@@hananas2 Not surprised at all. For most people all over the world bicycle is a transportingtool, not sporting equipment or a gadget for bragging with your big wallet. And most youtubechannels are about advertising new fancy gadgets, not about making cycling enoying. I have never seen a bicycle-channel that actully include a rider that are happy with his/her bike with Deore/Sora/Claris.
Good enough for a commuter. I actually really like the frame, I’d love to see you guys turn this into a mid level bike, throw some ridiculous parts at it :)
I was thinking much the same, albeit garish colours aren't my thing. What's interesting is how close this is to being a much better machine. The bones are there, the marketing and detail isn't. For a 20% increase in price, this could be a very good machine for your average plebe to achieve escape velocity.
Went into leisure lakes yesterday and they had 4/5 drop bar bikes, the entry level was a specialized at $1000, it's crazy no rim braked bikes either in the shop, 10 years ago you could get a Ali Mekk with sora for $450 or a specialized allez with Shimano 2300 or trek for $500 from the same store, better off buying second hand these days.
You say you have to upgrade the triple front mech shifter to use a double, but you don't. I have the old Triban 500 with the Triple microshift shifter and have put a hollowtech Shimano Sora double 50-34 on the front of it, you can set the derailleur limits so it only has two positions (with the triple derailleur) , and works as good as any cheap double shifter in that set up. It is not well set up 105, but it switches between the big and small ring pretty well without skipping or jamming so does the job for free. I would say the limits of this big are that it is what you start to see in a cheap bike, steel forks (adding 2.5kg), low tyre clearance, a triple, be interested in how the tyres are because cheap tyres can really have limited grip when it start to get cold (but not icy).
Triples are fine...set up with friction shifting, not indexed. Still very popular on 8-9-10 speed touring bikes with something like 48-36-24 chainrings.
Yea, just mind your chainline and having all that range of a triple can be really nice. I had a triple bike for years and I loved it. Gary Fisher KaiTai - great all-round bike from the mid-90's.
@@festerofest4374 chainline for me on a 9 speed triple (theoretical 27 speed) would be Small front 5 biggest rear sprockets Middle front, 7, all but 1 & 9 Big front, 6 smallest rear = 18 useable gears and no cross chaining.... Unlike a 1 x 12.....
If Argos did this bike in 2 (or ideally 3) sizes, changed the triple to a cheap compact (50/34), swapped the freewheel to a a 11-34 and could squeeze in 28mm tyres- no matter how basic, they could increase the price to £399 and sell these day long. Those swap’s really shouldn’t affect the overall landed cost price to Argos (not retail) too much. From Argos’ POV the main issue would realistically be holding more inventory due to extra size options, and how many would they actually sell. All our suggestions are based on those of experienced cyclists, but most seasoned cyclists won’t be buying a £350 bike from Argos, save for maybe a turbo trainer bike or winter bike. So whilst Argos maybe could get those changes implemented quite easily, and that would be a great, usable, crazy cheap road bike if they did, it’s probably not worth the hassle for their predicted sales numbers. Any experienced roadie who did buy one (I would actually get one if it fitted me) would probably just swap out tyres straight away anyway and eventually fit a different chainset, most of us have attics full of Dura-Ace chainsets after all!! 🚴🏻🤣🤣
For someone like me who just wanted a cheap run around Argos dont really have any mountain bikes for taller people, their frame size is always around 18" and its tiny. i wish they would stock larger frame bikes
I bought a Cross hybrid bike out of desperation when cheap bikes were hard to come by after lockdown. I only paid £125 for it. The cable actuated calipers failed within months and I also kept replacing spokes. The tyres were made of cheese and the bottom bracket was a bucket of marbles. I still ride it although all that's left of the original bike is the frame and the seat. Not the forks, they went too. I definitely never got a bargain in the long run.
Just watched this and bought the bike today for a ridiculous £148! Figured I can't go wrong at that price. Will do as an extra bike, maybe for use in the winter on the TT
Dear Francis, I really appreciate the video quality since you've created Cade Media and I love the dynamic you and Jimmy share. I'm glad that the products you review do not (always) break the bank and are affordable for most people. As a long time viewer I do miss the vlog-style riding videos since they've always motivated me to go out and ride a bike myself. I assume these types of videos do not perform as well on RU-vid - but I think there is an audience for them. Keep up the good work and thanks for many hours of entertainment over the years.
It was 21 degrees today in Florence, Italy where I live. I was wearing long sleeves and long bib tights on my mid afternoon ride. I realized that I overdid it. The other cyclists were in shorts.
Definitely agree on the rim brake point. Yes hydraulic disks are better but all budget rim brakes are pretty good and don't stretch the cables much unless you're really doing something silly. Also those rims probably cost like 10 quid to make so who really cares
Triple has it's place and can shift perfectly. Especially considering the bike is 13 happy kilos. :) Oh, I do run triples on two of my bikes. Love them. Just use it as a 2x with a safety option
Great review, I really love this entry level series. Indeed it seems like this bike was aimed for wallmart and hypermarkets, especially with a one size only frame and I'm glad you did not recommend it in the end. Decathlon's Tribans are still the best choice when it comes to budget road bikes. Once Triban RC 120 gets a replaceble mech hanger and thru-axle, its gonna unbeatable unless they raise the price much higher.
I'd love to see entry level bikes from the online retailers. I suppose the administration of Wiggle CRC is topical right now, but it's still actively trading, and it's looking like it'll be sold to new owners soon.
"Decathlon's Tribans are still the best choice when it comes to budget road bikes" Have you *really* compared them to several alternatives before reaching this final decision?
@NunoLima1337 yes, no better choice in that budget unless you get a used one or there's a stock clearance or any other major sale. However that's applied to the European market, I am not really sure how things are in USA or Asia. Boardman also has some good budget deals if you're in UK. The thing with bicycles is that the prices are constantly changing, when I've bought my Orbea it was 2.5k euro, and the next month it was on sale for 2k. Same thing applies to Tribans, there might be some better deals out there, but in general they are hard to beat. Especially if you aren't willing to wait for sales.
@@DanAlexandruAlb I'm in the UK too. Decathlon and Halfords are my nearest "big box" stores but I recently re-discovered Go Outdoors. I've become very interested in the Polygon brand they distribute, even if this is not an "in house" brand like Carrera, Triban, Pinnacle, Calibre, and others I haven't discovered. Maybe that's the "< £500 bike" big comparison series I'd like to watch on RU-vid!
Boxes only have to sit about a week in a warehouse before they get crazy dusty. They usually hire someone and their job is dust control. Thats all they do. Sweep ,dust boxes, floor scrubber, vaccum, and clean out air filters. And the boxes will still get like that after a week
The triple doesn't cause the cross-chaining wear, though -- you would see the exact same problem if the front was a 1x. (In fact, this is kind of the problem with 1x!). 11-12 speed cassettes make this a little better than 7 speed because you have a higher density of gear options in the same physical space, but it's not like it's even twice as dense as a 7-speed. I guess what I'm saying is, 2x gearing is objectively the best :-).
Great video. I find some triples work really well but, yeah, I prefer a double any time. Where I live (Ontario) the equivalent of 350GBP will buy you a really nice used road bike. Maybe a medium range aluminum frame from 2005 ish era, with 105 groupset (eg Giant, Trek or Specialized) with probably 80% of its useful life left in it. I imagine its the same in UK?
The Deore XT T8000 line is a triple and it works perfectly. I don't know about the Tiagra triple groupset, but like... A very good triple is possible and idk why so many people don't like it. The thing is, modern 10 and 11 speed groupsets are designed with cross-chaining in mind.
@@stephensaines7100 Agreed. I own several 80's steel frame bikes, each of which will still be going strong years after the Argos bike is in the dumpster. Having said that, the Argos bike appears to be functional and looks great in the modern sense. Its all good if it gets folks into cycling. Fantastic that you are doing 100km rides in your seventies btw.
Big fan of triples (53/39/26 and 11-32 9spd cassette on my Audax bike), needed my 26 tooth inner ring yesterday going up Widecombe Hill near the end of the Dartmoor Devil Audax. Bike size is usually measured by seat tube length.
Got gifted a Cross CRX500 hybrid by a friend the other day as he has a bad knee so never ever uses it and just wanted rid so gave it to me to "do something with" and sell. Was shocked as it looked like new but as soon as I got on everything was just all over the place, rattling and just barely staying together. Seeing how yours arrived explains a lot but half an hour tinkering got it tight, quiet and as smooth as it was going to get with its full Tourney group less iron age cranks and floppy V brakes. Much like yours, this bike also rolls surprisingly well for a bike which in this case retailed at £130 😳 and masks its weight well. The worst bit on this bike is also the triple chainset which is so cheap and nasty it has so much wander it is impossible to adjust out front chain rub. I honestly thought it must have been fitted wrong so removed and refitted but no difference. Don't want to mash it up by attempting to straighten it. My similarish 20 year old Claud Bulter Chinook is so much better in so many ways, actually very like to the CRX352 but rim brakes and straight bars. It will do someone as a sturdy commuter hack nicely though. Lesson for people out there, just like you show, if you are buying a Cross new you better have some basics skills, and if you are buying second hand also don't assume its set up right but you should have a decent basic bike to get around on. You can have it for £75 if you like as long as you promise "No stunting or jumping" 😅
I had a campag veloce triple back in the day it was great, I have shimano ultegra 11spd now not a fan, but that might be the shifters on the hoods I miss the thumb depressor enormously might switch back to campag just for that
My older Ultegra triple 3×9 (52-42-30 crank) shifts better in the front than my 105 10 speed 2×10 compact 50-34 crank. When riding a triple I only use the small ring as a granny gear going up a steep hill. I can see double being better with an 11 or 12 speed though.
For those of you just getting into cycling and on a limited budget, or you just don't want to spend a lot of money on your first bike because you're not sure you'll stick with it, here is my advice: Rather than buy a $400 bike brand new, take that same $400 and buy a much better used bike. You could easily find a nice aluminum road bike with a 105 group set that would be a lot lighter and have a lot better build quality for the same money. If you don't know what to look for, find someone who does know or just do your research online. Bikes do not hold their value well at all, so for $400, you could buy a bike that was originally about $1,500 but is now 5 or 6 years old and may have a scratch or two but is in great working order. That's what I did with my first bike, and once I'd ridden that one for about 3 years straight, I sold it and bought myself a carbon bike on a great sale. Spend your money wisely on all your bike purchases. You can't buy speed no matter what anyone tells you.
the big problem with it being 7 speed is that probably means the rear frame spacing is 126mm instead of 130, so if you wanted to upgrade to 8+ sprockets out back you would have to cold-set the frame, which you can't do cause it's aluminum, then you would need a new wheel. I wonder where they even found a hub that had both a tread-on freewheel and a disc mount.
Fun fact, there are two "Cross" brands, one is this, we call it "C-Cross", the other is Kross, we call it "K-Cross". Both brands offer affordable bikes in all ranges, now in gravel as well in about the same kind of quality. I'd like to see the comparison with the K-Kross gravel bike also compared to Triban
maybe a typo? CRY 952, but seriously: nice review and for some still a good entry point! Nice that you look at bikes at this price level, much appreciated!
Did somone mentioned 6 foot 8 (203cm)? Coming from looong cycling hibernation and dusting off my ancient (and too small 58cm) 3x8 Giant and EU52 Shimano shoes. Also enjoying this kind of cycling content on yt.
You know what a very interesting video concept could also end up being. Budget gear. I've been thinking about getting one of Decathlon's 50€ road helmet, but I dunno if it's good. Also My head looks wack in one, maybe also a video on what style of helmet fits what head shape, if that's a thing?
And at it maybe also the riding boots (gravel ones specific if possible, like the Triban GRVL 500/520 spd or Rockrider Gravel Race 900) and ask the Bikefit guy if they are solid for beginners?
As long as it fits you, the helmet should be good. I am pretty sure all helmets sold in Europe must meet a minimum safety score. Also take a look at Specialized Align II, its one of the cheapest MIPS helmet and interestingly one of the safest on the market based on the safety tests.
The problem with the triple up front is that they have advanced rear derailleur a ton and the front has been updated in 30 years. They need to make a better design for the front derailluer
I have ride a hybrid with 28/38/48 and 14-28 in 18 years, work brilliant. It seams like 3-speed dosen't work with bended bars. What spec on this bike? I really like the small difference in ratio at front with that bike. But the freewheel is abit wide. Now I have 13-28 on it and I hate it. It is clearly too wide. I never use smallest chainring on tarmac. Jimmy - some entry level cyklists living on flats and have leg muscles. Good that you check out low price bikes!
Where's a chair? lol We've all been there. Was trying to fix my milwaukee powertool charger but was unable to explain what i need to a girl in the store :)
I'm 6'2 and have this bike and its fine. It is my first road bike but i find it very comfortable. Brakes are crap, and took alot of adjustments to get them to work, and still they aren't great.
Cross is Bulgarian brand making bikes from '95, they have all from kids bikes to really good mtbs and e-bikes distributed mostly in Eu.. This particular model it doesn't show up on their site, so I guess it's deal only with Argos in UK..
But to be honest if your watching Cade Media or any other bike related youtube channel, you probably know how to assemble a bike properly or knows someone who do. Or just bring it to a local bike shop. Probably bring some cold beer. Helps allot for bringing you up the queue
Hey Jimmy, we're not all ex pros, or necessarily in the first flush of youth. I couldn't ride without a tripple, which makes pretty much all the flash bikes out of reach or need a suitable upgrade to 3by. I'm surprised you are happy with 7 speeds at the rear. Francis, the length of the seat tube is the traditional way of sizing a bike so it's not surprising thats what they used. I wonder that you didn't notice at the point of sale that it was a "one size fits all" (well normally no-one) but perhaps you did. Why even entertain the possibility it might be good value. If, as Jimmy claims, an owner might want to upgrade (?) to a 2by, why woud they need to replace the tripple shifter when they could just set the cable short so that only 2 worked? Entry level riders might have aspiration to be fit and strong but they are entry level riders so maybe they need an easier ride to start (unless they live in the fens or somewhere else pan flat)
Take it to a race! I would love to see a well set up supermarket bike in the hands of a fast rider. It should give all us gear obsessed wannabees food for thought.
Wish these entry levels didn't feel the need to complicate. The internal cable routing, triple front ring and disc brakes pointlessly add cost and increase maintenance. I'd prefer better components and traditional routing and brakes with a double. 23mm tires also a stupid choice. I wonder if the one-size-fits-all approach is how they make the price point.
Cross bikes are the best value for money. For 500 euros you can get an mtb with RockShox suspension, Shimano brakes and everything else. Prices of bikes with same specs from other brands start from 1,000 euros.
Be good if you put £1200 of selected parts (easily buy you wheels and a decent groupset )on one of these bikes and get a rider who isn’t aware of the upgrades to test it against a £1500 bike
Best not get into ebikes too deeply. There's plenty of "fits all" one-size ebikes. My guess is they know their customers are mostly unfamiliar with bikes in general. Even some reviewers who should know better suggest changing the stem length by 10s of mm with no mention of the other consequences. Although it may not matter when the bike weighs 80 pounds! 😶
Agree 100%. Best drivetrain ever. My other bike is a compact and I’m going to upgrade it to a triple as I never feel I’m in the right gear. UNDERRATED.
Still for me, the safety aspect of people building bikes themselves can produce a lot of hazards. Decathlon and Halfords will build the bike for you and also will provide in person support if there are issues.
