thoughts on on one il pompino

G rock

these are going for around 499 at the minute.

thought it would be good as a no nonsense low maintenance commuter (mostly flat with some slight climbs)

also to htfu.


any thoughts from other owners and or others?

carthoris

I got a Roadsport a few months ago when they originally were on sale.

I didn't get the saddle and seatpost that it comes with as it is a non-standard arrangement where you loosen a bolt through the middle of the saddle to adjust it. I was worried this would limit the choice of saddles available so I went for a normal seatpost instead at some extra cost.

The bike itself is fine - it arrived well packed and took about an hour to assemble. You need to supply your own pedals.

The things I am a little ambivilent about are the following:
- canti brakes - they just seem messy - and the cables get in the way - but they work. But I want calipers.
- some odd braze on points - the braze on for the mudguards at the rear is a little strange. The traditional mount is on the seat stay bridge, but on the pompino it is not, it is pointing towards the centre of the wheel. The rack points are a bit narrow, being mounted into the sides of a single seatstay tube. But it was manageable.
- The front fork is not drilled through - it has a mount at the rear of the front fork for a mudguard, but nothing at the front.
- It is a little heavy (the complete bike 28mm tourer tyres doesn't help) - but not too bad.

All in all it is a fine bike at a very good price I found. Having rear facing horizontal dropouts is far superior to other alternative for rear wheel adjustment. The component level is fine, the tyres are marathons with a nice reflective strip on them.

rp

Hard to review the Pompino - it's so basic.
I've been commuting on one (!) for about three years, except when the weather is like this and I need the MTB + snow studs.
It was built up from a frame + on-one chainset + carbon fork + mungo bars. The rear wheel was built around a surly hub, and this is the only problem I have had - the bearings went.
Very comfortable steel frame, the whole bike weighs in at 8.5kg, so it is light enough.
Braze-ons everywhere, so easy to kit out with rack and guards.
Single 105 caliper more than adequate stopping power.
Yeah, that's it.

abcdggs

a couple of people on here have them, a search might help you out. from what i've heard they're a solid bike

G rock

yeah had done a search first and didn't return much.

thanks for the replies!

it looks to be fairly practical as a fgss goes

how do you find the gearing? and do you both run 28 tyres?

rp

G rock wrote: »

how do you find the gearing? and do you both run 28 tyres?

46:13, which is still ok for most of the hills on my commute (Taney Rd. can hurt, though); I've Durano Plus 23mm tyres on for the winter

steinone

Wow thats a very high gearing, wont be very good for your knees in the long-run.
I/i'd run about 46-17/18 for city use.

carthoris

I have 28mm tyres, and I am running 48x18.

That is much easier than what rp is running and probably resonbly light gearing for around Dublin - I certainly have no problems with hills really.

Bluefoam

Get the alfine version.

G rock

would get the alfine if the budget could stretch to it!

think it comes with a 16t freewheel and 18 fixed. was looking at rabbit for comparable ratios and seems manageable.

although one of the reasons i'm considering it is to improve my pedalling anyway so i might struggle initially.

would prob run narrow enough tyres, but i guess it's good to have an option to run wider/cx tyres

thanks for all the replies, if i take the plunge will post images when it arrives!

carthoris

You can most likely choose what other ratios you would like at no extra cost so you would not be restricted just by what they have on the site.

New sprockets are very affordable and lots of people here have spares they are not using so it should be easy to get new or secondhand ones for a small price.

I think the 18t is a good choice as it will likely be reasonably light. Smaller sprockets are usually easier to find so it offers good room down the range which is probably where you will be going anyway.

The Pompino is a small bit agricultural - but a great workhorse. I only wonder now if I have space for some Marathon Winter tyres on mine

Good luck with the purchase and stick a review in here when you have some miles put up on it.

rp

steinone wrote: »

Wow thats a very high gearing, wont be very good for your knees in the long-run.

Weird then how cyclists knee injuries only started after the introduction of gears and freewheels. Muscle pain specialists like Kieser stress the need to strengthen muscles in pairs, the extender and contractor, to prevent joint injuries, which the pedal braking of a fixed wheel bikes does, and freewheel bikes don't.

niceonetom

I kinda want a pompetamine.

rp wrote: »

Weird then how cyclists knee injuries only started after the introduction of gears and freewheels. Muscle pain specialists like Kieser stress the need to strengthen muscles in pairs, the extender and contractor, to prevent joint injuries, which the pedal braking of a fixed wheel bikes does, and freewheel bikes don't.

flickerx

niceonetom wrote: »

I kinda want a pompetamine.

Do those Alfine hubs not weigh a ton though?

niceonetom

flickerx wrote: »

Do those Alfine hubs not weigh a ton though?

Yeah, but I already have a light bike with narrow clearances and no braze-ons etc. I want its polar opposite. Heavy, steel, geared, rack, full mudguards, clearance for 40mm studded ice-tyres. An unstoppable tank-bike!

kumate_champ07

carthoris wrote: »

I have 28mm tyres, and I am running 48x18.

That is much easier than what rp is running and probably resonbly light gearing for around Dublin - I certainly have no problems with hills really.

have the same set up myself, I wouldnt go any higher for the city.
15/16T and lower is for the velodrome!

HappyHarry

G rock wrote: »

these are going for around 499 at the minute.

Seems a bit steep, buy a nurse/teacher a Smirnoff Ice in Coppers and I'm sure you can get one for free.;)