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The Montra blues is a nice one for the budget you have. Although its a tad bit on the heavier side..

For the really good Hybrids - go for the Schwinn, Fuji or the Marin. Those are true blue hybrids in the market with Marin being really top of line...

Does someone in Bangalore have space, time and inclination for bike building? This is a hobby i've been meaning to pick up for quite a while and I'd like both company and assistance in getting it off the ground...

Hi rkhare, I am there almost everyday except Friday (park is closed) and Sunday. 6am.

Thank you, everyone, over here, after going through almost all messages here and a couple of visits to local cycle shops/studios, we (myself and @Mr.mitsuvolk) have finally booked Firefox Road Runner Pro-V, the entry-level hybrid bike from Firefox.

Hope to meet you sometime in Van Vihar. I normally park my maroon Punto with LTD sticker towards the Gate near Sair Sapata end.

Absolutely! Would love to meet you. Congratulations on booking a Firefox bike. When do you expect it? I park my white Scorpio on the lake view drive side and carry my bike in it.

Never searched for a thread on Bicycles earlier. But now i have started cycling since last 3 months and did a search on the forum and it did not disappoint me.:)

Bought a Montra about 3 months back and have been cycling 3-4 days a week. Able to do around 20 Kms everyday. Longest ride has been from Kothrud to Khadakvasla and back (Pune BHPians would know these locations).

Use Strava free edition which helps in providing route, avg speed, elevation etc. Need inputs on buying a device which can help in heart rate monitoring, cadence etc.

Still a novice in cycling and may post further queries for expert guidance.

Cheers,
Amit

Try Ridley Cordis2. This is a Belgium make currently available in India through trackandtrail stores. I bought one 2 weeks back. Excellent ride comfort...24 speed bike which comes with shimano acera at the back and tourney in the front

Upgraded from a Scott Speedster 30 alloy frame road bike to a Scott Solace 10 full carbon frame road bike.


I would like to thank:

My friend and cycling enthusiast Arjun Balu who rides the Scott Solace (from the very first batch off the factory) for his inputs on the bike and its performance.
My friend and cycling enthusiast Deepak Samuel who provided lots of inputs on CR1 vs. Solace selection
My daughter who helped me with the photo shoot

Likes:
Be it the beautiful matte finish paint or the carefully concealed routing of all the cables, everything about this bike oozes quality
Extremely compliant ride. Absorbs all the irregularities in the road as if it has shock absorbers
Ultegra groupset
Relaxed riding position
Well spread gearing from the 50/32 crankset and 11 speed 11-32 cassette
Concealed cabling

Dislikes:
Rear brake is 105. I don't understand how much cost saving this achieves
A little unstable in heavy crosswinds

Choosing the Bike:

It has been 3 years since I started serious cycling with a road bike, a Scott Speedster 30. Did a couple of 200 brevets, about ten 100k rides and many hill climbs in Valparai and Kotagiri, a sprint triathlon and a duathlon. I had written a brief review about the Scott Speedster in the below post.

Scott Speedster 30

I have done about 5500 kilometers in the past three years (very low running compared to some serious cyclists who would put this mileage in under a year). But the low mileage is mainly because I have to balance between cycling, running and swimming. Since the beginning of this year, the itch to upgrade started, and I wanted to upgrade to a full carbon bike. Decided to take the plunge a month back with a budget of 2 Lakhs with a stretch of 2.25 Lakhs.

As I have got a very good experience with the Scott Speedster with absolutely no breakdowns, and an excellent service support (for the regular service and spares like chains, tires etc) from the MVS Enterprises who are the Scott dealers in Coimbatore, I decided to stick to a Scott bike. I should also mention that the owner Mr. Sanjay is an extremely knowledgeable person and provides excellent support right from selecting the right bike through the ownership process.

Full Disclosure: Mr. Sanjay has become a very good friend over the past years of my Speedster ownership, but my comments about him are without any bias and from my experience.

Now that I decided to stick with Scott, I had two options:

1. The Scott CR1
2. The Scott Solace

The CR1 is an older model which was introduced in 2005. It has a good balance between an aggressive sports bike and a relaxed endurance bike. It is the entry level carbon frame bike in the Scott lineup followed by Solace, Addict, Foil and Plasma. The Solace on the other hand is a recent entry to the line-up introduced in 2014.

I read many reviews and comparisions for the CR1 and Solace. One of the main features that was mentioned in the reviews is that the Solace is 42% more comfortable than CR1, but at the same time does not sacrifice power transfer. Scott had achieved this with a dual zone frame - the comfort zone and power zone.



The power zone comprises of the head tube, down tube, bottom bracket and chainstays which have been made stiff for optimum power delivery. The bottom bracket also has been made thicker. The fork, top tube, seat tube and the seat stays are tuned for comfort.

The geometry is also comfort based with shorter top tube a taller head tube. This provides a more upright riding position which results in comfort over long rides. The CR1 on the other hand has a more aggressive position which would be good for shorter fast rides, but may become a little uncomfortable for longer rides.

The video below shows how Solace is used by a pro cyclist to compete in the Paris Roubaix to ride in the cobbles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQQi_lRfcrI

Another first time with the Solace is that the rear brakes have been moved from the regular position between the seat stays to the bottom bracket. The seat stays are usually made stiff to arrest flexing while braking. This reduces the shock absorption of the seat stays. With the brakes moved to the stiff bottom bracket, the seat stays are now more flexible and can absorb more shock. In fact the seat stays in the Solace can be squeezed with the hands and easily flex about 10mm. This results in significant improvement in compliance.

Considering all the above, I chose the Solace. The Solace also comes with disc brakes. As I felt the hydraulic disc brakes are a little difficult to maintain or repair than the caliper brakes, decided to stick with caliper brakes.

The Specs:

Following are some of the important specs of the bike

Frame: Solace HMF Carbon
Fork: Solace HMF Carbon
Headset: Syncros integrated
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Ultegra 6800 11 speed
Front Derailleur: Shimano Ultegra 6800
Shifters - Shimano Ultegra
Front Brakes - Shimano Ultegra
Rear Brakes - Shimano 105
Seat/Seatpost - Syncros seat with carbon post
Crankset - Ultegra 50/34
Cassette: Shimano 105, 11 speed, 11-32
Tires: Continental Grand Sport Race 700x25C
Weight: 7.7Kilos

Except for the rear brake which is a Shimano 105, the complete groupset is Ultegra, which is a fantastic groupset. Coming from the Tiagra groupset in my Speedster, I find the gear shifts to be very smooth and the brakes to be very good with minimum effort. Also, the cassette in the Speedster was a 10 speed 12-30, whereas the Solace comes with a 11 speed 11-32. This gives a wider spread at both the higher and lower ends for both flat terrain and climbs.

Delivery:

As the 2018 models have been announced, I got a good deal on the 2017 model which was about to go out of stock. Got it for 2.25 Lakhs. With the 2018 models and revised duty and GST, the price could go up to 2.8 Lakhs. I placed the order in the first week of July and was told it would take 3 to 4 weeks for the bike to arrive from Belgium. Got a call from Mr. Sanjay on 24th July that the bike has arrived and is getting assembled, and I could take delivery on the 26th. He also sent me a picture of the bike getting assembled.



On 27th I went to collect the bike. The bike assembled and ready.


After a quick quality check and transferring all the accessories like bottle cage, GPS holder and speed cadence sensor, loaded the bike on the Jetta for the ride home.


The Bike:

And now for a few pictures of the bike.





The bike looks stunning in that fluorescent orange. The speedster with it's blue, white and black color theme was more subtle, whereas this one screams for attention!

The crankset is 50/34 Ultegra


Ultegra front derailleur


Ultegra rear derailleur and 105 11 speed 11-32 cassette. In my Speedster, during the hill rides in very steep slopes, I always felt the need for an additional lower gear to go at a slightly higher cadence. This cassette will solve the problem. Of-course, I have to increase my power as well!


The chunky handle bar. This has a flatter and thicker and more cushy top position for better comfort. The hood is wide at the base and narrows down at the neck which provides a comfortable grip.


Ultegra front brake. Compared to the Tiagra brake in my Speedster, this brake requires much less force for the same stopping power. This should prove very useful during those downhill rides where frequent braking is required to keep the speed in check.


The rear brakes are 105. This is the only complaint I have with this bike. They could have given an Ultegra in the rear as well. Also note how the brake is now fitted to the bottom bracket below the chain stays.


As the brake has now moved to the bottom bracket, the seat stays are more flexible. In fact, when squeezed with one hand, I could feel the seat stays flex by almost 10mm. This is a major contributor to that 42% increase in comfort compared to the CR1. Sorry about the quality of this picture. I had forgotten to take a better picture during the main photo shoot and had to later take it indoors.


The SPD clip-less pedals. In my Speedster, I had SPD clip-less pedals with clip on one side and platform on the other side. These pedals also had a chrome finish which went well with the chrome finished Tiagra crankset. However, these pedals became an eyesore on the matte grey Ultegra crankset. Also, as I never use the platform side of the pedals, I changed the pedals to these. They now blend perfectly with the crankset.


The thick bottom bracket for the power delivery. And it works!


Syncros seat with carbon seat post. The carbon seat post adds to the compliance of the bike and saves the butt from those shocks.


Concealed cables. The cables for the front and rear derailleurs and the rear brake are routed internally and come out of the frame very close to the components. This has two advantages. The first is the reduced drag (of course at my level, this may not be significant). As the cables are internal, they are free of dust and will have smoother operation for a long time with no need for cleaning or lubrication.


Continental Grandsport Race tires.


The tapered head set. Another aerodynamic design element?


Overall, a well put together bike.

The Ride Experience:

I have done only a couple of rides so far with the bike. So this is just my first impression.

The comfort level on the bike is in one word - AWESOME! Compared to the alloy frame of the Speedster that transferred every irregularity on the road to my bottom and hands, this bike just absorbs all these shocks except for those deeper potholes or the joints in bridges. In the Siruvani road that I ride regularly, I would say the bike absorbs almost 80% of the road irregularities. The bike feels as if it has a multi link suspension just like my Jetta has :D

I can definitely feel that I am going much faster on rough roads than I used to on my Speedster. Though the bike has such fantastic compliance, I did not feel it to be any slower. In fact, I was doing 30+ speeds against some heavy headwinds.

One issue I found in the ride and handling was the bike feels a little unstable in heavy crosswinds. Whereas the Speedster used to be very stable under crosswinds, the Solace needs that extra bit of effort to keep it under control.

So, the first impression on the bike has turned out to be very positive, and I hope this bike, like the Speedster, also turns out to be a reliable bike. Now it's time to step up the training and increase that FTP (Functional Threshold Power)!

A few pictures from a ride through scenic and green village roads near Thondamuthur and Siruvani road.











Upcoming Upgrades:

Garmin Edge 520 bike computer, "Garmin Varia Radar" bike radar and "Garmin Varia Vision" Heads up Display. Will share details of these when I have them on hand.

Congrats Prof. clap:

That's a lovely bike you got there and thanks for the comprehensive review.

Cheers to many more million miles of cycling and I think its time to update your signature. :D

Congrats on the awesome purchase. I did see the Jetta with the cycle on top on the 27th (on the road which has the Aloft hotel). Kind of figured that it might be you - connected the Jetta and the cycle.

Hi batterylow,
Thank you very much for the kind words. But million miles on a cycle would be way too much for me :D And I just updated the signature.


Hi ZedMae,
Thank you so much for the kind words. Good to know that you are from Coimbatore and you spotted my Jetta with the bike. The bike dealer is in the next building to Hotel Aloft (the same compound where Manchester Honda is located). If you stay in Coimbatore, we should get in touch some time. We have an active TBHP gang here.

Excellent log Prof! Wish you many miles on it. Can't wait to see the upgrades and ofcourse the bike in person ;)

Whats the farthest you got around so far?

Back in the Netherlands I have picked up my cycling again. I had a very nice Koga light weight city bike. There’s probably an image of it somewhere on this very thread. Really nice bicycle, beautifully finished, 24 gears, the works. I don’t like racing bikes. I get a sore back just looking at them. So I prefer a normal steering bar and a proper saddle. I Over the last 12 months I used to ride some 500 km/week on average. A usual run for me is 80-120 km all over the Netherlands.

A few weeks ago, I had been out on a nice tour, about 95 km. I had stopped about 4 km from home at a waterfront café overseeing a lock. It was a gorgeous summer day and it’s always nice to see the boats coming and going around the lock. There are several terrace where you can have a drink, eat an ice cream. My wife was abroad on a trip, so no hurry to get home.

After an hour or so, I decided to peddle home. Very leisurely I made my way home. About 400 meters from our home there is what is known as a bus sluice. A special construction that allows busses to pass through, but not regular cars. Bicycles can pass on both sides too. I must have passed this particular one a couple of thousand times. For some reason, I must have not been watching. I managed to hit a pole on the side of the sluice exactly dead on. I summersaulted over the steering bar and landed essentially on my face. I did not lose conscientious, I got up immediately. A few bystanders rushed to help me. Blood was pouring all over my face. At first I thought I had knocked some teeth through my lips, but it became clear I had quite the nasty gash in my forehead. People offered to take me home, but after a few minutes the worst of the bleeding had stopped. I checked my bicycle and thought it looked remarkably ok. So I just cycled home.

Cleaned myself up a bit and had a good look in the mirror. Just about my whole face was raw, nose, cheek forehead and it was apparent that the gash in my forehead was going to need some stitching. So I called the hospital and they told me to come over. So I got into my wife’s little Ford Fiesta and drove over to the hospital, about 8 km, 15 minutes. On the way I noticed that my neck was hurting and it was also getting a little uncomfortable swallowing.

The GP on duty saw me straight away. When I told her about the neck pains, she immediately called the neurology department and they moved me over. Apparently the hospital has a policy that any patient over 40 who comes in with trauma to the face/neck needs a full check over by the neurologist. So a full scan was done. They stuck some pins in me, the usual questions to see if you remember who your are, the bit with the little hammer on all main joints. All that time I was still bleeding. Only when the neurologist declared there was no neurological damage, did they start cleaning the multiple wounds on my face. My forehead took 7 stiches and my top lip was split so they super glued that.

The next day I was more or less fine. That is to say, all the cuts and bruises on my face were healing nicely. However, it was also apparent I had badly sprained both thumbs. Probably trying to break my fall. They had been checked in the hospital as well, nothing broken, just sprained. Which was apart from quite painful also very inconvenient. If you can’t use your thumgs, you’re pretty handicapped. And I was home by myself. Putting socks on, doing my zip up was a real, painful, chore.

After a few days I decided to have a proper look at my bicycle. Now I have been into two pretty serious accidents with this by bicycle before. Twice I ended up in the ER in Kansas City. Both times not so much as a scratch on the bicycle. So I was more or less expecting third time lucky. And nothing seemed immediately amiss after I peddles home immediately after the accident. But when I had a closer look, it was apparent that the fork had taken a big hit, it was ever so slightly bend and I noticed some play on the ball head. So I cycled over to the local bicycle repair shop. Somehow the bicycle did not feel right. When I got there I had another good and discovered that the frame had split on/near the welds in three different places! So this bicycled wasn’t going to be repaired, because with this sort of damage it’s a total loss. Very annoying. My own stupid mistake new admittedly. This bicycles was well over 10 years old, but it was near immaculate, hardly a scratch on it. I maintain it to perfections. In fact, only a few weeks earlier I had bought and installed new inner and outer tyres, a new chain, new cassette and a new Brooks saddle.

So the search for a new bicycle was on. I’m quite tall, even for Dutch standards, so I need a big frame, 63 cm. And even in the Netherlands they don’t stock that many frames. Also, as far as the bicycle factories are concerned they let their stocks run out during summer to introduce their new bicycles end of the year, early next year. I could not find a nice bicycle at all. In the end the guy at my bicycle shop suggested to go for a Koga Signature as you can just configure it to your own specifications. I thought it would be very expensive, which it was. But I could use many (undamaged) parts of my old bicycles. So in the end that worked out quite well.

I re-used the Brooks saddle, saddle pin and strap, bidons, bicycle computer, GPS mount, steering bar and handles, pump, locks and a few other small pieces

So now I’m the proud owner of a brand spanking new Koga Signature bicycle. I think it looks gorgeous! Thirty gears, (3x10). LED lights front and rear with a fancy dynamo built into the front wheel. Hydraulic brakes.

I took delivery about a week ago. I took it out on a few short rides. Mainly to fine tune the controls, get the saddle height and steering bar set up properly etc. Last Sunday was a nice and sunny day so I took it for a first good spin, about 75 km. I’m very pleased on how it rides. It is amazing how much lighter it appears to ride compared to my old bicycle. Maybe it’s just perception, but it sure feels differently. The bicycle comes with this little metal case. In it a Koga manual on how to maintain your bicycle. A set of three very lightweight spanners to lift the outer tires of the rims in case of puncture, a little tool to adjust saddle, steering bar, brake handles etc. Also, a small adaptor for using a regular bicycle pump on these special valves.

In all honesty, I’m still annoyed with myself for smashing up my old bicycle. The new one might be fancier, more gears, lighter etc, but I really liked my old bicycle. I like to maintain things well so they last. Still, it’s not as if it isn’t nice owning such a lovely new bicycle again. Looking forward to be doing many miles on it!

I sold the old bicycle on a Dutch internet market forum. I cut the fram completely. Many years ago I had a frame split on me before and I sold it online. I made it well known that they couldn’t ride the bicycle anymore. So I was very unpleasantly surprised to see a you teenager riding around on it in our village a few days later. The guy who had bought it from me, had patched it up and told him it was fine. Which it wasn’t. So this time I decided to just saw the frame in two and sell all other remaining bits and pieces, just to be on the safe side.

Anyway, time for some piccies:

Here is my beauty!



Some details on the steering bar. Leather handles, my trusted Garmin Etrex and bicycle computer



Details of the hydraulic brake handle. Beautifully made!



Front brakes and front LED light



This built in wheel powers the front and rear lights. Some sort of capacitor built in as well. When I stop the lights remain on for about five minutes



Rear derailleur



Piece de resistance, this is a personalised bicycle!

That's a lovely bike you've got there sir, hope you recover soon and pedal safe!

That's a beautiful bicycle Jeroen. Just a thought, the saddle looks a bit out of place on such a beautiful bicycle. Not used to seeing similar one on all these expensive bikes.