Marin-bros:
What’s the widest 650b tire you can fit in a Marin Kentfield?
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real rap i think that might be my next clydesdale frame if i can get a frame
also marin bros what’s the a-c?
related: are any shopbros Bombtrack dealers?
also related: any shopbros have a medium Piolet on the shelf?
Idk, I’m out of em. Think it can fit at least a 40 tho
I am a bombtrack dealer by a fluke, what up?
whaddup with stock of medium Beyond + ADV framesets (or maybe completes)?
Says 6 are inbound for 27.5 and 29 completes. 2 inbound framesets. So may be available may be spoken for. Happy to check if you’re serious.
What does inbound mean? For the whole US? What time frame?
Yep whole US, dunno what the time frame is. I’ll see what they say.
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Any news on these things?
Mom wants a bike, probably step through and with decent size tires, I don’t think front suspension is necessary but wouldn’t hurt. She wants to ride rail trails and MUPS. I know a shop bro near where my parents live and they sell Cdale and Norco stuff, anyone got a good recommendation?
Treadwell looks like a damn fine bike for the non bike nerds among us. I probably would have done a lot more riding if my first adult bike had been one of those than a gaspipe fixie.
Treadwell looks good. Never tried one.
Norco Scene is really good. Rides awesome. Lighter than it looks. Get the one with hydro brakes and 1x
FWIW, my mom had way more fun on bikes without heavy suspension forks when she was trying stuff out when she bought her last bike. She’s 69 and pretty active (runner, hiker, kayaker), so she may have less trouble with rougher terrain on a rigid bike than a less active person. She ended up getting a Raleigh Cadent, which has worked well for her.
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That treadwell looks like someone took a beach cruiser and made it actually work for someone who doesn’t live at the beach.
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Norco has a rigid step through with 27.5 wheels that would have been my first choice but not in stock.
She’s going to look at a Norco VFR (rigid hybrid) and XFR (sus hybrid) because that’s pretty much all they have right now.
I feel like she’s probably not going to spend more than $1000. She’s 63 and active but not an athlete, walks, kayaks, plays golf. She had a step through hybrid thing in Florida but I guess she left it behind when they sold their condo last year.
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The scene caught my eye but they only have the e-bike ones in stock.
I’m looking for semi-normie touring bike advice for a friend. We just did a weekend bike trip and she was on a 2010ish aluminum Specialized Tricross that I think has reached the end of its useful life.
In the first couple miles, one of the bolts holding the rear rack on sheared off. I managed to extract it and replace both lower rack bolts and salvage the trip, but… One of the upper rack mounts is loose and spins in the frame (I think it’s just a rivnut?). The BB is shot. The carbon fork’s clear coat is chipped and delaminating in a bunch of places to the point it made me nervous. Drivetrain is a Sora road triple and fairly narrow cassette. 700x35 Schwalbe Marathons weren’t cutting it for the sorts of trails we wanted to explore and made for an uncomfortably rough ride.
Gear was in two Ortlieb rear panniers, an Ortlieb duffel bungied on top of the rear rack (old Topeak touring rack), and a small Ortlieb handlebar bag. It was not a light touring load. The whole back end of the bike had a bit of a wiggle to it when riding with that much weight up high.
She works for a bike-related nonprofit and puts in a lot of miles, including exploring potential future trail routes. Sturdy and durable are clearly important, but I suspect some judicious packing could also lighten bike significantly and make it a faster, more fun ride. She asked for new bike recommendations and I’m putting together a list, but I’m not sure how stout a frame to look for.
The obvious modernizations I’m looking for are:
- 650b x 47mm for a small rider on rough stuff. Also pretty readily available replacements from shops.
- Thru-axles and disc brake, ideally hydraulic
- Subcompact double drivetrain
- Dynamo lights
- Tubus racks
- Separate rack and fender tabs at the dropouts
- Front and rear racks to better distribute the weight
- I’ve argued for low-trail/front loading bias. That may be a bridge too far, although they’re interested in a front bag or basket.
Left to my own devices, I’d build up Polyvalent or H-G, and we may go that route, but I’m also looking at full bike options to recommend. So far, I see:
- Bombtrack Arise or Beyond
- Breezer Doppler
- Salsa Vaya
- All City Gorilla Monsoon
- Kona Sutra or Rove
- Masi Randonneur Elite (I found an old XS in stock online. How stout or noodly is the Masi? It’s not a light bike, but reviews seem to suggest they were aiming for a lighter frame. Never mind, Squirrel answered my question already.…it might actually wiggle)
- I really don’t want to suggest a LHT.
Any obvious bikes missing from the list? Any to avoid? Thoughts on value-for-money? Any flat/swept bar options worth throwing on the list?
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What about one of the Space Horse variants? They’ve got three now, one straight bar and two with curly bars and they all have clearance for 650b x 47. Tire size on the Tiagra varies based on frame size.
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Yeah, the Space Horse seems like a good balance of sturdy without being absurdly overbuilt.