Originally Posted by
fietsbob
Lots of brands, very few actual manufacturers.
analyze the parts pick , rather than the logo on the paint.
Thank you, That is a large part of my consideration. Rather than brand name I'm looking at overall aesthetic, which is a part of the process for me. I don't think I'd choose to ride a bright red or green bike, for example, even if the spec and price were good.
Originally Posted by
DanBell
I can't speak to those particular models, but I purchased a Canyon Ultimate Al 9.0 several years ago. Conincidentally, I was also in Japan at the time and trying to get better value than you get on imported bikes in Japan.Tthe markups are atrocious. That was a great bike, great value, and the whole purchasing process was painless. I recommended Canyon to a couple of friends after that and they all reported the same. Keep in mind that you might get dinged for taxes on delivery. I don't recall exactly how much it was, but I remember it being lower than I expected, like 6000 yen or something like that.
Thanks for the info; if I go Canyon, I'll be sure to account for taxes! Glad to hear some positive reviews, too.
Recently, I looked very closely at the Canyon Endurace CF 7.0 (carbon fibre with full Ultegra) ... they sell for £1299.00
Nice bike, but the handlebar is slammed right down. I went on the live chat and asked the guy if they could leave a longer piece so that I could raise the handlebars, and he said no
so, I ended up getting a Giant TCR and am very happy
Thanks, I looked at some Giants, particularly the Revolt. Got a good quote on one recently and might go that way.
Originally Posted by
veganbikes
I wonder if you can actually test ride a Canyon (beyond being a Team Katusha or Movistar rider)? I am not a huge fan of their stuff and certainly don't see a whole lot of touring/bikepacking usefulness in their stuff but if you must have one go for it. Their Commuter 8.0 and a few below that look more like race bikes with a proprietary aero slammed cockpits. The 6.0 seems a bit more practical but the rack is a silly design that probably couldn't carry big weight easily (like groceries or laptops and other heavier items). All in all I think they have too much racing pedigree and that doesn't translate as well into more functional non race bikes and while some of their spec is great, some of it falls short.
If you are going to be in Japan, I am sure you can find great touring bikes or bikes easily converted for that purpose. I know Araya (who I know from rim making) makes a whole line of touring/rando bikes and I think even some more versatile cross machines.
ARAYA Bicycle Project
I am sure the good folks at Circles could help out in finding a bike they just had a big event with a bunch of American builders and The Radavist and they all went on a tour/bikepacking trip with them:
Circles**********????
Thanks! I'll contact them and see what they say. I almost went with Araya, but their touring bikes are all very stretched out, with low, far brake positions. One shop offered to swap the bars immiediately for a mustache bar, so that might be an option. Their cross bike is a little more expensive than the better-spec'd Merida I got a quote on, so I'd probably just take the Merida over it.
Originally Posted by
DanBell
I never cared much for the Araya line when I was there. Some of their component choices seemed to me that they were trying to make something that looked like a style of bike, rather than speccing to be actually good at that thing (i.e. looking like a classic touring bike but not actually being well suited for touring). They also seemed over priced for what you got, with the less expensive models (around $1000) with hi-ten frames if I recall correctly. That was a couple years ago though, and they look a bit better now. The 2016 Touriste seems like it's not a terrible deal considering Japanese bike prices. The brakes are an issue for me though. I wouldn't buy a touring bike without disc brakes in Japan. Lots of mountains, lots of rain...
Haha, yes. Lots of rain and hills, and mountains around the hills. Discs are a good idea. One shop owner actually recommended I ignore the Diagonale and go for the Touriste, if I choose Araya. He said the Touriste frames are manufactured in Taiwan versus Indonesia for the Diagonale, and lugged rather than welded (which for him just made it a "more pretty" bike, lol).
I just want a workhorse that doesn't look terrible. Giant, Cannondale, Specialized, and Merida are the big brands around me, with good shops nearby. I'll probably go with one of them, or Canyon if they ever get back to me. So far haven't been able to get back on their chat service...guess they're overloaded with their sale.