Looks like great value for money. I almost immediately went to the decathlon site to check it out. Hard to complain about XT gearing and the Brooks saddle for a finishing touch is brilliant.
@@Steve-Owens I'm seriously considering it. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be available in stores, at least not here in Germany, to test it out before buying.
I switched from derailleur gears to a Thorn Nomad with a Rohloff it's a brilliant bombproof bike but I found it a bit too heavy for lifting over gates etc ,I now have a Olsen titanium pinion belt drive bike .I don't have to worry about maintenance & only have to change the oil once a year , I also went back to hydraulic brakes they've never let me down & are easy on the forearms on long days .The pinion has a gear range of 620% ,I also have 29x2.25 tubeless ,I find it's a really good all-round tyre , My schwable 2" tyres on my Thorn weren't great in sand or mud .
Great mods.. I think 😆. We'll see how this set up goes, so far only a 1000 is riden so can't say but everything is flexing along well.. I think in truth, weight is way over thought, you need to take what you need, your legs get used to it. 😆 Carrying over a gate, that's a never going to happen with a touring set up but never say never.. 😆😂
@kevindean9613 this is true, we haven't met any gates that needs that as yet but I suspect it may happen.. with 6 bags per bike, it's something I go to lengths to avoid.
Nice bike with good components, most bikes comes with things you may as well replace like pedals, seats and tires. Gel wide seat would be my choice for long rides.
It's an OK bike, nothing wrong with it. Is it the best though. I toured for 20 years on an off the shelf touring bike. And it was good, but then I got a custom built touring bike. Made to measure frame with all the components chosen by myself. What a difference riding a bike that fits like a glove. Sometimes I don't even know its there. Big thanks to Simon Stanforth 😊
After the cycle around Taiwan last year this bike has almost everything we would choose, it's hard to fault. There are a few things I might and frankly have changed but for me many of the components parts are what I would choose, that's the point. The bike is just one small component of our Journey, sleeping eating and enjoying the journey is a great chunk of the experience and something else we are working on piece by piece..
@StreetDogSteve Maybe not as much as you think. Bearing in mind my last bike lasted me 20 years. This one will see me out. Oh and my old bike is still going strong, I just passed it on. I would say if you are a serious tourer go for it. Good steel frames just last and last.
This seemed like a great set up but on the French Decathlon website many have complained about 1) Poor set up -a lot of the mechanics are young and inexperienced ( there is always a long line of people waiting for repairs so I think they rush things). 2) a known issue with the rear wheel hub dying-one person replaced it 4 times 3) the charge port has had issues, a few saying the wires become exposed or they get no charge from it
Have you noticed how we are drawn to negative comments, I suspect they are in the minority but let's see. Definitely the wiring is a little flimsy.. but from my experience electric wiring on bikes is notoriously fickle. That's why most bikes don't come with too much electrics.. I would ignore those comments myself..
@@Steve-Owens I wasn't drawn to the negative comments.The wiring is not a big deal but the rear wheel is an issue and there were at least 6 cases of people reporting the same problem with the cassette hub breaking.
@@GraemeDJ I didn't mean you, I meant in general. I suspect there are many thousands of these bikes sold, six cases, I wonder what percentage that might be of the over all production? You seem concerned about the quality of the Shimano XT Trekking 10-speed cassette? I'll let you know how it stands up to time for sure..
I retrofitted a Deore XT Group set onto my road bike for touring - basically its a three ring Mountain bike group set which means fantastic granny gear ratios for those fully laden hill climbs :-)
Hi, may i ask why you buy riverside 900 instead of 520? of course 900 has better component, but exactly which component amkes you decided to buy the more expensive one? thanks
Very nice. The "perfect" touring bike? Seeing as how getting every little thing just right is very much a matter of personal preference, I'd say these are "perfect"....for you. And that's a great thing. I'd say the specs and build all around are very well done, well thought out, and definitely a contender. I myself just so happen to have built up MY perfect touring bike, something of a lifelong quest. I've been bike touring for going on 40 years, and I've been dreaming and "building" (in my head) that perfect bike all the while. Three years ago, I decided to have a go at finally realizing that dream, and started the project for real. EVERY little detail was carefully considered and worked out....geometry/fit, strength and weight considerations, durability and serviceability considerations, fittings, drivetrain, racks & bags, and tons of little tweaks and details to make it be and work for EXACTLY my style of riding and touring. I commissioned a custom-built titanium frame, hand-built my own bomber wheelset, and gathered all the bits and pieces (some very old school and even vintage, some "the latest thing", and a few things that I customized/bodged myself). About two months ago, I finally had all the bits, built up the bike, and started riding it. And it truly IS a dream bike, and it truly is THE perfect touring bike....for me. I hope you have lots of wonderful miles on your bike....may it take you to magical places, amazing experiences, and fulfilling challenges. THAT would be perfect.
It's odd that with all the componentry that you spoke of in your first Paragraph, the final sentence kind of sums up touring bikes in general, what I mean is the perfect touring bike seems to be one that goes places and makes you smile..
@@Steve-Owens I usually go very lightweight and don't use front panniers. Removing the rack could save a few hundred grams of weight. And also the bike would look slightly less attractive to potential thieves.
Its a nice bike, the best thing is the value. I wouldn't say its the best tourer by a long way, Tout Terrain or koga probably make much better touring bikes in this style, my personal preference would be a traditional British style touring bike along the lines of perhaps a Stanforth Skyelander.
@@michaelpearl-r8w Thanks for your thoughts. When you say much better, I'm not sure I would agree. I have "much better" bikes in Australia but in truth while I'm riding these today, I see little between this and they.. thank you.
@@Steve-Owens After more thought I am coming around to agreeing with you, I don't like the way the rear rack is fitted to the frame, as a mechanical engineer just fixing the rack to the seat stays doesn't seem right but I am sure this has been very well tested. I am not a fan of the xt dynamo hub having used them in the past, I found it reliable enough but upgraded to a Son and I don't regret the extra expense. My own touring bike is a 1992 Dawes Super Galaxy that I have owned from new, It has carried me on many long tours and I will never part with it. I hope your new bikes give you as much joy as mine has me and that you become as attached to them as I am to mine.
@@Steve-Owens thanks, I thought that but couldn't seem to find them on ortileb website unfortunately.. I already have the back ones but if I purchase the decathlon I wanted the matching front ones... I'll keep looking and thanks again for the help.
Greeting from Canada. Isn't that bike on the heavy side at what, 37lbs? Wasn't it a concern when you were initially looking at it. I too really like this bike and components for the price, wish it was closer to 30lbs. Or maybe I worry for nothing? Thx
For me nothing beats finding a good free frame and build your own for the perfect bike . Cheep is surprisingly good these days and ty to China for affordability on many good items .
The 1980's MIYATA 1000 was and remains the best road touring bicycle ever designed. I don't own one. Wish, wish. The second best is the SPECIALIZED, SEQUOIA. Wish, wish.
@Steve-Owens The frame is made strong for loads. The geometry is excellent with heavier weight so you stay in control in complex riding situations. As it came, then, the gear was low, medium, and high enough for riding varying terrain. Brakes were strong for stopping in all conditions. Every component and design was durable and carefully chosen to be maintenance free for the entire tour experience. No such thing as old school with these machines. They were made to do the job and come back without trouble and they did/do it.
i have that bike, its nice but its not my favourite bike. my favourite touring bike is not a top a of the range bike. it is the genesis tour de 10 with flat handlebars.
The Riverside 900 on the decathlon website is NOTHING like the one in the video. It's absolute junk with B'Twin and tekro parts. Where did you find this model?
@@jamesgeorge8915 You might need to be less Obtuse, I'm on a tour, you meet me, "Hey Steve, you 100% need Pinion Gear" "Hi James,👋Oh OK, why's that"? "Isn't it Obvious?" "bloody hell, you've certainly convinced me, Thanks" So let me take the first step.. I want gears that change smoothly and a reliable on a long tour. I want a good range so I can climb steep and yet motor along the flat. The price of the Gears should not exceed most people expectations and lastly I want them to last a year or two of pretty constant use. Over to you
I’d say that’s a budget versus intended use/outlook on cycle touring. Sure I’d love a Pinion gear bike but can’t afford one and the amount of touring I do works fine with a cheaper derailleur bike.
Hi.. What are your thoughts?
tout terrain
i like hub grears i like rod brakes so old bikes 30s 50s
Looks like great value for money. I almost immediately went to the decathlon site to check it out. Hard to complain about XT gearing and the Brooks saddle for a finishing touch is brilliant.
@@staff0flag Thanks, we've given this more thought than most of our travel plans.. it's a well thought through bike..
@@Steve-Owens I'm seriously considering it. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be available in stores, at least not here in Germany, to test it out before buying.
I switched from derailleur gears to a Thorn Nomad with a Rohloff it's a brilliant bombproof bike but I found it a bit too heavy for lifting over gates etc ,I now have a Olsen titanium pinion belt drive bike .I don't have to worry about maintenance & only have to change the oil once a year , I also went back to hydraulic brakes they've never let me down & are easy on the forearms on long days .The pinion has a gear range of 620% ,I also have 29x2.25 tubeless ,I find it's a really good all-round tyre , My schwable 2" tyres on my Thorn weren't great in sand or mud .
Great mods.. I think 😆. We'll see how this set up goes, so far only a 1000 is riden so can't say but everything is flexing along well.. I think in truth, weight is way over thought, you need to take what you need, your legs get used to it. 😆 Carrying over a gate, that's a never going to happen with a touring set up but never say never.. 😆😂
@@Steve-Owens I've come across unexpected gates etc, as long as I can throw the bags over & lift the bike .
@kevindean9613 this is true, we haven't met any gates that needs that as yet but I suspect it may happen.. with 6 bags per bike, it's something I go to lengths to avoid.
Nice bike with good components, most bikes comes with things you may as well replace like pedals, seats and tires. Gel wide seat would be my choice for long rides.
It's an OK bike, nothing wrong with it. Is it the best though. I toured for 20 years on an off the shelf touring bike. And it was good, but then I got a custom built touring bike. Made to measure frame with all the components chosen by myself. What a difference riding a bike that fits like a glove. Sometimes I don't even know its there. Big thanks to Simon Stanforth 😊
After the cycle around Taiwan last year this bike has almost everything we would choose, it's hard to fault. There are a few things I might and frankly have changed but for me many of the components parts are what I would choose, that's the point. The bike is just one small component of our Journey, sleeping eating and enjoying the journey is a great chunk of the experience and something else we are working on piece by piece..
And what was the price difference going the custom route? :P
@StreetDogSteve Maybe not as much as you think. Bearing in mind my last bike lasted me 20 years. This one will see me out. Oh and my old bike is still going strong, I just passed it on.
I would say if you are a serious tourer go for it. Good steel frames just last and last.
Nice bike!never heard of the company.
I toured on a Trek 400 (1984), no need to complicate things.
This seemed like a great set up but on the French Decathlon website many have complained about 1) Poor set up -a lot of the mechanics are young and inexperienced ( there is always a long line of people waiting for repairs so I think they rush things). 2) a known issue with the rear wheel hub dying-one person replaced it 4 times 3) the charge port has had issues, a few saying the wires become exposed or they get no charge from it
Have you noticed how we are drawn to negative comments, I suspect they are in the minority but let's see. Definitely the wiring is a little flimsy.. but from my experience electric wiring on bikes is notoriously fickle. That's why most bikes don't come with too much electrics.. I would ignore those comments myself..
@@Steve-Owens I wasn't drawn to the negative comments.The wiring is not a big deal but the rear wheel is an issue and there were at least 6 cases of people reporting the same problem with the cassette hub breaking.
@@GraemeDJ I didn't mean you, I meant in general. I suspect there are many thousands of these bikes sold, six cases, I wonder what percentage that might be of the over all production?
You seem concerned about the quality of the Shimano XT Trekking 10-speed cassette? I'll let you know how it stands up to time for sure..
I retrofitted a Deore XT Group set onto my road bike for touring - basically its a three ring Mountain bike group set which means fantastic granny gear ratios for those fully laden hill climbs :-)
Thanks Phil and indeed when you loaded up, those gears are the most welcome don't you think?
I absolutely love mine ❤
Hi, may i ask why you buy riverside 900 instead of 520? of course 900 has better component, but exactly which component amkes you decided to buy the more expensive one? thanks
It's a much different bicycle. The 900 is built for touring, the components are just much more rugged. The details are too great for a message
Yes I like the simplicity and practicality set up of touring bike I hope this one is available in the Philippines.
I'm not sure.. let us all know. 🤙👍
I think thats a nice looking bike. Cheers, Steve and Michelle! ✌️
Glad you like it Dwayne
🙏🙏 bike all the time ! .
Very nice.
The "perfect" touring bike? Seeing as how getting every little thing just right is very much a matter of personal preference, I'd say these are "perfect"....for you. And that's a great thing. I'd say the specs and build all around are very well done, well thought out, and definitely a contender.
I myself just so happen to have built up MY perfect touring bike, something of a lifelong quest. I've been bike touring for going on 40 years, and I've been dreaming and "building" (in my head) that perfect bike all the while. Three years ago, I decided to have a go at finally realizing that dream, and started the project for real. EVERY little detail was carefully considered and worked out....geometry/fit, strength and weight considerations, durability and serviceability considerations, fittings, drivetrain, racks & bags, and tons of little tweaks and details to make it be and work for EXACTLY my style of riding and touring. I commissioned a custom-built titanium frame, hand-built my own bomber wheelset, and gathered all the bits and pieces (some very old school and even vintage, some "the latest thing", and a few things that I customized/bodged myself).
About two months ago, I finally had all the bits, built up the bike, and started riding it. And it truly IS a dream bike, and it truly is THE perfect touring bike....for me.
I hope you have lots of wonderful miles on your bike....may it take you to magical places, amazing experiences, and fulfilling challenges. THAT would be perfect.
It's odd that with all the componentry that you spoke of in your first Paragraph, the final sentence kind of sums up touring bikes in general, what I mean is the perfect touring bike seems to be one that goes places and makes you smile..
If you remove the front rack, can the light be fixed to the frame
Why would you want the rack removed?
@@Steve-Owens I usually go very lightweight and don't use front panniers. Removing the rack could save a few hundred grams of weight. And also the bike would look slightly less attractive to potential thieves.
@@tihomirr It's designed to fit on the rack and the cable runs through the rack tubing. So it could be but it would need some modifications.
@@Steve-Owens Thanks. A bit of duct tape never hurt anyone 😂
Hey, thanks for your video! Could you tell me which stand you're using? I am considering buying this bike, the stand is needed, in my humble opinion.
I'll try and find a link for it..
OK, it's this one amzn.to/4bZDBeA Decathlon don't seem to have them.
Its a nice bike, the best thing is the value. I wouldn't say its the best tourer by a long way, Tout Terrain or koga probably make much better touring bikes in this style, my personal preference would be a traditional British style touring bike along the lines of perhaps a Stanforth Skyelander.
@@michaelpearl-r8w Thanks for your thoughts. When you say much better, I'm not sure I would agree. I have "much better" bikes in Australia but in truth while I'm riding these today, I see little between this and they.. thank you.
@@Steve-Owens After more thought I am coming around to agreeing with you, I don't like the way the rear rack is fitted to the frame, as a mechanical engineer just fixing the rack to the seat stays doesn't seem right but I am sure this has been very well tested. I am not a fan of the xt dynamo hub having used them in the past, I found it reliable enough but upgraded to a Son and I don't regret the extra expense. My own touring bike is a 1992 Dawes Super Galaxy that I have owned from new, It has carried me on many long tours and I will never part with it. I hope your new bikes give you as much joy as mine has me and that you become as attached to them as I am to mine.
What is the name of the front ortileb panniers your wifey uses?
Roller Classic, I believe.
@@Steve-Owens thanks, I thought that but couldn't seem to find them on ortileb website unfortunately.. I already have the back ones but if I purchase the decathlon I wanted the matching front ones... I'll keep looking and thanks again for the help.
Love the looks of that bike...wonder if it's available here in the US?
It's available in Canada... close enough ;)
@Rhino_Overland where in canada? Does decathlon have stores up there?
I suspect it may be but you have so many choices there.. Good luck
Greeting from Canada. Isn't that bike on the heavy side at what, 37lbs? Wasn't it a concern when you were initially looking at it. I too really like this bike and components for the price, wish it was closer to 30lbs. Or maybe I worry for nothing? Thx
We don't feel the weight a problem. I think sometimes it way over thought.. but let's see, we're only 3 weeks riding so far.
Yes, I think so too. I love my Touring 900 too. Subscription OK:-)
For me nothing beats finding a good free frame and build your own for the perfect bike . Cheep is surprisingly good these days and ty to China for affordability on many good items .
I can imagine that to be so, we travel almost permanently so I just don't have that place or time.
@@Steve-Owens Nice . You are living one of my futures i did not take as other opportunities arose ! . Good luck on your travels .
@@MyKharli Thanks
Sir how much money 😕
The 1980's MIYATA 1000 was and remains the best road touring bicycle ever designed. I don't own one. Wish, wish. The second best is the SPECIALIZED, SEQUOIA. Wish, wish.
It's a nice old style Retro bike and I do love the look of the MIYATA, what is it that makes it so good? I'd love to know..
@Steve-Owens The frame is made strong for loads. The geometry is excellent with heavier weight so you stay in control in complex riding situations. As it came, then, the gear was low, medium, and high enough for riding varying terrain. Brakes were strong for stopping in all conditions. Every component and design was durable and carefully chosen to be maintenance free for the entire tour experience. No such thing as old school with these machines. They were made to do the job and come back without trouble and they did/do it.
i have that bike, its nice but its not my favourite bike. my favourite touring bike is not a top a of the range bike. it is the genesis tour de 10 with flat handlebars.
Great to hear.. may I ask why you choose the flat bars over a more upright for touring. I'm really interested
Surly is my brand.
Sweet BIKE Mate...
Cheers from #pollachi Town #coimbatore
Thanks buddy.. 🙏
That's a big box.
Yep.. Normally a Bike comes with the wheels off, this is an unusually large bike box..
@@Steve-Owens Good luck getting rid of the cardboard. 😉
@@abc123ben It's kind of easy Ben.. but for now I need to keep it..
tout terrain best
ВЕЛИКОЕПНЫЙ ВЕЛИК -- ТЫ СЧАСТЛИВЧИК СЛОВ НЕТ --- БРАВО видно богатенький буратино .
The Riverside 900 on the decathlon website is NOTHING like the one in the video. It's absolute junk with B'Twin and tekro parts. Where did you find this model?
You're looking at the wrong bike it's a 900 touring. There's a huge difference.
@@Steve-Owens Much better - and good value. Thanks mate.
tout terrain
🎉🎉🎉🎉👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👍👍👍👍
Surely the best touring bike would have pinion gears
Why?
@@Steve-Owens isn't it obvious?
@@jamesgeorge8915 You might need to be less Obtuse, I'm on a tour, you meet me,
"Hey Steve, you 100% need Pinion Gear"
"Hi James,👋Oh OK, why's that"?
"Isn't it Obvious?"
"bloody hell, you've certainly convinced me, Thanks"
So let me take the first step.. I want gears that change smoothly and a reliable on a long tour. I want a good range so I can climb steep and yet motor along the flat. The price of the Gears should not exceed most people expectations and lastly I want them to last a year or two of pretty constant use.
Over to you
I’d say that’s a budget versus intended use/outlook on cycle touring. Sure I’d love a Pinion gear bike but can’t afford one and the amount of touring I do works fine with a cheaper derailleur bike.
@@rafriedman yes, pinion gears looked amazing but so is the price, sadly.