There were hundreds of options on Amazon from established makes like Schwinn to pastel-painted 'retro' items, but the 6KU had loads of good reviews. Also, it didn't appear to be harking back to a simpler, bygone age or aiming itself at bearded Hoxton tw4ts, being a clean, modern design. I wasn't sure what size to go for; at 5'9" with short legs either the 52 or 55cm were going to be OK. I was trying to replicate the riding position of 'Aryton' as closely as possible; obviously the best results come from trying the bike for size but I had to make a decision. I prefer physically small bikes; I like to get my weight over the headset and chuck the thing about, so I went for the 52cm. There were a couple of colour options that looked good but I decided on the blue & black option. I've never bought a bike by mail order, not for myself anyway! There's something lovely about unwrapping new stuff, especially when it's as lovely as this. For $249 I really wasn't sure what I was going to get; previous purchasers speak of high quality but their definition might be different to mine. :ohmy: I initially couldn't believe the quality for a budget bike. OK, not having gears saves a lot of cash, but for just over £200 (I complained about shipping and got it free) it really is a great product. The frame looks superb in its satin blue finish (there's a bit of a scratch on the top tube but no way am I sending it back) and all the components are decent, 6KU branded items that gel with the bike. Even the box of stocking fillers aren't too bad; decent, flat pedals (plastic, obviously) that I haven't used because I brought my own SPDs and shoes, also wheel and front & back reflectors. They've even addressed a minor complaint from a past customer that the front one has nowhere to mount; no such difficulty for me. This isn't some BSO thrown together by bottom-line chancers; it's a serious bike designed by cyclists and initially I'd say more than the sum of its parts. OK, the frame design isn't revolutionary; very stiff (it is called a 'track' bike) 6061 built in the far east, with straight stays and straight fork blades which will probably give me a hard time on Gloucestershire's finest Range Rover test tracks. The wheels are a bit unresponsive (I'm spoilt) and the front is out of true, but I can live with that for the limited time I have left over here. There are no bottle cage bosses; I've tiewrapped a cage to the seat tube for now. Someone complained that the back tyre is the wrong way round considering the bike arrives with the back wheel flipped to the freewheel side; I don't think they realise how unimportant the tread is on a road bike tyre! I wasn't sure what handlebars I'd get; the manufacturer said they were going away from bullhorns to the MTB low rise ones I got. I would have preferred the bullhorns as these risers are slightly too wide but I do have quite narrow shoulders. The brake lever came set up LHD as per the American convention (front brake on left); I swapped them over straight away, obviously, but the levers themselves are now upside down- they're not slotted, and swapping the cables over is beyond my capability with a multitool in a hotel room! :laugh: hence the clamp bolts visible. There's some lovely details; cams on the brake calipers plus adjusters with rubber o-rings, adjustment marks on the seatpost and seat, 7deg flip over stem with 31.8mm bars. Even the saddle seems OK so far, being a similar shape to a Charge Spoon/Fabric. It comes with a 48 x 16 gear, both sides, which some will struggle with. I'd say the terrain around where I'm staying isn't much different from where I live (in terms of the steepness of hills, not counting the Cotswolds) but compared to 'Aryton' I can certainly feel the one fewer tooth at the back taking the edge off the acceleration. I'm sure the heavier wheels and my being a bit out of shape aren't helping. One aspect that nearly caught me out on the first ride, in the hotel car park, was toe overlap. It's not something I've ever experienced and I instantly thought 'serious design flaw.' My attitude has softened a bit since then, though; it seems fairly common on modern bikes with aggressive geometry, and now I know it's there, it hopefully shouldn't catch me out. Maybe the 55cm wouldn't be afflicted but I'll never know. I'm planning to do a couple of proper rides at the weekend; I've only ridden locally and from the hotel to the airport and back three times. I should be able to elaborate on the ride a bit more on Monday! *extra* Well, it seems fine after 65 miles! Seat is more comfortable than the Fabric one on my Cannondale, and just a few creaks and bangs to contend with, mainly when heaving on the bars. I'm sure it'll go away when I have time to grease/lube everything and set it up at home. I'll probably be changing the bars and stem anyway, and I'll have to get the front wheel trued. All things considered, it's been a really good buy and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. Well worth the money and a great basis for future upgrades.
