Shifter £12, Cassette £30, Rear mech £30,
It may be marketed at those new to off-road cycling and on a budget, but there are plenty of folk out there - myself included who been riding off-road for years who have sat up and took notice of this newly released group set, and i am one of those folk that frankly want to buy bike parts that last and are good value, and stuff like weight and what is in fashion come later...
I`m not sure when this new 8 speed 1 x 8 wide ratio Group set will be available here in the UK but I`m on the waiting list for getting my hands on it as this could be the ideal bomb proof set up for coastal cycling as being wide ratio 8 speed allows a stronger rustproof 8 speed chain and a Surly Bikes stainless steel chainring to be used with this set.
Coastal cycling is not just along flat beaches like mainstream cycling magazines seem to think, maybe because it is a lot easier to take photos one handed when on a flat beach that on soft sandy single track, or tackling rock fields and slabs exposed at low tides. And reliability and value for money are high on the list when using a bike in such environments. strength and reliability are foremost, while at the same time not expensive to replace all come into play when choosing a group set for your bike to suit your budget,
My past experience of over 12 years of coastal cycling on Fatbikes has taught me that Shimano`s Alfine internal Gear Hubs (IGH) looked like a good choice in the early days on the early Fatbikes with its mech free drive chain on steel sprockets - including the much proved Surly stainless steel chainring and KMC stainless chain. I also tried single speeding Fatbikes, but it is akin to owning a Landrover to drive off road without having a low ratio box of multi range gears. The Internal Gear hubs don't like to be submerged in salt water (they seize eventually) and they need a chain tensioner on vertical frame drop outs, and are a bit fiddly to remove easily on horizontal drop outs like on my own Surly steel Fatbike frames. An IGH also puts a lot of weight right on the back wheel and makes bike shifting a bit different when your unweighting a bike -say to hop on rocks etc...
So despite being the oldest remaining part of bicycle part design the humble derailed chain drive is an easier choice - make sure the chain is rust proof of some description and use a good Dry chain lube so sand does not stick to it for obvious reasons.
So I was always going on about not needing 11 and now 12 speed 1 x set ups for coastal cycling and happily settled with 10 speed group sets with everything available from Microshifts good value 11-40t cassettes on a small tucked in Derailier like the Shimano ZEE, to their 11 - 46t cassettes on regular length rear mechs. 10 speed stuff has become cheaper with the bike industry chasing the latest must have stuff (at an increasingly ridiculous price).
I have said to friends for years `why don't you get a wide ratio 8 speed group set at a budget price?`...
Well folks careful what you wish for!, here is a wee film...
So watch here for some of this stuff getting used and reviewed riding in the harsh coastal conditions when it arrives in the UK, I will be trying it as a kit and with also with a Microshift 8 speed thumb shifter along with rust proof stainless chains and stainless chainring. I think it will be bomber at the price..
More soon...
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