Specialized Globe IG8

Matteeboy
Matteeboy Posts: 996
edited September 2007 in Commuting chat
Hi all,

Wife and I have got got a pair of bikes to share (we are similar sizes!) - One being a Globe IG8 Comp - 8 speed Nexus hub gears and a carbon fork.
Put a rack and mudguards on it as it's for pootling to town in and carrying a baby (due November).
Highly recommend it - Very quick, comfortable and easy to use:

Globe.jpg

Other bike is a Stumpjumper Comp but that's for the MTB section!
Two Stumpjumpers, a Rockhopper Disk and an old British Eagle.

http://www.cornwallmtb.kk5.org

Comments

  • How odd, after work today I am pootling down to Evans to see if they have that exact one for me to test ride (my employer has chosen Evans for cycle2work scheme).
  • Matteeboy
    Matteeboy Posts: 996
    Total - hope you like it!
    Very impressed with it - nice comfy fast bike.

    Just one word of warning - the lowest gear isn't all that low!
    Two Stumpjumpers, a Rockhopper Disk and an old British Eagle.

    http://www.cornwallmtb.kk5.org
  • Really? Will look out for that. Currently got an old 3-speed sturmey archer hub and the lowest gear on that isn't particularly low either, once it hits the slightest incline (and it's not like I'm asking it to do proper hills either). But then the bike does weigh a ton.
  • Matteeboy
    Matteeboy Posts: 996
    Total - We do cycle up pretty major hills but the lowest on the Globe is about the same as the middle ring, 3rd from lowest (rear) gear on my Stumpy.
    A hill we could do okay on our old MTBs is pretty hard work on the Globe.
    Fine for reasonable hills though.

    Keen to hear your thoughts though.
    Two Stumpjumpers, a Rockhopper Disk and an old British Eagle.

    http://www.cornwallmtb.kk5.org
  • Don't worry about the gears - you'll get fitter!
  • Well I went and luckily they had one in, but in the next size up to the one I needed. I decided to have a go anyway :roll:

    Some forummers will know that I am currently making do with an extremely heavy, solid, sit up and beg ladies bike. I've actually never ridden anything other than old, heavy, secondhand bikes. This was quite a change :shock:

    It was actually a really weird sensation to have a bike that was a) not weighing a ton b) actually had effective brakes and c) had smooth gears and I think it will take getting used to, I felt rather unsettled! It didn't help that it was too big for me, my arms were stretched out straight to reach the handlebars. It felt all light and flighty compared to the bike I'm currently riding! But I think it will be great once I'm used to it.

    Sadly it was a central London store so no way of really testing the low gears on hils, but I rarely need to tackle real hills anyway so they're not a dealbreaker.

    I've decided to get one in the next size down to the one I tried (the man's frame, as I don't see the point of dropped crossbars as I've long enough legs) and it's to be fitted with black mudguards and rack just like yours is, come to think of it.

    Now I've got the exact price I need to apply for the voucher through HR, so will have to wait another couple of weeks, but should have it before winter kicks in properly.
  • TN - Glad you liked it!
    We've got a 55cm (weird that it's metric!) - Wife is 5'6", I'm 5'8" and fits us both fine.
    You'd need a pretty serious hill to be defeated (reckon our driveway is about 1 in 3!) to be honest.
    Hope the smaller one fits you okay - we went for a blokes one - the womans frame seemed a bit silly and wife is fine with a bloke frame (we sort of share the MTB and Globe but the Globe is mostly hers!).

    Suspension seatpost and Zertz fork inserts really helps smooth out cobbles and similar.
    Two Stumpjumpers, a Rockhopper Disk and an old British Eagle.

    http://www.cornwallmtb.kk5.org
  • The 55cm is the one I've gone for, I was much too stretched out on the next size up. I'm 5'9".

    There is a short cobbled section on my commute at present and my teeth nearly get shaken out of my head, will be interesting to see the difference!