Tricross single, Touche, Paddy Wagon or other?

Bemmiebiker

Need a quick decision - have until the end of the week to take advantage of cyclescheme offer.

Basically looking for a ss commuting bike that I can fit guards and rack to, but that I can also take that stuff off and have some fun on. (already have geared road bike and mtb as well)

The bike will do 16/17 miles a day across Bristol on the commute, an occasional fun ride (could be all road or include some towpath/cyclepath, hence the tricross idea) and plenty of pottering around at the weekend with kids, maybe including towing a trailer sometimes.

Keen to have something that is/feels pretty fast, hence why I haven't put pompino in there and looking at £600 max with guards and rack

Is one of the above the best, or do I just get a langster and stick raceblades and pclips on it?

il_principe

Well I've got a Touche and absolutely love it. The guys at Pearson will spec it up for you with mudguardsg, racks, your choice of gearing etc. They're a very helpful bunch.

Greg T

I've got a Paddy Wagon and I like it a lot.....

I haven't ridden any other singlies however so I can't give you a steer on the the relative merits.

I would say that the PW isn't the lightest bike - if I was looking to change the frame I might get something a little less agricultural....

I like the look of the touche though - isn't that JBs bike? (edited to add - well yes it is as he beat me to the draw above.....)

http://www.pearsoncycles.co.uk/category/340/BIKES_SINGLE_SPEED_AND_FIXED

The Giant Bowery have a cult (well two) following on here and are looking good value...

salsarider79

I've got a friend in norwich who brought a tricross, sold it to get a more serious ss road bike, then missed his tricross so much he bought another one.
His has riser bars and he uses it for commuting and MTB rides. For the roads around Bristol/towpath/etc I'd go for the tricross.

spacey99

I've got a Touche and can also vouch for it and the guys in the shop. Great bike.

lost_in_thought

The bowery (I'm one of the two) I got from Pearson's is great - very cheap which gives you more cash to spend on customising it.

I can also second/third/fourth the recommendation of Pearson's the shop - they really are brilliant - can't do enough for you.

jonginge

Also got a Touche. Love it. The Pearson guys give you a choice on cog sizes, too.

snooks

Bemmiebiker wrote:

Need a quick decision - have until the end of the week to take advantage of cyclescheme offer.

Are you sure you have to rush?...I went with the cycle to work scheme....Just get the most money you can and spend it on a bike! ...get the money!

By the time the voucher comes through, if my experience is anything to go by, the bikes now will be the end of the line, and the one you want might be out of stock when you get your money....not all bad though, the 2009 models will be coming out so the 2008 models go down in price...just a thought

Bemmiebiker

Thanks for the responses guys (and LIT) - think I'm leaning to the touche from pearsons.

Reason for the rush is my employer only runs the scheme in fits and starts and this year's scheme runs out at the end of the week.

Seems wrong to be buying bikes when I'm currently stuck at home recovering from a knee op (luckily one that cycling will help with the recovery of, so I'm not a complete loon buying an ss with a dodgy knee). Anyway got to take every opportunity....

Will give pearsons a call this afternoon and see if I can get all the paperwork done by the deadline.

Cheers

biondino

Is the Pearson pronounced "toosh" or "touché"? And is the similarly named saddle a "toop" or a "toupé"? I like to think the latter in both cases.

lost_in_thought

[language geek rambling]

'm going to go with toosh... if it doesn't have the accent printed I'm maintaining that it shouldn't be there...

touche = touch / key
touché = touched/affected

Therefore I'm sticking with toosh...

No idea on the saddle...

[/language geek rambling]

il_principe

biondino wrote:

Is the Pearson pronounced "toosh" or "touché"? And is the similarly named saddle a "toop" or a "toupé"? I like to think the latter in both cases.

It's "Touché" says so on my frame . Not sure about the saddle but I've always gone with "toupé."

lost_in_thought

Nyaha! I take it all back. Did you pop outside and check?!

jonginge

lost_in_thought wrote:

Nyaha! I take it all back. Did you pop outside and check?!

Storing bikes outside :shock: It's at the other end of the office

Littigator

Wait oof hey...puff pant...just a minute wait for me

I've got a bowery and a toupe...hello?

glances around but everyone has already left the conversation

oh

il_principe

JonGinge wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Nyaha! I take it all back. Did you pop outside and check?!

Storing bikes outside :shock: It's at the other end of the office

Outside, OUTSIDE? Are you quite mad? My bike lives in the office, behind a little partition the MD made me go out and buy.

Outside!

* mutters.

lost_in_thought

jashburnham wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Nyaha! I take it all back. Did you pop outside and check?!

Storing bikes outside :shock: It's at the other end of the office

Outside, OUTSIDE? Are you quite mad? My bike lives in the office, behind a little partition the MD made me go out and buy.

Outside!

* mutters.

At the Dutch company I used to work for my bike had its own little office... now I have to use a lamppost

Hilarious to have a bike partition... and great to have such a tolerant MD!

il_principe

lost_in_thought wrote:

At the Dutch company I used to work for my bike had its own little office... now I have to use a lamppost

Hilarious to have a bike partition... and great to have such a tolerant MD!

yep I'm very lucky. The MD cycles too. I use the term "cycles" quite wrongly as he rides a Gary Fisher "Wingra." It's a ridiculous excuse for a bike but better than nothing I suppose.

il_principe

The in-office bike park:

lost_in_thought

Damn! I can't see it!

And I have no idea what a 'Wingra' is, apart from that it sounds very silly...

N0bodyOfTheGoat

I don't want to put a hole in your bucket, so to speak, but isn't Bristol too hilly for a single speed or a fixed? I'm not peronally familiar with the area, but I always got the impression from others that it was rather undulating, like the east side of Southampton.

As a little experiment, to picture single speeding, I tried my commute home using 50-21 ratio (which is very generous compared to standard SS bikes) last night. I travelled east out of Southampton for about 4 miles with no real problem, but then came Chessel Avenue, where I quickly ran out of steam and had to drop to my 36T chainring. When I reached Peartree Avenue, I was able to revert to the 50T again to get home.

Anyway back to your predicament... has to be the Tricross Sport or the Single, depending on your inclination (and how much your voucher is for), or perhaps the Pro if your voucher exceeds £1000 due to your employer having a special credit license. Its a great looking, versitile all-rounder.

flybywire

I have an '08 Tricross SS which is ideal for 15mile commute..

It's rolling 4miles to tow-path 9mile blast & another 2 on road into Newbury.

Owned this bike for 3weeks, changing sprocket to 16t from 18 (42t chainring fitted) will be better on the flat but more work uphill (although bike is light and easily "honks" out of saddle).

Next upgrade is lighter wheels, Mavic Aksiums maybe.

bought for £349 from £449 from lbs in Newbury

attica

Hi Bemmie

If as your username suggests you live up Bedminster, why not get down to Strada, Mike is a good bloke and has his own bespoke range of singlies that I think have lugs.
Failing that I ride a Paddywagon, it's heavy but fun, and does have lugs for racks/guards.
You will struggle to get it up windmill hill though.
Given the choice I think I'd have gone to Pearsons to get a bike, but my C2W scheme locked me in to H******ds, pah!.

Interested to know what you get and how you get on, keep us posted.
Cheers Drive

Dunston_checks_in

NitrousOxide wrote:

I don't want to put a hole in your bucket, so to speak, but isn't Bristol too hilly for a single speed or a fixed? I'm not peronally familiar with the area, but I always got the impression from others that it was rather undulating, like the east side of Southampton.

Bristol is bloody hilly, and I for one wouldn't like to commute any distance on a fixie/SS (I go 8.5 miles each way and like my gears - not least because I have a 20% climb to negotiate on each leg of my journey). That said, there are plenty who do though I'm guessing most don't go much more than 2 or three miles (though Attica crosses half of Somerset on his Paddy Wagon...).

+ I would echo Attica's point about Strada. They are really good. They stock or can get hold of Surly Steamrollers too which is another one you might want to add to your list...

Bemmiebiker

Thanks for comments re:strada guys. I've had a chat with him about his own singles, its about as far as can make it on my crutches at the moment.

I think my choice now is down to touche vs strada's own make. Didn't include strada on the original mail as didn't think anyone would know it.

The only complication now is a bit of resistance from the primary budget holder in the house - we are just in the process of moving to a more expensive house and my decision to take £30+ off my monthly take home for a 3rd/4th bike is being questioned....got some sums to do.

Will let you know which way the dice fall.