Charge Steamer – First ride

My new bike arrived yesterday, and I thought it would be good to write a small review of the unboxing and first ride, and then follow up with a post after a couple of weeks/months of riding.

Unboxing

The bike arrived completely unscathed from the Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative, and opening the box revealed a bike that looked shiny and new and big. First impression seems to focus on the tyres. They are _huge_. 26″ wheels with 1.95″ wide tyres. Likewise the handlebars are _wide_. The bike came with a little dual-ended allen key which handles adjusting the stem, bars and seat, along with a little EBC bag, some instructions, and a flat multi-spanner for attaching the pedals. Putting the pedals on was a piece of cake, as was adjusting the handlebars. Getting the saddle right is a lot trickier, because the angle of the seatpost is extremely laid back, meaning my usual measurements didn’t work very well.

Considering the size of the bike, and the “extras” – built-in rack with board, kickstand, bell, full mudguards – it’s actually reasonably light.

There were only 2 real disappointments in the package. Firstly, the pannier that I had bought attaches with plastic clips that are far too small to clip onto the oversized railings of the integrated rack on the bike. Secondly the (very nice) wooden deck appears as if it may have been incorrectly attached to the bike, although I’m not 100% and it hasn’t in any way hampered the bike, so I’m not actually bothered.

First ride

Going from a road bike to this is like going from black and white TV to colour. Essentially it’s the same thing, but it’s really a whole lot different. The geometry of the frame is so laid back that you do feel as if you are reclining. The bike is ultra-stable, which is great for commuting on Glasgow roads. The handlebars are so wide that it feels a bit like you’re riding a Harley. The brakes are fantastic and, being internal, don’t degrade in the wet Glasgow weather. The gearing is just about right for my commute – lowest gear is probably a shade higher than my old bike, and highest is maybe a touch lower, although it’s difficult to tell because of the difference in riding position.

Interestingly the bike makes me want to go both faster and slower than before. The stable geometry and wide handlebars make riding slow very easy and relaxing. The geometry and the brakes make going fast great fun and much less scary. The enormous tyres make for a smooth ride over potholes and have loads of grip in this mornings slush. The saddle is sprung which is also nice and comfy, although the seat-tube is angled so far back that the saddle can’t actually go horizontal, which I’m not sure I like, but will leave for the moment.

Under heavy pedalling one of the cranks does knock against the chainguard slightly, but it’s not bad enough (or frequent enough) to be a proper annoyance. Riding out of the saddle will take some getting used to because of the width of the bars.

Probably the hardest thing is getting used to a more laid back riding position. It feels like I’m using different muscles, and at times it feels somehow less efficient. It also doesn’t feel like it’s accelerating all that quickly when I first start off. It will be interesting to see whether this is actually true over a long period of riding and timing my commute.

Conclusion

This is a cruiser bike, and it lives up to it’s name. I feel like cruising around in it. I feel like I would be much more likely just to jump on it and ride, which was part of the plan. Not that I didn’t like riding my previous bike, but this feels inherently more practical for some reason. It’s also more fun to ride, and more comfortable.

Watch this space for long(er) term review.

mrBen