Pomp or Touche?
charliechalk
Posts: 229
I'm looking for a fixed wheel bike for 10 mile each-way commutes through London in all weathers. Must be able to take full mudguards and a rack. Budget of around œ500 but I'm flexible. So far I've got the On-One Pompino Pro and Pearson Touche on my shortlist. Can anyone offer advice regarding the two of them? Or add any other options to my shortlist?
Thanks
Charlie
Thanks
Charlie
0
Comments
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I like my pomp. I do 15 miles each way through London come rain or shine. Saying that I'd probably prefer something a bit more classic looking with caliper brakes. I utterly despise cantis. The Pomp's looks are a matter of taste - the rear triangle in particular is a bit marmite.
Doc0 -
I love that rear triangle. It's so damn structural.
Sam
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"You might remember that 'annoyed' is my natural state!"
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"Ya'd think we could just attracts ants, like normal people."0 -
Cotic Roadrat0
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99p for this?!?!0 -
Roadrat looks interesting - could even fit a front disc brake to make those rainy days a bit less hair-raising in the stopping department. I don't like the look of their standard build though.
How difficult is it to get hold of a frame and build a bike up around it? I'm fairly mechanically competent and do all my own manitenance on my road bike - fitted new BB cups, cranks and chainset the other day. Are there any good websites with a guide that I could follow?0 -
Try this, if your converting an existing road bike to fixed....
http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/columns ... indexb.htm0 -
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by charliechalk</i>
How difficult is it to get hold of a frame and build a bike up around it? I'm fairly mechanically competent and do all my own manitenance on my road bike - fitted new BB cups, cranks and chainset the other day. Are there any good websites with a guide that I could follow?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Easier than you'd think, especially with a frame like the Pomp where there are no weird obsolete seatpost size type issues that you can get with old frames. I even fitted the headset myself using a tool I made (!) after the lbs said it would cost me œ20 and I'd have to wait three weeks. You'll have the inevitable issues with what BB/chainset combo to get a good chainline I'm sure but there's plenty of help on here and from Sheldon Brown et al. The best thing about it is riding around on a bike that you built, and having more or less a unique bike fitted with the parts that you wanted. Minus frame and wheels it probably cost ~œ100, not too bad. I've been using mine since last autumn and nothing's fallen off yet!!
Doc0 -
I found the service from Cotic to be excellent when I came to order my frame and forks. I built my Roadrat as a fixed wheel and I had no dramas, all very straight forward.
Park Tools and Sheldon Brown are good websites if you get totally lost.0 -
I can't comment on Pomps, not having ridden one, but I have a Pearson Touche and like it very much indeed. Have done everything from London riding to hard training to 100k audaxes on it. It's comfy, fast and pretty bomb-proof, as a good fixed should be. Mudguards are excellent (I never take 'em off) and the rack mounts look good (but I can't bring myself to sully its clean lines with a rack).
Only beef is that the Tektro brake is a bit rubbish on mine: it's worth getting a rear fitted too, even if you're going fixed.0 -
Thanks for all the replies so far. I think I'll have to take a trip out to Pearson's and try a Touche.
FixedBear, what components did you build up your Roadrat with?0 -
I have to admit that the spec ended up a little more bling than I originally intended, but most of the parts I had already and just needed to purchase headset and bottom bracket.
Wheels: CXP33 on Phil Wood Kiss off hubs
Chainset: Middleburn RS7, EAI cog (16T), Blackspire front ring (46T), Time atac pedals, UN54 BB
Brake: Magura HS66
Controls: Deda time-trial bar, Planet x Stem, Thompson seat post, Fizik saddle
Very pleased with the bike, never ridden a Pomp or Touche, so can not provide a comparison.0 -
touche looks much much nicer than the pompino
winter: http://tinyurl.com/2xkbbs
summer: http://tinyurl.com/2hsagv0 -
Cotic is a brilliant example of the microbrand doing its thing very well. Bear in mind the Roadrat is geometry-ed around flat bars, if that's a consideration.
Pompino is great commuter, I rather like the look of the Touche but have never seen a live one. What kind of metal do you like - do you subscribe to the steel mystique thing? Genesis Flyer worth a look?0 -
genesis flyer has been subject to whisperings on the forum with regard to chainline and a few other issues... be wary
winter: http://tinyurl.com/2xkbbs
summer: http://tinyurl.com/2hsagv0 -
I don't like flats particularly - I ride drops at the moment, but for a dedicated commute bike I'd probably use midge bars, as I like the hand position when on drops, but hardly ever get onto them in London traffic. Would the Roadrat's geometry exclude that type of bar?
Regarding metals/Flyer, the only bikes I've ever ridden seriously are my Felt road bike (alu with carbon fork and seatstays) and my Dawes tandem (531). The Dawes ride is much smoother and comfier, but as it's a tandem I'm not sure it's a fair comparison. To be honest, although the road bike can be a bit of a filling-rattler, I'd never say it was uncomfortable, so I'd say I don't have any particular allegience.
Ridgeback Flyer looks like a nice machine, but doesn't look like it has enough clearance for full guards - can anyone confirm this?
Cheers again for the help0 -
This guy used Midge bars on a Roadrat build, you will need a short stem.
http://www.essencebicycle.co.nz/news.php?extend.300 -
That Roadrat build looks pretty nice to me - I like the solid bombproof look of it, though not convinced on all that seatpost.
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