Saracen Helix

On 19 Aug 2004 04:08:45 -0700, MonsAltusLad <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Hello all,

Apologies for another 'what bike should I get?' post but hopefully
it'll give you all the chance to gaze at some more bike [censored].

I'm looking to replace my decade old Raleigh now I've started
commuting to work (12 mile round trip). I've got a £400 budget for the
bike alone (could go higher but got to balance spending more with the
old nickability factor) and I've fallen in lust with this bike which
I've seen on sale at £400:

http://www.saracen.co.uk/helix.html

It seems a well-specced beast for the money, but will it hold up to
the rigours of a London pot-holed commute? Also, I don't know much
about Saracen (have searched the group but it's not thrown a lot up).

Hybrids seem the way to go, and I want to veer to the 'race' side as
opposed to the MTB side of hybrid. Would also like the option to fit
mud guards and a rack (possibly) in the future. Other options under
consideration are:

Dawes Discovery
Ridgeback Rapide
Trek 7400
Maybe a Marin (Larkspur?)
Or anything else that fits the bill!

Any help really is appreciated.

All the best,

MAL

Looks like a nice bike, but it isn't like the others you've listed. It's
about as close as hybrids get to full out road bikes, this. I notice it
has a double (16 speed) as opposed to a triple (24 speed) chainset, so
although fast will require strength and proficiency to pedal up hills,
although you would pick this up quickly. All of the other flatbar road
bikes available (Ridgeback Genesis, etc) have triples, so not sure why
saracen has gone down this route.

You may find you need practise riding the narrow wheels over potholed
streets - you need to let the bike pivot under you and really be aware of
what the road surface is like, avoiding potholes and drains. I would also
check that spokes are available for that wheelset for the inevitable
repairs that will need to be done (I don't know this to be the case, but
check).

Also bear in mind you need to budget for locks, lights, mudguards etc.

If I were to want one of these I would be looking at the Giant or
Ridgeback versions. Trek do them too, but I haven't ridden one.

Personally I would suggest a Ridgeback Cyclone. Technically an MTB but
with the handling of a road bike. Very fast, would make mincemeat out of a
lot of hybrids, but it has much tougher wheels. Plus it costs £260 - lots
of spare cash for your lock, lights etc.

Hope this helps. Tell us what you choose.

Chris.

|C|H|R|I|S|@|T|R|I|N|I|T|Y|W|I|L|L|S|.|C|O|M|
Remove the bars to contact me

MonsAltusLad said:

Apologies for another 'what bike should I get?' post but hopefully
it'll give you all the chance to gaze at some more bike [censored].

Feeling brave and reckless, I did a Google Image Search for
"bike [censored]", and amazingly got a bunch of interesting bike
pictures back. Who'da thought it?

Can't help much with your bike dilemma; I have a Specialized
hybrid, which probably veers a little too much toward MTB
for your taste, although IMO it would make an excellent commuter
now it's got narrower tyres on it.

--
jc

Remove the -not from email

in message <[email hidden]>,

MonsAltusLad (') said:

Apologies for another 'what bike should I get?' post but hopefully
it'll give you all the chance to gaze at some more bike [censored].

I'm looking to replace my decade old Raleigh now I've started
commuting to work (12 mile round trip). I've got a £400 budget for the
bike alone (could go higher but got to balance spending more with the
old nickability factor) and I've fallen in lust with this bike which
I've seen on sale at £400:

http://www.saracen.co.uk/helix.html

It seems a well-specced beast for the money, but will it hold up to
the rigours of a London pot-holed commute? Also, I don't know much
about Saracen (have searched the group but it's not thrown a lot up).

Flat barred roadbike, frame of no-name tubing, so-so kit, from Saracen;
not a great name. Altogether not a bargain at RRP and not much of one
at £400.

You can get a bottom of the range Cannondale (Adventure 400) for £500;
the kit on that is at least as good as on the Saracen and you get a
real Cannondale frame. Or you can get a Dawes Discovery 701 with butted
7005 tubing, carbon fibre forks and better kit, for not much more -
although the RRP is £650 I've seen them on the Web for much less.

And this is a good time of year to get a 2004 model bike at a good
discount - the 2005 bikes are just coming out.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; Life would be much easier if I had the source code.

in message <[email hidden]>, Chris Davies

(') said:

Looks like a nice bike, but it isn't like the others you've listed.
It's about as close as hybrids get to full out road bikes, this. I
notice it has a double (16 speed) as opposed to a triple (24 speed)
chainset, so although fast will require strength and proficiency to
pedal up hills, although you would pick this up quickly. All of the
other flatbar road bikes available (Ridgeback Genesis, etc) have
triples, so not sure why saracen has gone down this route.

EBC's highly regarded Revolution Courier Race has a single, and
Edinburgh is not exactly flat. A triple really seems like overkill on
this sort of bike.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

On Thu, 19 Aug 2004 15:35:03 GMT, Simon Brooke <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Chris Davies

(') said:

Looks like a nice bike, but it isn't like the others you've listed.
It's about as close as hybrids get to full out road bikes, this. I
notice it has a double (16 speed) as opposed to a triple (24 speed)
chainset, so although fast will require strength and proficiency to
pedal up hills, although you would pick this up quickly. All of the
other flatbar road bikes available (Ridgeback Genesis, etc) have
triples, so not sure why saracen has gone down this route.

EBC's highly regarded Revolution Courier Race has a single, and
Edinburgh is not exactly flat. A triple really seems like overkill on
this sort of bike.

What size ring is it? Had a look at the website, it doesn't say. You're
absolutely right, of course - you could go a long way with a single. But
isn't it lovely to be able to make use of a triple? Maybe a single or a
double would be overkill for you, but I'm a mere mortal, especially if I'm
heading to work after a night out, especially one where I ended up
finishing the night drinking triples... :-)

I've never ridden an EBC Revolution, or even looked closely(wrong side of
the border), but from the website it looks more like a utility bike -
simple, reliable transport. Mal seems to be interested in a "flatbar
racer". This genre of bike seems to appeal to lots of people who aren't
really sure that they want to try a road bike.

Bearing in mind this suggests they are beginners, why shouldn't they start
with a bike that pays a tiny penalty in weight (probably less than a full
water bottle) for all that extra ease of use on uphills? If a bike is hard
work to ride and it leaves the new owner with aching legs afterwards, what
do you think will happen to it? It would take its place in the shed as
another experience best forgotten. Not good.

BTW, Mal, the Ridgeback Cyclone is top.

--
|C|H|R|I|S|@|T|R|I|N|I|T|Y|W|I|L|L|S|.|C|O|M|
Remove the bars to contact me

hi,
i got a marin larkspur and i love it
paul

"MonsAltusLad" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hello all,

Apologies for another 'what bike should I get?' post but hopefully
it'll give you all the chance to gaze at some more bike [censored].

I'm looking to replace my decade old Raleigh now I've started
commuting to work (12 mile round trip). I've got a £400 budget for the
bike alone (could go higher but got to balance spending more with the
old nickability factor) and I've fallen in lust with this bike which
I've seen on sale at £400:

http://www.saracen.co.uk/helix.html

It seems a well-specced beast for the money, but will it hold up to
the rigours of a London pot-holed commute? Also, I don't know much
about Saracen (have searched the group but it's not thrown a lot up).

Hybrids seem the way to go, and I want to veer to the 'race' side as
opposed to the MTB side of hybrid. Would also like the option to fit
mud guards and a rack (possibly) in the future. Other options under
consideration are:

Dawes Discovery
Ridgeback Rapide
Trek 7400
Maybe a Marin (Larkspur?)
Or anything else that fits the bill!

Any help really is appreciated.

All the best,

MAL

Chris Davies said:

What size ring is it? Had a look at the website, it doesn't say. You're
absolutely right, of course - you could go a long way with a single. But
isn't it lovely to be able to make use of a triple?

Well, it depends where you are and what selection you've got at the
back. Making use of a triple will depend on both, and if it's
completely excessive then it just adds weight and complexity and draws
budget away from other stuff it could usefully go on.

Quoted message said:

Bearing in mind this suggests they are beginners

Couldn't it just suggest they don't particularly like drop handlebars?

Quoted message said:

start with a bike that pays a tiny penalty in weight (probably less than
a full water bottle) for all that extra ease of use on uphills?

Depends where you are. If there aren't any uphills to speak of, why pay
more to make it easier to get up them?
Not that I'm against triples (I'd have one in a similar case around
here), it's just that if they're not worth the bother in a particular
situation and that's the situation you're in, then they're not worth the
bother. Not sure if that applies to the OP or not, so not an open or
shut case.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Simon Brooke <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Chris Davies

(') said:

Looks like a nice bike, but it isn't like the others you've listed.
It's about as close as hybrids get to full out road bikes, this. I
notice it has a double (16 speed) as opposed to a triple (24 speed)
chainset, so although fast will require strength and proficiency to
pedal up hills, although you would pick this up quickly. All of the
other flatbar road bikes available (Ridgeback Genesis, etc) have
triples, so not sure why saracen has gone down this route.

EBC's highly regarded Revolution Courier Race has a single, and
Edinburgh is not exactly flat. A triple really seems like overkill on
this sort of bike.

Well thanks all for your responses…. lots of food for thought. The
weath of knowledge and willingness to help on this NG is astounding.

I noticed the double chainset, but concluded that for my likely uses
the choice of gears would be acceptable as I am unlikely to face any
serious hills in my commute / leisure riding.

Chris – my budget is for the bike alone, I've budgetted separately for
the extras. What you have said about the sturdiness of the machine
confirms my doubts – I think I may have to go for something a bit
stronger. I've spent the last couple of days really concentrating on
what I put my bike through and it is quite rough stuff (thanks to
Houslow and Westminster councils there). It's funny you mention the
Cyclone, I've seen the Storm (model up) for £370 and was tempted
before I got looking at more road-type bikes.

One further thing with the Saracen is the size – the biggest they do
is a 60cm frame. I'm 6'7" so it might be a bit on the small side?

Jeremy – have you got the Crossroads?

Simon – I thought the 701 was beyond my budget – where would you
recommend looking?

Overall, I think I might be trying to get one bike for too many
purposes, and my preference for road bikes is overshadowing the real
reasons I need the bike (primarily a daily commute). So maybe I'll get
the commuter now, and then get a dedicated road machine at a later
date.

Anyhow, I'll spend the weekend looking at some of the mentioned
machines and will buy next week.

Once again, thanks for your help.

All the best,

MAL

in message <[email hidden]>,

MonsAltusLad (') said:

One further thing with the Saracen is the size – the biggest they do
is a 60cm frame. I'm 6'7" so it might be a bit on the small side?

Probably. I'm 6'1" (was 6'2" before I broke my back) and my road bikes
are 65cm and 63cm respectively.

Quoted message said:

Simon – I thought the 701 was beyond my budget – where would you
recommend looking?

<URL:http://www.langsettcycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b2s20p117>
<URL:http://www.halesowencycles.co.uk/paypages/buydiscovery7012004.htm>
<URL:http://www.cobr.co.uk/acatalog/e_cobr_Online_Shop_03_Dawes_Discovery___701_8748.html>

I've never bought from any of these people, so can't recommend them. And
note that the cheapest of those is £499, which is the list price of the
Cannondale Adventure 400, which is in my opinion a substantially better
bike (and which you can probably get cheaper now in end-of-season
sales).

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

Morning had broken, and we had run out of gas for the welding torch.

MonsAltusLad said:

One further thing with the Saracen is the size – the biggest they do
is a 60cm frame. I'm 6'7" so it might be a bit on the small side?

6'7"? Blimey. Make sure you test-ride whatever bike you decide
on! Fit is probably the most important factor.

Quoted message said:

Jeremy – have you got the Crossroads?

Crossroads Sport - about £300 when I got it. For an extra £100
there is the Crossroads Elite, with Aly Forks, more expensive
gear components, and better pedals (the pedals supplied on my
Sport were [censored], but that wasn't a big problem).

I'm 6'3" and the 21" (XL) frame size is plenty big enough for
me, but the geometry of a lot of hybrid frames give a shorter
reach between seat and handlebars than the traditional frame shape,
so you really need to try out the bikes once you've narrowed down
your choice. At the very least get the saddle and handlebars
adjusted to your height in the shop, and sit on the bike for
a bit.

You can definitely get something that will feel really nice
compared to your Raleigh within your budget. My Specialized
felt like a dream machine after my last bike, even though
there is *much* more expensive stuff out there!

--
jc

Remove the -not from email

Simon Brooke <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

in message <[email hidden]>,

MonsAltusLad (') said:

One further thing with the Saracen is the size ? the biggest they do
is a 60cm frame. I'm 6'7" so it might be a bit on the small side?

Probably. I'm 6'1" (was 6'2" before I broke my back) and my road bikes
are 65cm and 63cm respectively.

Quoted message said:

Simon ? I thought the 701 was beyond my budget ? where would you
recommend looking?

<URL:http://www.langsettcycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b2s20p117>
<URL:http://www.halesowencycles.co.uk/paypages/buydiscovery7012004.htm>
<URL:http://www.cobr.co.uk/acatalog/e_cobr_Online_Shop_03_Dawes_Discovery___701_8748.html>

I've never bought from any of these people, so can't recommend them. And
note that the cheapest of those is £499, which is the list price of the
Cannondale Adventure 400, which is in my opinion a substantially better
bike (and which you can probably get cheaper now in end-of-season
sales).

Simon - looking at all your links I think the stocked machines are too
small.

Partly on the advice here I've been down to Evans (very, very helpful
by the way) to have a look at the Cannondales. Bad Boy is nice but a
little small (even the XL). Had the Adventure 400 for £429, nice bike
but......

..... they've got an XXL Road Warrior 600 in there Croydon warehouse
(£549, b*gg*r the budget). This'd satisfy my road bike wishes, yet
hopefully stand up to the commute. Might try to get down there
tomorrow and have a look. Will update with my progress.

Again, thanks to all for the advice.

MAL

Jeremy Collins <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

MonsAltusLad said:

One further thing with the Saracen is the size – the biggest they do
is a 60cm frame. I'm 6'7" so it might be a bit on the small side?

6'7"? Blimey. Make sure you test-ride whatever bike you decide
on! Fit is probably the most important factor.

Quoted message said:

Jeremy – have you got the Crossroads?

Crossroads Sport - about £300 when I got it. For an extra £100
there is the Crossroads Elite, with Aly Forks, more expensive
gear components, and better pedals (the pedals supplied on my
Sport were [censored], but that wasn't a big problem).

I'm 6'3" and the 21" (XL) frame size is plenty big enough for
me, but the geometry of a lot of hybrid frames give a shorter
reach between seat and handlebars than the traditional frame shape,
so you really need to try out the bikes once you've narrowed down
your choice. At the very least get the saddle and handlebars
adjusted to your height in the shop, and sit on the bike for
a bit.

You can definitely get something that will feel really nice
compared to your Raleigh within your budget. My Specialized
felt like a dream machine after my last bike, even though
there is *much* more expensive stuff out there!

Thanks Jeremy.

Yeah, 6'7" does make it a bit tricky. I'm on to a winner though as my
current frame is way too small, so I'm sure whatever I get will be a
great improvement. As I mentioned above I've had a look in Evans and
they were very helpful - more looking to be done over the weekend.

The Crossroads Sport is a cracking machine - I've been eyeing one up
in the bike rack at work.

I never thought spending money could be this hard!

"Dulwich Cyclist" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

hi,
i got a marin larkspur and i love it
paul

"MonsAltusLad" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hello all,

Apologies for another 'what bike should I get?' post but hopefully
it'll give you all the chance to gaze at some more bike [censored].

I'm looking to replace my decade old Raleigh now I've started
commuting to work (12 mile round trip). I've got a £400 budget for the
bike alone (could go higher but got to balance spending more with the
old nickability factor) and I've fallen in lust with this bike which
I've seen on sale at £400:

http://www.saracen.co.uk/helix.html

It seems a well-specced beast for the money, but will it hold up to
the rigours of a London pot-holed commute? Also, I don't know much
about Saracen (have searched the group but it's not thrown a lot up).

Hybrids seem the way to go, and I want to veer to the 'race' side as
opposed to the MTB side of hybrid. Would also like the option to fit
mud guards and a rack (possibly) in the future. Other options under
consideration are:

Dawes Discovery
Ridgeback Rapide
Trek 7400
Maybe a Marin (Larkspur?)
Or anything else that fits the bill!

Any help really is appreciated.

All the best,

MAL

All,

Just to finish the story off - bought a Cannondale Road Warrior 600 today.

Initial impression - awesome. Soooo quick I had to check it didn't have an engine.

Thanks for all the advice.

MAL

in message <[email hidden]>,

MonsAltusLad (') said:

Just to finish the story off - bought a Cannondale Road Warrior 600
today.

Initial impression - awesome. Soooo quick I had to check it didn't
have an engine.

Thanks for all the advice.

Great! Those Road Warriors are nice - and the thing about getting a bike
with a great frame is that other bits may wear out and be replaced (or
even upgraded) but with a great frame you always have a great bike.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

Morning had broken, and I found when I looked that we had run out
of copper roove nails.

Simon Brooke <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

in message <[email hidden]>,

MonsAltusLad (') said:

Just to finish the story off - bought a Cannondale Road Warrior 600
today.

Initial impression - awesome. Soooo quick I had to check it didn't
have an engine.

Thanks for all the advice.

Great! Those Road Warriors are nice - and the thing about getting a bike
with a great frame is that other bits may wear out and be replaced (or
even upgraded) but with a great frame you always have a great bike.

Thanks Simon - that's really what I concluded.... getting the base
model of a more costly range gives you the opportunity to upgrade,
whereas getting the top model of a cheaper range means there is not
much you can do to it.

Also, Evans had an XXL (labelled 'Jumbo' on the bike!) in stock so
it's very comfortable. And it was in the sale at £549 (RRP £699) so a
bit of a bargain to boot. Looks like Cannondale aren't continuing with
the Road Warrior in the 05 range - they're continuing the Bad Boy
though.