so, I ordered my X on Friday morning, size Lg in Forest Green. Bike was delivered yesterday (tuesday 22nd) late in afternoon...
I put it together this morning and took a short maiden ride of about 3 mi. in our large open space across the street....
AWESOME !!! I am OVER The MOON on this bike! Best bike purchase I've made since getting my Tarmacs ! And I've bought a bunch of bikes since then...
1st ride - great riding bike, feels 'roadie' but a more casual position compared to race bike. Rides great over loose gravel of chunky size,35mm Kenda Small Blocks are great tires!. Quiet on the road, and while they are not GP 4Ks, they get along pretty fine for casual road riding (short section on street going to open space...)
2022 Poseidon X (Lg - 56 cm) stock, except for Spec CF post and Phenom saddle
Quick review of how it came, general condition and some comments on bike/components/assembly.
Cmae out of box well protected with foam tubes and all in a firm package. No damage other than light hazing where bars had shifted to frame... not very visible unless you look real, real close.
Frame paint job is extraordinary, especially considering price. I check frame alignment before assembly and everything right on.
Front wheel bearing v-slight tight (I'm picky...) so I did a quick adjustment and set just right. Rear wheel has very, very slight side-side wobble. I will ride as is for about 50 mi. and then true the wheel (I'm picky...)
Only 'Fail' - for me - the saddle seems like a nice knockoff of the Arione, and is 130 width... Can't ride 130, put on one of my current Favs - Spec Phenom with a Spec CF seatpost.
with the CF post and saddle the 'ride' is quite comfy, not harsh at all.
Brake pads need bedding in, then I'll decide if I need better pads, otherwise decent progression and stopping power will improve as pads bed in.
I'm not a fan of wide bars, so I was planning to switch the stock 46 kinda 'trek' bars for something more my liking - BUT !!! 1st ride, they're not bad... gonna ride them for a few months and see if they grow on me.
Wheels do look sturdy, and ride well, given this is all 'recreation' not race - they'll do fine.
Microshift drivetrain is great ! as expected...35mm Kenda Small Blocks aired to 38 & 40 psi ride and handle great on loose gravel, dusty hardpack and tarmac (i'm 150 lbs) - we'll see how they do in the sand pits and rock gardens. Cranks are nice, basic, but following the best designs for 1x drivetrains. I expect the cranks will do fine. I'm very ok with the old school sq taper BB.
Cassette- whats to say? looks fine, shifts nice, even under load.
Overall, I think this is one of the best value bikes I'm aware of. I would recommend to anyone who wants a gravel bike with roadie ability. Can't say how it will hold up, it's new.
Overall frame dims in Lg work fine for me, short torso, long legs/arms/feet and accustomed to a laid out position. This is more upright, but not 'Opa Fiets' upright like a lot of endurance frames.
'Finish' Quality is as good as any I've seen, not seeing any corners cut on overall quality.
I can't believe the current price, considering the level of the bike/frame/components.
super satisfied with this bike, excited to get out later for a 25 - 30 miler on some dirty tracks...
Ride On
Yuri