Where do you go for bike reviews?

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twoangstroms
Posts: 463
Joined: Thu Sep 15, 2005 6:49 am

by twoangstroms

And please note what language the source you list is in, and whether it's paid or free. Seems like the days of "just look at this magazine" are gone!

by Weenie


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TobinHatesYou
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Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2017 12:02 pm

by TobinHatesYou

I don’t really glean any useful information off bike reviews unless there are major, but not completely obvious faults.

BikeRadar and CyclingTips are probably two of the better mass media sources.

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VTR1000SP2
Posts: 930
Joined: Tue Nov 05, 2013 8:21 pm

by VTR1000SP2

Mainly this for bike reviews - https://granfondo-cycling.com/ but I also check what bikeradar and road.cc have to say and look for similarities.


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Focus Izalco Max - 4.84kg without pedals
Cervélo Áspero - 8.28kg
Trek Madone SLR Rim - 7.73kg
Standert Triebwerk Disc - 8.47kg

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C36
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by C36

Interesting question, yesterday a french blog shared non-ethical / corruption rumours among french magazines (nothing really new, I knew some of them from other sources) from pushing winning “the bike of the year” and being gifted the winning bike, to skipping negative aspect to keep the adds... but also a magazine asking for a free bike for a year, refused by the brand and since then black listed...
Since here we talk about paid magazines I can’t imagine web-magazines who 100% depend on brand adds. Bike rumours is a good example, nice (fantastic) for updates and brand-tours but are appalling when they test anything. GCN is an absolute joke totally clueless technically... I rely on 3 things:
- lab tests cause I have the background to filter them and understand their limits
- “against the market comments” (disc frames behaving “poorly” compared to rim brake ones was the clearest recent example).
- Over the years you always had independent blogs who were a real source of info. Damonrinard blog 20 years ago is the first one I recall, then had roues-artisanales (partially in English and not updated since Adrien developed RAR wheels), friction facts before ceramic speed bought them and now I have “rolling resistance” that come to my mind.

Edit: I do appreciate cyclingtip, more for the presentations and some comparisons (recent chain tool was good). For french reader matosvelo is really transparent on how it works but it remains a one man website then less reviews. Tests are as close as honest as I could see


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Last edited by C36 on Wed Oct 17, 2018 1:09 am, edited 1 time in total.

Jacksoneaker
Posts: 24
Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2018 4:09 am

by Jacksoneaker

James Huang at cycling tips has my trust

Seedster
Posts: 672
Joined: Fri Jun 05, 2015 11:05 pm

by Seedster

cyclingtips or tour.

The rest never seem to provide any useful criticism until the manufacturers replacement is introduced. Then you learn about comfort, stiffness improvements..

tabl10s
Posts: 754
Joined: Wed Aug 23, 2017 5:40 am

by tabl10s

I read whatever I come across and go from there. Lust, conquers all!
Last edited by tabl10s on Wed Oct 17, 2018 7:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
2015 Pinarello F8: 13.13lbs/5.915kg(w/Roval 64's). Sold.
2016 Rca: 11.07lbs/5.048kg.
2015 Rca. 11.15 lbs(w/Roval CLX 32's)
2015 Rca/NOS(sold).
2018 S-Works SL6 Ultralight 12.03lbs(w/Roval CLX 50's)

TobinHatesYou
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Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2017 12:02 pm

by TobinHatesYou

VTR1000SP2 wrote:
Wed Oct 17, 2018 12:29 am
Mainly this for bike reviews - https://granfondo-cycling.com/ but I also check what bikeradar and road.cc have to say and look for similarities.

Gran Fondo Cycling takes pretty pictures, but their reviews are basically press releases.

Road.cc is the absolute worst. I’m not convinced they actually do any thorough testing there.

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VTR1000SP2
Posts: 930
Joined: Tue Nov 05, 2013 8:21 pm

by VTR1000SP2

TobinHatesYou wrote:
VTR1000SP2 wrote:
Wed Oct 17, 2018 12:29 am
Mainly this for bike reviews - https://granfondo-cycling.com/ but I also check what bikeradar and road.cc have to say and look for similarities.

Gran Fondo Cycling takes pretty pictures, but their reviews are basically press releases.

Road.cc is the absolute worst. I’m not convinced they actually do any thorough testing there.
Hmm.. can’t say I agree. I’ve read several reviews on GFC where they share criticism and it’s usually never the price.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Focus Izalco Max - 4.84kg without pedals
Cervélo Áspero - 8.28kg
Trek Madone SLR Rim - 7.73kg
Standert Triebwerk Disc - 8.47kg

robertbb
Posts: 2179
Joined: Thu Jul 23, 2009 3:35 am

by robertbb

Matthew Allen @ Bikeradar is very good.

velov
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Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2018 9:09 am

by velov

Cyclingtips hands down

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silvalis
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Location: Aus

by silvalis

if anyone cares - the cyclingtips 10th oct 18 podcast episode James describes his approach to bike reviews.
Chasse patate

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Lewn777
Posts: 1266
Joined: Thu Mar 09, 2017 5:35 am

by Lewn777

I don't care that much about bike reviews. A 'bike' is really just a collection of parts bolted together. I try to concentrate on the frameset, groupset, seat and wheels. Many medium/low endbikes are marked down for having replaceable parts like heavy wheels, but what I would like to know is how good different levels of carbon fiber are, knowing what's a really good riding low end carbon fiber bike or what's actually pretty bad despite a high price tag? Obviously which brake system, disk, rim or direct mount? How aero or light?

Nearly all reviews are not objective. There are basically three flawed kinds of reviews: 1. Fawning user reviews, where a user is trying to convince himself and others he has purchased a good, or the right bike and gives it a 10/10. 2. A complaining user review, where a user has had many/some problems and is angry with their bike or manufacturer and gives it a 1/10. 3. A commercial review that dares not give a low score to a potential advertiser or worse current advertiser. For example they rarely flag a manufacturer for quoting nonsense weights.

There are a few reviews where users have rented, borrowed or demoed bikes and liberated journalists unafraid to give real opinions. Those are a rare breed.

AJS914
Posts: 5397
Joined: Tue Jan 28, 2014 6:52 pm

by AJS914

I don't take reviews as gospel. If I'm interested in a specific bike I'll read every review I can find, every forum post I can find, study the geometry, and then I'll come to some conclusion.

The other thing is that most bikes I would consider are pretty good and I'm looking for outlier data like:

This bike is so stiff it makes my fillings fall out
The bottom bracket is a crappy setup and causes no end of creaks and headaches.
The frame broke and it took 6 months for the manufacturer to replace it after I was jerked around by the distributor for 3 months.
The proprietary seatpost on this bike sucks balls.
The integrated bar/stem on this bike is horrific to set up.

I want to know stuff like that.

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

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tabl10s
Posts: 754
Joined: Wed Aug 23, 2017 5:40 am

by tabl10s

TobinHatesYou wrote:
Wed Oct 17, 2018 3:52 am
VTR1000SP2 wrote:
Wed Oct 17, 2018 12:29 am
Mainly this for bike reviews - https://granfondo-cycling.com/ but I also check what bikeradar and road.cc have to say and look for similarities.

Gran Fondo Cycling takes pretty pictures, but their reviews are basically press releases.

Road.cc is the absolute worst. I’m not convinced they actually do any thorough testing there.
RCC has gotten better and away from the idiot unboxing vids. I don't comment on the presenters.
2015 Pinarello F8: 13.13lbs/5.915kg(w/Roval 64's). Sold.
2016 Rca: 11.07lbs/5.048kg.
2015 Rca. 11.15 lbs(w/Roval CLX 32's)
2015 Rca/NOS(sold).
2018 S-Works SL6 Ultralight 12.03lbs(w/Roval CLX 50's)

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