Canyon Roadlite 6: a few Qs

Cookie_Monster

Pretty much decided on this, mainly due to feedback on here in several threads and my budget.

https://www.canyon.com/_en/roadbikes/bike.html?b=2105

A few questions though:

for the crank is it worth the extra ring?

What's the difference between the two cassette choices?

Cycling will hopefully be mainly around Wicklow so hills and Meath, flats. Aim is dist / endurance over speed.

Lumen

(1) Compact vs triple: impossible to say without knowing how slow and fat you are. A triple is even less manly than a compact but has marginally more range and is marginally less gappy.

(2) Cassette choice: the 28 has more range but is more gappy. See (1)

The default choices would be compact crank and 25 cassette.

paddymacsporran

Go for the compact chainset and 11/25, in the lower gears you'll get over anything in Wicklow on that - That's what I have on mine.

At the top end, you still have 50/11 gearing which will you will probably only use on descents or with a tailwind.....

Have a look in their outlest store, some good buys in there. My Canyon Alu rides really well, it's a good choice.

Cookie_Monster

Lumen wrote: »

(1) Compact vs triple: impossible to say without knowing how slow and fat you are.

aw, thanks

More for the bigger slower types then, but easier gearing?

I reckon I'm reasonably ok, did 80km around Dunboyne on a hybrid recently with a load of guys on proper bikes and kept up for all but the final sprint they were all impressed enough with me

edit: I assume its a standard pedal fit, will be getting a cheapo pair for the time being before buying clips.

doozerie

The aim of the triple crank is primarily to give you a lower first gear. Whether you need it or not depends entirely on you (how strong you are, how fit you are, how you like to ride, etc.) so no-one can actually tell you definitively whether it is right for you.

If you already have a bike, then the gearing on that will give you some idea of what you might need. For example, if on your current bike you can already comfortably climb any hills that you expect to tackle on the new bike, then you are unlikely to need any lower gears than your current bike provides. If you struggle on climbs on your current bike, then lower gears might suit you better - bear in mind that this new bike might give you lower gears anyway even with a double chainring (lowest gear on that double is 34(front)/28(back), which is quite low) so you still might not need a triple chainring. Gauging how low you should go with your new gears can be a challenge, but again use your existing gearing as a gauge, or see if you can borrow someone else's bike with lower gearing to try it out.

Me personally, I'd go with the double chainset and not the triple, but I won't be the one riding it so my view on it is entirely irrelevant.

fran oconnor

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Pretty much decided on this, mainly due to feedback on here in several threads and my budget.

https://www.canyon.com/_en/roadbikes/bike.html?b=2105

A few questions though:

for the crank is it worth the extra ring?

What's the difference between the two cassette choices?

Cycling will hopefully be mainly around Wicklow so hills and Meath, flats. Aim is dist / endurance over speed.

if your worried that you wont have enough for the hills with the groupset that comes with the 6.0.go for the 5.0 with Sram Apex.the range of gears on it is very good and you'd never have to worrie about the hills as the cassette goes from 12 to 32 and its also compact..i have this bike myself as you may have seen from the other thread,its also cheaper than the 6.0 also..

Cookie_Monster

fran oconnor wrote: »

if your worried that you wont have enough for the hills with the groupset that comes with the 6.0.go for the 5.0 with Sram Apex.the grange of gears on it is very good and you'd never have to worrie about the hills as the cassette goes from 12 to 32 and its also compact..i have this bike myself as you may have seen from the other thread,its also cheaper than the 6.0 also..

no not worried as such just not totally clear on what the difference was. I'll stick with the double rather than triple so.

Lemag

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

I assume its a standard pedal fit, will be getting a cheapo pair for the time being before buying clips.

The free gift which they are giving out with bike orders placed before Christmas is actually a pair of pedals.

paddymacsporran

If you're getting round 80k with lycra clad roadies, you'll be grand on a compact.

I'm in Wicklow, I can get over Sally, Wicklow gaps and Glenmalure on it, and I'm slow and fat.....And with the recent weather, slower and fatter....

Cranks are standard size for the pedals, 9/16th - Just make sure you put the pedal marked L on the left crank, and R on the right.....Don't mean to appear patronising but I don't know how much you know about bikes!

Cookie_Monster

So I just bought it :eek:

standard front and back gearing and free pedals

Lemag

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

So I just bought it :eek:

standard front and back gearing and free pedals

Nice one. Payment for my last bike order from them was received on the 1st and below is the shipping transcript. Delivery of yours will obviously be interrupted by Christmas but it might give you some idea as to when you can expect it.

Cookie_Monster

Invoice they sent me was totally wrong, good start

Half of delivery address was missing, delivery price and bike box price was higher than quoted in the online order, "free" pedals were charged to me at 49.95

Anyone else ever have problems ordering with them. I sent them back a mail about the address straight away and that was dealt with but haven't got an answer about the differing prices as yet.

paddymacsporran

problem i had was the wrong size frame in the box. invoice said 54, big 52 sticker on the frame.

instead of the hassle involved with returning it to germany and getting a replacement I just accepted it, It's a size smaller than i usually ride.

I emailed them with a photo, got an email back advising it would take 4 weeks to replace and i would have to pay postage to them. but thats the breaks with buying online and from mainland europe.

Cookie_Monster

Yay, its on the way!

Just silly ole Christmas slowing it down now

HappyHarry

paddymacsporran wrote: »

problem i had was the wrong size frame in the box. invoice said 54, big 52 sticker on the frame.

instead of the hassle involved with returning it to germany and getting a replacement I just accepted it, It's a size smaller than i usually ride.

I emailed them with a photo, got an email back advising it would take 4 weeks to replace and i would have to pay postage to them. but thats the breaks with buying online and from mainland europe.

They wanted you to pay the postage for their mistake?!
Sounds like pretty bad CS.

Beasty

HappyHarry wrote: »

They wanted you to pay the postage for their mistake?!
Sounds like pretty bad CS.

Not just bad Customer Service, I'm certain it contravenes the EU Distance Selling Regulations. Basically if it's not what you ordered they should replace it or give you a full refund, and if they want the "wrong" one back they must pay for its return themselves

Cookie_Monster

Got it yesterday finally, as well as a phone call with explanation and apology from UPS

Spent yesterday evening putting it together and tweaking everything. I'm a little unsure about the front derailer settings though. Have 2 front rings but the derailer can cope with 3 so has 3 clicks. Should I be setting it up so 1 & 3 account for the smaller and larger rings respectively, Leaving 2 as a fine tune for the higher ring when on lower rings of the rear cassette?

Hope that makes sense seems to be what the instructions imply.

paddymacsporran

Beasty wrote: »

Not just bad Customer Service, I'm certain it contravenes the EU Distance Selling Regulations. Basically if it's not what you ordered they should replace it or give you a full refund, and if they want the "wrong" one back they must pay for its return themselves

To Clarify Beasty,

Canyon wanted me to arrange the return and they would refund the cost on inspection/receipt. I think that's fraught with danger, they could claim it wasn't packed right or damaged when they received it and that would then become my responsibility.

Main issue for me wasn't the size, it was the fact it would have taken a while to get it sorted and I didn't want to wait.

It's a size smaller than I'm used to, but with a longer stem I have got it set up exactly the same as my Look, so not really an issue now - I might build it into a TT bike in the spring. Reason I posted it was to make others aware.

Oh, and apologies for the late reply, been away for a while.

paddymacsporran

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Should I be setting it up so 1 & 3 account for the smaller and larger rings respectively, Leaving 2 as a fine tune for the higher ring when on lower rings of the rear cassette?

Hope that makes sense seems to be what the instructions imply.

Yep, the middle setting is to allow finetuning when in certain gear combos to avoid chain rub on the front mech.

Cookie_Monster

paddymacsporran wrote: »

Yep, the middle setting is to allow finetuning when in certain gear combos to avoid chain rub on the front mech.

thanks for the clarification.
I'll sort that out tonite and may actually even get out on it so