Planet X London Road
Comments
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Also, I know the general question has been discussed elsewhere, but is the hydraulic version of the SRAM Rival build worth the extra 200 quid over the mechanical?0
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PhilPub wrote:Adamgt wrote:I just spent some time fitting it this evening so it's all ready for a ride out in the morning.
How was it? Good to know about the tyres swap. I'm thinking something around the 32c mark will suit my needs.
My setup went quick and easy. It comes pretty much ready to ride out of the box, so I only had to turn the bars and adjust positions a bit to get it ready. Took about 30 minutes in total.
I'm currently running 28c PLanet X Gutter Snipes on the bike, and it is riding like a dream. I've then got the Continental CX tyres for off-road blasts. The difference between 23c's and 28+'s has been amazing.0 -
PhilPub wrote:Also, I know the general question has been discussed elsewhere, but is the hydraulic version of the SRAM Rival build worth the extra 200 quid over the mechanical?
Personally I don't see the point. I used hydraulics on my MTB, but I depend on my brakes much more on that than I do on the road bike. A snapped cable on a rocky descent would not be fun! I'm very happy with my cable brakes on the London Road, and i'd chose to save the cash as they do a great job.0 -
MountainMonster wrote:Personally I don't see the point. I used hydraulics on my MTB, but I depend on my brakes much more on that than I do on the road bike. A snapped cable on a rocky descent would not be fun! I'm very happy with my cable brakes on the London Road, and i'd chose to save the cash as they do a great job.
Thanks. I was thinking along these lines; 200 quid would get me a rack and a very nice set of Ortlieb panniers.0 -
Adamgt wrote:My London Road finally arrived today after waiting in until 4pm
, so not had a chance to ride it yet. I thought I'd post photos though as I know there's not many around online.
This is the large Apex version and I got them to swap the tyres for Conti GP 4 seasons 28mm, which are very lightweight.
Adam
Did PX let you spec all black finishing kit without charging extra on the Apex version? Looking at getting the Small version for my wife and we were put off the Apex version as the online options were all for silver finishing kit. We thought by the time we'd replaced it all with black aftermarket stuff we may as well just go for the Rival version!MountainMonster wrote:PhilPub wrote:Also, I know the general question has been discussed elsewhere, but is the hydraulic version of the SRAM Rival build worth the extra 200 quid over the mechanical?
Personally I don't see the point. I used hydraulics on my MTB, but I depend on my brakes much more on that than I do on the road bike. A snapped cable on a rocky descent would not be fun! I'm very happy with my cable brakes on the London Road, and i'd chose to save the cash as they do a great job.
I can't really compare to mechanical discs as I've never had them. I have had Avid Juicys on my old Focus mountain bike and I actually think the Rival Hydraulics are even better than those.
So although I don't have direct experience with mech discs, my reasoning for getting the hydro version was formed as follows:
- I have read many reviews of cross/disc road bikes that essentially bemoaned the fact that the discs weren't hydraulic
- Lots of forum discussions around with people getting fed up with their BB7s and looking to try others (e.g. TRP Hy/Rd)
- I commute on my bike everyday and I don't want to be fiddling with the brakes all the time.
- I liked the modulation provided by the Avid Juicys and by all accounts mechanical discs don't offer that.
So, I was concerned that I would be mildly dissatisfied with the BB7s and would then feel the need to spend ~some~ money changing them.
Now, that could either mean a couple of hundred switching to TRP Hy/Rd - at which point I'm up to the grand I could've spent to have full Rival 22 Hydro groupset.
Or
It could be going the whole hog and spending around 500 quid upgrading to Rival 22 Hydro.
Seemed like a no brainer to go with the Hydro version based on the above thoughts. You and others may feel differently but I think the hydro version of this bike is commuting perfection. Today was my first wet commute and I was blown away by the confidence I had in the bike - the power and feel of the brakes was a huge part of this, along with the fat tyres keeping me glued to the road.0 -
Hi Ryan. Yes I called them and asked if I could change the silver bits to black. I ordered the bike as normal online then called then to swap out these items. Seatpost, stem, handlebars and bar tape.Cannondale Trail SL 1 29er
Planet X London Road0 -
Adamgt wrote:Hi Ryan. Yes I called them and asked if I could change the silver bits to black. I ordered the bike as normal online then called then to swap out these items. Seatpost, stem, handlebars and bar tape.
Perfect, thanks Adam0 -
MountainMonster wrote:PhilPub wrote:Also, I know the general question has been discussed elsewhere, but is the hydraulic version of the SRAM Rival build worth the extra 200 quid over the mechanical?
Personally I don't see the point. I used hydraulics on my MTB, but I depend on my brakes much more on that than I do on the road bike. A snapped cable on a rocky descent would not be fun! I'm very happy with my cable brakes on the London Road, and i'd chose to save the cash as they do a great job.
Personally I would say the opposite. Whenever you use your brakes and on whatever type of bike, you will depend on them. I cant imagine a cable snapping though. But hydraulic brakes are more powerful and give better feel and fine modulation. Hydraulic brakes never need adjustment (some people but not all fine they need to constantly adjust their cable discs). Hydraulic brakes also tend to have bigger pads and as a result dissipate heat better.
When a car pulls across the road in front of me while I am at high speed, I thank my lucky stars that I have hydraulic brakes and 28mm tyres...0 -
I've recently taken delivery of my Rival 22 version. I haven't had chance to ride it yet but have noticed that the front mech cable rubs on the rear brake cable, stopping the front mech cable from having a clean line to the bb cable guide. The rear brake cable is sandwiched between the downtube and the front mech cable so the front mech cable deviates from a straight line by a few mm.
Is this how all London Roads have been set up? I was wondering if I could get a cleaner line by passing the front mech cable between downtube and the rear brake cable?0 -
Considering getting the SRAM Rival 22 build (in zesty lime, natch) to replace the fixie I've been using to commute on which now has a cracked frame. Thinking this would also do for winter training, and then be a useful bike to own for potential future touring, tow/cycle path rides etc.
Only ever had Shimano groupsets before, what do I need to know about the SRAM Rival by comparison? How are owners of the BB7s finding them? I'm thinking they're probably going to be a welcome upgrade to rim brakes in wet weather anyway, so not going to worry too much about how much better hydro discs might be.
According to the PX size chart I'd be a large based on my height, and my PX Pro Carbon SL is a large too and fits well, so that sounds about right.0 -
staffo wrote:I've recently taken delivery of my Rival 22 version. I haven't had chance to ride it yet but have noticed that the front mech cable rubs on the rear brake cable, stopping the front mech cable from having a clean line to the bb cable guide. The rear brake cable is sandwiched between the downtube and the front mech cable so the front mech cable deviates from a straight line by a few mm.
Is this how all London Roads have been set up? I was wondering if I could get a cleaner line by passing the front mech cable between downtube and the rear brake cable?
Yes, on mine it crosses the hydraulic line over the top of a cable tie. I can't see this adding any extra friction in this case because of the cable tie. Not sure about cable against cable though.0 -
Cheers guys, plenty to think about. Like Graeme, I'm thinking that the disc brakes will be an upgrade compared to the rim brakes that I'm used to (and quite frankly, I think my SRAM Force rim brakes are excellent), and another small consideration is the lever/hood shape, which is something I definitely like about the traditional SRAM levers.
Graeme - I moved from Shimano to SRAM a while back and whilst I'm happy using either they're certainly different. On the one hand, I probably prefer Shimano for ease of shifting, as the double-click of SRAM takes a little getting used to when changing to a bigger sprocket/smaller gear, but shifting is nice and crisp. Also, since the brake lever only moves back and forth and not side to side, braking feels more assured, and I prefer the lever shape overall but that's personal preference.
...And, I've also compared the geometry to my PX Pro Carbon (medium) and decided that the same size should be ideal, i.e. pretty much the same fit but with a slightly more upright position. I'll get the calculator out again when ordering to make sure I select the right stem length!0 -
can you tell me what the biggest cyclocross tyre you have fitted in your london road?
cheers0 -
Thanks for the information on Sram shifting, am I right in thinking you can only move one gear at a time and not three as you can with Shimano shifting?
Sram vs Shimano is what I'm left debating with at the moment, the Sram has the auto-trim front derailleur which sounds useful and the hydraulics are supposedly easier to bleed however Shimano is what I'm used to and quite happy with on the road bike. The closest Shimano hydraulic build I can find to the London Road is the Pinnacle Arkose Four at £1250 plus potentially I could go see that in the flesh first.0 -
Johnmcl7 wrote:Thanks for the information on Sram shifting, am I right in thinking you can only move one gear at a time and not three as you can with Shimano shifting?
Sram vs Shimano is what I'm left debating with at the moment, the Sram has the auto-trim front derailleur which sounds useful and the hydraulics are supposedly easier to bleed however Shimano is what I'm used to and quite happy with on the road bike. The closest Shimano hydraulic build I can find to the London Road is the Pinnacle Arkose Four at £1250 plus potentially I could go see that in the flesh first.
You can move up three cogs at a time on SRAM, just push the lever further.
The double tap system has a single click for shifing to a smaller cog which gets 'ignored' when you push a bit further and hear the second click, you can then push further still and will get up to two further clicks. It's a great system and really easy to master. I've only had shimano on mountain or hybrid bikes, not on a road bike so can't really do a fair comparison. I do, however, appreciate the fact I can just grab hold of the brake lever with no prospect of accidentally shifting (and vice versa - shift with no unintended braking).
The yaw front derailleur is a great idea too - you can use any combination of gears without rub.
Why not find a local store that has a SRAM equipped bike in stock that you can have a try on?0 -
Planning to start my cycle to work order today, but I'm still torn between the £799.99 model with the BB7s and the £999.99 bike with hydro discs.
Just had a lengthy conversation with a colleague at work who's had a hydro disced mountain bike and a mechanical disced hybrid in the past and had just about convinced me to go mechanical on this bike when another colleague came up, asked what we were talking about said "you've got to go hydro" and walked off.
Main attraction is lower maintenance of the hydros, but my colleague was saying mechanical discs are way easier to adjust than rim brakes anyway, so I'm already onto a winner.
Any thoughts?0 -
I see they've got the frameset on offer for £150, which is an amazing price. It's the silver and blue which is the worst colour, but still, very tempted to get one even though I haven't got all the components to build a new bike, or anywhere to put a new bike, or the available wife points!0
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markhewitt1978 wrote:I see they've got the frameset on offer for £150, which is an amazing price. It's the silver and blue which is the worst colour, but still, very tempted to get one even though I haven't got all the components to build a new bike, or anywhere to put a new bike, or the available wife points!
Just do what I do, order bits to the office and then say it's the same one i've had for years if she sees it in the garage!0 -
MountainMonster wrote:markhewitt1978 wrote:I see they've got the frameset on offer for £150, which is an amazing price. It's the silver and blue which is the worst colour, but still, very tempted to get one even though I haven't got all the components to build a new bike, or anywhere to put a new bike, or the available wife points!
Just do what I do, order bits to the office and then say it's the same one i've had for years if she sees it in the garage!
If only we had a garage then that would be fine!
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Well I only got to go out for a ride on Saturday morning but enjoyed it a lot. I'm fairly new to road cycling coming from MTB and just couldn't get on with the position on the Allez or CAAD8 bikes I had bought over the last 2 years. This though is much more comfortable, obviously because of the geometry but also because of stability and the wider tyres.
I'd hardly managed many rides over 90 minutes over the last 6 months and had stuck to my MTB but I enjoyed a good couple of hours on Saturday. It's a few pounds heavier than my last bike but I'm better off losing weight to shed the pounds for my rides until I get fitter and increase my core strength. Overall a good buy for me!
Cannondale Trail SL 1 29er
Planet X London Road0 -
Adamgt wrote:Well I only got to go out for a ride on Saturday morning but enjoyed it a lot. I'm fairly new to road cycling coming from MTB and just couldn't get on with the position on the Allez or CAAD8 bikes I had bought over the last 2 years. This though is much more comfortable, obviously because of the geometry but also because of stability and the wider tyres.
I'd hardly managed many rides over 90 minutes over the last 6 months and had stuck to my MTB but I enjoyed a good couple of hours on Saturday. It's a few pounds heavier than my last bike but I'm better off losing weight to shed the pounds for my rides until I get fitter and increase my core strength. Overall a good buy for me!
Glad to hear you're as happy with it as I am! Comfort is paramount for hobby cyclists, and the wider tyres help a lot!0 -
Had a trip out today with the bike in CX mode at Thetford Forest. My mate was out for the first time in 3 years, so we only managed around 10 miles but the bike was an absolute blast to ride on the trails. My mate ripped me about being on a road bike until 5 minutes into the ride, when he realised how quick CX bikes are, and stopped questioning not having suspension.
It was a great day out on the bike and this has simply gotten me more excited to ride it in Austria this summer on some routes that I know are going to be even more fun!0 -
Had a blast when I took my Tiagra London Road off road. Took my lad in the Burley trailer and did a trail in the lakes. Never tried MTB before so even dragging a trailer I had fun. Want to get out without the trailer sometime off road that is.
What sort of off road terrain have you taken your bike on? Muddy trails or rocky trails?0 -
I was riding in Dalby on a MTB at the weekend, obviously CX bikes can't do the likes of red routes, but on the gravel roads I was wondering if the likes of the London road with suitable tyres would be able to cope well?0
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I took mine on the Eskdale trail which is not hard but there were a few rocky bits and it coped. Towing a trailer too with kit in. I thought it was a CX bike but the PX blurb seems to mention it being a commuter for rougher roads capable of gravel tracks too. Personally I found it coped well with the rocks and mud on the bridlepath I rode. Mind you the roads I commute on are worse than the bridlepaths / gravel tracks in the lakes at times. I find it as comfortable on the same sorts of routes I took my specialized crosstrail sport hybrid with front suspension.
Mind you as a kid I took my road bike over Salter fell between Ribble Valley and Lancaster. That is a track but also a rough bridlepath at times back then. It had either 700x23 or 25 tyres on it at the time. Things can be tougher than you think but I guess that does depend on the weight of the user and the kit on the bike. I was sub 10stone back then and even now only about 13.5stone so not a big load.
I think mud trails and gravel tracks are not a problem. If you are doing graded trails I guess you weight and the handling skills you have play a big thing. Perhaps new wheelset for the rougher stuff (more spokes on the rear wheel perhaps front too??) might be an idea.
PS anyone see that vid of the roadie doing all those off road bits on the way to this bike show? IIRC it was through the Bristol area and on to the midlands. The rider took all these trick in and rough trails that are MTB territory.0 -
London road will be fine on gravel forest roads etc, it will cope with blue routes without much of a problem. I took mine around the red route at Gisburn forest and to be honest that was too much for it, had to slow down on the rough stuff to the extent that it wasn't much fun.... absolutely flies on smoother off road stuff though, as do all cx/adventure/gravel bikes (they are all basically the same concept)
Ideally you want some cx tyres on at lower pressure rather than a 25mm road tyre.0 -
My front stock Continental Sport Contact tyre somehow got a nasty cut in the sidewall and was bulging so I have been commuting on my 34mm Vittoria Cross XG Pro tyres this week. Haven't actually tried these off road yet. They are occasionally fouling the mudguards over rough ground or heavy load but I haven't bothered to adjust since I've ordered a set of Vittoria Voyager Hypers to try next - these seem to be the best regarded high volume tyre and they weigh about 150 grams less each than the Conti's that came on the bike!
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Forgot to mention - I was surprised to find on changing the tyres that the tubes Planet X had used were tiny and marked as 18-23mm. The tyres are 37mm!!!0
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London road will be fine on gravel forest roads etc, it will cope with blue routes without much of a problem. I took mine around the red route at Gisburn forest and to be honest that was too much for it, had to slow down on the rough stuff to the extent that it wasn't much fun.... absolutely flies on smoother off road stuff though, as do all cx/adventure/gravel bikes (they are all basically the same concept)
Ideally you want some cx tyres on at lower pressure rather than a 25mm road tyre.
Cheers. I was thinking of two uses, firstly a bike to ride around at work, to save bringing my carbon road bike in the boot. Secondly to put some fat tyres on it and blast around the forests, or more likely the local bridleways.0
