New Steed!
by Vince on Jan.16, 2010, under Mountain Biking
After having my bikes stolen just before Christmas, I have treated myself to a new mountain bike this week. I loved the classic, slimline look of my old Rockhopper’s steel frame, and so was on the lookout for something similar. I’d spent many an evening, scouring the Internet for suitable steeds. After considering frames from Cotic, and Charge, I’ve finally plumped with the Io ID, from Genesis, nabbing the ‘09 model for a sprightly £800 from Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operative.
The Io ID’s main features are the singlespeed steel frame, and the Shimano Alfine hub-gear.
The Alfine is an 8-speed internally geared hub, which does away with the usual rear derailleur, and stuffs all the gears inside the hub. The result is quite a large rear hub, with some extra weight, and the number of gears available greatly reduced (there is no front derailleur, either!). In return, I you benefit from less maintenance required, and the ability to shift when not pedalling. I’ve had it fitted with a 20 tooth sprocket which should help with the lack of a granny ring.
I’ll be posting updates on how the bike is performing as and when it gets ridden/breaks down, including its maiden thrash tomorrow, at Llandegla!
***EDIT*** Llandegla is still snowed under! Coupled with fallen trees lying across the trail, it won’t be ridable for a bit…