Looking for feedback on the Ghost Square Urban 6
IvanOpinion
Posts: 3
I've been researching hybrid/urban bikes for commuting use. I'm keen on low maintenance, so ideally I want Alfine hub gears (maybe Nexus 8), belt drive, disc brakes, and mudguards.
That sort of spec is available from a few brands, but it seems to come in at £1000 plus. Then I came across the Ghost Square Urban 6: http://www.ghost-bikes.com/en/bikes/lan ... e-urban-6/
It is £850 on Amazon.
But I can't find any reviews of it, so I wondered if anyone here has any experience of it?
If relevant, my intended use is as follows. Starting in September, I'm going to be doing a daily commute of about 8 miles each way, mainly on roads and partly on a cycle track with a good surface. No big hills - cumulative ascents of about 200 feet (and descents of 125 ft). (Leamington to Warwick University)
That sort of spec is available from a few brands, but it seems to come in at £1000 plus. Then I came across the Ghost Square Urban 6: http://www.ghost-bikes.com/en/bikes/lan ... e-urban-6/
It is £850 on Amazon.
But I can't find any reviews of it, so I wondered if anyone here has any experience of it?
If relevant, my intended use is as follows. Starting in September, I'm going to be doing a daily commute of about 8 miles each way, mainly on roads and partly on a cycle track with a good surface. No big hills - cumulative ascents of about 200 feet (and descents of 125 ft). (Leamington to Warwick University)
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Comments
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Rear derailleur really don't take that much maintenance, in fact I've found they need no more than the chain itself.
The belt drives need regular cleaning to prevent premature wear and the life isn't much better than a chain but replacement can be a right pain, especially if the pulleys are worn.Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.0 -
You may be overthinking this. A standard bike doesn't take much looking after at all. Check the tyres. Oil the chain and that's 90% of the work done.
Don't buy from Amazon. Buy from a local shop and they can service as and when required.0 -
It is a hell of a lump of a bike for a grand. You could buy both a MTB from Halfords and a Roadbike from Decathlon for the same price. I cannot see such a heavy aluminium bike being that much fun to ride - and fun is important. My Whyte was kilos lighter than that out of the box and hundreds cheaper - and because it was a nice responsive frame with a carbon front fork it was great fun to throw about too.
You might cut down on some maintenance - but frankly ten minutes wiping down and lubing can be therapeutic and that will reduce wear and tear massively. The hub gear and belt drive is a big selling point but I am not sure how much real world difference it makes; and if it stops the bike being fun then it is a waste of money.
Ride a Voodoo Marassa and a B'twin Triban on test and see what you think of well thought out but cheap bikes - you could buy both and still have a fair war chest to cover trips to LBS0 -
Thanks, all. I realise people have different views on this, and that there are trade-offs of maintenance/reliability vs weight and performance. I'll do some test drives.
But I'd still like to hear if anyone has experience of the Ghost Urban 6 and how it compares to its peers, such as the Canyon Commuter 4, VanMoof S3, Cube Travel SL or Pro, Kalkhoff Endeavour 8, Marin Fairfax SC4 Belt, Scott Silence Speed 10.0
