Bicycle Bargain Hunt- a real bobby dazzler

stuaff

Having been shopping on eBay again (one of these days, I might actually buy a really new one....), today I journeyed to the Outer Limits (Zone 5!! High Barnet...not been past Kentish Town on the Northern Line before) to meet the seller of my new(ish) Viner and bring it home. Sent him a text once the train was above ground, and I can't have been in the station car park two minutes before there was a car pulling in with a road bike on the roof rack. Was that him, perchance? Why yes. So, after a good chinwag and a quick adjustment of the saddle, a tentative first ridette in the car park to check fit, deal was done. £785, to save you looking up the completed listing SPD pedals, bottle cages, spare tube and tools thrown in. The bike was exactly as described- not quite showroom condition (OMG! Teeny nicks on a decal here and there!), but clearly low mileage and well looked after. A gentle perambulate around Barnet to get more used to the bike, (getting lost was not an issue, just more practice!) and then home (New Barnet station for train into Kings Cross, then bike/walking as necessary/safe to get to Waterloo).

It had been a very long time since I'd been on a drop bar bike- a decade I think, not sure exactly when I got rid of my last one. That was an old Peugeot something-or-other. Haven't a clue about what frame material, what mech it had, think it had 27" tyres. Downtube shifters, suicide levers for the brakes- never used them, so I was on the drops all the time, no hoods. It never braked that well even when it had just been serviced. Plain dangerous at times, frankly. Very quick, but a pain in the neck (metaphorically, probably literally if I ever used it for a long distance) and absolutely rock hard. Whether it was the frame, crap tyres at the wrong pressure, or what. It wasn't 'feel the road', it was 'read the road markings through the horrendous vibration going through your entire body'. I was fond of it, but when I got rid of it I wasn't that sorry to see it go either. Its replacement was a 26" hybrid, and the ride was a magic carpet in comparison.

My Dahons might have aluminum frames and hinges, but they both ride really well. Yes, you can feel road buzz, but the wide tyres, the rear shock in the case of the Jetstream, and the Ergon grips all keep that to reasonable levels. They're both more than acceptable for long-distance riding. I hadn't test ridden a Magnifica, reviews were short on the ground (the one on this here site is the '09 version with revised frame, mine's an older one) but as my LBS Velocity are a Viner dealer, I naturally asked Mike the boss about ride quality etc. 'Firm' was the short answer. In terms of what I had in mind for a road bike, the 'big name' manufacturer list would be Spesh Roubaix, Trek Madone, Scott CR1 (2010 version). IE a bike aimed at 'the more mature rider', or 'the rider who has to deal with typical British potholed roads and doesn't like being rattled to bits'. I had been bidding on a Roubaix Expert a week or two before I saw the Viner. Those retail for £2200 or so, plus the owner had fitted Dura Ace 7850 wheels, so nearly £3Ks worth. My limit was £1799, it went for £1849...slightly annoying at the time, but I think I'd rather have the change in my bank account plus the Viner. Roubaix was higher spec (Ultegra SL, that wheelset, etc), but I honestly don't know if the Zertz inserts etc make that much difference to the ride. And over £1000 better? Hmmm....Nope, Veloce and Khamsins will do nicely for the time being.

With the above in mind, I was slightly nervous about riding the thing for the first time. It was a pleasant surprise, though I did manage to drop the chain in about two minutes. Yes, the ride was firm, but damped as well. Hard to compare to the Dahons, haven't ridden it for long enough or on the same roads yet, but even on 23mm tyres compared to 40mm, it was excellent. The Dahons are both more sporting than spongy, so the Magnifica wasn't a complete culture shock. The rubber may be much narrower and much higher pressure, but the frame compensates to an extent, no rattles going through the frame. My bottles should be safe on fast descents....

Got used to the drops again pretty quickly, liked using the hoods. Not IMHO 'better' than a good flat-bar setup for urban use, but as good. Handling not quite as zingy as the Jetstream, 700Cs aren't ever going to turn like 20 inchers. But it accelerates as least as well (lower overall weight against smaller lower drag wheels, admittedly one now with a hub gear in it- not going to bother weighing all that up) and certainly agile. And IP can rest easy, I won't be ripping the Campag off. Like the shifting action, got used to it really quickly, and it all works well. The traditional freewheel clicky thing is an acquired taste, fortunately one I like. Pleasant sound. Is it supposed to click when you're pedalling as well, just a bit, though?

The SPDs will be staying on- I'm not buying another pair of shoes and cleats just to ride one of three bikes, and then stumble around when I get where I ride to (Yes, I ride to places, not just go for a ride!). I like SPDs, it ain't broke so it ain't getting fixed. No permanent mudguards, will probably get a set of RaceBlades just in case, though I might leave riding in the rain to the other two bikes.

Graphics etc are 'different'- lots of 'Magnifica's here there and everywhere, think the '09 version looks better, I'd prefer 'bare' carbon to the cosmetic layer, but mine still looks fab. Blue's a nice shade. And having the bike's name all over makes a change from 'High Tensile Tactical Neural Implant' and other marketing BS.

In short, chuffed. Booked into Velocity for a proper fitting on Saturday. And yes, fellow trippers, it will be on the train on the 21st (I presciently booked cycle reservations just in case). Collective noun for Viners? Maximum Magnificence perhaps....
And it is well-named. Magnifica indeed!

Aguila

This thread needs a picture surely?

spasypaddy

funnily enough i live in barnet and i just went past the station twice, once on the way up the hill once on the way down!!

Do you know who the guy that sold it to you rides for and what his current bike is?

AndyManc

I'm not reading all that :shock: , I'll wait till the video comes out.



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stuaff

Aguila wrote:

This thread needs a picture surely?

Rest assured, Italian bike porn (safe for work) will follow.

stuaff

spasypaddy wrote:

funnily enough i live in barnet and i just went past the station twice, once on the way up the hill once on the way down!!

Do you know who the guy that sold it to you rides for and what his current bike is?

The guy lives in Bromsgrove. He and the wife were visiting the mother-in-law for lunch, so it was mutually convenient to sort the handover there, instead of me traipsing up to Brum and back. He hadn't ridden it much, had other bikes, and also was getting into another expensive hobby- photography. Hence sale of Magnifica.

stuaff

AndyManc wrote:

I'm not reading all that :shock: , I'll wait till the video comes out.



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Short version: Bought a bobby dazzler of a bike, it was cheap as chips (well, almost).