Years ago I bought a Hasa R4 full Tiagra 4700 groupset from Andy at Cycling Deal for $499.00. Andy admitted at the time people bought the bike for the groupset not the frame. However after changing the wheels found the R4 a decent bike. Not raceworthy though. The main issue was the frames were old designs. Barely fitted 28mm tyres on. Cycling Deal also sold 5800 105 bikes for just a shade over $1000 - you couldn't buy the complete groupset for that amount at that time. Bargains.
Yeah unfortunately they said that’s the reason they’re discontinuing this bike. There just aren’t the margins on it. Respect what they’re doing, it’s just a shame that the bottom end clearly gets squeezed. Maybe that’s because groupsets/components are too expensive, or just simply that bikes shouldn’t be >$1000. I dunno.
I would probably swap the wheels to affordable, but better alloy wheels, some nicer tires (previous gen S-Works Turbos in 24mm are super cheap online currently got a pair for 30€) and the handlebars to some cheap compact ones (think cheapest Deda RHM). I think then this bike would be "good enough" for most riders. The frame and drivetrain components actually look really nice for the price with the dropped seat stays and the internal downtube and toptube wiring Edit: I just checked the specs of the bike and the cheap Chaoyang tires are probably "eating" at least 20-30 watts compared to the ones on your Festka. Maybe swap them first and try to re-grease the hub bearings, would make for an interesting before and after :)
Swapping them out for some Vittoria Corse N.EXT off my fixie but I want to keep the bike as “stock” as possible. The frame is pretty awesome and the finishing on it looks decent. Also, Shimano Claris itself is $250ish so I mean there has to be costs cut somewhere and tyres and bearings make sense.
I got into road cycling with a $425 bike. It was a 2010 new-old-stock frame the guy bought to try building a bike for the sake of it. Once I actually tightened everything it was fine, but still had that low-end laggy bike feel. Once I swapped out the 25 mm Gatorskins for some 28mm GP5000's it was instantly far better feeling and riding. Tires are the number one thing to upgrade on any cheap bike, and will do more than almost anything else to make a bike roll and ride well.
Yep, in an ideal world I’d be able to get all my tyres free and then I could have all of them on a $200 tyre but I don’t think that’s realistic for an entry level cyclist anyway.
@@burgess_and_his_bike Grand Sport III’s are the poor man’s “good” tire, great bang for the buck even if they are a little slower than the top end ones. Compared Gatorskins and low end ones they are well worth it.
Good video! You should also try out Triban RC120, I replaced with a Taiwanese carbon wheelset, have done 15,000km with it, 274km being my longest ride, and dropped many many people with bikes few times more expensive than mine on social rides, this is a very budget-friendly, yet fun to ride bike!
Thanks dude, I am going to do the Triban towards the end of this year. I’ve heard great things but I’m working my way up the price list. Make sure you subscribe 😉
Good video. Can't wait to see the mystery unfold on this one. This will be a good training bike for those who want to train to get stronger as they will be putting out 50w more than their peers on a ride.
Yep, 100% looking to update wheelset. Probably keep Claris and just tune to a 10spd cassette to save on cost. If I upgrade to 105 and new wheels it’s pushing it outside the $1000 limit.
You cannot compare an entry level bike with what you may be used to riding. It would interesting to see you review the Tomasso Monza. Its a 6061 aluminium frame with Tiagra Groupset.
Yeah so my latest video is a test between this and two other bikes to see how it stacks up. Check that one out. It’s a bit more “scientific” I guess. I haven’t heard of the Tomasso but I’ll look it up and add it to the shortlist if it’s within the price range I’m targeting.
I've got a 2014 second hand Cannondale Synapse 105 for £500, rides great and as I cycle for exercise and fitness I feel that I benefit more from the extra effort required to match those on more expensive lightweight bikes.
There’s definitely an argument for that. I’m all for having a basher bike or your “training bike” if you will. Trying to source some bargains that are brand new though because your Cannondale doesn’t have a warranty and people starting cycling get taken for a ride on marketplace.
It's not a good bike, but it's incredible for the money. It's a really good entry level bike. Talk about your contradictions. I have a bike with Claris drive train, and I have a bike with Tektro brakes (not the same model maybe). Both are sound and reliable. Based on my experience with those components and given what's been presented here is, for a new rider who is not used to something better, this would be a great bike to get him or her into road cycling. Not great, but not so bad that he or she won't want to ride it. The first upgrade I'd make would be wheels and tires, but for a bike such as this, nothing crazy. A set of Shimano (Tiagra) RS100 wheels and Conti UltraSport III tires can be had for $200 and will transform this bike.
I agree with you. This is definitely for a newer rider. Had I got this right at the start of my journey I would have been happy. The good thing about buying that $1800 bike from the lbs is it can grow with you. What I’d like to know now is can this, or do you need to upgrade to get better performance. Wheels and tyres are all I’ll upgrade. We will see what difference it makes! Thanks for taking the time to comment mate.
Straight to Carbon wheels? I'd have a look and see if you can score decent light alloy rimmed wheels first. It'll be 130mm rear spaced and will take more sprockets, but maybe it's not worth throwing budget at more cogs and instead concentrating on better wheels, tyres and finishing kit. I reckon Claris could do a bloody good job.
I agree that Claris could compete. I think alloy is the way to go but it depends on availability. I think some better tyres and some decent wheels, even some old Shimano, would get her going.
Possibly fish about for a carbon fork? Straight steerer, rim brake forks aren't as fashionable these days you may score a bargain and save quite a bit of weight (is the stock fork alloy or steel?) Overall It's a more interesting bit of content that (yet another) hyper-bike most viewers can't afford would not be. Good work 👍
Great video, and really great storyline: "Where did those watts go?". I would be so interested in a breakdown. I own a Triban RC500 bought second-hand for 10,000 bahts and equipped with Sora. It's a great bike. I've upgraded the wheels, tubes and tyres recently. The upgrades plus the 8 months of training made me quite fast! I love kicking the ass of guys on brand new Pinarellos!!! Although, I'm wondering how much faster I would be with a better frame and groupset.
Okay so two things on this. #1 is I think you would find you would be significantly faster. Wheels are the best upgrades but weight and aerodynamics help significantly and tribans aren’t aero at all. However, if all you’re doing is riding with friends and you keep up, why waste your money? That’s kind of the point of this series: to prove you don’t have to dump cash into this sport if you don’t want to. #2 you don’t know how much that feedback means mate. I had twin girls this year and I’m a teacher. I know $400aud isn’t heaps but it is still a lot to spend on a RUclips video so your positive comments really help. Genuinely, thank you my friend. You go shred on that triban. Have an amazing day.
My last road bike was $199 from Target a Schwinn. Rode it for years as everyday commuter until a fire burned it. When it was maintained properly it was just as fast as those expensive road bikes for several thousand dollars
First off the rear hub spacing is definitely 130 mm if you have an 8 speed hub, so you could fit a standard wheel in there. How do the stock hubs spin? I wouldn’t be surprised if lubricating and adjusting the hub preload will get you an improvement in performance. I would look at the bottom bracket too. Probably the cheapest bearings there. Gotta save money somewhere.
Yeah I’ve got some continentals that I’m going to chuck on but 50 watts isn’t tyres haha. We will see. Taking it to my mechanic for the next video on Friday. See what he reckons about it.
Good video, if I can leave just one bit of feedback; your music is WAY too loud compared to your voice, when you switch from talking to music I have to turn the volume way down and when your resume speaking I can't hear what you are saying so I have to turn it back up. Otherwise I am looking forward to seeing more content from your channel!
Thanks man, really appreciate the feedback and can see what you mean. I’m pretty new to all this so am learning the tweaks as I go but I’ll definitely bear that in mind. Honestly I think i need to remember that the music doesn’t need to be loud at all. Appreciate your feedback and will use it 🤙
I think you can sortout the rolling resistance difference with that bike. Just riding along with the others should not make that much of a difference. Tell us what the culprit was.
Changing the tyres once I get over Covid and we will see if that makes a difference. Next video coming some time next week after my mechanic checks it out. Thanks for watching. Appreciate you 🤙
@@burgess_and_his_bike Have a good recovery. And succes with building the channel. There must be some extreme resistance in the drivetrain or so. Fast expensive tyres only give 10 watts. Ciao from portugal.
@@karelvandervelden8819 I think it’s the wheels but we will see. New chain might reduce some but surely not that much. Could be BB but there’s no noise or noticeable resistance.
people saying you cant enter cycling for less than a 1000$ because you would get a worse bike is weak and need to make up for what they dont have in their legs with what they have in their wallet
Look it helps to go over $1000 and it depends on what you want to do in the sport but all the review channels focus on either cheap Chinese or super expensive and I wanted to provide an alternative avenue and see whether people are interested. Seems people are. Keep watching if you liked mate. New one out a few days ago and another this weekend with some testing.
@@burgess_and_his_bike fitness benefit wise and wether you enjoy the sport, there is no difference between spending 500$ and 10000$ on a bike. If you wanna race you can buy yourself a few km/h for 1000's of dollars but us who isn't trying to win the tour de France can just enjoy the ride on our almost as good bike that costs a 1/10 of the price, and maybe have to accept that we'll land on a 87th place instead of 44th in the annual 100 miler for example
i could never understand the place bikes like this have in the market. there are so many like new used bikes spec'd higher for the same price. i got a carbon giant defy with ultegra for 500, and caad 8 with 105 for 500. both rim brake of course, which is why theyre such good bargains, ppl with stained red lips and teeth cant get rid of it fast enough.
Haha picking up bikes off the local eshays. I think it’s a bit ethically grey when it comes to super cheap ones, but also people don’t know what they’re looking for if they just start out. Easier to know you’re getting something reliable. This has a five year warranty on the frame and one year on components. That peace of mind helps too I guess. I would buy off FB marketplace over this traditionally but anyway.
Power succ is terrible. Yesterday I tried my very old mtb in the snow and it was unrideable. Turns out my deraileur was tweaked to hell in storage and chain was not going straight, and I was spining like with brakes fully on... I wonder if cheapie is not completely straight from the box and the drivetrain saps power
Check back on the next video mate because on Friday I’m taking it to my mechanic for a look over. So far it’s just my RUclips mechanic skills that have it running.
@@ARandomATube $600 is a big investment. I’ll think about it haha. Question is do I want to turn this $400 bike into a $1k bike and would more people watch that than if I just upgraded to some alloy clinchers
The bottom has fallen out of the market, yeah, but again, as I’ve stated, I think a new cyclist would prefer to buy a bike new. As for the music, that sucks for you mate. I put a lot of effort into choosing that music and I reckon it slaps.
Pros are easy: price and group set. Cons: after 60ks on it started to develop slight knee pain. Probably bike fit. It was weird to put together and would recommend a mechanic if you’re new, and there’s some resistance in the wheels for sure.
It's as good as a beginner's first bike. But let me ask you what you think of the Australian company Raid. It makes good bikes for good value. I look forward to seeing you eating this company's bikes.
Do you mean Reid? They have one I’ll be testing for sure. They aren’t as good a value as this one seems to be based on components and frame design but definitely interested. Probably mid year I’ll be getting one.
@@burgess_and_his_bike Yes, I mean it. I had the reid Express and it was very good for the price category. In the Middle East and Asia, I have never found a competitor with these specifications.
Oh, so you're THAT GUY who posts on forums and brags about how everyone with a nice bike is a poser, and you can easily beat them on yur $400 garage sale bike, wearing street clothes and hiking boots?
100% mate. I just bought a pair of second-hand wheels for it for $120 on Facebook marketplace and it’s running very well. Get in quick though. Had a chat to Cycling Deal and they said it’s on sale because they’re discontinuing it. Basically don’t make enough margin on it.
The music is **TOO LOUD** . Got tired of turning way down the volume when you cranked it up, and then me having to crank up my volume when you'd speak for a moment. W T F was the need in that? Otherwise really liked the *content* of the video.
Yeah fair play and sorry about that. Still learning and will do sound editing with headfones in the future. Normally edit while my twins are napping so I need to be able to hear if they kick off which makes it hard. Noted and will be fixed. Most recent video has NO music in it 😉
Good video . The only issue I have with those super cheap products is they’re destined for land fill. Basically the fast fashion of the bike world . The first real service will cost more than the bike. Hell some decent tires will cost 2/3rds of the whole bike. While Claris works it’s not a “great” groupset mainly because it really has no life. The components are just not built to last. There are amazing deals out there for good second hand road bikes. That’d be my advice for a novice on a tight budget. Plus get loads of advice and do heaps of research. Once again good video. Entertaining, good content 👍🏾
We will see when I take it to the mechanic. I think anything Shimano will suit an entry level cyclist, and the issue with the second hand market is anything under $1k is not looked after or is super antiquated. I looked for this video, but couldn’t find anything reasonable. The next one I’m looking at is SORA so I’m enjoying the Claris while I’ve got it haha. Thanks for watching!
Claris is plenty durable IF it's looked after. It might be true that a bike such as this is likely not to be, but if the owner acts wisely in that regard the set will easily last until he or she is ready for a better bike and then some. For any rider, this would be suitable for winter conditions, short commutes, or to have on hand as a "loaner." A second hand bike could be better value, but it won't have any sort of warranty.
@@rangersmith4652 sure someone could educate themselves, buy some tools and learn how to do their own service and keep Claris running efficiently. However once they’ve done all that they’re likely to realise it’s junk and opt to spend more on a better product. Buying a BSO online is a zero sum game. The very best solution all round is to save and spend a bit more and purchase new from a bike shop or as I stated educate themselves and buy a quality second hand bike. Either way the next step is crucial. Find a good local bike shop and develop a relationship with them for purchasing and or servicing .
You cannot be more wrong. At Shimano, cheaper groupsets are more durable than the more expensive groupsets. Claris will be the most durable one, and Dura-Ace the least durable one. If you look at servicing, it's the same. Claris will be the cheapest to service, and Dura-Ace the most expensive. Claris will also be the easiest to finetune, and Dura-Ace the least (I'm talking mechanical groupsets here).
My favourite comment - ‘it’s hard to say this is a good bike because it’s not’ 🤣 honesty right there
Haha at least I didn’t cut it in half.
Years ago I bought a Hasa R4 full Tiagra 4700 groupset from Andy at Cycling Deal for $499.00. Andy admitted at the time people bought the bike for the groupset not the frame. However after changing the wheels found the R4 a decent bike. Not raceworthy though. The main issue was the frames were old designs. Barely fitted 28mm tyres on. Cycling Deal also sold 5800 105 bikes for just a shade over $1000 - you couldn't buy the complete groupset for that amount at that time. Bargains.
Yeah unfortunately they said that’s the reason they’re discontinuing this bike. There just aren’t the margins on it. Respect what they’re doing, it’s just a shame that the bottom end clearly gets squeezed. Maybe that’s because groupsets/components are too expensive, or just simply that bikes shouldn’t be >$1000. I dunno.
I would probably swap the wheels to affordable, but better alloy wheels, some nicer tires (previous gen S-Works Turbos in 24mm are super cheap online currently got a pair for 30€) and the handlebars to some cheap compact ones (think cheapest Deda RHM). I think then this bike would be "good enough" for most riders. The frame and drivetrain components actually look really nice for the price with the dropped seat stays and the internal downtube and toptube wiring
Edit: I just checked the specs of the bike and the cheap Chaoyang tires are probably "eating" at least 20-30 watts compared to the ones on your Festka. Maybe swap them first and try to re-grease the hub bearings, would make for an interesting before and after :)
Swapping them out for some Vittoria Corse N.EXT off my fixie but I want to keep the bike as “stock” as possible. The frame is pretty awesome and the finishing on it looks decent. Also, Shimano Claris itself is $250ish so I mean there has to be costs cut somewhere and tyres and bearings make sense.
I think I see your main issue. The lack of pedals. I found them to be a big help ; -)
😂😂😂
I got into road cycling with a $425 bike. It was a 2010 new-old-stock frame the guy bought to try building a bike for the sake of it. Once I actually tightened everything it was fine, but still had that low-end laggy bike feel. Once I swapped out the 25 mm Gatorskins for some 28mm GP5000's it was instantly far better feeling and riding. Tires are the number one thing to upgrade on any cheap bike, and will do more than almost anything else to make a bike roll and ride well.
Yep, in an ideal world I’d be able to get all my tyres free and then I could have all of them on a $200 tyre but I don’t think that’s realistic for an entry level cyclist anyway.
@@burgess_and_his_bike Grand Sport III’s are the poor man’s “good” tire, great bang for the buck even if they are a little slower than the top end ones. Compared Gatorskins and low end ones they are well worth it.
I meant Ultra Sport III’s
@@123moof appreciate the tip mate. Will look into it
@@123moof If you like these try the american classic tyres as well.
Good video! You should also try out Triban RC120, I replaced with a Taiwanese carbon wheelset, have done 15,000km with it, 274km being my longest ride, and dropped many many people with bikes few times more expensive than mine on social rides, this is a very budget-friendly, yet fun to ride bike!
Thanks dude, I am going to do the Triban towards the end of this year. I’ve heard great things but I’m working my way up the price list. Make sure you subscribe 😉
Good video. Can't wait to see the mystery unfold on this one. This will be a good training bike for those who want to train to get stronger as they will be putting out 50w more than their peers on a ride.
Mate that’s how I see it. What an opportunity to ride with a slower group and still absolutely wreck yourself
Looks like a pretty good bike! Decent frame and components for a beginner or a regular normal commuter. I would probably upgrade the wheels on it
Yep, 100% looking to update wheelset. Probably keep Claris and just tune to a 10spd cassette to save on cost. If I upgrade to 105 and new wheels it’s pushing it outside the $1000 limit.
You cannot compare an entry level bike with what you may be used to riding. It would interesting to see you review the Tomasso Monza. Its a 6061 aluminium frame with Tiagra Groupset.
Yeah so my latest video is a test between this and two other bikes to see how it stacks up. Check that one out. It’s a bit more “scientific” I guess. I haven’t heard of the Tomasso but I’ll look it up and add it to the shortlist if it’s within the price range I’m targeting.
"It sucks in watts - I don't know where they go"
Gold.
What happened to the Mary Celeste? Who shot Kennedy? Where do my watts go?
I've got a 2014 second hand Cannondale Synapse 105 for £500, rides great and as I cycle for exercise and fitness I feel that I benefit more from the extra effort required to match those on more expensive lightweight bikes.
There’s definitely an argument for that. I’m all for having a basher bike or your “training bike” if you will. Trying to source some bargains that are brand new though because your Cannondale doesn’t have a warranty and people starting cycling get taken for a ride on marketplace.
What a great insight, love the video!!! Keep it up can't wait for the next one!
Thanks dude. Next one will be with the mechanic.
It's not a good bike, but it's incredible for the money. It's a really good entry level bike. Talk about your contradictions. I have a bike with Claris drive train, and I have a bike with Tektro brakes (not the same model maybe). Both are sound and reliable. Based on my experience with those components and given what's been presented here is, for a new rider who is not used to something better, this would be a great bike to get him or her into road cycling. Not great, but not so bad that he or she won't want to ride it.
The first upgrade I'd make would be wheels and tires, but for a bike such as this, nothing crazy. A set of Shimano (Tiagra) RS100 wheels and Conti UltraSport III tires can be had for $200 and will transform this bike.
I agree with you. This is definitely for a newer rider. Had I got this right at the start of my journey I would have been happy. The good thing about buying that $1800 bike from the lbs is it can grow with you. What I’d like to know now is can this, or do you need to upgrade to get better performance.
Wheels and tyres are all I’ll upgrade. We will see what difference it makes! Thanks for taking the time to comment mate.
Straight to Carbon wheels? I'd have a look and see if you can score decent light alloy rimmed wheels first. It'll be 130mm rear spaced and will take more sprockets, but maybe it's not worth throwing budget at more cogs and instead concentrating on better wheels, tyres and finishing kit. I reckon Claris could do a bloody good job.
I agree that Claris could compete. I think alloy is the way to go but it depends on availability. I think some better tyres and some decent wheels, even some old Shimano, would get her going.
Possibly fish about for a carbon fork? Straight steerer, rim brake forks aren't as fashionable these days you may score a bargain and save quite a bit of weight (is the stock fork alloy or steel?)
Overall It's a more interesting bit of content that (yet another) hyper-bike most viewers can't afford would not be. Good work 👍
@@Chungleas whole bike is alloy, or at least so it says.
@@burgess_and_his_bike I'd pop a magnet on that fork, just to be sure ;)
@@Chungleas will do mate. Now to find a magnet 🧲
Great to see you try and get the cost of cycling entry to people who just want to be a able to keep up with the casual group ride.
I mean, I know it’s always been expensive, but it’s gotten a bit out of hand the last couple of years imo
Great video mate! Fun start to the new year 🎉
Thanks mate ❤️
Great video, and really great storyline: "Where did those watts go?". I would be so interested in a breakdown.
I own a Triban RC500 bought second-hand for 10,000 bahts and equipped with Sora. It's a great bike. I've upgraded the wheels, tubes and tyres recently. The upgrades plus the 8 months of training made me quite fast! I love kicking the ass of guys on brand new Pinarellos!!! Although, I'm wondering how much faster I would be with a better frame and groupset.
Okay so two things on this. #1 is I think you would find you would be significantly faster. Wheels are the best upgrades but weight and aerodynamics help significantly and tribans aren’t aero at all. However, if all you’re doing is riding with friends and you keep up, why waste your money? That’s kind of the point of this series: to prove you don’t have to dump cash into this sport if you don’t want to.
#2 you don’t know how much that feedback means mate. I had twin girls this year and I’m a teacher. I know $400aud isn’t heaps but it is still a lot to spend on a RUclips video so your positive comments really help. Genuinely, thank you my friend. You go shred on that triban. Have an amazing day.
X-Night ( Ridley ) Dura Ace throughout, , Pro-vibe cockpit, FFward carbon tubular wheelset , , , , the bee's knees . £ 400. WTF !!
Second hand? Thats incredible. Works out to be $750 AUD I think
Shipping’s more expensive than the bike itself. Just save the money, save up a little more, get a better bike.
Shipping was $50. I’d say $400 delivered ain’t bad
in that sense the Triban RC 120, whether it is the drop bars or flat bars model, is an excellent bike.
The Triban review is coming later in the year. In Australia it is pushing the $1000 mark though. By all accounts it is an excellent bike.
My last road bike was $199 from Target a Schwinn. Rode it for years as everyday commuter until a fire burned it.
When it was maintained properly it was just as fast as those expensive road bikes for several thousand dollars
I hope it wasn’t haha I’ve got one of those bikes! Still, that’s such a good story and exactly what I’m hoping to find. How good is Schwinn
First off the rear hub spacing is definitely 130 mm if you have an 8 speed hub, so you could fit a standard wheel in there. How do the stock hubs spin? I wouldn’t be surprised if lubricating and adjusting the hub preload will get you an improvement in performance. I would look at the bottom bracket too. Probably the cheapest bearings there. Gotta save money somewhere.
Mate, stay tuned. Next vid up your alley.
My money is on the bearings. Great vid man!
I’m with you. You can feel it for sure so I reckon it’s in the wheels. Thanks mate, really appreciate it.
Happy new year. I was blessed with covid also 😂😂
Sorry to hear it mate. We’re on the mend here but it’s been an absolute mess of a new year. Shit happens hey.
cheap tyres are +15W , non aero rims +x W
Yeah looks that way
Would start with upgrading the tires. Usually the best cheap upgrade you could do.
Yeah I’ve got some continentals that I’m going to chuck on but 50 watts isn’t tyres haha. We will see. Taking it to my mechanic for the next video on Friday. See what he reckons about it.
Good video, if I can leave just one bit of feedback; your music is WAY too loud compared to your voice, when you switch from talking to music I have to turn the volume way down and when your resume speaking I can't hear what you are saying so I have to turn it back up.
Otherwise I am looking forward to seeing more content from your channel!
Thanks man, really appreciate the feedback and can see what you mean. I’m pretty new to all this so am learning the tweaks as I go but I’ll definitely bear that in mind. Honestly I think i need to remember that the music doesn’t need to be loud at all. Appreciate your feedback and will use it 🤙
I think you can sortout the rolling resistance difference with that bike.
Just riding along with the others should not make that much of a difference.
Tell us what the culprit was.
Changing the tyres once I get over Covid and we will see if that makes a difference. Next video coming some time next week after my mechanic checks it out. Thanks for watching. Appreciate you 🤙
@@burgess_and_his_bike Have a good recovery. And succes with
building the channel. There must be some extreme resistance in the
drivetrain or so. Fast expensive tyres only give 10 watts. Ciao from
portugal.
@@karelvandervelden8819 I think it’s the wheels but we will see. New chain might reduce some but surely not that much. Could be BB but there’s no noise or noticeable resistance.
@@burgess_and_his_bike strange.
people saying you cant enter cycling for less than a 1000$ because you would get a worse bike is weak and need to make up for what they dont have in their legs with what they have in their wallet
Look it helps to go over $1000 and it depends on what you want to do in the sport but all the review channels focus on either cheap Chinese or super expensive and I wanted to provide an alternative avenue and see whether people are interested. Seems people are. Keep watching if you liked mate. New one out a few days ago and another this weekend with some testing.
@@burgess_and_his_bike fitness benefit wise and wether you enjoy the sport, there is no difference between spending 500$ and 10000$ on a bike. If you wanna race you can buy yourself a few km/h for 1000's of dollars but us who isn't trying to win the tour de France can just enjoy the ride on our almost as good bike that costs a 1/10 of the price, and maybe have to accept that we'll land on a 87th place instead of 44th in the annual 100 miler for example
i could never understand the place bikes like this have in the market. there are so many like new used bikes spec'd higher for the same price. i got a carbon giant defy with ultegra for 500, and caad 8 with 105 for 500. both rim brake of course, which is why theyre such good bargains, ppl with stained red lips and teeth cant get rid of it fast enough.
Haha picking up bikes off the local eshays. I think it’s a bit ethically grey when it comes to super cheap ones, but also people don’t know what they’re looking for if they just start out. Easier to know you’re getting something reliable. This has a five year warranty on the frame and one year on components. That peace of mind helps too I guess. I would buy off FB marketplace over this traditionally but anyway.
Power succ is terrible.
Yesterday I tried my very old mtb in the snow and it was unrideable. Turns out my deraileur was tweaked to hell in storage and chain was not going straight, and I was spining like with brakes fully on... I wonder if cheapie is not completely straight from the box and the drivetrain saps power
Check back on the next video mate because on Friday I’m taking it to my mechanic for a look over. So far it’s just my RUclips mechanic skills that have it running.
I just buy old Cannondale's as spare bikes and upgrade components - that way I still look cool🤪
Mate, probably cooler than normal Cannondales
*modern
Cycling deal sell a set of $600ish carbon rims. You should upgrade to them. Ive been curious how they are
Are they clinchers?
Yeah they are! They're called CD Boreas 38mm and are $599 on their site
@@ARandomATube $600 is a big investment. I’ll think about it haha. Question is do I want to turn this $400 bike into a $1k bike and would more people watch that than if I just upgraded to some alloy clinchers
Very true! But it depends how much you can find a decent set of alloy clinchers for. Usually you're halfway to those carbon ones anyway
@@ARandomATube yeah this is true. Let’s see what I can hustle up
Used bikes prices have fallen off a cliff especially for non-disc aluminum bikes. Oh and the music is annoying
The bottom has fallen out of the market, yeah, but again, as I’ve stated, I think a new cyclist would prefer to buy a bike new. As for the music, that sucks for you mate. I put a lot of effort into choosing that music and I reckon it slaps.
Nice... I was thinking of getting a bike for my wife, but don't want to spend too much as she might ended up not riding it 😅
This could be it bro
Tyres
Wheels
Bar and stem
Tyres and wheels for sure. Why bar and stem?
Bike looks good! What are the pros and cons of it?
Pros are easy: price and group set. Cons: after 60ks on it started to develop slight knee pain. Probably bike fit. It was weird to put together and would recommend a mechanic if you’re new, and there’s some resistance in the wheels for sure.
A good starter bike for a beginner. ☝🏽
100%, but not the brand killer that I’m looking for. The search continues.
music is WAY TOO LOUD!
Yeah I know, I’ve fixed it for future ones. Lessons learned brother. New to this.
It's as good as a beginner's first bike. But let me ask you what you think of the Australian company Raid. It makes good bikes for good value. I look forward to seeing you eating this company's bikes.
Do you mean Reid? They have one I’ll be testing for sure. They aren’t as good a value as this one seems to be based on components and frame design but definitely interested. Probably mid year I’ll be getting one.
@@burgess_and_his_bike Yes, I mean it. I had the reid Express and it was very good for the price category. In the Middle East and Asia, I have never found a competitor with these specifications.
@@imowalli so the Reid Osprey is the one I’m looking at getting from them. There’s a bike at 99 Bikes I want to test before that.
@@burgess_and_his_bike Well now I'm so excited. Good luck🧡
@@imowalli thanks bro
Oh, so you're THAT GUY who posts on forums and brags about how everyone with a nice bike is a poser, and you can easily beat them on yur $400 garage sale bike, wearing street clothes and hiking boots?
Dude I literally say if I race it I’ll get dropped. How did you take that from this?
I'd ride that for my commute.
100% mate perfect commuter.
My bike for 10 years costed me just around a hundred dollars.😅
But can you race it? Haha
@@burgess_and_his_bike not at all😭
Would it be a good first road bike ? 🚴
100% mate. I just bought a pair of second-hand wheels for it for $120 on Facebook marketplace and it’s running very well. Get in quick though. Had a chat to Cycling Deal and they said it’s on sale because they’re discontinuing it. Basically don’t make enough margin on it.
@@burgess_and_his_bike what’s the rim size 27.5 inch ?
@@nickking8317 correct, or as we say, 700cc
@@nickking8317 we being Aussies. Dunno why there isn’t just a standard. Inches seem easier as mtb is in inches
@@burgess_and_his_bike I’m used to mtb I’ll figure it out
The music is **TOO LOUD** . Got tired of turning way down the volume when you cranked it up, and then me having to crank up my volume when you'd speak for a moment. W T F was the need in that? Otherwise really liked the *content* of the video.
Yeah fair play and sorry about that. Still learning and will do sound editing with headfones in the future. Normally edit while my twins are napping so I need to be able to hear if they kick off which makes it hard. Noted and will be fixed. Most recent video has NO music in it 😉
I'm from Sri lanka 🇱🇰 come here and ride
Would absolutely love to mate. I reckon that would be unreal. Hope you’re doing well.
Yes mate but don't say cheap bike it's my dream bike
@@oldceylon7411 well I’ll be moving it on later in the year so stay tuned.
Good video . The only issue I have with those super cheap products is they’re destined for land fill. Basically the fast fashion of the bike world . The first real service will cost more than the bike. Hell some decent tires will cost 2/3rds of the whole bike. While Claris works it’s not a “great” groupset mainly because it really has no life. The components are just not built to last. There are amazing deals out there for good second hand road bikes. That’d be my advice for a novice on a tight budget. Plus get loads of advice and do heaps of research. Once again good video. Entertaining, good content 👍🏾
We will see when I take it to the mechanic. I think anything Shimano will suit an entry level cyclist, and the issue with the second hand market is anything under $1k is not looked after or is super antiquated. I looked for this video, but couldn’t find anything reasonable. The next one I’m looking at is SORA so I’m enjoying the Claris while I’ve got it haha. Thanks for watching!
Claris is plenty durable IF it's looked after. It might be true that a bike such as this is likely not to be, but if the owner acts wisely in that regard the set will easily last until he or she is ready for a better bike and then some. For any rider, this would be suitable for winter conditions, short commutes, or to have on hand as a "loaner." A second hand bike could be better value, but it won't have any sort of warranty.
@@rangersmith4652 sure someone could educate themselves, buy some tools and learn how to do their own service and keep Claris running efficiently. However once they’ve done all that they’re likely to realise it’s junk and opt to spend more on a better product. Buying a BSO online is a zero sum game. The very best solution all round is to save and spend a bit more and purchase new from a bike shop or as I stated educate themselves and buy a quality second hand bike. Either way the next step is crucial. Find a good local bike shop and develop a relationship with them for purchasing and or servicing .
You cannot be more wrong. At Shimano, cheaper groupsets are more durable than the more expensive groupsets. Claris will be the most durable one, and Dura-Ace the least durable one. If you look at servicing, it's the same. Claris will be the cheapest to service, and Dura-Ace the most expensive. Claris will also be the easiest to finetune, and Dura-Ace the least (I'm talking mechanical groupsets here).
@@benjaminrodriguez-maniere6694 I mean, for tuning just having 8 instead of 12 makes it way easier haha
Will you race it??
In this setup? No. It’s too slow. If I can push up the performance 10 or 15 watts then yep
Cheap
Not bad hey