'Salt in the wound' is more than a little dramatic but it seemed like a better title than, I dunno, 'My Dad's getting a new bike before me' or something along those lines. As you might have been able to guess by now, my father (aka Gorsebank on BikeJournal) is buying a new bicycle for himself, after a little bit of pushing from me.
The bicycle he will be getting today (see, no month long waiting for him) is a Claud Butler Criterium. Whilst Claud Butler doesn't have the reputation it once did (and isn't really the same company), the Criterium doesn't seem an awful lot different, to me, than the 2004 version of the Trek 1000. Obviously it's a different colour and will have slightly different components but it still incorporates Shimano Sora gearing, has a 7005 aluminium frame (although the Trek 1000 has aluminium forks and steerer whilst the Criterium has hi-tensile steel [which I would personally prefer]). The Trek 1000 also has little bolts on the seat stays which one could, for example, attach a pannier rack to. Then again, it would only be extremely light weights (I imagine) anyone would want to put on such a bike and the little clasps which go round the seat stays (instead of having the bolts) would more than suffice.
The real attraction about the Criterium is the 'granny ring'. Since borrowing Kirby Girl's Fuji Ace, just the once, my Dad (who I'll refer to as Gorsebank from now on here) has rather fallen for the low gearing of a third chainring (as I have myself) and this is the real drive in his getting a new bike (asides from my hounding him about it). Best of all, it's only £250. I think that's a smashing price for a reasonably light (he's never going to be racing) road bike with STI shifters and a triple chainring. It strikes me (especially from some of the colouring they're currently using) Claud Butler is trying to copy and slightly undercut the cheaper end of Trek's bicycle range. Presumably there are some differences in, for example, the Criterium and the Trek 1000 (referring to the 2004 model of the Trek 1000, with the current model having carbon forks and, presumably, other differences) but they seem very minor for the recreational cyclist and I can't see justification for the Trek retailing at about £120 more (the Criterium is normally about £330 and the Trek 1000 retailed about £450 in a lot of places last year). Does the name on a bicycle mean 'that' much or is there more to it?
The bicycle he will be getting today (see, no month long waiting for him) is a Claud Butler Criterium. Whilst Claud Butler doesn't have the reputation it once did (and isn't really the same company), the Criterium doesn't seem an awful lot different, to me, than the 2004 version of the Trek 1000. Obviously it's a different colour and will have slightly different components but it still incorporates Shimano Sora gearing, has a 7005 aluminium frame (although the Trek 1000 has aluminium forks and steerer whilst the Criterium has hi-tensile steel [which I would personally prefer]). The Trek 1000 also has little bolts on the seat stays which one could, for example, attach a pannier rack to. Then again, it would only be extremely light weights (I imagine) anyone would want to put on such a bike and the little clasps which go round the seat stays (instead of having the bolts) would more than suffice.
The real attraction about the Criterium is the 'granny ring'. Since borrowing Kirby Girl's Fuji Ace, just the once, my Dad (who I'll refer to as Gorsebank from now on here) has rather fallen for the low gearing of a third chainring (as I have myself) and this is the real drive in his getting a new bike (asides from my hounding him about it). Best of all, it's only £250. I think that's a smashing price for a reasonably light (he's never going to be racing) road bike with STI shifters and a triple chainring. It strikes me (especially from some of the colouring they're currently using) Claud Butler is trying to copy and slightly undercut the cheaper end of Trek's bicycle range. Presumably there are some differences in, for example, the Criterium and the Trek 1000 (referring to the 2004 model of the Trek 1000, with the current model having carbon forks and, presumably, other differences) but they seem very minor for the recreational cyclist and I can't see justification for the Trek retailing at about £120 more (the Criterium is normally about £330 and the Trek 1000 retailed about £450 in a lot of places last year). Does the name on a bicycle mean 'that' much or is there more to it?
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