#cycling4steemit community sharing: Why I love my bike - I show you mine if you show me yours.
I always love to see what kind of bikes people are riding and what they use them for. The beauty about bikes is that there's one for every persons need and what we are looking for in it. Is it the price? the components? weight? durability? So many factors can go into what kind of bike we end up riding. So I'm asking you, what bike do you ride? Let me introduce you to mine!
Why I love my touring bike "Life lontano"
For most of you who are not completely new to my blog it is no secret that I am using my bike to travel long distances that no usual bike would be able to withstand, unless of course you choose one made for the job. Everything on my bike pretty much screams "touring" and with good reasons! It's heavy, maybe even somewhat slow BUT it just wont break.
Pinion gearbox parred with belt drive system
The most expensive part of the whole bike is probably this very unique gearing system.
The price of the bike are spiking because of the pinion gearbox but with good reason. It almost cost 900 euro alone for the gearbox and even requires a specially made frame for it to be installed. (mostly people just buy the whole bike I guess to make sure everything is set in order). While the price can seem quite crazy at first, if you think about it a little it's actually not too bad considering how many kilometers this gearbox can take on. Some people have already made round the world trips with pinion and still in perfect shape. It's estimated that it should last more than 100.000 km before you should start worrying about it. ONLY requirement it have is it change oil every 10.000 km(this take less than 10 mins by the way).
Together with the belt drive that can last around 15.000 - 30.000 km per belt you will find that few things has to be maintained on the bike at all. A belt requires no oil and does not stretch like chains do.
It's truly a set it and forget it system.
What else makes it so reliable:
Schwalbe Marathon Mondial 50-622: 5000 km on my bike and one puncture so far. It is said these tires have a lifetime of 25.000km. Very fitting for everything else on my bike that seems to last for eternity. Also they still seem somewhat fast on paved roads but can take on rough terrain. I seem them a bit as the "jacks of all trades".
Brooks B17 saddle: Over time this leather saddle starts to shape like your "butt". Making it very comfortable to sit on for a long day compared to many other saddles!
Hydraulic disc brakes: Durable, reliable and low maintenance. But still probably will be going back to good old V-brakes in the future. I just like to keep my brakes simple. But still these have proven very powerful when I needed it the most.
Time to show me yours!
Don't be shy! Give me a picture or a description about your bike, would be cool to see what kind of beasts you guys are rolling around with. There's no wrong bike in this world, it's all about what we need them for! Is it for racing or maybe just cycling down to the grocery store? mountain biking? Lets see what you guys got!
Sorry for the late response to your comments guys! currently being sick and not a lot of energy to give!
Looks cool! I haven't seen or herd of that gear system before. How many gears does it have?
A variety of 18 Has both more variety and gear range than the competitor rohloff that sits on 12 gears. Of course more expensive and a bit more heavy.
I guess you need some very easy gears if the bikes heavy because sometimes you ride through mountains
Wow, never saw such gearbox before so I've learned something here ! Great post.
And here is my 'machine' :
A Giant Roam, now 3 years old. As you can see I like to climb really steep 'things', even stairways haha. I love to ride in Belgium, in the Ardennes region (Liege and surroundings) where there are enough steep (or long depending what you choose) climbs. It's my training terrain for the Alpes/Dolomites.
Giant is such a reliable and proven brand with a lot of great bikes to choose from! is yours made from aluminum or steel? it looks solid!
I started to prepare my bike for the new season. Had to change all batteries on my Polar CS500 first. Those W.I.N.D. sensors are not supposed to have a replaceable batteries ... but new ones cost 40€ and batteries 2€ ?! I just had to do a little DIY. Opened them with a knife, replaced the battery and glued it back with some silicone. I was thinking about showing my road bike ... since i can't go cycling in 40cm of snow :D
Well ... i do cycle to work and back, but i don't count those few kilometers per day for cycling :)
Chapeau, my friend! I've never seen a belt drive system on a bicycle before. I'm a road bike user, myself. Looking forward to following your account, keep it up!
B
It's not seen on many bikes indeed but within the touring world it really starts to become popular!
hi @holm where are you? How are you? Are you alright? I've been waiting for the latest posts from you. I have read the whole post, the price of the gearbox is very expensive for the size of my country's currency (LOL 😁). I only use brand bike POLYGON type Siskiu D7 made locally. I bought it because I often use hilly paths and derivatives.
Yeah man it's expensive initially but given it can last what is equal to 2 times around the world distance wise without any replacement makes it worth it in the long run! local made bikes are also usually cheaper, you get more bang for the buck!
Great bike Holm, it's true that pinion gearbox is going to last for long. Hope it serves you well on your journey! Do you carry a spare belt with you though?
I carry one spare belt. they are very light and instead of having to carry oil and chain parts its a pleasure!
yeah man, nice post. this is exactly what my post was about today, THIS is what makes you stand out! :)
haha oh man yeah, in someway I guess but still room for a lot of improvement!
I would love to see your post with more pictures of this beautiful bike. Thanks!
More to come don't you worry my friend!
Very interesting post)