Tumbleweed wrote:
> Currently considering;
> -Specialized Sequoia
> -Trek 520
> -Saracen Skyline (never heard of Saracen until I went into my LBS
> today)
> -Dawes Galaxy.
> -Ridgeback Horizon
>
> Use would be touring and mild off road (nothing much worse than
> towpaths and the like)
>
> Any comments? Any that stand out, or you wouldn't touch with a
> bargepole? FWIW I will probably put butterfly bars on whichever I go
> for.
You need to test ride them. There's a lot of difference between the machines
mentioned.
If swapping to butterfly bars, you might do better with something "built
up". Quite a few tourers seem to include expensive STI brake/gear levers
which you'd be throwing away in a swap to butterfly bars. Unless your LBS is
negotiating a good deal on swapping things over.
FWIW, the Sequoia is more of a "light tourer / audax" machine than anything
else. I had a short test ride on one a few weeks ago(*). Its reasonably
comfortable, though I thought it a tad heavy compared to other "audax"
machines - possibly caused by things like the suspension seat post and the
adjustable stem. The front forks and damping on the handlebar grips works
well - I tried it over some rough bumpy lumpy surface. Not so sure about the
saddle and springy post - seemed to upset my pedal rhythm.
It includes secondary brake levers on the tops of the bars (which work,
unlike the circa 1979 "suicide" levers).
If heading for that model, I'd seriously consider the upgraded version with
better components and carbon rear-stays.
I think its available in a flat-bar version under a different name, which
might be cheaper to swap to butterflies as the brake/gear levers would be a
straight swap.
Oh, and Pete's regular comment on the dark side might be worth a look,
though would be s/hand at the prices of the machines listed.
(* at work in National Bike Week, a large quantity of bikes were offered for
a quick spin around the site access roads. The Sequioa was the nearest thing
to a tourer on offer, so I had a go. )
- Nigel
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