@@P4P5 I did a bike build a few years ago, got one of the first GRX-groupsets that was ever sold in Europe an put it on a Niner RLT steel frame. Bike cost me well in advance of €4000 all in all. Lovely bike. But to have fun on gravel I do not actually need that bike, any decent bike would do just fine. From a just fun perspective we overspend on our bikes like crazy. It is a fun hobby, admittedly, but it is also quite bonkers. Shopaholics unite.
I remember my brother getting into road cycling for exercise and I told him to get the triban rc520 ASAP. Peak pandemic. He managed to buy the last one from the batch. He's still riding it. Upgraded saddle, wheels and I think a stem. Bigger range cassette pending. He now understands that he doesn't need anything better. Having a cheaper bike, he's not worried about being dinged or scratched. It's his commuter, adventure bike etc. I don't think he'll change it ever. His previous bike was my old vintage Peugeot single speed. He's a cheapskate and decathlon bikes are the best value.
yup, another great bike. I got the RC 120, but the RC 520 is amazing value for what it offers. At the current price of the RC 520 (1100€ or so) I decided that my next bike, which I plan to buy next month is the Canyon Roadlite 6, it is a 1X drivetrain bike (1x12), 46T chainring, 10-51 cassette and this is what I've been dreamed of, 'cos I have a RC 120 road bike and a Giant MTB and I dreamed about a bike that mixed the nimbleness of a road bike and the easy gearing of a MTB, 'cos I've used both on the tarmac of the hilly region where I live. I found it by sheer chance and I didn't know that a bike like that existed. I know a gravel bike sound like the best option for me, but I dont want/need a gravel bike, plus the gearing of most gravel bikes is quite similar to road bikes, although usually with a smaller chainring
I got the RC500 Disc during the first summer of the pandemic, it was my first road bike ever. I traded her in to upgrade my gear when i bought the Canyon, i really regret doing that as it was such a good bike i should have kept her as a winter hack. Outstanding value for money
My go to are Conti Grandsport Race, same price, slightly better rolling resistance than Ultrasport and great grip. I have 7500km on those and have never had a puncture. Half of those kms are on a pair of 28c on my road bike and the rear tire has barely started to square off. I even ride them on the velodrome and they perform just fine there as well.
YES! I rode in Alps with 105 rim groupset and it was awesome, I did not feel any need for stronger brakes. For comparison I own a bike on Ultegra discs too
Any Shimano rim brake with SLR-EV (Shimano's symmetrical dual-pivot rim brake technology) strikes the balance between good braking and wallet-friendly pricing. Cane Creek eeBrakes are very expensive and can damage some frames if the bike steers right all the way hard.
@@Ober1kenobi Yes, not exactly the cheapest, but they just work. They're (Shimano rim brakes with SLR-EV) my favourite rim brakes to work on. This is my bottom line for rim brakes, I wouldn't want to use anything lesser than this.
Always happy to see you promoting the Tribans. TBH, what I ride is far better, but for those who'd love to come cycling but don't because 'a good enough bike to do it is beyond my fiscal reach'...this is the answer. You don't need a superlative bike to have an exquisite day cycling.
I was a bike courrier and loved my Continental Ultra Sport IIs, they're pretty cheap at ~20€ and they feel great. Did around 5000km on marathon +s and then I couldn't bear it anymore and did 15000km on UltraSports. I had a few punctures but its all worth it for me. Performance is amazing for the price, they're pretty much race tires. All by city bikes are on UltraSport or SuperSport and I wouldn't change it.
Mate this is the best RUclips channel ever made. Im not even a drop bar biker but I watched it all the videos. Great content, please keep pushing. Saludos from Brazil
I watched your reviews and went for the RC 120 as my first ever road bike to get into cycling and I'm having loads of fun. Road cycling always seemed out of reach for me so coverage of lower end components for me has been really important.
Such a great video! I love the fact that you're focusing on saving people money, whether on their bikes or on bike-related stuff! Well done and please keep it up!
Yeeeaaahhh...I ride with a backpack, and you can get a very high quality pump of a medium length in it no problem (albeit I've learned to attach a tether to keep it upright and in place). Frame pumps always seem to fall off or get in the way when carrying the bike or riding rough. Been there, done it far too often.
Claris shifter are an amazing value. Shift well, feel great, great breaking AND, no exposed shifter cables sticking out! I have upgraded a number of older, 8 speed road bikes to these shifters. So much better. Also, 9-speed Sora shifters have the same indexing spacing as early Dura-Ace 8-speed. Love them. Always hated those STI cables sticking out...
y’all should list out the items that you recommend in the video description for easy reference! i often come back to these videos, and would make it easier to reference :)
My choices: Specialized Short Reach bars are a basically perfect shape, will work with most any stem, cheap and easy to find. YBN chains and quick-release chain links are just as good as Shimano and a fraction of the price. Domain Cycling extra long bar tape is durable, sharp looking, just the right amount of stretchy, just the right amount of sticky on the back, very tacky to grip and... extra long which makes it easy to wrap any bike.
I use a normal handlebar tape and on top of it -here it comes: Tennis overgrip tape. It’s cheap, comfortable and lightweight. And when it’s worn, you can easily replace it. These things were made for grip when your hands are sweaty! I use the Wilson Pro Overgrip ones in white. Try it!
Maybe not that cheap by if you want a road tyre with a good balance of puncture protection, grip, longevity, and is relatively light, the "Michelin Pro 4 Endurance pro v2 28mm" (needs a better name!) works really well, I commuted on Triban 500 with them for years and it made it fun while only getting punctured by large pieces of glass which wouldn't have done any good whatever the tyre. Only complaint with it was below 5oC the compound became noticably harder, but it isn't specifically a winter tyre and you can't have everything apparently!
Me too, I use that groupset on my commuter bike (an old Surly pacer) and it's perfect. No one thinks to steal my bike because it looks old and the components are bad, but looks can deceive..
I used M520 pedals on my road bike for the first couple thousand miles. For a lot of people, they’re probably a great choice. On my mtb I use the M8120. The larger platform is 1000% worth the extra cost. Clipping in is so much easier.
Excellent recommendations! I have the M520s and Claris groupset and they have been excellent. UltraSport IIIs were also a revelation. Quick, but crucially smooth. I ran them out before getting a single puncture as well. Also I love the speaker recommendation! I can't bear the idea of headphones because of safety, so most often I listen to music just through the phone - but the quality is terrible. The clip might be just what I need.
The Specialized Short Reach is even shorter and shallower than the Deda RHM and it comes in 360mm. Reflective tape is certainly a cheap but excellent cycling product. More aero, lighter, visible, and cheaper than actual bike reflectors. 1€ total of red and silver tape is more than enough to fully equip a bike with front, rear, and wheel reflectors.
I’ve never ridden a worse tire. Puncture after puncture after puncture. Seems to just not like the tarmac in Denmark - happened to multiple friends as well. Granted it’s been years so might be a different compound now.
@@rasmusvedel used it for 5000 km, even ridden over glass. Havent gotten a puncute yet, but the tread does wear quite a lot, as the rear wheel has 2000-3000km left (approximately). You may have ridden the (ii), which seem to have worse puncture protection
Can you please put a 500€(alu) and a 1500€(carbon) wheelset on a decathlon disc bike and compare it to the stock wheels. Maybe also do it with the cheap tire and an high end one? I know that testing 6 "bikes" is a lot of data. But would be nice to see :)
Talking of Continental tyres, I have run their Race King Protection tyres on my MTB for over a year as a tubeless setup. Mostly on road, commuting and some gravel with zero punctures. Cheap as chips as well.
I recommend the Vittoria Terreno Dry-tire for gravelbikes - good for hardpacked, snowy and even mudyy surfaces. I also recommend the Continental Top Contact Winter for commuting - best non-studded wintertire i know...
The Triban bikes make good used buys too. Back in early 2020, I brought a Triban 540, barely used for £300. Shimano 105 and decent wheels for three hundred quid. People buy them, don’t use them and sell them as bargains.
The bbb flex ribbon handlebar tape is really fantastic. I also ride it on my - at that time - really expensive top-end bikes because it is simply a really, really good tape and, above all, lasts an extremely long time. In addition, it can actually be rewound and reused very often. Really a no-brainer, more expensive tape is basically a waste of money. If you want "more style", you can also go for the carbon version, but the Flex Ribbon has significantly more grip.
7:14 put the plugs in the empty bar interior, behind the plug spike. You can cut the plastic sheets to fit just outside of the plugs themselves so they don't stick to the inside of the bar.
Great video Francis. I've gone onto purchase the JBL speaker and the bar tape. I already have the Maripossa bar end plugs, excellent product, sometimes I find the bars a little to wide for the plug but I just wrap some electric tape for the perfect fit. 🍌
Ultra Sports are awesome! I’m into 1700km for about 6 months of cycling (around 200km a week) had 2 punctures, front tire twice because i hit a potholes at high speed even with proper air pressure, i frequently run through shattered glasses on the road and i have never had them punctures the tire which is weird because they are more supple than stock tires, easily the best bang for buck upgrade, you will notice the difference immediately!
I have a pair of Look Keo Blade carbon pedals (that I don't know where they came from) that I'd _like_ to use because they're light and flash, but I just love the versatility and walkability of the SPD system so much that both of my 'serious' road bikes have M520s - both of which I don't know where they came from 😅
I had very good results with the Towild BR800 light off of Aliexpress. Cheap, works great, sturdy and can be mounted hanging or standing so you can save space on your handlebars with a dual mount. And the Battery is a standard 18650, so you can change it if it breaks or take a spare on with you on longer night rides. Very nice lamp for that money. Had worse ones from name brands that were 4-5x the price.
the RC 120 is indeed a very good entry level bike. It is my first ever road bike and I am very happy with. As of recently, I found my dream bike, the Canyon Roadlite 6: 1X (1x12), 46T chainring, 10-51T cassette, so it is the blend between a road bike (nimbleness) and the MTB easy gears, it's something I've always wanted for the super steep hills of where I live. I plan to get the Roadlite 6 next month, but the RC 120 was the first.
Great video. Lovely to see recommendations for the casual cash strapped cyclist. One little niggle. Tappabuco is pronounced with a 'c' sound like 'cube' and not a 'ch' sound. Basically it translates as 'hole plugger' or 'stopper'. Ciao.
I thought I was buying a smaller speaker to replace the old dead clip on one I'd had before.... I ended up with a chunk. My speaker now lives in my water bottle holder during commutes. Thanks for the recommendation for a clip-on! I'd like to have a water bottle for long rides, hah!
Does the Topeak frame pump come with a "nub" or some sort of strap to secure the end at the head tube? Otherwise, that end of the pump will just slide down the head tube and rest at the junction with the down tube. Back in the day the frame pump would be carried along the seat tube which has acute angle lugs at both ends to hold it in place. Aside from that, if you are running tubeless on your road bike, a frame pump is actually great, as it can pretty easily get to 60+ psi and very quickly. Getting up to 100+ psi was always a challenge with them, but now you don't have to!
I got the sora version of the claris, definitely got worth its value, From adjustable lever reach and lever orientation( hidden in the top part) for bike fit addict, 2by 9 speed, And somewhat ergo long handle and upward bullhorn like body that fits( for me) rather than the ltwoo ones And upshift and downshift are seperate lever in thesame orientation same with 105, tiagra etc ( cable version) Unlike other thumb shift for release which makes it hard to use when on drops And the other is on thesame lever which cause sometimes to miss shift to release instead of tension.
I agree , i don't race , continental Ultra sports are the best affordable road tire i have used , they go on all my road and fixied gear bikes and they perform decently on gravel as well .❤
I got standard SPD shoes when I first got my Giant Roam XR1. I kept on using these, even when I got my Carbon Canyon Ultimate. Effectively putting these 520's on a road bike. They are two-sided which is great, I get to use the same shoes and weight-wise I could gain 100 grams by using SPD-SL's or by managing my body weight a bit better ...
Homemade wax from OZ cycle, basically made of Naphta (cleaning petrol) and white candles (paraffin wax). Just a drop on each ring of a clean chain, let the petrol fume away and ready to go. Takes about 5 minutes. Or do it like me and spray it all over the place, still works well.
Last year I was riding a Nortcape 4000 and GP5000TL broke in Germany. I had a spare tyre with me that I took into use, but I still wanted a new spare tyre in case I had another fatal flat tyre on the road. I bought a Continental ultra sport on the trip. Since then, I've had it with me on long trips as a backup tyre. I have not seen the need to buy a better tyre for this use.
Instead of that JBL Clip you can also get some cylindrical speaker like a Sony SRS-XB100, Soundcore Mini 3 or UE Boom that have a diameter around 3 inches/75mm and put it into your bottle cage; on my trekking bike I got myself a Dockin D Mini (with 86mm diameter it's thicker) and put it into my plastic SKS bottle cage, you have to slightly bend open it to get it into the bottle cage but then it fits very tight so no risk of falling out or any rattling; it's a little muffled because I got a Vaude frame bag directly above it but it's still sufficient for some in-ride-entertainment. Recently got a pair of Ultra Sport III 28-622 tyres (the bike had originally a Conti Grand Prix and Grand Prix 4000S both 23-622) and they're great, however it was very tight on the rear frame (tyre clearance on the front fork seems to be a little larger), the burr on the middle was quickly gone, didn't hear grinding noises but recently with some autumn debris it began to grind, so I removed it and put on a 25-622 (not a Conti but a Michelin Pro 4 Endurance at the moment).
Great video! I actually watched your review of the Triban RC120 before I ended up buying a used one! I put some 40mm WTB Raddler tires & set it up tubeless. Cant think of a much better do it all drop bar bike for the price!
Continental Gatorskins have been the tyres I swear by. I don't recall ever getting a puncture in years on them, and they feel great on my 700*25 and my 700*32. Is the Ultrasport III worth switching over to, when these eventually get bald?
7:29 currently running the Ultra Sport 3s, For the money compared to the GP lineup, for what they can be purchased for here in Australia unless you find the GPS on a crazy sale, The ultra sports are a solid solid choice I refrain from skidding in them however, the rear brake has been adjusted to basically not skid, though the stopping power is significantly less 😂
Hey.. Super helpful vid this. Just bought the Shimano pedals, and wanted to ask if you can recommend some good, (but not too expensive) footwear to suit please?
On pedals, I like the PD-ME700 from Shimano more than the M520. They're a few more dollars/pounds, and I assume heavier, but in a pinch you can ride them in normal shoes. Not ride across Vietnam, but down to the store or a casual 20 minute ride at lunch is no problem. I've tried flat-spd combo pedals (I have a pair of MD324 on my dad bike), but it's a hassle to get the right side up for whatever shoe I'm wearing if I'm stopping a lot.
Thank you for some really good recomendations. Christmas is coming😁. For my gravel bike I got Shimano M324 pedals. SPD clips on one side and flat pedal on the other ( there is a MTB version too) Options. After a year I switched to full on flat pedals. Nice to see frame pumps making a come back. My first "real" bike was a Raleigh race bike that came with a frame pump, VERY early 70's 😮 Cheers 🌞🚴♀️🖖
Buying a gravel bike in france the Triban's were roughly €700 - €850 and Decathlon were not very helpful. Instead I went to a local family run store and got a Specialized Diverge E5 - just the base model. The shop gave me a free postural fitting and helped me to build the bike. With all the accessories - helmet, pedals, lock, lights, bottle cage, pump, bottle, mudguard, I think we ended up at about €1400 total with top end after-care service. I think the same would have cost me around €1100-€1200 all up at decathlon but without the support. I also think for future proofing the upgrades I might get or protecting resale value, going with the brand name bike was worthwhile too.
The M520 isn't the cheapest option in Shimano's SPD range. There's also the M505, which are a tad cheaper. That aside the M520 is a great pair of pedals. They're sturdy, smooth, and they're easy to clip and unclip.
In Ultra sport 3 no puncture protection, gp 5000 have vectran breaker, ultra sport 3 is pure grip compound, gp 5000 is black chilli. Ultra sport 3 is a great budget tire but gp 5000 is way better tire in every ascpect expect the price.
These products are great but beware the hidden weight products- I took my seat post out the other day and discovered/remembered the seat post pump I’d put in there 3 years ago…. And totally forgotten about. For 2 years at least, I’ve been carrying two pumps for absolutely no reason other than poor memory.
Say, whats your take on the surly corner bar? I'm thinking about wacking one of those on my 26' MTB to get a road-style hand position without having to buy a new groupset (the old shimano deore XT 3x8 with hydraulic discs is still fine). I'd love to see you do a conversion like that
wonderful content! subscribed right away! that frame pump is amazing may i add the panaracer agilest folding tires. grippy, light (200grams), durable and cheap for bar tape i can add the og evkin brand. very comfy, light, durable and cheap
Funny, i race a bike with claris and a zero1 bar. The best cheap update though are compressionless cables. (For discs). The short reach on the bar i dont like though. Being on a short endurance frame with a long 130 stem, i still want more reach.
Question: People make a lot of noise about using too short of a stem, basically arguing that going from a 100mm stem to an 80 mm or shorter stem will "ruin the handling of the bike". However, short reach bars effectively to the same for handling when you are on the hoods. Short reach bars with a long stem put your hands relative to the steerer tube in the identical position as a short stem with long reach bars. So why are short reach bars not railed against the same way that short stems are?
Could be because short reach bars only make the most stable positions less stable, but a shorter stem makes all hand positions including the tops less stable. I don't know if that's the real reason, but it is something. As someone who went from average 44cm bars and 100mm stem to 36cm 65mm reach bars and 80mm stem, I don't think I ruined anything. The bike is definitely more responsive now, but also much more rideable. Turns out planking while trying to steer doesn't do wonders for handling either.
People need to realize they do not need electric shifting nor €500 bike computers to have fun on the road. This was a good reminder.
Recently got a bike with electronic gears. Massively underwhelming. Tiagra/ grx on my other bikes works just as well.
True, you don't "need" it but is hella nice once you have it :)
Also a good reminder
The amount of pro's on tv, struggling with changing gear.
Last year i bought a bike with Di2. Never going back to mechanical
@@P4P5 I did a bike build a few years ago, got one of the first GRX-groupsets that was ever sold in Europe an put it on a Niner RLT steel frame. Bike cost me well in advance of €4000 all in all. Lovely bike. But to have fun on gravel I do not actually need that bike, any decent bike would do just fine.
From a just fun perspective we overspend on our bikes like crazy.
It is a fun hobby, admittedly, but it is also quite bonkers. Shopaholics unite.
Huge respect for you guys for including the brands that are potential rival for your sponsors, thats whats make this list real
I remember my brother getting into road cycling for exercise and I told him to get the triban rc520 ASAP. Peak pandemic. He managed to buy the last one from the batch. He's still riding it. Upgraded saddle, wheels and I think a stem. Bigger range cassette pending. He now understands that he doesn't need anything better. Having a cheaper bike, he's not worried about being dinged or scratched. It's his commuter, adventure bike etc. I don't think he'll change it ever. His previous bike was my old vintage Peugeot single speed. He's a cheapskate and decathlon bikes are the best value.
yup, another great bike. I got the RC 120, but the RC 520 is amazing value for what it offers. At the current price of the RC 520 (1100€ or so) I decided that my next bike, which I plan to buy next month is the Canyon Roadlite 6, it is a 1X drivetrain bike (1x12), 46T chainring, 10-51 cassette and this is what I've been dreamed of, 'cos I have a RC 120 road bike and a Giant MTB and I dreamed about a bike that mixed the nimbleness of a road bike and the easy gearing of a MTB, 'cos I've used both on the tarmac of the hilly region where I live. I found it by sheer chance and I didn't know that a bike like that existed. I know a gravel bike sound like the best option for me, but I dont want/need a gravel bike, plus the gearing of most gravel bikes is quite similar to road bikes, although usually with a smaller chainring
I got the RC500 Disc during the first summer of the pandemic, it was my first road bike ever. I traded her in to upgrade my gear when i bought the Canyon, i really regret doing that as it was such a good bike i should have kept her as a winter hack. Outstanding value for money
have been using Continental Ultrasport III for over a year now = 3000kms. had 2 punctures on British roads. very happy with it.
Very slippery though...
Lucky only two punctures, super tight to get on and off I found
@@rafaeldegiacomoaraujo8778 interestingly i find it quite alright even when hard braking although i must say i have rim brakes and ride on 28c tyres
@@Angrybadger70 i find it alright. i have those plastic pliers to put back in so not very difficult.
My go to are Conti Grandsport Race, same price, slightly better rolling resistance than Ultrasport and great grip.
I have 7500km on those and have never had a puncture.
Half of those kms are on a pair of 28c on my road bike and the rear tire has barely started to square off.
I even ride them on the velodrome and they perform just fine there as well.
I upgraded my brake calipers to the Shimano 105 _R7000_ on my rim brake bike for
YES! I rode in Alps with 105 rim groupset and it was awesome, I did not feel any need for stronger brakes. For comparison I own a bike on Ultegra discs too
Any Shimano rim brake with SLR-EV (Shimano's symmetrical dual-pivot rim brake technology) strikes the balance between good braking and wallet-friendly pricing. Cane Creek eeBrakes are very expensive and can damage some frames if the bike steers right all the way hard.
Just brought a set a few days ago for my single speed that came with some unbranded garbage
Can’t wait to get them on
Pricey-ish at $130 though
@@Ober1kenobi I have them installed on my Wabi Classic steel single speed. I hope they perform just as well for you.
@@Ober1kenobi Yes, not exactly the cheapest, but they just work. They're (Shimano rim brakes with SLR-EV) my favourite rim brakes to work on. This is my bottom line for rim brakes, I wouldn't want to use anything lesser than this.
Always happy to see you promoting the Tribans. TBH, what I ride is far better, but for those who'd love to come cycling but don't because 'a good enough bike to do it is beyond my fiscal reach'...this is the answer. You don't need a superlative bike to have an exquisite day cycling.
I was a bike courrier and loved my Continental Ultra Sport IIs, they're pretty cheap at ~20€ and they feel great. Did around 5000km on marathon +s and then I couldn't bear it anymore and did 15000km on UltraSports. I had a few punctures but its all worth it for me.
Performance is amazing for the price, they're pretty much race tires.
All by city bikes are on UltraSport or SuperSport and I wouldn't change it.
Mate this is the best RUclips channel ever made. Im not even a drop bar biker but I watched it all the videos. Great content, please keep pushing. Saludos from Brazil
I watched your reviews and went for the RC 120 as my first ever road bike to get into cycling and I'm having loads of fun. Road cycling always seemed out of reach for me so coverage of lower end components for me has been really important.
Such a great video! I love the fact that you're focusing on saving people money, whether on their bikes or on bike-related stuff! Well done and please keep it up!
Frame pump now that’s a blast from the past. My 1990 racer had one the old spring operated long ones.
Yeeeaaahhh...I ride with a backpack, and you can get a very high quality pump of a medium length in it no problem (albeit I've learned to attach a tether to keep it upright and in place). Frame pumps always seem to fall off or get in the way when carrying the bike or riding rough. Been there, done it far too often.
Campagnolo Potenza rim brake with a SRAM lever.
This combo is so good I don't need a disk brake. And great modulation as well.
could I fit a 32 mm tyre there?
I love that you guys get so excited by frame pumps. They were literally everywhere in the '80s #NoNewIdeas
Frame pumps were THE pump to ahve back then.
Good recommendations. Agree with pedal, pump, and tire recommendations. Like how you don’t push unnecessary expensive products. KISS.
Claris shifter are an amazing value. Shift well, feel great, great breaking AND, no exposed shifter cables sticking out! I have upgraded a number of older, 8 speed road bikes to these shifters. So much better. Also, 9-speed Sora shifters have the same indexing spacing as early Dura-Ace 8-speed. Love them. Always hated those STI cables sticking out...
y’all should list out the items that you recommend in the video description for easy reference! i often come back to these videos, and would make it easier to reference :)
Vittoria Rubino Pro roadie tyres. For some reason, super cheap, but SUPER comfortable, puncture resistant, fast, light feeling(never weighed them). 👌🏿
I've Bought 3 pairs of Ultra Sport III and they are fantastic. Fast and durable.
A boat plug! Fits nicely into the bottom of the seat tube meaning I can store my mini pump there! A quick release seat clamp also helps access it!
My choices: Specialized Short Reach bars are a basically perfect shape, will work with most any stem, cheap and easy to find. YBN chains and quick-release chain links are just as good as Shimano and a fraction of the price. Domain Cycling extra long bar tape is durable, sharp looking, just the right amount of stretchy, just the right amount of sticky on the back, very tacky to grip and... extra long which makes it easy to wrap any bike.
In 36 cm width they are extremely harsh.
They are around 330 gr wich is a lot of material in such a narrow handlebar.
I use a normal handlebar tape and on top of it -here it comes: Tennis overgrip tape. It’s cheap, comfortable and lightweight. And when it’s worn, you can easily replace it. These things were made for grip when your hands are sweaty! I use the Wilson Pro Overgrip ones in white. Try it!
Maybe not that cheap by if you want a road tyre with a good balance of puncture protection, grip, longevity, and is relatively light, the "Michelin Pro 4 Endurance pro v2 28mm" (needs a better name!) works really well, I commuted on Triban 500 with them for years and it made it fun while only getting punctured by large pieces of glass which wouldn't have done any good whatever the tyre. Only complaint with it was below 5oC the compound became noticably harder, but it isn't specifically a winter tyre and you can't have everything apparently!
We all used frame pumps years ago. Your right their nice faster to ump than some mini thing & also to whack any mean dogs trying to bite your ankles 🤣
Claris ftw! I got into cycling on Claris! I have nicer group sets now, but I still love the simplicity and charm of a reliable mechanical 8 speed 😍😍😍
Still riding my 2012 Giant Defy 5. Replaced parts over the years, but the frame and fork are still going strong.
Im still using my 8 speed Sora shifters. Love the thumb lever for upshifts.
Me too, I use that groupset on my commuter bike (an old Surly pacer) and it's perfect. No one thinks to steal my bike because it looks old and the components are bad, but looks can deceive..
I used M520 pedals on my road bike for the first couple thousand miles. For a lot of people, they’re probably a great choice.
On my mtb I use the M8120. The larger platform is 1000% worth the extra cost. Clipping in is so much easier.
giant contend 3 rim brakes is also a perfect choice for a simple yet fun to ride bike.
Just installed my Deda RHM Bar with the BBB tape and it’s just life changing!! Love this channel
Excellent recommendations! I have the M520s and Claris groupset and they have been excellent. UltraSport IIIs were also a revelation. Quick, but crucially smooth. I ran them out before getting a single puncture as well. Also I love the speaker recommendation! I can't bear the idea of headphones because of safety, so most often I listen to music just through the phone - but the quality is terrible. The clip might be just what I need.
The Specialized Short Reach is even shorter and shallower than the Deda RHM and it comes in 360mm.
Reflective tape is certainly a cheap but excellent cycling product. More aero, lighter, visible, and cheaper than actual bike reflectors. 1€ total of red and silver tape is more than enough to fully equip a bike with front, rear, and wheel reflectors.
100% cannot recommend ultra sport more! They're absolutely amazing. I wish I could find them in 30c size!
Another ultra sport iii fan here
I’ve never ridden a worse tire. Puncture after puncture after puncture. Seems to just not like the tarmac in Denmark - happened to multiple friends as well. Granted it’s been years so might be a different compound now.
@@rasmusvedel apparently v1 was pron to punctures. Ultra sport 2 & 3 are amazing
@@rasmusvedel used it for 5000 km, even ridden over glass. Havent gotten a puncute yet, but the tread does wear quite a lot, as the rear wheel has 2000-3000km left (approximately). You may have ridden the (ii), which seem to have worse puncture protection
I run the 28's , but I do wish they made them in 30 to 32 mm as well ❤
Just this, Cade Media by far the best cycling channel on this platform,has the lot Keep doing what your doing guys and gals.dont change. A1 rep,
Can you please put a 500€(alu) and a 1500€(carbon) wheelset on a decathlon disc bike and compare it to the stock wheels. Maybe also do it with the cheap tire and an high end one? I know that testing 6 "bikes" is a lot of data. But would be nice to see :)
Brilliant video! Well done for highlighting sensible cycling gear.
Talking of Continental tyres, I have run their Race King Protection tyres on my MTB for over a year as a tubeless setup. Mostly on road, commuting and some gravel with zero punctures. Cheap as chips as well.
I recommend the Vittoria Terreno Dry-tire for gravelbikes - good for hardpacked, snowy and even mudyy surfaces. I also recommend the Continental Top Contact Winter for commuting - best non-studded wintertire i know...
The Triban bikes make good used buys too. Back in early 2020, I brought a Triban 540, barely used for £300. Shimano 105 and decent wheels for three hundred quid. People buy them, don’t use them and sell them as bargains.
thank you for the good video Francis
I have my phone mounted on the handlebar. An added benefit of that setup is that I can listen to music directly from it while riding.
I'm currently rocking Claris and I feel validated.
The bbb flex ribbon handlebar tape is really fantastic. I also ride it on my - at that time - really expensive top-end bikes because it is simply a really, really good tape and, above all, lasts an extremely long time. In addition, it can actually be rewound and reused very often. Really a no-brainer, more expensive tape is basically a waste of money. If you want "more style", you can also go for the carbon version, but the Flex Ribbon has significantly more grip.
7:14 put the plugs in the empty bar interior, behind the plug spike. You can cut the plastic sheets to fit just outside of the plugs themselves so they don't stick to the inside of the bar.
Great video Francis. I've gone onto purchase the JBL speaker and the bar tape. I already have the Maripossa bar end plugs, excellent product, sometimes I find the bars a little to wide for the plug but I just wrap some electric tape for the perfect fit. 🍌
Ultra Sports are awesome! I’m into 1700km for about 6 months of cycling (around 200km a week) had 2 punctures, front tire twice because i hit a potholes at high speed even with proper air pressure, i frequently run through shattered glasses on the road and i have never had them punctures the tire which is weird because they are more supple than stock tires, easily the best bang for buck upgrade, you will notice the difference immediately!
1988, my Cannondale M800 MTB had a small bolt in the head tube to locate a frame pump!
Rapid Hand Movement? Been there, done that. Once, while cycling too.
lol...Now about that quick release seat post...
haha
Every real cyclist has at least one pair of M520’s that they don’t know where they came from
😂 it‘s so true!
But wait… I could recall where mine came from
I have 2 sets of Shimano M747s that I've had for at least 25 years.
No where or when I bought them, but they are excellent.
I have a pair of Look Keo Blade carbon pedals (that I don't know where they came from) that I'd _like_ to use because they're light and flash, but I just love the versatility and walkability of the SPD system so much that both of my 'serious' road bikes have M520s - both of which I don't know where they came from 😅
I had very good results with the Towild BR800 light off of Aliexpress. Cheap, works great, sturdy and can be mounted hanging or standing so you can save space on your handlebars with a dual mount. And the Battery is a standard 18650, so you can change it if it breaks or take a spare on with you on longer night rides. Very nice lamp for that money. Had worse ones from name brands that were 4-5x the price.
the RC 120 is indeed a very good entry level bike. It is my first ever road bike and I am very happy with. As of recently, I found my dream bike, the Canyon Roadlite 6: 1X (1x12), 46T chainring, 10-51T cassette, so it is the blend between a road bike (nimbleness) and the MTB easy gears, it's something I've always wanted for the super steep hills of where I live. I plan to get the Roadlite 6 next month, but the RC 120 was the first.
Roadlite is a flat bar bike. Make certain that that is actually what you want
@@kareemghattas802 it is. My RC 120 is also the flat bar version. It handles so well
Great video. Lovely to see recommendations for the casual cash strapped cyclist.
One little niggle. Tappabuco is pronounced with a 'c' sound like 'cube' and not a 'ch' sound. Basically it translates as 'hole plugger' or 'stopper'. Ciao.
I thought I was buying a smaller speaker to replace the old dead clip on one I'd had before.... I ended up with a chunk. My speaker now lives in my water bottle holder during commutes. Thanks for the recommendation for a clip-on! I'd like to have a water bottle for long rides, hah!
I just bought the Van Rysel RCR (partly because of your channel), only to learn now that you guys think my cheap RC120 is fantastic too. 😅
Does the Topeak frame pump come with a "nub" or some sort of strap to secure the end at the head tube? Otherwise, that end of the pump will just slide down the head tube and rest at the junction with the down tube. Back in the day the frame pump would be carried along the seat tube which has acute angle lugs at both ends to hold it in place. Aside from that, if you are running tubeless on your road bike, a frame pump is actually great, as it can pretty easily get to 60+ psi and very quickly. Getting up to 100+ psi was always a challenge with them, but now you don't have to!
I got the sora version of the claris, definitely got worth its value,
From adjustable lever reach and lever orientation( hidden in the top part) for bike fit addict, 2by 9 speed,
And somewhat ergo long handle and upward bullhorn like body that fits( for me) rather than the ltwoo ones
And upshift and downshift are seperate lever in thesame orientation same with 105, tiagra etc ( cable version)
Unlike other thumb shift for release which makes it hard to use when on drops
And the other is on thesame lever which cause sometimes to miss shift to release instead of tension.
I agree , i don't race , continental Ultra sports are the best affordable road tire i have used , they go on all my road and fixied gear bikes and they perform decently on gravel as well .❤
I got standard SPD shoes when I first got my Giant Roam XR1. I kept on using these, even when I got my Carbon Canyon Ultimate. Effectively putting these 520's on a road bike. They are two-sided which is great, I get to use the same shoes and weight-wise I could gain 100 grams by using SPD-SL's or by managing my body weight a bit better ...
Homemade wax from OZ cycle, basically made of Naphta (cleaning petrol) and white candles (paraffin wax).
Just a drop on each ring of a clean chain, let the petrol fume away and ready to go. Takes about 5 minutes.
Or do it like me and spray it all over the place, still works well.
Good on you guys, this is type of video that is sorely needed.
Tribit Stormbox is an amazing speaker also and has a very good strap
Yeah the Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 is a much better value than a JBL clip and it straps sturdily to a handlebar.
Did not expect to see the JBL speaker. I have that exact one and wedge it in a bottle cage. :)
Last year I was riding a Nortcape 4000 and GP5000TL broke in Germany. I had a spare tyre with me that I took into use, but I still wanted a new spare tyre in case I had another fatal flat tyre on the road. I bought a Continental ultra sport on the trip. Since then, I've had it with me on long trips as a backup tyre. I have not seen the need to buy a better tyre for this use.
Nice video! Love the excitement about the plug tool😂 Those handlebars any good on gravel? / good recommendation for same “class” but gravel if not?😇😉
Instead of that JBL Clip you can also get some cylindrical speaker like a Sony SRS-XB100, Soundcore Mini 3 or UE Boom that have a diameter around 3 inches/75mm and put it into your bottle cage; on my trekking bike I got myself a Dockin D Mini (with 86mm diameter it's thicker) and put it into my plastic SKS bottle cage, you have to slightly bend open it to get it into the bottle cage but then it fits very tight so no risk of falling out or any rattling; it's a little muffled because I got a Vaude frame bag directly above it but it's still sufficient for some in-ride-entertainment.
Recently got a pair of Ultra Sport III 28-622 tyres (the bike had originally a Conti Grand Prix and Grand Prix 4000S both 23-622) and they're great, however it was very tight on the rear frame (tyre clearance on the front fork seems to be a little larger), the burr on the middle was quickly gone, didn't hear grinding noises but recently with some autumn debris it began to grind, so I removed it and put on a 25-622 (not a Conti but a Michelin Pro 4 Endurance at the moment).
Great video! I actually watched your review of the Triban RC120 before I ended up buying a used one! I put some 40mm WTB Raddler tires & set it up tubeless. Cant think of a much better do it all drop bar bike for the price!
Oh come on lads, don't tell me you didn't try building a bike with all the recommendations just to see how it'd end up
Continental Gatorskins have been the tyres I swear by. I don't recall ever getting a puncture in years on them, and they feel great on my 700*25 and my 700*32.
Is the Ultrasport III worth switching over to, when these eventually get bald?
had been riding a set of Cntinental ulra sport for years on my singlespeed. During evey situation, this tire is super durable.
Shimano M520's are a nice pedal -
I am using the Deore XTs - PD-M8100; super great SPD pedals, nearly indestructible.
More of this, please.
Thanks for the tip on the JBL Clip Bluetooth speaker 👍 📻
Vietnam ❤❤ Best cycling video series ever
Also one of Top Gears best specials! :-)
7:29 currently running the Ultra Sport 3s,
For the money compared to the GP lineup, for what they can be purchased for here in Australia unless you find the GPS on a crazy sale,
The ultra sports are a solid solid choice
I refrain from skidding in them however, the rear brake has been adjusted to basically not skid, though the stopping power is significantly less 😂
Hey..
Super helpful vid this.
Just bought the Shimano pedals, and wanted to ask if you can recommend some good, (but not too expensive) footwear to suit please?
Great video guys (as always) and some belting recommendations...my shopping list just extended.
would love a link or list of items mentioned for easier purchasing!
More of this in the future please
On pedals, I like the PD-ME700 from Shimano more than the M520. They're a few more dollars/pounds, and I assume heavier, but in a pinch you can ride them in normal shoes. Not ride across Vietnam, but down to the store or a casual 20 minute ride at lunch is no problem. I've tried flat-spd combo pedals (I have a pair of MD324 on my dad bike), but it's a hassle to get the right side up for whatever shoe I'm wearing if I'm stopping a lot.
Thank you for some really good recomendations. Christmas is coming😁.
For my gravel bike I got Shimano M324 pedals. SPD clips on one side and flat pedal on the other ( there is a MTB version too) Options. After a year I switched to full on flat pedals.
Nice to see frame pumps making a come back. My first "real" bike was a Raleigh race bike that came with a frame pump, VERY early 70's 😮
Cheers 🌞🚴♀️🖖
Thanks for sharing reliable information for us basic rbs
A cheap dummy wheel is fantastic to have if you're leaving the rear tire off for a while, especially with a through axle.
Buying a gravel bike in france the Triban's were roughly €700 - €850 and Decathlon were not very helpful. Instead I went to a local family run store and got a Specialized Diverge E5 - just the base model. The shop gave me a free postural fitting and helped me to build the bike. With all the accessories - helmet, pedals, lock, lights, bottle cage, pump, bottle, mudguard, I think we ended up at about €1400 total with top end after-care service. I think the same would have cost me around €1100-€1200 all up at decathlon but without the support. I also think for future proofing the upgrades I might get or protecting resale value, going with the brand name bike was worthwhile too.
The M520 isn't the cheapest option in Shimano's SPD range. There's also the M505, which are a tad cheaper.
That aside the M520 is a great pair of pedals. They're sturdy, smooth, and they're easy to clip and unclip.
I use the same bartape, love it.
In Ultra sport 3 no puncture protection, gp 5000 have vectran breaker, ultra sport 3 is pure grip compound, gp 5000 is black chilli. Ultra sport 3 is a great budget tire but gp 5000 is way better tire in every ascpect expect the price.
I have claris on my CX-do-all bike, with 520 pedals. I cannot recommend this groupset more than the price should convince anyone to try it.
How about the old Zefal frame pump? It is also handy for swatting dogs that chase after you.
These products are great but beware the hidden weight products- I took my seat post out the other day and discovered/remembered the seat post pump I’d put in there 3 years ago…. And totally forgotten about. For 2 years at least, I’ve been carrying two pumps for absolutely no reason other than poor memory.
Agree on the ultrasport tire, ride 10k Km this year on it without puncture (i hope i didn't jinx my self there)...
Say, whats your take on the surly corner bar? I'm thinking about wacking one of those on my 26' MTB to get a road-style hand position without having to buy a new groupset (the old shimano deore XT 3x8 with hydraulic discs is still fine). I'd love to see you do a conversion like that
Valve Adapters, so you can fill up your tires at any Gas station around the world... Costs like 1,5€ and is so useful
I have a triban 120 with ultra sport tires, hehe. Been riding pretty nicely on a budget, cant lie.
I couldn't agree more (and I make those choices, too). Thanks
Uncented baby oil.... has been the oil of choice for my Shimano XT brakes for 12 years. Not dyed red though.
wonderful content! subscribed right away! that frame pump is amazing
may i add the panaracer agilest folding tires. grippy, light (200grams), durable and cheap
for bar tape i can add the og evkin brand. very comfy, light, durable and cheap
“Groupsets have never been such good value”… I still remember when you could get an 11 speed 105 groupset for under £250.
Tremendously good! I'll take one of everything please.
Funny, i race a bike with claris and a zero1 bar. The best cheap update though are compressionless cables. (For discs).
The short reach on the bar i dont like though. Being on a short endurance frame with a long 130 stem, i still want more reach.
Proper decent video! Well done boys
Question: People make a lot of noise about using too short of a stem, basically arguing that going from a 100mm stem to an 80 mm or shorter stem will "ruin the handling of the bike". However, short reach bars effectively to the same for handling when you are on the hoods. Short reach bars with a long stem put your hands relative to the steerer tube in the identical position as a short stem with long reach bars. So why are short reach bars not railed against the same way that short stems are?
Could be because short reach bars only make the most stable positions less stable, but a shorter stem makes all hand positions including the tops less stable. I don't know if that's the real reason, but it is something. As someone who went from average 44cm bars and 100mm stem to 36cm 65mm reach bars and 80mm stem, I don't think I ruined anything. The bike is definitely more responsive now, but also much more rideable. Turns out planking while trying to steer doesn't do wonders for handling either.