I bought myself a new bike last week. I have not been much of a cyclist in the past but I live in such a cycle-friendly area of a cycle-friendly city that I finally bit the bullet and got myself a new ride.
My new wheels of choice are the Alamode CRS City.
From what I gather this new 'brand' is the budget offshoot of the Giant company. As I am a novice cyclist I thought rather than splurging on top-end gear straight away I would dip my toes in the shallow end of the pool first with something a little more affordable. If I find I'm using it a lot I figured I will upgrade down the track.
I chose the 17" men's model, mainly because it came in black opposed to the champagne colour offered in the women's model. Call me shallow – you won't be the first.
Despite being a men's model, the crossbar is reasonably low. Shorter women might prefer a women's model (with a much lower crossbar), but for a woman of average to tall height the men's model is perfectly fine. The riding position is relatively upright, which means less stress on the lower back (from leaning forward) and therefore a more comfortable ride.
Speaking of which, I am pretty sure that the 'C' in 'CRS' stands for 'comfort'. The Alamode CRS City is a hybrid bike, meaning that it has a frame similar to a mountain bike, but with thinner tyres; the tyres are somewhere between the thickness of the tyres you'd find on a road bike and those on a mountain bike. Road cyclists use thinner tyres because they mean less friction and therefore more speed. They can also mean that you will feel every little pebble and are more prone to punctures. By being somewhere in between, hybrid tyres offer the best of both worlds and for this reason are becoming an increasingly popular choice.
The Alamode CRS City has 21 gears using Shimano indexed shifters which means that the gears simply 'click' into place – there is no messing around trying to find the gear yourself. The bike also has a quick-release seat and front wheel making adjustments and changes quick and easy.
I opted for the model with mudguards and a rack on the back, in case I ever ride through a puddle (likely) or decide to go on a picnic and need to carry a basket (not so much). A similar model (the CRS 1.0) offers front-wheel suspension as an alternative to the mudguards/rack option. I imagine that the mudguards and rack add a little extra weight - this is not a light bike, but with an aluminium frame it isn't heavy either. It feels sturdy which to me, as a novice, is reassuring
The Alamode CRS City is a really comfortable ride. With hybrid tyres it’s not something I’d want to be taking off road much, but on city roads and cycle paths it is ideal. With indexed shifters changing gears is so easy, meaning that even a beginner like myself figured out how to get up a hill within the first few minutes of riding. The hybrid tyres offer a good combination of speed and comfort. The upright riding position of this bike is ideal for anyone with lower back problems, although it isn't as aerodynamic as a road bike (isn't it fun to race down a hill with your head over the handlebars to see just how fast you can go?) and doesn't look as funky as those cool kids on their fixed gear bikes. But overall, as an entry level bike at an affordable price, I couldn't recommend the Alamode CRS City highly enough.
What: Alamode CRS City hybrid bicycle
Where: Ivanhoe Cycles
How much: $329
