Here i am to review my beloved btwin sport 1 bike.
The bike which made me a super randonneur in less than a year(4 months to be precise), and helped explore so many new places.
Total mileage just on this bike must be around 3000KM till now.
So let see what this bike has to offer:
Frame:
Its light weight aluminium frame, does the job, and is no where fragile. It had its own share of battering and bruises, and has lived upto my expectation.The fork is also aluminium make. The complete bike weighs around 10kg.
I have taken my bike even in bus a lot many times, when traveling to distant places.
I am completely satisfied about this
Stock Tyres:
It has stock 700x23 hutchinson tyres. I don't know if they are famous or not, good or bad, but believe me, i had just one flat till now that too very recently.
For me it works just fine. I agree i am a cautious rider, generally avoid shiny objects on road, but still i believe it must have had run over so many pieces of puncture causing crap on road, considering the distance it ran.
The other reason could also be that it expects 100psi pressure to be maintained while riding, and i never ride for anything less than this.
Gears:
Front derailleur has shimano triple, with three rings, and rear derailleur has shimano 2300, so gives a total combination of 24speeds, fairly sufficient for riders like me, who generally don't hammer to attain high speeds, nor do aspire to participate in any races. However many people in Bangalore own this bike, swear by its name, and even participate in races organised by BBcH.
The shifters are peppy, smooth enough, the front one is a bit harder, not sure if its the case only on my bike, or with everyone.
Ride quality:
For me its just awesome, considering the fact that i moved from hero hawk to this, so for me this bike is nothing less than perfect, also i don't have experience with any carbon candies.
You will feel every gravel, stone, pothole on road on your palm, so having a pair of gloves is highly recommended.
The handle bar cover is white in colour, which just attracts dirt, and by the end of the day becomes dirty black.
Better to get them changed to some darker shades.
Brakes:
Stock brakes are btwin make.
They are good, never had any problem with it.
You will find people claiming road bikes are extremely fragile, and prone to lots of damage.
I don't know why any one should spread such rumors, but believe me, if you're planning to ride on road most of the times, these bikes should not be a problem.
One can happily go for them.
Top speed achieved:
66.3KMPH.
Longest distance rode:
655KM
The bike which made me a super randonneur in less than a year(4 months to be precise), and helped explore so many new places.
Total mileage just on this bike must be around 3000KM till now.
So let see what this bike has to offer:
Frame:
Its light weight aluminium frame, does the job, and is no where fragile. It had its own share of battering and bruises, and has lived upto my expectation.The fork is also aluminium make. The complete bike weighs around 10kg.
I have taken my bike even in bus a lot many times, when traveling to distant places.
I am completely satisfied about this
Stock Tyres:
It has stock 700x23 hutchinson tyres. I don't know if they are famous or not, good or bad, but believe me, i had just one flat till now that too very recently.
For me it works just fine. I agree i am a cautious rider, generally avoid shiny objects on road, but still i believe it must have had run over so many pieces of puncture causing crap on road, considering the distance it ran.
The other reason could also be that it expects 100psi pressure to be maintained while riding, and i never ride for anything less than this.
Gears:
Front derailleur has shimano triple, with three rings, and rear derailleur has shimano 2300, so gives a total combination of 24speeds, fairly sufficient for riders like me, who generally don't hammer to attain high speeds, nor do aspire to participate in any races. However many people in Bangalore own this bike, swear by its name, and even participate in races organised by BBcH.
The shifters are peppy, smooth enough, the front one is a bit harder, not sure if its the case only on my bike, or with everyone.
Ride quality:
For me its just awesome, considering the fact that i moved from hero hawk to this, so for me this bike is nothing less than perfect, also i don't have experience with any carbon candies.
You will feel every gravel, stone, pothole on road on your palm, so having a pair of gloves is highly recommended.
The handle bar cover is white in colour, which just attracts dirt, and by the end of the day becomes dirty black.
Better to get them changed to some darker shades.
Brakes:
Stock brakes are btwin make.
They are good, never had any problem with it.
You will find people claiming road bikes are extremely fragile, and prone to lots of damage.
I don't know why any one should spread such rumors, but believe me, if you're planning to ride on road most of the times, these bikes should not be a problem.
One can happily go for them.
Top speed achieved:
66.3KMPH.
Longest distance rode:
655KM
You should put up a pic of the bike too.
ReplyDeletethanks chaitanya,
Deletewill do that soon
Hey Ashutosh, yes, please a pic will do good. Also, how much did this cost you and where in Mumbai did you pick it up from. I have a mybike for starting off, but wanting to move to a road bike soon. Would you recommend a hero hawk or a bsa mach 22? I am of 5'10" height. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi Ritz,
DeleteI got this bike when i was staying in bangalore, its no more available anywhere in India.
If you're lucky you might get a used one.
I have a hero hawk 10 speed bike, i am more than happy with it, i have no idea regarding the bsa mach, tough i feel both of them are more of less similar, go for the one that you like.
Heyy...needed tips on transporting cycle in buses. If you have done the same, let me know if u just put it down or attached a full stand and parked it inside the bus. How much of a risk are we running by transporting by bus and do let me know how to protect the bike when doing so.
ReplyDeletehi,
Deletei have traveled a lot of times carrying my bike with me, but in that case i prefer only Volvo/Mercedes Benz Buses.
When it was my first time, i remember i had bubble wrapped the gears, and shifters, and was very tensed during the entire journey, but on reaching the destination, to my delight nothing happened to my bike.
Now i don't even bubble wrap any component, just make sure that ur bike is lying down properly. there is no way you will be able to keep the bike standing.
Others might recommend removing the wheels, and almost dismantling it, but i never felt its requirement.
I have done Pune-Bangalore twice and Mumbai-Pune twice, never had any problem.
So go ahead, no need to worry, since its ur first time, u are bound to have doubts and anxiety, but their are people who travel on a very regular basis.
Hi there, Nice review. Can u suggest good tyre/tube replacements as my tires/tubes are worn. I always felt that the recreational tyres were too thin and even a small rock would puncture the tube. I am lokking at a slightly thicker tyre and a suitable tube for it, both of which should be available online. And yes, I can compromise on speed :)
ReplyDeleteHi,
DeleteIf you are facing frequent punctures, then the reason might not be the tyre/tube, but the wheel's rim tape which basically provides protection to the tube from the wheel. Just check that, it might have worn out and its a very common reason for frequent punctures.
Regarding which tyre tube to buy, i really like my hutchinson tyre, and btwin tube that i got stock with my bike, i've heard swabble tyres are too good, but very expensive, and i have no experience using it.
If you have a bike like hawk, or mach, then i suggest to get ralco or metro tyres installed, they are just too good. I have them, and have not faced a single puncture since many months.
The thickness of the tyre doesn't translate to immediate strength unless and until ur doing off roading, my hutchinson tyre is 23mm in thickness, but it does its job perfectly.
Just make sure, that before any ride, inflate ur tyres hard, and avoid glass pieces.
Hope this helped !!!
Hi there, Thanks for the reply. I have btwin sport 1 which I bought 2nd hand and have been riding for some time. I am looking for exact replacements for the hutchinson tire n btwin tubes that I have on now. I am relatively new to cycling and wanted help in selecting the correct tire/tube for Sport 1. It would be really helpful if u can provide some online links if the products are available online as I am finding it difficult to locate them online.
DeleteCan you compare it with a rockrider 5.0 or a hercules? Also, is this suitable for a heavy weight person. I am 90kgs!
ReplyDeletehi,
Deleteif you can afford, then you can start with a road bike, as these lovelies have become damn expensive these days.
if you're starting to biking and apprehensive on spending a bomb, get any decent aluminum framed bike, they are too good to get you hitched to biking :)