FULL SPECS: Frame: KOGA WorldTraveller-S (60cm because I like a sporty position; my 'correct' size is 63cm for an upright position) Fork: KOGA WorldTraveller-S Paint: Jaguar Madagascar Orange Headset: KOGA Sealed Bearing Steering Limiter Stem: Koga Signature Alloy 110mm slammed and -7 degrees Handlebars: KOGA Denham Bar Grips: Ergon GC1 cut down and KOGA double bartape Seatpost: Cane Creek eeSilk 20mm Saddle: Velo Race 3D FC Gears: Rohloff Speedhub 14-speed Internal Gearbox Hub Shifter: Rohloff Grip Shifter Front Hub: Schmidt SON28 Dynamo Rims: Ryde Bull 27.5" 36 hole Spokes: Sapim Race double-butted and Rohloff-specific Tyres: Schwalbe Super Moto-X 2.4" Brake Levers: Shimano XT Hydraulic Brakes: Shimano XT Hydraulic Crankset: Gates S550 Chainring: Gates Carbon Drive Centertrack 50T Cog: Gates Carbon Drive Centertrack 22T Pedals: Shimano XT T8000 Fenders: SKS P65 Chromoplastics Charger: Cinq Plug5 Plus Lights: Schmidt SON Edelux II and SON Tail Light Bidon Cages: BBB Fuel Tank XL Phone Mount: Quadlock Front Panniers: Ortlieb SportRoller Plus Front Rack: Tubus Duo Rear Panniers: Ortlieb BackRoller Plus Rear Rack: Tubus Logo 29 Kickstand: Pletcher Comp Weight: 16KG or 35LB
About the color: dark orange is nice in general. But i’m quite irritated when bike brands give exotic names to them. Do i have to give up hope that « madagascar jaguar « is linked to a standard RAL color chart number ? Do you have any idea ? Very nice bike and review and editing otherwise, congratulations. Must be a blast to ride.
Started watching: “looks like another boring stiff bike” A few minutes into the video: “wow, that’s a very high tech bike” Towards the end of the video: “I want one, exactly customized like that” 🤯🤤
I've been riding (ok, punishing) this bike every day for the last 10 months and am still loving it! The only thing that hasn't worked as well as I'd like is the tyres - a few too many punctures compared to other Schwalbe models. 👍🏻
My sentiments exactly! !! However am a little concerned that with all that gear strapped to this amazing bike it may prove a little harder to outpace the indigenous carnivorous population of Alaska! Being clipped in is overated in my opinion! :)
This is a nice bike. For most cyclists however, spending this amount of money on a bike will not leave a lot of money for touring. This video is inspiring me to make a video about my touring bike that I have ridden well over 25,000 km over the past eight years. The initial cost for that bike was under $ 100 Canadian (plus elbow grease) at our local community bike shop. I have had to overhaul the bike pretty thoroughly twice, but you still can't beat it on a dollar for mile base. We are talking a modified 1980's mountain bike, which luckily fits me perfectly. I would be worried to leave a $ 6000 Koga bike alone even for five minutes, not just in countries where most people earn considerably less than that in a year, but especially at home here in Canada.
It's definitely not necessary to have a bike like this for touring, but I really appreciate all of the small details and bombproof parts that I get to travel with.
@@the1andonly Thx, tough to find under 500€/$ builds (the realistic price one should spend for a touring bike) Everybody is making these 4k+ showcases...quite useless.
When Mark Beaumont rode his world traveler around the world I knew I wanted one or similar like it. 5 years later I bought a rohloff hub and built my own bike. 4 years after that I've taken the bike on a bunch of tours.
The steering limiter is actually just an annoying piece of tech to sell bikes and proprietary accessories. I have the same thing on a Trek MTB - it makes switching to anything but a proprietary stem a pain. I "deleted" the feature on my bike so that I could use aftermarket stems.
@@advancelast1740 Interesting! I always assumed it was a millennial thing - with the tendency to 'upspeak' - or raising their vocal inflection at the end of sentences.
The upward infliction localised in Auckland, New Zealand are the worst offenders for that. I find it most annoying, being from the South Island, with our more relaxed tones.
Upspeak is the scourge of the English speaking world. It stems from insecurity and a desire to make oneself sound more “interesting” and intelligent than is usually the case. No one is immune and it can strike at any time (although it’s true that millennials are particularly prone to it). I loathe it with a vengeance. However, I wouldn’t go too hard on this guy as I reckon in his case, it’s more unwitting and just one of the many disadvantages he has to face that are part and parcel of being Australian 😜
I have a 1987 Koga Randonneur with which I road 1988 from Düsseldorf in Germany to Barcelona in Spain. This video reminded me to give it some much needed care again.
I toured over 24,000 miles in the U.S., Canada and Mexico including the Continental Divide trail, the Baja Divide route and the Florida trail on a $350, Motobecane mtn bike from bikesdirect,com. It had an aluminum frame, hyd disc brakes and mid grade SRAM components. I spent another $400. for racks, front and rear Ortlieb panniers and accessories. I would still be riding it, but it was stolen down near the CA / Mexico border. If you spend more than $1000. total for an off road touring rig, you are wasting your money. Anything more is just status seeking.
If I was the only person on planet earth, I would still want to ride this bike. When you examine the details, it is the pinnacle of engineering and design - and you simply can't get that on a $1000 bike. That said, a $1000 bike will do exactly the same job... so if you don't care about the details, you can save a lot of money. 😂
the welding is not exquisite it's all been ground smooth same as cannondales this is cosmetic only retired welder and structral fitter when i learned to weld i was taught that i get paid to weld not grind whoever welded this thing up may never have held a welding ticket in his life $6000 i don't think so they spent 2 or 3 times as long finishing the welds as they did welding
I find the pricing fair for the spec , for normal tour riding it's going to last a life time , so what you pay out you will get back over the lifetime of use. A very nice build indeed.
Good luck with the new Koga, it’s a beauty. Watching you ride the past two years I can’t imagine Koga choosing a better spokesperson. If I ever spin away on my dream journey, it will be on a Koga thanks to your endorsement.
What a superb example of a quality thoroughbred Tourer ...It seems that nothing is left to chance.... Whether a professionals' ultimate bespoke tourer or a millionaires' latest must- have plaything, neither owner will be disappointed with their choice. This excellent guided tour of the bikes' features makes for a really watchable vid, all the more enjoyable for the gentle Antipodean narration of a truly enthusiastic pro cyclist! So, Happytouring Bigfella! I'm following you with relish, Shakkers 🇬🇧
Thanks for the review. I had a Rohloff/belt-drive, steel tourer like this too in 2017 - sold it, found it too heavy and unresponsive, although I have to admit, utterly reliable and required almost zero drive-train maintenance. Problems I did have (1200 km off-road tour through UK) were small bits of gravel getting drawn into brake disc vent holes at speed and destroying brake pads. Lucky I was in the UK, but even then not every bike shop had the ones I needed. I'll be sticking with rim brakes and chain drive in future. Initial purchase price is much less too.
I don‘t understand all the negative comments concerning the price. Anyone who has seen your inspiring Videos with your old Worldtraveller, should not have any doubt about the real value of this bike, its components, the gear you chose and the outstanding quality of customer service all around the world if things go unexpected. You often get what you paid for. It is for sure another great bike! Always have a safe ride and thank you for your videos! And boy, is this a beautiful bike!!
Cheers! It also confuses me. I watch a lot of videos about things I can't afford (but really appreciate) and don't ever feel compelled to drop a negative comment about the price.
Love that bike. I really dig the design and attention to detail. Awesome components. If I had the money, I'd probably have one just to look at 👌 Nice video also, just subscribed 👍
Jawoll, Koga is indeed indestructible. I'm still riding my Koga XSport XC from 2011 for all-mountain stuff, and the frame has only minor scuffs. The mavic wheels are still straight as a straight arrow. Too bad they discontinued making mountainbikes.
Kids: overnight trips Experts: weeklong trips Legends: months on road Alee: no comments without at least 50,000 kms. Dude, honestly, u are in a league of your own. Others would have given up after crashing, you legit made a video about it and continued!!! If ever a person needed a custom cycle, it is you. Cheers and hope to see you in India sometime!
@@Cyclingabout and thank you for inspiring me to go on a 1000 mile tour...u mentioned Marin Four Corners as a good bike for touring and it was the only one I could afford and have not looked back since. Absolutely love your website (more than the RUclips channel, hahahah)
I'm now in my mid fifties and returning to cycling after a twenty year absence, I found this film absolutely fascinating and it's really got me excited about getting back in the saddle! Thank you. Oh I've subscribed too.
@@Cyclingabout Thank you, appreciate your response and will look forward to more reviews of this pretty amazing bike. Bicycle hardly seems to do it justice, lol.
Love the rig. So simple and elegant but practical and looks like it can take a lot of punishment. I’m primarily a roadie but this channel could convert me to some touring.
Holy moly, what an incredible bike to travel the world! It's fantastic that KOGA is making these very impressive machines...AND you get to experience them, and customize certain things on them!! I figure if one wants to travel around the world, or even go across the country that you live in, just having a KOGA between your legs would make ANYONE feel more secure when traveling real long distances... I've seen some of your amazing achievements on a bike in some of the most incredible places of the world and it all is mind blowing!!!!! Folks, I would highly recommend watching this gentleman do his thing on an incredible bike, on the upcoming adventures, journeys in the very near future. Totally worth seeing...and subscribing to his channel!! He SURELY deserves every single subscription...
For the people whining about the 6k tag, keep in mind he had over 1/6th of that just in the rear hub. Rollhoffs are exceedingly expensive. The belt drive is also a very spendy upgrade. Not to mention that the dynamo hub and integral charging port. This bike doesnt cost nearly that much stock is what I'm guessing. For perspective, the rear hub alone before you buy spokes, rim strip, tires and pay someone to lace it, for just the HUB, you can get a really decent entry level touring bike. He pulled up the web page for this item and clicked ALL the boxes. Ching ching ching, caCHING. Like he said this is the premium Mercedes of touring bikes. But the base of it is the really light frame.
Well, if you use it 1000km a week, and it will take anything you throw at it for years, it can be justified. Will a similar bike at half the price do the same? Dunno. Will a $150 Walmart bike do it? God no.
Sounds like you don't understand what it is you're looking at. The belt-driven drivetrain with internal, sealed gears is $1000 on its own. This is a *very* specific type of bike built for a *very* specific type of rider. This is not a bike for city riding, casual riding, etc. It's a bike for touring continents that's built for extreme durability and low maintenance.
Just like every single other product, as long as people buy it enough to be profitable then the pricing works. Except when government subsidies are being received by the company, like in meat and dairy industry or incentives like for electric vehicles. The difference of course being that the former has terrible environmental impact to say the least.
Justin Reynolds Sorry man, it’s a lot of money for a bicycle. Let’s be real. That being said if it is your passion then it can always be justified and thats okay.
Re: your customization of the Ergon grips, I had to do the same thing tonight after discovering that XT brake levers and a Rohloff shifter didn't leave enough room on the Denham bars for the Ergon grip. Fortunately my hands are small but it didn't feel great taking the hacksaw to my brand new Ergons lol
Thorn Nomad Mk2 over this all day everyday for me. Each to their own but these guys are your sponsors so hardly a neutral review / preview. Looks a decent enough rig though Steel over aluminium for me every time
I bought the Denham Bar, it's lighter and more forgiving than the VO Crazy Bar that I already owned. I'd have bought another one but they are out of stock.
Beautiful bike and you are fortunate to have such a well respected sponsor. Does Koga offer longer headtubes for those riders who prefer the bars almost if not even with our saddles? I have seen a lot of them on the road and often the bikes have incredibly long stems with steep angles to accomplish this. You are lucky that you are young and flexible and like your bars that low otherwise you would need a lot of spacers:)
I actually ride a KOGA frame that's sized too small so that I can get a *shorter* headtube! The correct size bike actually has the headtube level with my saddle with zero spacers. Once you add a few spacers and a positive rise stem, it's well above the height of your saddle. The KOGAs have previously used 25mm shorter headtubes because this allowed for both sporty and upright positions. But KOGA found that most riders had 2-3cm of spacers anyway, so they've lengthened them this year. The steerer lengths are always super long from the factory giving you the option to be nice and upright, and the KOGA Justera stem is a super neat way to get even more height from your front end.
That is why I prefer a trailer...Around Australia...where I sometimes had to cary up to 30lt of water alone was without a single broken spoke on a $500 moutainbike.Changed tyers and chain at 10 000km.. And that was it !!
Its madnes to pay $6 000 for a touring bike...this guy get sponsered..thats different..If he is honest with us and himself he will acknowlage the he wont pay that money either.
@@truth-Hurts375 Actually, KOGA is my first touring bike sponsor! I've been using custom frames, Rohloff hubs, belt drive and Schmidt hubs for about a decade. Totally agree that a trailer can turn any bike into a touring bike though! Check out my video "The Japan Long Haul" where I used an 8kg titanium road bike to lug a bunch of equipment.
to be fair, if you are relying on your smartphone as a method of communication and navigation then its gonna be pretty important that its charged- otherwise you are screwed.
It's expensive because of the gearbox custom frame no doubt. Eliminates derailleurs, huge cassette, one shifter. Belt-driven. Thing is loaded and very lightweight i bet.
7075 aluminium is coming very soon to framesets! Right now looking towards the Trek 920 for a fully aluminium touring bike ("upgrade?" from a steel Surly) just to get reacquainted with the feel of aluminium ahead of the new, stronger, lighter material. Right now most framesets are 6061 T6 to 7005 and dont go higher than that due to the difficulties when welding the tubes together but in theory, 7075 is nearly as strong as steel and will be a hella' lighter and stiffer, so I can not wait. The Koga is nice, a little out of my budget depending on the fact I change bikes like socks but still, what a beast, and you're setup on it is quite sick, can't think of anything to improve. Well done Koga and well done you! Happy travels.
Thanks for showing how slack you run the drive belt. I recently had a new Gates belt fitted on my urban bike but I was worried when it began making creaking noises when pedalling. I tried spraying the belt with water, made no difference, but I noticed the belt was really tight, I had no idea how the mechanic even managed to do it. I decided to slacken the belt, even moderate tension was still making some belt noise so all I could do was make it really loose like in this video. I'm also worried it might slip so I don't do any hard cranking but it seems to hold up fine with the creaking now gone. Glad to know such an experienced cyclist is also able to ride with a slack belt, puts my mind at ease, thanks again!
It sounds like your tension was definitely too high, but I can also recommend giving silicone spray a go. This is what I've successfully used to keep my belt quiet in extremely dusty parts of the world.
Sort of a twist on the subject, I just bought a Gates blue Racing Timing Belt for my Toyota Camry. It's sold as an "extended wear timing belt with 3 times the durability". After researching the bejesus out of what's available for my car, this made the most sense to me. I bet your Gates belt does last 3 times as long as a chain.
Awesome bike. I got the Kalkhoff Endevour. It is built with a similar purpose to yours. I love its Pinion gearbox which like the Rohloff is made for touring. Your video is very inspirational
Not sure quite what to think about internal cabling. Prefer straight cable runs to avoid as much wear as possible. There is the argument of protection but not sure that amounts to much. Seems more of an aesthetic choice. Is there a weep hole to channel moisture?
Have the same Pedals since 82.000 km,absolutely unbreakable....the mechanical and the Ball bearing are in best conditions, there are Schimano Masterpieces.
i like every detailed information needed for some parts of this bicycle, i gained few information about durability & efficiency comparisons of certain parts too.
@@HassanDibani Great story,....my 1998 specialized FSR Elite pro was abt $1700 with custom Risse rear end MRP link BETD bearing kit I upgraded the shock to a Fox DPS Evol. & It has a 10 yr old fox 36 talas fork....it's rock solid today & performs better than the last time i raced it at downieville 12 yrs ago, it hasn't skipped a beat in 20 years.. If you take care of your stuff it can last a long ass time....! You don't need to spend the amount of a used car...but there will always be those who choose to. And that's fine.
Thanks for the confirmation that clip pedals are almost entirely unnecessary, except for certain use cases like yours. I ditched them a few years ago for DMR BMX pedals and haven’t looked back. If you cycle like a normal person, and don’t want to clomp and slip about with clip shoes when you get off the bike, they are the perfect choice.
"super stiff for touring, aluminium being weak is a myth, aluminium is more customizable than steel" false on all counts - your bike isn't super stiff "for touring", it's stiff because aluminium fatigues and cracks if it is allowed to flex, it is literally a weaker material. The weird and interesting shapes on an aluminium bike frame are there for this reason, they stiffen it up to prevent fatigue failure. You could make steel into exactly the same shape there would just be no point. Stiffness in a touring bike is a disadvantage. People choose steel because it can flex for comfort. Aluminium is merely a cheap alternative to carbon fibre in racing bikes and has no other rationale.
I don’t know how much kilogram, but the author carrying heavy stuff for years. and I can’t imagine carrying heavy stuff with flexy thing. bikepacking/light-touring with flexy bike? sure why not.
true, they put bigger tyres on the uncomfortable aluminium frame to balance the ride out. Steel frames are just so much more of a joy to ride, and the flex you aren't going to notice or lose power from, just appreciate the comfort and beauty of the ride. You can't get the quality of ride a good steel bike provides from any other material except some titanium bikes, carbon is lighter but is a dead feel.
I built a custom stainless Vaya Travel from frameset in 2015 or so. Strength of steel, but no paint/rust, and almost identical in weight to titanium frames (quad butted tubing). What isn't mentioned here is steel and titanium frames can have S&S couplers installed, which makes any world touring bike that much easier to pack and take along, and the Vaya Travel came with them installed for $2k for the frameset. Too bad more companies don't make stainless frames, they're beautiful.
A great summary of this Koga bike. I like their touring models for most part and your tire size and type looked excellent for a mix of terrain. I own one bike with a roholoff hub and would never get another bike with one as I have problems with some some spoke breakage and gear shifting.
Kudos to Koga for the smooth welds! Looks much, much better than the crudely welded World Travellers & the like. Although I'm more into gravel / adventure bikes (but much, much, much prefer tarmac rides to gravel), I must say I rather like this Koga. Not enough to buy one when I can acquire another carbon or even aluminium, titanium or steel light gravel bike instead, but still, I like the bike.
The super smooth welds and internal cable routing are definitely my favourite design details about the frame. I think anyone can appreciate the details of a well designed and engineered machine like a bike, or a fancy car!
I do enjoy a nice clean steel or titanium weld. Half of my custom steel bikes are fillet brazed too, so there must be something about the flattened look between tubes that appeals to me.
Great video Alee! Very thorough (and visually appealing) review of all the parts. And very beautiful bike. I have to say orange is one of my least favorite colors, but that one looks very good indeed.
Hi Alee wow what a bike ! Gorgeous. Recently bought a used Koga Miyata Randonneur and even after 13 years of it being built the paint still has a lustre. Given the terrain you ride over, which is unbelievably tough, Koga could not have a better test ride alongside of cause Mark Beaumont. Keep riding and posting the videos as hey are a delight to view.
@@Cyclingabout Tjeez, i build my bike. steel frame, Rohloff Son Hub, Magura HS33, Gilles Bertouth sadlle, custom color for 2800Euros... so why is that 600? BTW, i am Dutch, live in Holland, the country whit more bikes than citizens, whit the best bike infrastructure in the world.... On you can buy a perfect Contoura bike with Pinion fot 2800 Euros… so ...
@@roelkomduur8073 If the KOGA pricing was too expensive, nobody would buy them. So many people obviously see the value in spending the extra money on features unique to KOGA!
@@roelkomduur8073 You could get an equivalent of the Koga for half price, but then you are missing out on the special color which is licensed from 007 Bond movies. That's the other half of the price... :D)))
If you are really traveling the world I like the idea of the C0-motion frame. In screw it and it splits in half. Easy to box up or bag up to put on a train or airplane. (No extra cost to ship and pack a bike across the world.)
Michael 732 The S&S couplers are great! I spent over two years on a Co-Motion tandem and never paid for the bike to go on the plane. 😌 That said, I still rarely pay for my bike - I pick the airlines with the most lenient baggage policy.
@@hahmmo and you can get a normal bike? You could get a touring bike for 3k with littles off this, I could pay a quarter of my tuition for a year with that
Hi! Really nice and technical bike, and sure that it is strong and completely adapted to what you ask and what you do! Precisely, thanks for what you do, and for what you give to us. Have beautiful rides. Forza. 😉👍👌🤙♥️
Great video. Just one inaccuracy: your bike is NOT the equivalent of a high-end Mercedes Benz. It is the equivalent of a high-end Lexus. If your bike behaved anything like a Mercedes Benz you would be in the shop all the time. MB have become notoriously unrealiable cars over the last two decades unlike Lexi which are bullet-proof.
Didn't realise that MB had a bad track record! I just looked up the stats, Lexus (99 problems per 100 cars) or Porsche (100/100) would've been a far better reference car. BMW was ranked 7th (124/100) and Mercedes-Benz 12th (147/100).
i bought a koga, f3 7.0, very nice xt complete piece of bike.....i must modify the handle bars, but in the sense to grip nearer and not further...cheers
It's genius that the Netherlands and Germany make the world's best touring bikes. Falkenjagd are doing very stiff titanium forks and thru axles or standard.. They are confident their racks they make identical to tubuss can not fail at the welds and began making planes. They went away from tubus because of material issues meaning they stopped producing the logo titan and because they refused to drill a hole for cable internal wiring. The brand also make stainless and rennstahl painted racks at lower price with same benefits and paint is very anti corrosive and resists many scratches due to air hardening
@@Cyclingabout It's a modern car's problem: The more features you put on a car, the more there is to go wrong. Mercedes are no exception to this rule, although they still try to produce quality.
Yeah people are getting dumber everyday its true watch in a few more years the price will go up to ten grand and dumbasses everywhere will be praising what they can not afford thats all this bike is something people want cause they can not afford it
Yeah, absolut retards. This is equivalent of non car guys drooling over a Tesla or overpriced hatchback. People should research more, they clearly have no idea of what value they pay for smh
Great bike. 50/22 (122Teeth belt?) set up seems a sensible choice offering a 2.273 gear ratio. My Koga came with 50/19 120T (2.63) and this is too high for expedition type riding. Gates suggest that the gearing offered by 50/19 is for "On road bike packing, commuting, gravel riding" clearly a ridiculous choice for such a bike. I am sorry to say that Koga also offered no advise on what other combos suit the frame and eccentric BB. So for anyone interested 46/22 works with the 120T belt and gives a super low set up of 2.09
Hopefully you will not need any parts when on the road in a far away place, you will never find any. Way too exotic for a " 'round the world " trip. A 26" steel hardtail would be much easier to refit in an emergency. A standard bike is your friend. Ego is your enemy.
I've been travelling on a 'round the world' trip, across almost 100 countries with these exotic parts. The key here is that I choose parts that are highly unlikely to fail. In the last 2 years (or 30,000km) I've broken just one spoke and had four punctures. That's it!
@@Cyclingabout Say your in a jungle in a 3rd world country. Your bike is parked and gets hit by a car, or stepped on by a cow/elephant . You need a fork and wheel to make it home. Maybe even your frame is cracked. Impossible? I think not. Shit happens, even to the best of us. One would be easily able to barter for a 26" wheel and fork, and find a welder to patch the frame. 27.5 tire, not easily. Fork...gonna cost you. Find a TIG welder to fix the frame...good luck. I admit, this scenario is unlikely but it does happen. No one is immune. A steel 26" bike is a smart choice because or worldwide availability...worldwide.
@@ratoneJR I'm happy to roll the dice on this! Worst case scenario is that I get some replacement parts shipped to me in 10 days through DHL, which is all covered under my travel insurance because it's an accident. 👍🏻
This bike is basically bullet-proof and he's had experience with most of the parts that have already proven to be extremely reliable. On my last two big tours I used a full carbon bike and had no issues. What are you actually concerned might break?
Aluminium is not good for all applications, but it's great for a frame. The reason I recommend steel racks is that pannier hooks and clips rub on the rack tubing - causing wear - and steel has a harder surface to resist that rubbing. There is nothing rubbing on a frame.
FULL SPECS:
Frame: KOGA WorldTraveller-S (60cm because I like a sporty position; my 'correct' size is 63cm for an upright position)
Fork: KOGA WorldTraveller-S
Paint: Jaguar Madagascar Orange
Headset: KOGA Sealed Bearing Steering Limiter
Stem: Koga Signature Alloy 110mm slammed and -7 degrees
Handlebars: KOGA Denham Bar
Grips: Ergon GC1 cut down and KOGA double bartape
Seatpost: Cane Creek eeSilk 20mm
Saddle: Velo Race 3D FC
Gears: Rohloff Speedhub 14-speed Internal Gearbox Hub
Shifter: Rohloff Grip Shifter
Front Hub: Schmidt SON28 Dynamo
Rims: Ryde Bull 27.5" 36 hole
Spokes: Sapim Race double-butted and Rohloff-specific
Tyres: Schwalbe Super Moto-X 2.4"
Brake Levers: Shimano XT Hydraulic
Brakes: Shimano XT Hydraulic
Crankset: Gates S550
Chainring: Gates Carbon Drive Centertrack 50T
Cog: Gates Carbon Drive Centertrack 22T
Pedals: Shimano XT T8000
Fenders: SKS P65 Chromoplastics
Charger: Cinq Plug5 Plus
Lights: Schmidt SON Edelux II and SON Tail Light
Bidon Cages: BBB Fuel Tank XL
Phone Mount: Quadlock
Front Panniers: Ortlieb SportRoller Plus
Front Rack: Tubus Duo
Rear Panniers: Ortlieb BackRoller Plus
Rear Rack: Tubus Logo 29
Kickstand: Pletcher Comp
Weight: 16KG or 35LB
Is there anywhere in the USA that you can purchase the KOGA Denham Bar (Google failed me)? Please leave a link, many thanks.
Dumb OX I’ve listed two shops that ship to the USA at the bottom of this article: www.cyclingabout.com/koga-denham-bars/
About the color: dark orange is nice in general. But i’m quite irritated when bike brands give exotic names to them. Do i have to give up hope that « madagascar jaguar « is linked to a standard RAL color chart number ? Do you have any idea ?
Very nice bike and review and editing otherwise, congratulations. Must be a blast to ride.
Desi This is not a RAL colour. It’s from the Jaguar car catalogue - “Madagascar Orange” is what they named it.
16kg for a bike this tricked and loaded is a great weight! I'll have to put some thoughts into my choice of a Surly frame.
Started watching: “looks like another boring stiff bike”
A few minutes into the video: “wow, that’s a very high tech bike”
Towards the end of the video: “I want one, exactly customized like that”
🤯🤤
I've been riding (ok, punishing) this bike every day for the last 10 months and am still loving it! The only thing that hasn't worked as well as I'd like is the tyres - a few too many punctures compared to other Schwalbe models. 👍🏻
@@Cyclingabout Which Schawalbe model do you like most?
@@gabriel.trainer Schwalbe Almotion, but it's not available in 2.4" widths. 👎🏻
My sentiments exactly! !! However am a little concerned that with all that gear strapped to this amazing bike it may prove a little harder to outpace the indigenous carnivorous population of Alaska! Being clipped in is overated in my opinion! :)
@@Cyclingabout that bike is more than 6k yes, can you provide a link to getting that exact build in QLD for 6k... cheers
This is the best ad I can think of for Koga to give a guy like you one of their bikes.
Totally agree! )
I'd buy one if I rode like Alee does.
'today, we'll be going bumper to bumper on this wild rig'
ahh, a fellow man of taste i see.
Wonder how many people got that reference
@@spyropyro3159 doubt it was many tbh
Donut
;-)
This bike has many hrsprs
If you don't look closely it's just a regular stiff bike. But when you inspect it, WOW, there's a lot of tech there! I really liked it.
This is a nice bike. For most cyclists however, spending this amount of money on a bike will not leave a lot of money for touring. This video is inspiring me to make a video about my touring bike that I have ridden well over 25,000 km over the past eight years. The initial cost for that bike was under $ 100 Canadian (plus elbow grease) at our local community bike shop. I have had to overhaul the bike pretty thoroughly twice, but you still can't beat it on a dollar for mile base. We are talking a modified 1980's mountain bike, which luckily fits me perfectly. I would be worried to leave a $ 6000 Koga bike alone even for five minutes, not just in countries where most people earn considerably less than that in a year, but especially at home here in Canada.
It's definitely not necessary to have a bike like this for touring, but I really appreciate all of the small details and bombproof parts that I get to travel with.
Did you do the video?
@@SiRedCat Yes, it's on my channel, title is "Touring Bike for cheap".
@@the1andonly Thx, tough to find under 500€/$ builds (the realistic price one should spend for a touring bike) Everybody is making these 4k+ showcases...quite useless.
When Mark Beaumont rode his world traveler around the world I knew I wanted one or similar like it. 5 years later I bought a rohloff hub and built my own bike. 4 years after that I've taken the bike on a bunch of tours.
That's awesome!
Drooling... Koga know what they're doing getting you to test and show-off their incredible bikes!
The Steering Limiter is next level. The whole bike is next level. You got extremely hooked up with this bike. Bravo, Alec
I know, it's such a wild rig! This bike will get ridden though. Hard. 💪🏼
The steering limiter is actually just an annoying piece of tech to sell bikes and proprietary accessories. I have the same thing on a Trek MTB - it makes switching to anything but a proprietary stem a pain. I "deleted" the feature on my bike so that I could use aftermarket stems.
@@Potz4pizza You can use any 1 1/8" stem with a KOGA, it is not at all proprietory.
@@Cyclingabout Trek should learn from KOGA then! In that case, there's no reason not to have it.
2:06 "New for this year are the super smooth welds"...
Wow, super smooth welds for 2020!!!
Just like my 1992(27yo)Cannondale!
every koga for decades has had this
right before that a bunch of uggly welds at bb and chainstays lol
Also, moments later, 2:18, as the camera pans down the head tube, notice the very un-smooth joint of fork leg to crown.
@@Hertog_von_Berkshire Take a look at the Contoura Pollino with Pinion.
I will buy a 100$ bike instead then 5900$ is for donations. 6000$ = 500$ for the bike + 5500$ for the brand stick.
I love Ausies from Melbourne. Every sentence is a question.
I think it is known as Australian question intonation. Christ I’m boring 😂
@@advancelast1740 Interesting! I always assumed it was a millennial thing - with the tendency to 'upspeak' - or raising their vocal inflection at the end of sentences.
The upward infliction localised in Auckland, New Zealand are the worst offenders for that. I find it most annoying, being from the South Island, with our more relaxed tones.
Upspeak is the scourge of the English speaking world. It stems from insecurity and a desire to make oneself
sound more “interesting” and intelligent than is usually the case. No one is immune and it can strike at any time (although it’s true that millennials are particularly prone to it). I loathe it with a vengeance. However, I wouldn’t go too hard
on this guy as I reckon in his case, it’s more unwitting and just one of the many disadvantages he has to face that are part and parcel of being Australian 😜
ROFL
"Hello I'm from Melbourne?"
-Did you hit your head, sir?
I have a 1987 Koga Randonneur with which I road 1988 from Düsseldorf in Germany to Barcelona in Spain. This video reminded me to give it some much needed care again.
I have rided 20000 km on my Koga Miyata Randonneur steel frame.I love this bike.Is superstrong and dinn t let me never down.Cheers from Romania.
I just bought a new touring bike but after watching this video I’m considering buying one of these too.
I toured over 24,000 miles in the U.S., Canada and Mexico including the Continental Divide trail, the Baja Divide route and the Florida trail on a $350, Motobecane mtn bike from bikesdirect,com. It had an aluminum frame, hyd disc brakes and mid grade SRAM components. I spent another $400. for racks, front and rear Ortlieb panniers and accessories. I would still be riding it, but it was stolen down near the CA / Mexico border. If you spend more than $1000. total for an off road touring rig, you are wasting your money. Anything more is just status seeking.
If I was the only person on planet earth, I would still want to ride this bike. When you examine the details, it is the pinnacle of engineering and design - and you simply can't get that on a $1000 bike. That said, a $1000 bike will do exactly the same job... so if you don't care about the details, you can save a lot of money. 😂
The welding is exquisite. What a beautiful machine.
the welding is not exquisite it's all been ground smooth same as cannondales
this is cosmetic only
retired welder and structral fitter when i learned to weld i was taught that i get paid to weld not grind
whoever welded this thing up may never have held a welding ticket in his life
$6000 i don't think so they spent 2 or 3 times as long finishing the welds as they did welding
@@geoh1896 grind the ac welds a bit and sell em for 6k, thats a profit for a person that likes to grind stuff
Some of the welding is quite rough
I find the pricing fair for the spec , for normal tour riding it's going to last a life time , so what you pay out you will get back over the lifetime of use. A very nice build indeed.
Good luck with the new Koga, it’s a beauty. Watching you ride the past two years I can’t imagine Koga choosing a better spokesperson. If I ever spin away on my dream journey, it will be on a Koga thanks to your endorsement.
Thanks James!
What a superb example of a quality thoroughbred Tourer ...It seems that nothing is left to chance.... Whether a professionals' ultimate bespoke tourer or a millionaires' latest must- have plaything, neither owner will be disappointed with their choice.
This excellent guided tour of the bikes' features makes for a really watchable vid, all the more enjoyable for the gentle Antipodean narration of a truly enthusiastic pro cyclist!
So, Happytouring Bigfella!
I'm following you with relish, Shakkers 🇬🇧
Glad you liked the video dude! 🤙🏼
Thanks for the review. I had a Rohloff/belt-drive, steel tourer like this too in 2017 - sold it, found it too heavy and unresponsive, although I have to admit, utterly reliable and required almost zero drive-train maintenance. Problems I did have (1200 km off-road tour through UK) were small bits of gravel getting drawn into brake disc vent holes at speed and destroying brake pads. Lucky I was in the UK, but even then not every bike shop had the ones I needed. I'll be sticking with rim brakes and chain drive in future. Initial purchase price is much less too.
for a touring bike I agree on the rim brakes. Reliability and ease of maintenance are everything.
Are you the guy from impractical jokers
I can understand the brakes but why not the belt
Didn't know anything about koga before ur videos. Will DEFINITELY consider them in the future!
Always wished I could afford a Koga! What a beautiful, and capable bike!!!
Consider it a lower priced use car, but you're getting a brand new gem.
I can afford a KOGA, I prefer a proper stell, hand crafted, lugged bike.. just my preference by experience.. no aluminum frames or carbon.
I don‘t understand all the negative comments concerning the price. Anyone who has seen your inspiring Videos with your old Worldtraveller, should not have any doubt about the real value of this bike, its components, the gear you chose and the outstanding quality of customer service all around the world if things go unexpected. You often get what you paid for. It is for sure another great bike! Always have a safe ride and thank you for your videos! And boy, is this a beautiful bike!!
Cheers! It also confuses me. I watch a lot of videos about things I can't afford (but really appreciate) and don't ever feel compelled to drop a negative comment about the price.
I just love your reviews. nothing less than inspiring. I hope someday I go outside for a bike packing. keep doing this job.
Love that bike. I really dig the design and attention to detail. Awesome components. If I had the money, I'd probably have one just to look at 👌
Nice video also, just subscribed 👍
Jawoll, Koga is indeed indestructible.
I'm still riding my Koga XSport XC from 2011 for all-mountain stuff, and the frame has only minor scuffs. The mavic wheels are still straight as a straight arrow. Too bad they discontinued making mountainbikes.
This is my dream touring rig. Can’t swing it right now. But def in the future. 👍🏼
“I consider myself a pretty strong cyclist” he says… yeah no fricking way?! This is the first time I’m learning about touring and y’all are CRAZY.
Kids: overnight trips
Experts: weeklong trips
Legends: months on road
Alee: no comments without at least 50,000 kms.
Dude, honestly, u are in a league of your own. Others would have given up after crashing, you legit made a video about it and continued!!! If ever a person needed a custom cycle, it is you. Cheers and hope to see you in India sometime!
Cheers dude! 🤙🏼
@@Cyclingabout and thank you for inspiring me to go on a 1000 mile tour...u mentioned Marin Four Corners as a good bike for touring and it was the only one I could afford and have not looked back since. Absolutely love your website (more than the RUclips channel, hahahah)
@@amitkumar-wj8gn That's awesome! Thanks for the kind words.
I'm now in my mid fifties and returning to cycling after a twenty year absence, I found this film absolutely fascinating and it's really got me excited about getting back in the saddle! Thank you. Oh I've subscribed too.
Thanks! Should be more videos about this bike coming over the next few months of isolation.
@@Cyclingabout Thank you, appreciate your response and will look forward to more reviews of this pretty amazing bike. Bicycle hardly seems to do it justice, lol.
im 2 min in now, and im like,, what kind of witchery and wizardry made this bike ???? holy !!!!
Love the rig. So simple and elegant but practical and looks like it can take a lot of punishment. I’m primarily a roadie but this channel could convert me to some touring.
I disagree. The heart of this AMAZING bike is the Rohloff!
Holy moly, what an incredible bike to travel the world!
It's fantastic that KOGA is making these very impressive machines...AND you get to experience them, and customize certain things on them!!
I figure if one wants to travel around the world, or even go across the country that you live in, just having a KOGA between your legs would make ANYONE feel more secure when traveling real long distances...
I've seen some of your amazing achievements on a bike in some of the most incredible places of the world and it all is mind blowing!!!!!
Folks, I would highly recommend watching this gentleman do his thing on an incredible bike, on the upcoming adventures, journeys in the very near future.
Totally worth seeing...and subscribing to his channel!!
He SURELY deserves every single subscription...
how much did you charge KOGA for this comment?
That's a pretty nice 600 dollar bike.
For the people whining about the 6k tag, keep in mind he had over 1/6th of that just in the rear hub.
Rollhoffs are exceedingly expensive.
The belt drive is also a very spendy upgrade. Not to mention that the dynamo hub and integral charging port. This bike doesnt cost nearly that much stock is what I'm guessing.
For perspective, the rear hub alone before you buy spokes, rim strip, tires and pay someone to lace it, for just the HUB, you can get a really decent entry level touring bike. He pulled up the web page for this item and clicked ALL the boxes. Ching ching ching, caCHING. Like he said this is the premium Mercedes of touring bikes. But the base of it is the really light frame.
It is so insane what people are asking for bikes now adays
Even more insane is what people are asking from their bikes.
Well, if you use it 1000km a week, and it will take anything you throw at it for years, it can be justified. Will a similar bike at half the price do the same? Dunno. Will a $150 Walmart bike do it? God no.
Sounds like you don't understand what it is you're looking at. The belt-driven drivetrain with internal, sealed gears is $1000 on its own. This is a *very* specific type of bike built for a *very* specific type of rider. This is not a bike for city riding, casual riding, etc. It's a bike for touring continents that's built for extreme durability and low maintenance.
Just like every single other product, as long as people buy it enough to be profitable then the pricing works. Except when government subsidies are being received by the company, like in meat and dairy industry or incentives like for electric vehicles. The difference of course being that the former has terrible environmental impact to say the least.
Justin Reynolds Sorry man, it’s a lot of money for a bicycle. Let’s be real. That being said if it is your passion then it can always be justified and thats okay.
Re: your customization of the Ergon grips, I had to do the same thing tonight after discovering that XT brake levers and a Rohloff shifter didn't leave enough room on the Denham bars for the Ergon grip. Fortunately my hands are small but it didn't feel great taking the hacksaw to my brand new Ergons lol
That is a beautiful bike. Gorgeous color. All the best stuff. Good for you. Rock on.
Thorn Nomad Mk2 over this all day everyday for me. Each to their own but these guys are your sponsors so hardly a neutral review / preview.
Looks a decent enough rig though
Steel over aluminium for me every time
I bought the Denham Bar, it's lighter and more forgiving than the VO Crazy Bar that I already owned. I'd have bought another one but they are out of stock.
Glad to hear you like them! They've been so popular that KOGA hasn't been able to keep up with demand; should be good from October onwards though. 💪🏼
I have a 15 year old Koga Roadrunner and it's still a great ride. Only changed the back wheel once and a view spokes.
Beautiful bike and you are fortunate to have such a well respected sponsor.
Does Koga offer longer headtubes for those riders who prefer the bars almost if not even with our saddles? I have seen a lot of them on the road and often the bikes have incredibly long stems with steep angles to accomplish this. You are lucky that you are young and flexible and like your bars that low otherwise you would need a lot of spacers:)
I actually ride a KOGA frame that's sized too small so that I can get a *shorter* headtube! The correct size bike actually has the headtube level with my saddle with zero spacers. Once you add a few spacers and a positive rise stem, it's well above the height of your saddle.
The KOGAs have previously used 25mm shorter headtubes because this allowed for both sporty and upright positions. But KOGA found that most riders had 2-3cm of spacers anyway, so they've lengthened them this year. The steerer lengths are always super long from the factory giving you the option to be nice and upright, and the KOGA Justera stem is a super neat way to get even more height from your front end.
That is why I prefer a trailer...Around Australia...where I sometimes had to cary up to 30lt of water alone was without a single broken spoke on a $500 moutainbike.Changed tyers and chain at 10 000km..
And that was it !!
Its madnes to pay $6 000 for a touring bike...this guy get sponsered..thats different..If he is honest with us and himself he will acknowlage the he wont pay that money either.
@@truth-Hurts375 Actually, KOGA is my first touring bike sponsor! I've been using custom frames, Rohloff hubs, belt drive and Schmidt hubs for about a decade. Totally agree that a trailer can turn any bike into a touring bike though! Check out my video "The Japan Long Haul" where I used an 8kg titanium road bike to lug a bunch of equipment.
A bike that can charge a smartphone ! It's definitely 2020.
to be fair, if you are relying on your smartphone as a method of communication and navigation then its gonna be pretty important that its charged- otherwise you are screwed.
It's expensive because of the gearbox custom frame no doubt. Eliminates derailleurs, huge cassette, one shifter. Belt-driven. Thing is loaded and very lightweight i bet.
My next bike might just be a belt drive! Loving the vids as always
Not my cup of tea, but a stunning bike. I thought the welds were great on my Specialized, but the Kpga takes it to another level. Beautiful!
Great bike and description!
Thanks and best regards from the Northern black forest 🌲🌿🌳
7075 aluminium is coming very soon to framesets! Right now looking towards the Trek 920 for a fully aluminium touring bike ("upgrade?" from a steel Surly) just to get reacquainted with the feel of aluminium ahead of the new, stronger, lighter material. Right now most framesets are 6061 T6 to 7005 and dont go higher than that due to the difficulties when welding the tubes together but in theory, 7075 is nearly as strong as steel and will be a hella' lighter and stiffer, so I can not wait. The Koga is nice, a little out of my budget depending on the fact I change bikes like socks but still, what a beast, and you're setup on it is quite sick, can't think of anything to improve. Well done Koga and well done you! Happy travels.
Super cool that we've managed to prevent phase segregation using nanoparticles! It's exciting to see what comes of 7075! ⚡️
Proper quality kit! Well thought out rig!
Thanks for showing how slack you run the drive belt. I recently had a new Gates belt fitted on my urban bike but I was worried when it began making creaking noises when pedalling. I tried spraying the belt with water, made no difference, but I noticed the belt was really tight, I had no idea how the mechanic even managed to do it. I decided to slacken the belt, even moderate tension was still making some belt noise so all I could do was make it really loose like in this video. I'm also worried it might slip so I don't do any hard cranking but it seems to hold up fine with the creaking now gone. Glad to know such an experienced cyclist is also able to ride with a slack belt, puts my mind at ease, thanks again!
It sounds like your tension was definitely too high, but I can also recommend giving silicone spray a go. This is what I've successfully used to keep my belt quiet in extremely dusty parts of the world.
Here's a chap who loves his ride
He / she's a beauty! Absolutely love the bicycle and explanation. Can't wait to get back on the bicycle next year.
Where are you guys going?!
Sorry but that price is a joke for a push bike.
Incredible bike! But looks very heavy.
It's heavy for sure, but what a couple of kilos when I'm carrying everything I own, plus multiple litres of water and four days of food?
I wish I could afford one of these
Sort of a twist on the subject, I just bought a Gates blue Racing Timing Belt for my Toyota Camry. It's sold as an "extended wear timing belt with 3 times the durability". After researching the bejesus out of what's available for my car, this made the most sense to me. I bet your Gates belt does last 3 times as long as a chain.
Welds. Why, yes, it is almost as nice as my 1987 Klein!
They dont have shit compared to Specialized Smartweld
And it is amazing what you can do with files after the weld.
Awesome bike. I got the Kalkhoff Endevour. It is built with a similar purpose to yours. I love its Pinion gearbox which like the Rohloff is made for touring. Your video is very inspirational
The Endeavour is an awesome bike! I hope it's taking you to some incredible places. 👌🏼
Hey Alee :) awesome all your Work :) this Bike is really good , you deserve it :) big Hug from Portugal
Thanks Eduardo!
Why don't they put the pinion gearbox on?
KOGA used to, but they are sticking with Rohloff for now.
@@Cyclingabout Interesting! Do you know why? BTW, I created the transcript to the "El Páramo" video. I guess you have to approve it, if you like it.
Cracking bike bulletproof ! Excellent review, Subbed to your channel love the high quality vids
Thanks James!
Not sure quite what to think about internal cabling. Prefer straight cable runs to avoid as much wear as possible. There is the argument of protection but not sure that amounts to much. Seems more of an aesthetic choice. Is there a weep hole to channel moisture?
At the bottom bracket shell is the drainage port.
Amazing bicycle. I want those handlebars!
I'm super stoked on the bars! 🤘🏼
CYCLINGABOUT can I order them?
where can i buy your handlebars?
Have the same Pedals since 82.000 km,absolutely unbreakable....the mechanical and the Ball bearing are in best conditions, there are Schimano Masterpieces.
Whats the music playing in the background, sound like a good meditation music.
Darud sandstorm
i like every detailed information needed for some parts of this bicycle, i gained few information about durability & efficiency comparisons of certain parts too.
Six THOUSAND!! I know weed became legal in many places, but damn!. How much did they have?
just a little bit but it was supah killah yo!
Made in the Netherlands, and top notch quality. Mine is still doing great and it was made in 2005. it's not a bike you change every couple years.
@@HassanDibani Great story,....my 1998 specialized FSR Elite pro was abt $1700 with custom Risse rear end MRP link BETD bearing kit I upgraded the shock to a Fox DPS Evol. & It has a 10 yr old fox 36 talas fork....it's rock solid today & performs better than the last time i raced it at downieville 12 yrs ago, it hasn't skipped a beat in 20 years..
If you take care of your stuff it can last a long ass time....! You don't need to spend the amount of a used car...but there will always be those who choose to. And that's fine.
@@RaptorV1USA I have a 1998 GT hardtail! Still runs like a charm 😅
Ken Little a total rip off.
Thanks for the confirmation that clip pedals are almost entirely unnecessary, except for certain use cases like yours. I ditched them a few years ago for DMR BMX pedals and haven’t looked back. If you cycle like a normal person, and don’t want to clomp and slip about with clip shoes when you get off the bike, they are the perfect choice.
"super stiff for touring, aluminium being weak is a myth, aluminium is more customizable than steel"
false on all counts - your bike isn't super stiff "for touring", it's stiff because aluminium fatigues and cracks if it is allowed to flex, it is literally a weaker material. The weird and interesting shapes on an aluminium bike frame are there for this reason, they stiffen it up to prevent fatigue failure. You could make steel into exactly the same shape there would just be no point. Stiffness in a touring bike is a disadvantage. People choose steel because it can flex for comfort. Aluminium is merely a cheap alternative to carbon fibre in racing bikes and has no other rationale.
^ this guy knows whats up
I don’t know how much kilogram, but the author carrying heavy stuff for years.
and I can’t imagine carrying heavy stuff with flexy thing.
bikepacking/light-touring with flexy bike? sure why not.
There are better options for $6000, and aluminum wouldn't be my first choice.
true, they put bigger tyres on the uncomfortable aluminium frame to balance the ride out. Steel frames are just so much more of a joy to ride, and the flex you aren't going to notice or lose power from, just appreciate the comfort and beauty of the ride. You can't get the quality of ride a good steel bike provides from any other material except some titanium bikes, carbon is lighter but is a dead feel.
I built a custom stainless Vaya Travel from frameset in 2015 or so. Strength of steel, but no paint/rust, and almost identical in weight to titanium frames (quad butted tubing). What isn't mentioned here is steel and titanium frames can have S&S couplers installed, which makes any world touring bike that much easier to pack and take along, and the Vaya Travel came with them installed for $2k for the frameset. Too bad more companies don't make stainless frames, they're beautiful.
A great summary of this Koga bike. I like their touring models for most part and your tire size and type looked excellent for a mix of terrain. I own one bike with a roholoff hub and would never get another bike with one as I have problems with some some spoke breakage and gear shifting.
Sorry to hear you had problems! You might've been one of the unlucky few to get a faulty hub. :(
wish I was still young with good knees:)
Get a recumbent!
@@derk486 hmm an idea
@@seakayak4425 yup!
Kudos to Koga for the smooth welds! Looks much, much better than the crudely welded World Travellers & the like.
Although I'm more into gravel / adventure bikes (but much, much, much prefer tarmac rides to gravel), I must say I rather like this Koga. Not enough to buy one when I can acquire another carbon or even aluminium, titanium or steel light gravel bike instead, but still, I like the bike.
The super smooth welds and internal cable routing are definitely my favourite design details about the frame. I think anyone can appreciate the details of a well designed and engineered machine like a bike, or a fancy car!
@@Cyclingabout Agreed, Alee! Forgot to mention the internal cable routing myself.
Older Italian road CRM steel frame welds are so well executed they're invisible. A thing of beauty. Ciao.
I do enjoy a nice clean steel or titanium weld. Half of my custom steel bikes are fillet brazed too, so there must be something about the flattened look between tubes that appeals to me.
영상 잘 보고 갑니다. 즐거운 시간 되었습니다.
Am I the only one that's like getting transported away into a spa with the background music?
Great video Alee! Very thorough (and visually appealing) review of all the parts. And very beautiful bike. I have to say orange is one of my least favorite colors, but that one looks very good indeed.
I have a trek 5:20 that I'll never get rid of. Can't see spending $6,000 on a bicycle . But if you got the money and you got the time it's all good.
Hi Alee wow what a bike ! Gorgeous. Recently bought a used Koga Miyata Randonneur and even after 13 years of it being built the paint still has a lustre. Given the terrain you ride over, which is unbelievably tough, Koga could not have a better test ride alongside of cause Mark Beaumont. Keep riding and posting the videos as hey are a delight to view.
Many thanks, Ted!
@@Cyclingabout Tjeez, i build my bike. steel frame, Rohloff Son Hub, Magura HS33, Gilles Bertouth sadlle, custom color for 2800Euros...
so why is that 600? BTW, i am Dutch, live in Holland, the country whit more bikes than citizens, whit the best bike infrastructure in the world.... On you can buy a perfect Contoura bike with Pinion fot 2800 Euros… so ...
@@roelkomduur8073 If the KOGA pricing was too expensive, nobody would buy them. So many people obviously see the value in spending the extra money on features unique to KOGA!
@@roelkomduur8073 You could get an equivalent of the Koga for half price, but then you are missing out on the special color which is licensed from 007 Bond movies. That's the other half of the price... :D)))
If you are really traveling the world I like the idea of the C0-motion frame. In screw it and it splits in half. Easy to box up or bag up to put on a train or airplane. (No extra cost to ship and pack a bike across the world.)
Michael 732 The S&S couplers are great! I spent over two years on a Co-Motion tandem and never paid for the bike to go on the plane. 😌 That said, I still rarely pay for my bike - I pick the airlines with the most lenient baggage policy.
CyclingAbout thanks
$6000 for that,maybe 2000,utter madness to pay that
Shainexxxse Scrimshaw /rohloff gear alone is 2000...
I can get a Honda Grom for 3 k nigga what
Goose / Yeah but grom doesnt have pedal...
@@hahmmo so 6k is a good price? For some carbon fiber and a battery when you could get a car, grom, dirtbike or a bike that won't go over 30.
@@hahmmo and you can get a normal bike? You could get a touring bike for 3k with littles off this, I could pay a quarter of my tuition for a year with that
I have seen Moloko bars, Jones H and Velo crazy. The Deenham is the fusion of the three. Awesome.
Yep, very much inspired by testing all of those three!
I'm gonna sell my Subaru and buy this exact bike!
Sweet! You won't be disappointed, the WorldTraveller is one of the fanciest touring bikes available! 🔥
@@Cyclingabout i think carl bostrom was being sarcastic!!!
Potentially! I know a lot of people who've sold their cars and embraced the bike life. 👍🏻
@@Cyclingabout I sold my car just a while back and now enjoy the high end e scooter life and my e bike!!
@@Cyclingabout I prefer both cars and bikes and have, currently, 7 of each.
Hi!
Really nice and technical bike, and sure that it is strong and completely adapted to what you ask and what you do!
Precisely, thanks for what you do, and for what you give to us.
Have beautiful rides.
Forza.
😉👍👌🤙♥️
Thanks for the kind words! 🤘🏼
@@Cyclingabout and Thanks for your answer!!! 😉👍
6 grand for an aluminum bike ?
I don't think carbon is the first choice for the niche requirements this kind of bike is for
Fuccboi for 6 grand it should be steel
That bike is worth every penny. What a machine! I'm coming with you.
Great video. Just one inaccuracy: your bike is NOT the equivalent of a high-end Mercedes Benz. It is the equivalent of a high-end Lexus. If your bike behaved anything like a Mercedes Benz you would be in the shop all the time. MB have become notoriously unrealiable cars over the last two decades unlike Lexi which are bullet-proof.
Didn't realise that MB had a bad track record! I just looked up the stats, Lexus (99 problems per 100 cars) or Porsche (100/100) would've been a far better reference car. BMW was ranked 7th (124/100) and Mercedes-Benz 12th (147/100).
i bought a koga, f3 7.0, very nice xt complete piece of bike.....i must modify the handle bars, but in the sense to grip nearer and not further...cheers
Aluminium not being strong is proven wrong by almost any mountainbike not made of carbon. Good luck finding one which is not out of aluminium.
Beautiful bike i like it
A great looking bike but I cannot imagine touring on that sort of terrain without front suspension.
Yes, whats with that
same
It's genius that the Netherlands and Germany make the world's best touring bikes. Falkenjagd are doing very stiff titanium forks and thru axles or standard.. They are confident their racks they make identical to tubuss can not fail at the welds and began making planes.
They went away from tubus because of material issues meaning they stopped producing the logo titan and because they refused to drill a hole for cable internal wiring. The brand also make stainless and rennstahl painted racks at lower price with same benefits and paint is very anti corrosive and resists many scratches due to air hardening
I would compare it to a Toyota Landcruiser; Mercedes made mostly junks nowadays.
PDB Long Didn’t realise MB lost their way!
@@Cyclingabout It's a modern car's problem: The more features you put on a car, the more there is to go wrong. Mercedes are no exception to this rule, although they still try to produce quality.
@@frost1978 I guess so, but some high-end brands have many more problems than others - it looks like Lexus and Porsche lead the way...
PDB Long Mercedes is not mostly junk. It has problems like any other car. You cannot have perfection. It’s called job security
@@lookpro.rideslow Resale value dictates quality; look no further than the Toyota or Honda lines.
internal cable its also made now from cube and from cannondale, its not only kogas thing :D
2020 touring aluminum frame with painting defects for 6000$. Are u f@@@king kidding me?!
Yeah people are getting dumber everyday its true watch in a few more years the price will go up to ten grand and dumbasses everywhere will be praising what they can not afford thats all this bike is something people want cause they can not afford it
Yeah, absolut retards.
This is equivalent of non car guys drooling over a Tesla or overpriced hatchback.
People should research more, they clearly have no idea of what value they pay for smh
Great bike. 50/22 (122Teeth belt?) set up seems a sensible choice offering a 2.273 gear ratio. My Koga came with 50/19 120T (2.63) and this is too high for expedition type riding. Gates suggest that the gearing offered by 50/19 is for "On road bike packing, commuting, gravel riding" clearly a ridiculous choice for such a bike.
I am sorry to say that Koga also offered no advise on what other combos suit the frame and eccentric BB. So for anyone interested 46/22 works with the 120T belt and gives a super low set up of 2.09
Hopefully you will not need any parts when on the road in a far away place, you will never find any.
Way too exotic for a " 'round the world " trip.
A 26" steel hardtail would be much easier to refit in an emergency. A standard bike is your friend. Ego is your enemy.
I've been travelling on a 'round the world' trip, across almost 100 countries with these exotic parts. The key here is that I choose parts that are highly unlikely to fail. In the last 2 years (or 30,000km) I've broken just one spoke and had four punctures. That's it!
@@Cyclingabout Say your in a jungle in a 3rd world country. Your bike is parked and gets hit by a car, or stepped on by a cow/elephant . You need a fork and wheel to make it home. Maybe even your frame is cracked. Impossible? I think not. Shit happens, even to the best of us. One would be easily able to barter for a 26" wheel and fork, and find a welder to patch the frame. 27.5 tire, not easily. Fork...gonna cost you. Find a TIG welder to fix the frame...good luck. I admit, this scenario is unlikely but it does happen. No one is immune.
A steel 26" bike is a smart choice because or worldwide availability...worldwide.
@@ratoneJR I'm happy to roll the dice on this! Worst case scenario is that I get some replacement parts shipped to me in 10 days through DHL, which is all covered under my travel insurance because it's an accident. 👍🏻
This bike is basically bullet-proof and he's had experience with most of the parts that have already proven to be extremely reliable. On my last two big tours I used a full carbon bike and had no issues. What are you actually concerned might break?
CyclingAbout whatever you do,stay away from them there elephants 🙄😂😂🚴🏻🚴🏻🍷🍷👍
Beautiful, trick, well thought out and built bike! Definitely a cut above the rest!!
I'm super pumped about this one! 🤘🏼
"aluminum being weak is myth"
"I only use steal racks on my touring bikes because along with the wheels they are the most likely component to fail"
Aluminium is not good for all applications, but it's great for a frame. The reason I recommend steel racks is that pannier hooks and clips rub on the rack tubing - causing wear - and steel has a harder surface to resist that rubbing. There is nothing rubbing on a frame.
Steel has a lower fatigue rate also
@@Cyclingabout Aluminium is wank for a frame. Makes bikes ride like garden gates.
@@kyle8952 bike frames don't deflect. Tires do. Don't be a dumb sheep.
I break aluminimum racks after 3 years. My tubus is still going strong after 5 years. Its the constant rattling that breaks the aluminium welds.
Wow! Very nice. You are a lucky man. Excellent video. Thanks for sharing 👍
Thanks! I'm super lucky. 😊