 %,.( YLVLW FKDLQUHDFWLRQK
Page 84 and 85: # $% & ' ( ' !
Page 87 and 88: ; 4((7 1&$*-,13 0,431 ; &0 -4(& (&&
Page 89 and 90: SEPTEMBER 2014 CYCLING ACTIVE 89
Page 91 and 92: diagnosed with diabetes. In the las
Page 93: “High-calories diets and a sedent
Page 96 and 97: FITNESS
Page 98 and 99: Fitness Climbing Mount Teide all I
Page 100 and 101: Fitness Climbing Mount Teide Hard r
Page 102 and 103: Fitness Climbing Mount Teide Determ
Page 104 and 105: FITNESS NAIL IT! Out of the saddle
Page 106 and 107: FITNESS Pedalling to prove a point
Page 108 and 109: Fitness World cycling Around the wo
Page 110 and 111: FITNESS The need for Tweed The Lond
Page 112 and 113: Fitness Tweed Run Gerald Francis, a
Page 114 and 115: FITNESS Shopping lessons When it co
Page 117 and 118: Thanks Peak Cycle Sport in Macclesf
Page 119 and 120:
for beginners every one of us was w
Page 121 and 122:
eneficial, provided you’re puttin
Page 123 and 124:
idea, but also have a map — ideal
Page 125 and 126:
HEADS UP An easy, traffic-free, out
Page 127 and 128:
Lee Valley White Water Centre Scene
Page 129 and 130:
HEADS UP A dazzling half-day ride f
Page 131 and 132:
Admiring the view in Kinlochleven W
Page 133 and 134:
35 miles sandwiches as my wait got
Page 135 and 136:
Market cross: cycling through Selby
Page 137 and 138:
20 miles fitted. That’s new! We
Page 139 and 140:
9>+! 9>+! 9>+! ! 9>
Page 141 and 142:
HEADS UP A preview of the forthcomi
Page 143 and 144:
“Cycling the route of the two-pas
Page 145 and 146:
ABBREVIATIONS: CF changing faciliti
Page 147 and 148:
SUSSEX EVANS CYCLES BRIGHTON RIDEIT
Page 149 and 150:
Protect yourself and your bike. Now
Page 151 and 152:
+") * ! !( "!(( )% "$ $ * " ! "
Page 154:
The Constant Cyclist Liz Clammer is
show all

BIKES

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?