My Giant Roam 2 Disc Bicycle: 8100 km and going strong

ll in all, the specifications are a significant upgrade from what I have been used to. The gear shifts are much smoother than my earlier bikes.

BHPian adityakul20 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

How I got started
I have been riding bicycle as a kid within the small suburb of Mumbai I grew up in. Then after 12th standard I stopped it, as I went behind the herd mentality that cycling is not feasible in India, it is only for kids, maybe some other things.

After engineering and some work experience, I moved to the US in 2015 and spent two years in the US and later five years in Germany for higher education. In the US I purchased a cheap Walmart cycle, mainly due to atrocious lack of commute options, and did some small rides upto 35 km. After completing two years in the US I moved to Germany for further education, where within six months (beginning of my first summer there) I got a BTwin Rockrider 520. This bicycle was a significant upgrade to what I had in the US, with mechanical disc brakes and better gears. Germany (Europe in general) nurtured my cycling hobby, I did multiple long rides upto 70 km. I used to ride for almost all daily necessities in summer. After continuing the lifestyle for five years, I was clearly seeing the disadvantages of a mountain bike (MTB) for my lifestyle (riding mostly on roads) and the stage was set for an upgrade.

My Decathlon BTWIN Rockrider 520 in Germany

Uncertainty and move back to India

At the end of my education in Germany in 2022, I was anyhow contemplating moving back to India if I get a good opportunity. The softened economic activity in Europe around that time also helped to some extent. Among the job offers I got, the one from Mumbai was the better one, and I decided to move back. While I have been planning to upgrade cycle at the same time, I was waiting for a job to do so. In the hindsight it was a good decision to wait for a job because I would have anyhow sold a not so old cycle in Germany before moving back to India.

Cycle hunt in India

Considering the situation of roads in India, I was not keen on getting a road bike with skinny tires. The skinny tires require higher tire pressure (75-80 psi) and are prone to punctures as well as less comfortable. Additionally, I was not sure how safe skinny tires are on concretised Mumbai roads, the gaps between two concrete segments are big at times in Mumbai. Considering all this I decided to go ahead for a gravel bike.

I have a friend who is a cyclist, and got to know about his friend who is a cycle dealer in a suburb of Mumbai. I learnt from him that cycling scenario in India is not as developed as that in Europe, and not all bikes in all sizes are available. At the time when I bought my cycle in October 2022, he found out the best suited alternative for my budget (INR 60,000), considering the groupset, comfort, brakes etc. That is how I arrived at the conclusion of purchasing Giant Roam 2 Disc.

The Giant Roam 2 Disc at Uran beach near Mumbai

Specifications

The Bike is hybrid, has wheel size of 700c, and the stock tyres have a width of 42 mm (MTB generally are wider than 50mm, gravel at 35-40 mm, and road cycles are below 32 mm wide). The bike has a front suspension from SR Suntour with a travel of 60 mm and can be locked. The front derailleur is Shimano Acera while the rear one is Shimano Alivio, both coming from Shimano's low end groupset family but are decent value for money. The bicycle has a 2x9 groupset, i.e. there are two gears at the front and nine at the rear. The gear range provided is sufficient for all terrain that Indian roads have, the available gear ratios can easily tackle relatively steep gradients of 12%. The bike has Tektro hydraulic disc breaks and offers confident braking.

All in all, the specifications are a significant upgrade from what I have been used to. The gear shifts are much smoother than my earlier bikes, and the hydraulic brakes bring a significant upgrade compared to earlier mechanical discs. The frame is aluminium alloy, which is significantly lighter than my previous bikes, along with narrower tires. All these factors together make the Roam 2 significantly faster and easier than my previous bikes.

New start to cycling in India

I started with rides of EEH and Palm beach road in Mumbai/Navi Mumbai, which was proving to be very refreshing. But in a couple of months (1st January 2023) I had the first fall, my tire went straight into a gap between two concrete blocks in Airoli, Navi Mumbai, and I could not control the cycle and fell down, having a few bruises and body pain for a few days. I took a rest for a couple of weeks and started with the early morning weekend rides again.

Starting cycle to work

My lifestyle in India had become significantly sedentary compared to what it was in Europe. I used to take the free cab pooling service which our firm provides to commute to work, and the shared cabs used to take even an hour for a 10 km commute at times. It is supposed to take 20 minutes in off peak hours, 30 min in peak hours if I take my own car (that would be a Skoda Kushaq, maybe I will write another thread on that). Worse than the waste of time, I was gaining weight fast due to the sedentary lifestyle. Also, I used to feel dizzy in the cabs which had reduced my productivity. I had also seen from the cabs that there are people who cycle to work in Mumbai. Hence I bit the pill and started taking cycle to my workplace. I planned my day such that I reach office before 08:00, and leave at 17:00. If necessary, the option of logging in after coming to home is available.

The cycle to work has boosted my health significantly, I feel less tired when I go for a walk, hikes (fortunate to be in Mumbai because I love hiking) etc. My weight started dropping without any dietary changes. Overall I feel more fresh after starting cycle to work, I am more productive at work. I change the dress at after reaching office.

Many people might think it is a hassle to manage the heat while cycling, I can assure that my productivity has increased in all seasons after getting used to early morning exercise. The commute by cycle saves my time (it takes 30 min for the 10 km commute), and I don't need to dedicate more time for exercise. Mumbai before 08:00 and after 17:00 is humid but not hot, that is something I can easily manage. I have continued cycling to work for two years now except monsoon, and plan to continue it that way.

Weekend rides

Apart from commutes to work, I also engage in early morning weekend rides in and around Mumbai. The cycling community of Mumbai is large, and they manage many rides. I ride solo more often, but have also explored new routes with the community. My typical weekend ride is a 50 km route which includes six repeats of Yeoor hill in Thane, which gives me practice of climbs and strength training. If I go with some friends I do routes towards Panvel, Uran, Belapur, Marine Drive, Aarey colony etc. all of which see significant cyclist traffic. The longest ride I have done so far is 105 km to a town beyond Panvel, on the old Mumbai Pune highway.

While all rides I have done so far have been in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai or Thane, I wish to go beyond these borders and do rides to Alibaug, Matheran, Lonavla and also Mumbai-Pune on some day.

Somewhere in Aarey Colony

On Marine drive

At Gateway of India

At British Council library

Inside Aarey Colony

Experience with traffic

This has been mostly good at the times I ride. My office commute involves taking a right turn from Airoli bridge onto EEH, but when I show right hand most people yield and let me pass. Even I show right hand indicator in order to take a flyover, most vehicles yield and let me pass. There are rarely some idiots who honk at me and try to bully (mostly motorcycles). I have hardly felt unsafe due to other vehicles as such, they maintain sufficient distance when they pass me. Again the category which I am sceptical of is motorcycles and then rickshaw, taxi, school buses in that order. But overall I usually felt safe on the routes I take.

Maintenance

After every 200-250 km, I degrease the bicycle chain and lubricate it again, at home. I use the bio degreaser from Decathlon and a dry lube prescribed by my friend who is a bicycle dealer. As the cycle is not used in monsoon, I take it to him after every monsoon, before starting the new cycling season. Usually the chain gets permanently extended after my usage for the year, and he replaces the chain apart from washing, lubricating, replacing brake pads if needed, tuning the gears, etc. Sometimes I go to him once more except the large post monsoon service, as the gears need another tuneup due to my heavy usage (roughly 300 km a year while not riding in monsoon).

Accessories

• A tire pump from Decathlon with pressure gauge
• Two headlights, both USB recheargeable, one from Decathlon and other from bumsonthesaddle.com
• Two bottle holders and compatlble 750 ml water bottles, both from Decathlon. Bottles designed for that particular bottle holder are important on unsmooth roads.
• Two taillights, I carried one from my cycle in Germany which has two AAA batteries and remains continuously on, while I got one more in India with two AAA batteries which remains on blinking mode.
• I carried my other accessories from Germany to carry during I ride, like a small tire pump, tire removing levers, puncture repair kit etc.
• Got a spare tube from Schwalbe at the time of bicycle purchase
• Got a cheap plastic goggle from Decathlon, but is of great help to protect the eyes from dust and wind.
• Cycling shorts and shirt from Decathlon

Concluding thoughts

The Giant Roam 2 has brought immense pleasure and joy to me, has significantly boosted my productivity at work. The cycle has made me fitter, and boosted the self esteem. I also use the cycle to run errands within the suburb I live, which save lot of time compared to walk and lot of money compared to rickshaw or my Kushaq. Overall, due to the combination of my cycle and Kushaq, my rickshaw/taxi commutes have dropped to almost zero. Cycle/Kushaq take care of almost all road commutes, while train/metro network takes care of lot of other commutes. I have been loving the pocket friendly and healthy travelling option so far, has completed 8100 km so far in 2.5 years, and still going strong. The thought of upgrading to a faster gravel bike comes to my mind, and might consider that in a year or two. Will update that in a separate thread later when I upgrade.

Another pending wish I have is to translate this post to my mother tongue Marathi, and will do it and post it on appropriate place at some point.

Odometer reading on Garmin app

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