I just ordered one. Largely because of your detailed and positive review and because of the company's very fast and accurate tech support. When you buy a bike you buy into the company, their people and attitude. Thanks for all you do. Frank Southern Indiana.
A little late to this party but my L Train arrives next week. They are now offering it with disk brakes and I chose that option. Also added fenders and a rear rack!! I CAN'T WAIT!
@@amstorms I do! It took some getting used to but it's a smooth ride. My wife rode it and now she's thinking about getting one. Mine is too tall for her. I got the one with the disk brakes and they are very responsive. They make a little noise but not enough to fuss over. Also, the disk version comes with a different shifter. I ride anywhere from 5-15 miles just around my area. Some light hills, mostly flat, gravel and grass. This bike handles it all. Long story short, I love my L Train!
KevCentral thank you sir. I love watching your videos, i can feel that you are genuinely happy everytime you ride. And thank u for sharing the gift of cycling.
in fact you can buy anything you are interested on,example:if you're passionate about guns,motorbikes,cars,etc,you can have fun on your passions,i have met people that i spend too much on my bikes while they buy useless stuff/expensive phones,clothes,shoes,etc. if they let you down just keep in mind that you're having fun.
Well, my L train ordered last month, arrived last Sunday, and I assembled it in short order, and began adjusting it. I've been away from bikes for two decades, last was mountain bike, in the tangles of NC woods, for cross training, and needed to get back to quality endurance health training. I've been increasing my distance a couple miles a day, while learning how to adjust this "totally new bike experience" to fit my body. I just bought a new tire gauge, thinking my old one was broken, to find out I'd ridden three days with 20 pounds of pressure in my tires. I've never experienced "flat resistant tires", checked pressure pushing down, felt squirrely on the road, put sixty pounds in yesterday, and raised my gears one or two, all the way, with a far better ride, smoother, and more like my road bike, which is very light and fast, but will little "forgiveness", most responsive I've ever ridden, but entirely new to my experience. I bought the L-train to have a bike of minimal maintenance, optimal use in all weather, and the use of a carbon fiber belt, something I've used for four decades, on Harley's, of enormous horsepower. The L-train is everything you say it is, and more, in my opinion, smooth, comfortable, fully adjustable, and the seven gears are efficient, not quite up to derailleurs, but close enough the low maintenance is well worth the very slight less efficient. I don't like the tires that came on it, they are probably great for the city, but even at sixty pounds, they feel like 23mm road tires, at 100. I've got a set of Rene Herse 32's that just barely fit on my road bike, and at eighty pounds, they are very comfortable, compared to these "flat resistant", roll easier, and less vibration, less small bump feel. I've not lived in a city since the early nineties, in Richmond, wish I'd thought to own a bike then, and my considerations on tires is entirely based on rural roads, little traffic, and little issue with flats. All in all, very much as you described, and well worth the 730 I paid for it, and when it rains, I will install the fenders I bought, as I easily see it a good, comfortable ride in the rain, as well, and it seems to rain here, in North Carolina. Thanks for a very sound, solid review, the bike is all you describe, and yet more, I expect each of us to find their own favorite aspect, if you choose to get one. Far better than a three or five speed, I think seven is about as good a compromise as I've experienced. Having 20 means always able to find the exact right gear, having seven means finding the one that fits, and pushing harder, or faster, your choice. I am very stoked over my new bike, and also over my old bike, seeing it from a different perspective. Thanks for a great video, detailing everything that matters on this bike. Semper Fidelis,
That FSA is actually a really good quality headset. I had one in my old mountain bike, and it always worked smoothly. It's a bit surprising to see on a "budget" bicycle, but I'm not complaining!
I thought about the L Train, however I'm too short for it (5'1"). I did order in January the Classic Plus stepthrough with the new freewheel/front rear v brake option in Blush. Hands down the best bike for the money. It doesn't hurt that it's a looker and the thoughtfulness of the details shows. In my limited bike experience (only learned 6 months ago), I knew I needed to upgrade from Walmart garbage to a bike I'll love for years to come. Had a quick tune up done with brake adjustment and wheels trued. It rides like a dream and so comfy after I adjusted my seat to where I need it. I appreciate quality and Priority doesn't disappoint. Besides a kid size bike, who else comes close to their price point for quality bikes offering the Gates Carbon Drive? Nobody. Priority has my business for life.
A bit late to the party, but glad I arrived. Bought this bike with the alfine 8 speed internal hub, and disc brakes. I cannot find a single thing that I don't love about this bike. Just make sure you learn how to tune the gearing with the alignment dots before you try riding, and after your first few rides thanks to cable stretch. It's combination of forgiving frame and smooth shifting are perfect for a commuter bike. I love not worrying about keeping a chain clean and lubricated and away from my pants! Buy this, you will love it!
Really impressive pricing as the belt drive and Nexus hub together are $400-450. I just completed a winter specific build with an 80s MTB and 8 speed Shimano Nexus Alfine internal hub drive and am already fond of it. The Gates belt drive are low maintenance but require the rider to read the care and installation instructions from Gates. I love the concept of the Gates but using using a chain drive gives the rider more options on gearing for internal hubs. Since my winter bike lives in metro foothills land and is intended as a utility bike, hauling this heavier meat sack and groceries around, I went 26T rear and 39T Nexus crank in front. Shimano offers 18-26 T rear sprocket sizes to fit the 7 and 8 speed hubs. Great review of really nicely put together bike. Brilliant lives up to its name too as the components are global and readily sourced.
This bike, with all of its shiny-ness and whit accents, screams to ridden with white tennis shoes! ... But now you have peaked my interest in 7speed internal gearing, not to mention belt drivetrains. Keep up the good work!
I just picked up a used L Train with 125 miles on it for...$350 (and the seller threw in a high quality tire pump AND a car bicycle carrier (looks new). All it needed was a seat adjustment, a transmission adjustment (lining up the yellow dots at the number 4 speed) and the wheels trued (not too bad though). I'm super pleased.
That's a beautiful looking bike, great to see a nice looking 'old school' design as opposed to the current dull 'all black' bikes. Its always much nicer to see the lovely polished finish of the raw materials. Just a real shame it is heavily overpriced considering the specs.
Seems like a lot of bike for the money to me. I love the idea of not having maintenance issues with derailuers and chains. It's a commuter bike, so low maintenance should be a priority.
I built a 1978 schwinn kluncker on a 26 inch cruiser frame. I removed the 5 gear cog to a 7 internal gear on araya 7x hoops. I love the ride. My friends love the ride. Strangers love the ride. Internal gearing is the way to go. Little but more time to remove the rear wheel, but im not in a rush when riding my internal gear kluncker..👍😊
Belt Drive = 0 maintenance, wont damage your frame, wont wear out its sprockets, 0 noise, last longer than a chain, cheaper than a chain & easier to replace than a chain.
I just bought my first car Kev so my bikes have taken a back seat just now but still, I love your videos keep them coming bro your voice is dead relaxing :)
My new large blue L Train was perfect upon arrival. The wheels were true. The finish and frame alignment are beautiful. The brakes are better than my Tektro mechanical discs.
I watched this thinking that the bike would be somewhere in the $1200 dollar range. Great bang for the buck. A little more R&D on weight and cost and you'll see internal drives become more and more popular. Even if you own a bike, this could be your backup Mr. Reliable.
Brother.....while it isn’t for me, I’ve been looking for a carefree (relatively) bike to recommend to my sister. She currently lives in DC....but plans on moving to Northern California in the not too distant future. I think this is exactly what she needs. And the price? Almost unbelievable. And as an aside.....I think those grips and seat? They literally scream “class act”! Bravo-Zulu on an exceptional video, sir.
Well, I just ran across this, and was kind of enthused, and mine should arrive in July. I was going to build a similar but three speed, and was working out pieces parts, and realized buying this was cheaper, for seven speeds, so even more versatile. I'm enthused beyond measure, as of ten minutes ago. That really is a great, comprehensive review, I've been riding over fifty years, and am really looking forward to the "low maintenance" side, in particular. I love my recent built old style "20 speed", mine was a 12 speed, when I enlisted forty years ago, but this is something that will be a daily rider. Thanks very much, didn't know they existed, but I love a steel frame.
That's an excellent price tag for such a cool bike! Gates Belt drive, internal gear hub 😁 Leather and chromed aluminum looks great, would looks even better with brown wheels and a blue paint job.
A few years later, how would you stack up the L-Train against the Brilliant Cooper, which you also reviewed? Right now, the Cooper is available for $430 (through Costco), and the L-Train for $780. Do you think the extra features / quality on the L-Train justify that price difference, assuming someone does not live in a very hilly area? Thanks so much for these reviews!
its pretty. I will say this about your channel. ever since i starts watching you I have completely changed my views on big box store bikes which is a good thing since my commuter bike is a roadmaster. I had to defend it to people and now I don't feel ashamed. My Roadmaster is a powerful little beast. She is all steel and heavy but a tough little bike. 18 speeds and I ride as if she is a 1x because her front derailaur is not that good. I can ride her almost anywhere and she takes curbs, gravel. roots, rocks, and anything that urban areas can throw at me on top of that. I love my bike and because of it i have a mountain bike that I plan on rebuilding..I wish we could insert pictures because I would do so. Thank you for helping me not feel like I have to defend her so much
Just got my brilliant L-train monday; here's my take: GOOD: drive train is quiet, clean, no-maintenance; tires are puncture resistant, 7 spd hub shifts while pedalling, comes with hard-points for fenders\panniers, nice cushy ride. BAD: frictional loses from belt & IGH really noticeable, rolling resistance of kenda tires really bad, overall weight of bike heavier than what I'm used to.[My background is triathlete, so I'm used to riding fast light road racing bikes, ] EARLY RATING: I'd give this bike 8/10 at this point, it'll be my winter commuter machine and so the lack of speed and extra weight don't matter a lot.
I wish Brilliant had an option of paying extra and getting the Alfine 11 speed hub that they put in the Apollo gravel bike. The 7 speed is good but needs one or two more gears on the top end.
Something everyone should do when they buy a brand new all-in-one bike that's below $1000 is check spoke tightness. But that's only if you have the knowledge on the order in which to check them
Kev, if you keep reviewing great commuter bikes like this, i might have to sell some stuff and go buy me one. Thanks for the reviews of the commuter bikes, especially the belt drives.
john smythe if you're in the market for a belt drive bike right now, look for a bike equipped with a Gates belt and avoid the Continental ones. They're causing trouble throughout the industry right now.
KevCentral they are, they're prone to snapping. I'm in the Netherlands and I work in the industry, several of the top Dutch bike manufacturers have ceased production of bikes with Continental belts and are bringing those bikes back with regular chains or Gates belts. It's kind of surprising because Continental road and mtb tires are considered to be among the best. Really enjoying your videos btw Kev, you're doing a great job 👍
Its a nice bike.. I just recently bought a commuter bike because the L train will be stop running for a few years, everyone I know currently that lives in my area is doing the samething so I will sure tell them about this bike.
Nice bike for a good price! Took me about half of the price of your whole bike, to upgrade my beach cruiser/city bike with Shimano Alfine 8 speed hub. Great choice you made, getting a lot for your money...Hub gears plus belt drive!...that is awesome for < $700!!! Wish I could justify the purchase of an L-Train, but no way the wife will accept the logic of a 4th bike in my stable: Trek Domane road bike 105...AND....Trek DS4 Gravel/Bike-Packing...AND...beach cruiser/city bike with the new Alfine...Oh well. Best of luck!
Dude you're making me want a internally geared bike. I'm stoked for the Schwinn Santis review, I've seen one in person at Wal-Mart. It was heavy but it looked like it had some decent components on it.
Good looking bike, great review. Really digging that polished aluminum. Oh and before I forget, can we get a follow-up video on your Redux? Excited to see how yours is holding up, I bought a redux 2 last year and so far it's been great
Nice with the internal gearing, but fenders are a must for a city commuter IMHO. Also disc brakes should be available in a upper trim model. If you got a grand the priority one onyx is still THE commuter bike.
There is a 3 brake option that is very popular in wet countries, hub drum brake. In this case it could have been used on the front wheel. rain doesn't bother a hub brake and if rim gets tweaked or a spoke breaks you can keep on going if need be.
I got to ride this same bike. For some reason I loved the sattle, the gearing was alright not impressive the stance and ride where good, I dont know if it was the bike I was on but I had issues with the shifters. Thanks for Shari definitely a bike I wouldn't mind owning if I could afford it.
I just bought a used L Train great bike in great shape nice and solid but the belt keeps jumping off when in 2nd gear and I hear a clicking noise while in 2and, any advice would be much appreciated.
@kev can you comment on whether this bike would handle gravel paths? Really like the look and wondering how it would compare to a Trek Verve. No hills, just plan on sidewalks, streets, gravel forest preserve paths with the kids. Thanks
@@KevCentral Gotcha. So far have you had to do any maintenance other than filling up the tires with air? I feel like the rim brakes would be something that might need replacement. If so, how often does that need to be serviced?
@@iwantolearnmath Bicycle brake service varies with each individual. It also depends on the weather (rain, dirt, etc. equals shorter life span). Maintenance may consist of keeping the belt tension properly adjusted (easy to do), keeping the hub gears aligned (also easy to do), keeping the tires filled with the correct pressure, keeping the bicycle clean, keeping the wheels true, knowing how to fix a rear wheel flat, etc.
For average commuting distances and loads efficiency doesn't really matter as long as tires aren't flat and ergonomics isn't totally screwed. If I have to choose 1-2% of ride efficiency or chain cleaning/lubing after dinner and reading book for younger one - for me it's an easy choice. For races and such - that's completely different story. Like commute and racing cars, they don't mix.
Do you have a step thru frame in the L Train? Also how low is the lowest gear compared to a Sturmey archer 3 speed? I am 75 and can’t quite throw my leg over a bike like I used to! I do like the steel frame as opposed to aluminum.
If you do so much commuting have you ever tried a Fixie? Even though it’s only one gear they are super light and they look pretty nice. You can also personalize them as you want and for your needs. Also climbing in a fixie isn’t as hard as it’s sounds. You should do a video on Fixies and what you think of them for your commute
Excited to see you enjoying a steel bike. They certainly can be light if built well. A quality tubeset will make a steel frame rival anything else on the market (admittedly at 1-2lbs heavier). My single speed MTB is steel, and currently weighs in at 23lbs even, with a very burly wheelset, and modest components. Would you ever be interested in reviewing some custom built projects (IE, bikes people built themselves by choosing each component)? That's an angle I would be interested in hearing your take on. All but one of my bikes are projects like that, and I am always debating the pros/cons with myself about it versus buying a complete.
Id ride it i have a single speed around town bike a put together. 7p0c wheels n 41 to 16 gears the one thing id love to have on it would be an internal rear hub. I live in the mountains and though i dont usually end up walking it up hills it would be so nice to even have a 3 speed
I bought one of these new last summer based on this TH-cam episode. I bought the blue one because it looked so much like an old style “English” bikers of my youth. It’s been great to ride and NOT have to perform the standard maintenance of the conventional chained bike.
Steve Chance I love mine. Unfortunately I travel so much and am at home so little, that I don’t get to use it that much. But it is basically maintenance free and the 7 gears are enough for where I ride.
Lovely terrain! I really want to build a belt driven bike,. I'm guessing they didnt so much back in the day but with automotive technology im sure one of these could last as long as a chain
I think Brilliant is brilliant. It comes to having a nice bike with some gears and some special finishing touches. Then you have something to show you know. They could do a 3 gear too between the L train and the Astor for let's say a 450 euros. Colours are good too besides the belt drive. We lack definitely taste in Europe.
Trying to decide between this bike and the continuum onyx. How would you compare the riding experience of the two? Normally I ride a hard tail mountain bike. I want a second bike to ride bike paths with the kids that I won’t stress about having locked to a bike rack unattended while we make stops.
IMO, the onyx is the better riding of the two, but I’m biased in that I like the nuvinci cvt system. The L-train is a good bike, but note that it is a looker, so if you’re someone that likes to keep nice looking stuff pristine - that could be an issue. That said, if you want to pull up to a restaurant in style - L-train would be my choice.
Always wear gloves when you ride and I like twist shifters they clean up the bars and survive better in a wreck thumb shifters are easy to break leaving you far from home with no gears
All my IGH shifters are on my TT. DIY mount. NO floppy cables for me!!! Nor horrible twisters where my hand is. Ruins the brake lever function too, IMO.
The roads you show look pretty smooth. I am in a city with seriously old roads, which are weather weary, thus, the bikes I ride must withstand a LOT!!! Would this bike be able to handle such an environment? Not to mention, which I will, dodging traffic while climbing hills, spontaneous hills, as the rider must maneuver through cars and buses. I would love to see this L-Train in the Big Apple surviving all it throws out.
Hey, KevCentral I have a 1999 Hard rock mountain bike and i need to replace my Crankset and a rear cassette and chain how do i go about to find replacement parts that would fit, is there a website, I looked but couldn't find one, do you know, how or where i could find this info. PS. I first heard of you after i bough a Walmart "Huffy" ( my temp bike until i could fix my 21 speed) that like yours the rear wheel was warped ! and would not stop the bike, I thought it was just that i haven't use foot brakes for a long time until i seen your video THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE of showing and explaining the down side of these bikes now i watch you all the time
![แฉกลโกงงานวัด 2024 [ โกงมั้ยครับ ep.106 ] | DOM](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/taC5dpP3HXA/mqdefault.jpg)
![[UNCUT] เก็บ "สจ.โต้ง" เอี่ยวมาเฟีย รู้ตัวคนบงการ ก่อนสั่งลั่นไก I คนดังนั่งเคลียร์ I 13 ธ.ค.67](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/o-J_p62D40w/mqdefault.jpg)
I just ordered one.
Largely because of your detailed and positive review and because of the company's very fast and accurate tech support.
When you buy a bike you buy into the company, their people and attitude.
Thanks for all you do.
Frank
Southern Indiana.
Hey - How did you end up liking your L-Train?
You're not joking about fast tech support. I emailed them a few questions and they got back to me in less than 15 minutes.
A little late to this party but my L Train arrives next week. They are now offering it with disk brakes and I chose that option. Also added fenders and a rear rack!! I CAN'T WAIT!
Do you love it? I am considering the L Train to ride around my hilly neighborhood.
@@amstorms I do! It took some getting used to but it's a smooth ride. My wife rode it and now she's thinking about getting one. Mine is too tall for her. I got the one with the disk brakes and they are very responsive. They make a little noise but not enough to fuss over. Also, the disk version comes with a different shifter. I ride anywhere from 5-15 miles just around my area. Some light hills, mostly flat, gravel and grass. This bike handles it all. Long story short, I love my L Train!
You can't buy happiness, but you can buy a bicycle, that's pretty close. Best qoute i've seen so far.
I wanted to hug the box when I saw that. I fully intend on cutting that part off the box and hanging it in the new bike studio.
KevCentral thank you sir. I love watching your videos, i can feel that you are genuinely happy everytime you ride. And thank u for sharing the gift of cycling.
That's pretty much accurate. 👍🏻
in fact you can buy anything you are interested on,example:if you're passionate about guns,motorbikes,cars,etc,you can have fun on your passions,i have met people that i spend too much on my bikes while they buy useless stuff/expensive phones,clothes,shoes,etc.
if they let you down just keep in mind that you're having fun.
Completely agreed with that quote,a bicycle lover from all the way Bangladesh
Well, my L train ordered last month, arrived last Sunday, and I assembled it in short order, and began adjusting it. I've been away from bikes for two decades, last was mountain bike, in the tangles of NC woods, for cross training, and needed to get back to quality endurance health training. I've been increasing my distance a couple miles a day, while learning how to adjust this "totally new bike experience" to fit my body. I just bought a new tire gauge, thinking my old one was broken, to find out I'd ridden three days with 20 pounds of pressure in my tires. I've never experienced "flat resistant tires", checked pressure pushing down, felt squirrely on the road, put sixty pounds in yesterday, and raised my gears one or two, all the way, with a far better ride, smoother, and more like my road bike, which is very light and fast, but will little "forgiveness", most responsive I've ever ridden, but entirely new to my experience. I bought the L-train to have a bike of minimal maintenance, optimal use in all weather, and the use of a carbon fiber belt, something I've used for four decades, on Harley's, of enormous horsepower. The L-train is everything you say it is, and more, in my opinion, smooth, comfortable, fully adjustable, and the seven gears are efficient, not quite up to derailleurs, but close enough the low maintenance is well worth the very slight less efficient. I don't like the tires that came on it, they are probably great for the city, but even at sixty pounds, they feel like 23mm road tires, at 100. I've got a set of Rene Herse 32's that just barely fit on my road bike, and at eighty pounds, they are very comfortable, compared to these "flat resistant", roll easier, and less vibration, less small bump feel. I've not lived in a city since the early nineties, in Richmond, wish I'd thought to own a bike then, and my considerations on tires is entirely based on rural roads, little traffic, and little issue with flats. All in all, very much as you described, and well worth the 730 I paid for it, and when it rains, I will install the fenders I bought, as I easily see it a good, comfortable ride in the rain, as well, and it seems to rain here, in North Carolina. Thanks for a very sound, solid review, the bike is all you describe, and yet more, I expect each of us to find their own favorite aspect, if you choose to get one. Far better than a three or five speed, I think seven is about as good a compromise as I've experienced. Having 20 means always able to find the exact right gear, having seven means finding the one that fits, and pushing harder, or faster, your choice. I am very stoked over my new bike, and also over my old bike, seeing it from a different perspective. Thanks for a great video, detailing everything that matters on this bike. Semper Fidelis,
27lbs including a 4lb internally-geared hub is impressive for a steel-framed bike.
I thought so too
That FSA is actually a really good quality headset. I had one in my old mountain bike, and it always worked smoothly. It's a bit surprising to see on a "budget" bicycle, but I'm not complaining!
I thought about the L Train, however I'm too short for it (5'1"). I did order in January the Classic Plus stepthrough with the new freewheel/front rear v brake option in Blush. Hands down the best bike for the money. It doesn't hurt that it's a looker and the thoughtfulness of the details shows. In my limited bike experience (only learned 6 months ago), I knew I needed to upgrade from Walmart garbage to a bike I'll love for years to come.
Had a quick tune up done with brake adjustment and wheels trued. It rides like a dream and so comfy after I adjusted my seat to where I need it.
I appreciate quality and Priority doesn't disappoint. Besides a kid size bike, who else comes close to their price point for quality bikes offering the Gates Carbon Drive? Nobody. Priority has my business for life.
A bit late to the party, but glad I arrived. Bought this bike with the alfine 8 speed internal hub, and disc brakes. I cannot find a single thing that I don't love about this bike. Just make sure you learn how to tune the gearing with the alignment dots before you try riding, and after your first few rides thanks to cable stretch. It's combination of forgiving frame and smooth shifting are perfect for a commuter bike. I love not worrying about keeping a chain clean and lubricated and away from my pants! Buy this, you will love it!
Twist shifters for an internal gear hub are better in so many way than thumb shifters. You go from gear 1 to 7 instantly and while stationary.
Really impressive pricing as the belt drive and Nexus hub together are $400-450. I just completed a winter specific build with an 80s MTB and 8 speed Shimano Nexus Alfine internal hub drive and am already fond of it. The Gates belt drive are low maintenance but require the rider to read the care and installation instructions from Gates. I love the concept of the Gates but using using a chain drive gives the rider more options on gearing for internal hubs. Since my winter bike lives in metro foothills land and is intended as a utility bike, hauling this heavier meat sack and groceries around, I went 26T rear and 39T Nexus crank in front. Shimano offers 18-26 T rear sprocket sizes to fit the 7 and 8 speed hubs. Great review of really nicely put together bike. Brilliant lives up to its name too as the components are global and readily sourced.
Wouldn't it be nice if it was still in that price range x.x
This bike, with all of its shiny-ness and whit accents, screams to ridden with white tennis shoes! ...
But now you have peaked my interest in 7speed internal gearing, not to mention belt drivetrains.
Keep up the good work!
thats a sweet looking bike..clean and shinny..and for that price getting chromoly, a belt drive and hub gears..impressive
Just wanted to say that. Good prices you have there in USA.
Love the look of the bike, very clean and minimalistic. Definitely worth the price.
I just picked up a used L Train with 125 miles on it for...$350 (and the seller threw in a high quality tire pump AND a car bicycle carrier (looks new). All it needed was a seat adjustment, a transmission adjustment (lining up the yellow dots at the number 4 speed) and the wheels trued (not too bad though). I'm super pleased.
That's a beautiful looking bike, great to see a nice looking 'old school' design as opposed to the current dull 'all black' bikes.
Its always much nicer to see the lovely polished finish of the raw materials.
Just a real shame it is heavily overpriced considering the specs.
I would agree with everything except your last statement. That gates drive system isn't cheap. I think this is a well priced bike
Seems like a lot of bike for the money to me. I love the idea of not having maintenance issues with derailuers and chains. It's a commuter bike, so low maintenance should be a priority.
In order to use the Gates belt, the bike needs a split frame. This adds to the cost because of the lack of competition.
I built a 1978 schwinn kluncker on a 26 inch cruiser frame. I removed the 5 gear cog to a 7 internal gear on araya 7x hoops. I love the ride. My friends love the ride. Strangers love the ride. Internal gearing is the way to go. Little but more time to remove the rear wheel, but im not in a rush when riding my internal gear kluncker..👍😊
Just got my L-train this week and I spent the extra coin for the disc brakes. Super easy to set up and stops on a dime.
How did you end up liking the bike ? Would you recommend it ? Is it slow ?
Belt Drive = 0 maintenance, wont damage your frame, wont wear out its sprockets, 0 noise, last longer than a chain, cheaper than a chain & easier to replace than a chain.
Won't wear out sprockets is false. Those will wear out before the belt does.
You can say the same about a bike with an enclosed chain case, such as the Dutch style ones.
@@dodecahedron1 carbon belt is stronger than stainless sprocket. Nothing lasts forever, road dust and particles will eat metal away at slow pace.
This might be the best looking bike made
Hi, old man here. Really dig the channel. This very cool & urban hip bicycles grand dad is the 1970’s Schwinn collegiate
I just bought my first car Kev so my bikes have taken a back seat just now but still, I love your videos keep them coming bro your voice is dead relaxing :)
My new large blue L Train was perfect upon arrival.
The wheels were true.
The finish and frame alignment are beautiful.
The brakes are better than my Tektro mechanical discs.
I watched this thinking that the bike would be somewhere in the $1200 dollar range. Great bang for the buck. A little more R&D on weight and cost and you'll see internal drives become more and more popular. Even if you own a bike, this could be your backup Mr. Reliable.
Good looking bike.
I like it a lot,i say deep carbon rims and disk brake's makes for a hell of a lot of bike right there
Brother.....while it isn’t for me, I’ve been looking for a carefree (relatively) bike to recommend to my sister. She currently lives in DC....but plans on moving to Northern California in the not too distant future. I think this is exactly what she needs. And the price? Almost unbelievable. And as an aside.....I think those grips and seat? They literally scream “class act”! Bravo-Zulu on an exceptional video, sir.
Check out the Cooper (recent video here.) Very similar with a few budget saving items.
Well, I just ran across this, and was kind of enthused, and mine should arrive in July. I was going to build a similar but three speed, and was working out pieces parts, and realized buying this was cheaper, for seven speeds, so even more versatile. I'm enthused beyond measure, as of ten minutes ago. That really is a great, comprehensive review, I've been riding over fifty years, and am really looking forward to the "low maintenance" side, in particular. I love my recent built old style "20 speed", mine was a 12 speed, when I enlisted forty years ago, but this is something that will be a daily rider. Thanks very much, didn't know they existed, but I love a steel frame.
That's an excellent price tag for such a cool bike! Gates Belt drive, internal gear hub 😁
Leather and chromed aluminum looks great, would looks even better with brown wheels and a blue paint job.
Thank you for the review. I have been looking at this bike and did not realize that it is a 7 speed.
A few years later, how would you stack up the L-Train against the Brilliant Cooper, which you also reviewed? Right now, the Cooper is available for $430 (through Costco), and the L-Train for $780. Do you think the extra features / quality on the L-Train justify that price difference, assuming someone does not live in a very hilly area? Thanks so much for these reviews!
Beautiful bike, I love the simple look of it.. Now, to pry my money out of my wife's hands to purchase one..
Tell her it will keep your heart healthy, or... if you have a good marriage, tell her it will improve your stamina.
That's a clean looking bike!
Stylish and functional. Love that new bike.
@5:39 , where the frame rate and the speed at which you're riding matches up to make it look like the chain link is moving with you is amazing
its pretty. I will say this about your channel. ever since i starts watching you I have completely changed my views on big box store bikes which is a good thing since my commuter bike is a roadmaster. I had to defend it to people and now I don't feel ashamed. My Roadmaster is a powerful little beast. She is all steel and heavy but a tough little bike. 18 speeds and I ride as if she is a 1x because her front derailaur is not that good. I can ride her almost anywhere and she takes curbs, gravel. roots, rocks, and anything that urban areas can throw at me on top of that. I love my bike and because of it i have a mountain bike that I plan on rebuilding..I wish we could insert pictures because I would do so. Thank you for helping me not feel like I have to defend her so much
That’s great. You can share your story and a pic on my website: www.kevcentral.com/blog/ride-a-big-box-bike-share-a-pic-here
Just got my brilliant L-train monday; here's my take:
GOOD: drive train is quiet, clean, no-maintenance; tires are puncture resistant, 7 spd hub shifts while pedalling, comes with hard-points for fenders\panniers, nice cushy ride.
BAD: frictional loses from belt & IGH really noticeable, rolling resistance of kenda tires really bad, overall weight of bike heavier than what I'm used to.[My background is triathlete, so I'm used to riding fast light road racing bikes, ]
EARLY RATING: I'd give this bike 8/10 at this point, it'll be my winter commuter machine and so the lack of speed and extra weight don't matter a lot.
hello, would wonder if you can review it after 2 years, did it work out or did you get tired of efficiency loss?
I wish Brilliant had an option of paying extra and getting the Alfine 11 speed hub that they put in the Apollo gravel bike. The 7 speed is good but needs one or two more gears on the top end.
wow ... even better ! ! would love this one even more .
some fenders rear rack/bags for the city riding commutin
Something everyone should do when they buy a brand new all-in-one bike that's below $1000 is check spoke tightness. But that's only if you have the knowledge on the order in which to check them
Kev, if you keep reviewing great commuter bikes like this, i might have to sell some stuff and go buy me one. Thanks for the reviews of the commuter bikes, especially the belt drives.
john smythe if you're in the market for a belt drive bike right now, look for a bike equipped with a Gates belt and avoid the Continental ones. They're causing trouble throughout the industry right now.
Aside from the Sladda, are Continental belt systems having other problems?
KevCentral they are, they're prone to snapping. I'm in the Netherlands and I work in the industry, several of the top Dutch bike manufacturers have ceased production of bikes with Continental belts and are bringing those bikes back with regular chains or Gates belts. It's kind of surprising because Continental road and mtb tires are considered to be among the best.
Really enjoying your videos btw Kev, you're doing a great job 👍
Thanks for the info. I guess that explains the Sladda controversy. Good thing My Priority and Brilliant have Gates.
Thanks for the intel, I didnt know this.
Great video! I can see your content improve with every video. Keep up the awesome work
Hi, I am from Germany and i have the Grecos Urban retro bicycle 😀It has the Shimano 7 gear Hub and it rides very good 😀I love that bike 😀👍
How about doing a few more reviews of bikes with internal gear hubs and belt drives? This combination looks very interesting.
Its a nice bike.. I just recently bought a commuter bike because the L train will be stop running for a few years, everyone I know currently that lives in my area is doing the samething so I will sure tell them about this bike.
This one looks great! I want it!
I love this channel! Keep up the great work.
my GF just ordered this bike. This video put her over the top. Thanks!
Congrats
You can’t disagree that this bike does look great
Nice bike for a good price! Took me about half of the price of your whole bike, to upgrade my beach cruiser/city bike with Shimano Alfine 8 speed hub. Great choice you made, getting a lot for your money...Hub gears plus belt drive!...that is awesome for < $700!!!
Wish I could justify the purchase of an L-Train, but no way the wife will accept the logic of a 4th bike in my stable: Trek Domane road bike 105...AND....Trek DS4 Gravel/Bike-Packing...AND...beach cruiser/city bike with the new Alfine...Oh well. Best of luck!
Nice rides. Thanks for commenting
Dude you're making me want a internally geared bike. I'm stoked for the Schwinn Santis review, I've seen one in person at Wal-Mart. It was heavy but it looked like it had some decent components on it.
I have one of these, I absolutely love it! 🚴♂️👍❤
Is there any fixie from priority bicycle?
Good looking bike, great review. Really digging that polished aluminum. Oh and before I forget, can we get a follow-up video on your Redux? Excited to see how yours is holding up, I bought a redux 2 last year and so far it's been great
Great looking bike
Good to hear twist shifters get some love.
Holy crap... You live in the shoals area! I just moved from the shoals to NYC and am buying one of these bikes!
That is a clean, handsome bike. I like it.
Nice with the internal gearing, but fenders are a must for a city commuter IMHO. Also disc brakes should be available in a upper trim model. If you got a grand the priority one onyx is still THE commuter bike.
There is a 3 brake option that is very popular in wet countries, hub drum brake. In this case it could have been used on the front wheel. rain doesn't bother a hub brake and if rim gets tweaked or a spoke breaks you can keep on going if need be.
nice looking bike lots of good components.I have become a fan of grip shifters.
beautiful machine
That's a clean look and fave color Def would like this bike
Comfort bars and a thud buster and this bike would be for me.
Nice bike real nice, this channel is going from strength to strength 👍
5:41 is messing with my mind.
I got to ride this same bike. For some reason I loved the sattle, the gearing was alright not impressive the stance and ride where good, I dont know if it was the bike I was on but I had issues with the shifters. Thanks for Shari definitely a bike I wouldn't mind owning if I could afford it.
saddle. were. sharing.
I just bought a used L Train great bike in great shape nice and solid but the belt keeps jumping off when in 2nd gear and I hear a clicking noise while in 2and, any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks for posting just starting to check out ebucks love polish aluminum seat handlebars nice review
@kev can you comment on whether this bike would handle gravel paths? Really like the look and wondering how it would compare to a Trek Verve. No hills, just plan on sidewalks, streets, gravel forest preserve paths with the kids. Thanks
Great review. BTW, what size did you get?
I would also consider the Orbea Carpe 30, comes with disk brakes and 8 speeds
It's 500 euros on a site i found
It isn’t belt drive.
KevCentral oh ok
Hey @KevCentral, does Priority sell replacement wheels for L Train? That's a consideration as well for maintenance.
From what I’ve heard they carry all the parts needed to keep their bikes on the road
@@KevCentral Gotcha. So far have you had to do any maintenance other than filling up the tires with air? I feel like the rim brakes would be something that might need replacement. If so, how often does that need to be serviced?
@@iwantolearnmath Bicycle brake service varies with each individual. It also depends on the weather (rain, dirt, etc. equals shorter life span).
Maintenance may consist of keeping the belt tension properly adjusted (easy to do), keeping the hub gears aligned (also easy to do), keeping the tires filled with the correct pressure, keeping the bicycle clean, keeping the wheels true, knowing how to fix a rear wheel flat, etc.
Belt drive is quieter but has more friction than chain drive. Also chain lasts longer than belt. Hence the timing belt and timing chain in cars.
For average commuting distances and loads efficiency doesn't really matter as long as tires aren't flat and ergonomics isn't totally screwed. If I have to choose 1-2% of ride efficiency or chain cleaning/lubing after dinner and reading book for younger one - for me it's an easy choice. For races and such - that's completely different story. Like commute and racing cars, they don't mix.
1 eq 0 dot 99999 repeating . you bring up that pros dont race with belts. I never thought of that.
Sure you didn't. I never thought of that.
In my experience [life long biker], belts will outlast chains by a lot
Only if the chain is enclosed in an oil bath; as in automobiles.
May I ask, was this a press/loaner bike, or did you buy it with your own money?
Do you have a step thru frame in the L Train? Also how low is the lowest gear compared to a Sturmey archer 3 speed? I am 75 and can’t quite throw my leg over a bike like I used to! I do like the steel frame as opposed to aluminum.
Would you suggest the Brilliant L or the Priroity Continum Onyx for commuiting and leisure riding rain, snow, all weather?
If it were me I would go Onyx
Great video, as usual, thanks, Kev!
I love watching you videos keep it up. Can't wait for the next upgrade video on the xr-pro or the hyper carbon.
Wish it was a step thru. Also would like a more cruiser like handlebar, but could change that myself.
Overall looks great.
If you do so much commuting have you ever tried a Fixie? Even though it’s only one gear they are super light and they look pretty nice. You can also personalize them as you want and for your needs. Also climbing in a fixie isn’t as hard as it’s sounds. You should do a video on Fixies and what you think of them for your commute
Excited to see you enjoying a steel bike. They certainly can be light if built well. A quality tubeset will make a steel frame rival anything else on the market (admittedly at 1-2lbs heavier). My single speed MTB is steel, and currently weighs in at 23lbs even, with a very burly wheelset, and modest components.
Would you ever be interested in reviewing some custom built projects (IE, bikes people built themselves by choosing each component)? That's an angle I would be interested in hearing your take on. All but one of my bikes are projects like that, and I am always debating the pros/cons with myself about it versus buying a complete.
Work of art..must get.
This bike looks so so nice.
Id ride it i have a single speed around town bike a put together. 7p0c wheels n 41 to 16 gears the one thing id love to have on it would be an internal rear hub. I live in the mountains and though i dont usually end up walking it up hills it would be so nice to even have a 3 speed
I bought one of these new last summer based on this TH-cam episode. I bought the blue one because it looked so much like an old style “English” bikers of my youth. It’s been great to ride and NOT have to perform the standard maintenance of the conventional chained bike.
Put 10 miles on my L Train yesterday and 14 this morning. Best $650 I ever spent.
Steve Chance I love mine. Unfortunately I travel so much and am at home so little, that I don’t get to use it that much. But it is basically maintenance free and the 7 gears are enough for where I ride.
Lovely terrain! I really want to build a belt driven bike,. I'm guessing they didnt so much back in the day but with automotive technology im sure one of these could last as long as a chain
I think Brilliant is brilliant. It comes to having a nice bike with some gears and some special finishing touches. Then you have something to show you know. They could do a 3 gear too between the L train and the Astor for let's say a 450 euros. Colours are good too besides the belt drive. We lack definitely taste in Europe.
Trying to decide between this bike and the continuum onyx. How would you compare the riding experience of the two? Normally I ride a hard tail mountain bike. I want a second bike to ride bike paths with the kids that I won’t stress about having locked to a bike rack unattended while we make stops.
IMO, the onyx is the better riding of the two, but I’m biased in that I like the nuvinci cvt system. The L-train is a good bike, but note that it is a looker, so if you’re someone that likes to keep nice looking stuff pristine - that could be an issue. That said, if you want to pull up to a restaurant in style - L-train would be my choice.
Being it has V-brakes, would 700x38 tires fit on it?
Sooo which is it? Polished aluminum or Crome steel? You said both!
Always wear gloves when you ride and I like twist shifters they clean up the bars and survive better in a wreck thumb shifters are easy to break leaving you far from home with no gears
All my IGH shifters are on my TT. DIY mount. NO floppy cables for me!!! Nor horrible twisters where my hand is. Ruins the brake lever function too, IMO.
The huge Nexus/Alfine geared hubs should be laced 2 cross so the spoke angle at the rim is not too steep.
The roads you show look pretty smooth. I am in a city with seriously old roads, which are weather weary, thus, the bikes I ride must withstand a LOT!!! Would this bike be able to handle such an environment? Not to
mention, which I will, dodging traffic while climbing hills, spontaneous hills, as the rider must maneuver through cars and buses. I would love to see this L-Train in the Big Apple surviving all it throws out.
Why didn’t I see these sooner? 😢 I want one of these but I just bought a different bike.
Hey, KevCentral I have a 1999 Hard rock mountain bike and i need to replace my Crankset and a rear cassette and chain how do i go about to find replacement parts that would fit, is there a website, I looked but couldn't find one, do you know, how or where i could find this info. PS. I first heard of you after i bough a Walmart "Huffy" ( my temp bike until i could fix my 21 speed) that like yours the rear wheel was warped ! and would not stop the bike, I thought it was just that i haven't use foot brakes for a long time until i seen your video THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE of showing and explaining the down side of these bikes now i watch you all the time
Bought one with Disk brake and a shifter today 3/26/2021. Waiting to ride.
Congrats on the great bike!
I LIKE YOUR DETAILED REVIEWS. THANKS
Hey, Kev I really hurt on hills, do you think this bike with limited gears will get one up an occasional big and sometimes smaller hills?
What's up Kev ,you rock !
You bought through Amazon? I don’t see it there.
It was when I purchased it
Is it possible to have fenders put on that bike?