My brother and I had a flimsy agreement in youth to share a bike so we could get a better more expensive model instead of two more inferior ones. Once our parents bought the BMX Mongoose you didn’t see my brother and his mates for dust all summer. Twenty years on, last year, he suggested the same principle. I had wanted to buy a bike for some time for short journeys to the next village instead of using the car.
We decided on the Marin San Raphael at a cost of £425 from the North East dealer in Gateshead for Marin. With it being a joint purchase we had to buy a bike that was suitable for both of us. The San Raphael is classed as a hybrid touring bike and a unisex model; however, I do believe it’s more of a male bike with the high crossbar. I have always preferred the more sturdy looking bikes anyway compared to the ‘ladies’ models. The Marin name is well regarded in cycling terms, a company founded 18 years ago in California has been making quality bikes ever since. My brother also pointed out that second-hand Marin’s hold their value well.
So we brought the bike home and sat staring at our ‘baby’, admiring its shiny frame and unused tyres, not wanting to get it all muddied up. I had knowledge on bike technical issues in my younger days and could change a tyre, put the chain back on and raise the seat but the specifications on this bike were to be a whole new ball game – My knowledge on modern bike technology ended when our Mongoose fell into disrepair. My brother patiently explained the advantages of the 9 gear Shimano shift system and the derailleur system which most modern bikes of any quality have. The system is simple enough in explanation; making the chain move sideways when changed and basically dropping onto the next sprocket, however, when first using this system it takes a while to get used to, I changed gear on a slight hill and found myself going nowhere. The auto shifting or jumping were a major problem for me on my early jaunts, causing me to stick to one trusted gear for the whole journey. Instead of randomly bashing the gears indiscriminately I learned that it’s best to experiment on a very slight hill (downhill) so that if you jump you have the momentum to adjust accordingly instead of coming to a standstill. Once I had the confidence to use the gears correctly there is no slicker way to travel.
Now the tables have been turned, the bike is proudly stationed at my house with my brother only occasionally taking it for a spin. I use this bike exclusively, not for leisure purposes but for commuting the five miles to work. I find the bike to be extremely versatile. It’s not a mountain bike so it hasn’t got that ‘I can do bunny hops’ look about it but it looks sturdy and is deceptively lightweight with its aluminium frame, I can pick it up with one hand to manoeuvre. The handlebars are double butted alloy which look and feel very modern and the positioning of the handlebars, straight across, makes cycling on this bike quite easy on the back which I thought wouldn’t be the case. The ride quality is very comfortable, at least once you get back into the swing of cycling (this took me about 10 miles of cycling) The San Raphael is the perfect choice for road cycling around my neck of the woods; I have to travel to work on relatively smooth B roads then quite unforgiving country lanes with constant inclines, the front suspension has preload adjusters which for me is perfect for my usage, it absorbs most of the bumps in the road without having to rise from your seat like I used to on the old school bikes. Amazingly going uphill I don’t feel the need to stand on the pedals and ride from side to side, once I perfected the gears I was quite capable of travelling onwards and upwards at a steady pace.
Now onto the brakes, since coming downhill from work in the dark at night, the standard forged alloy fitted linear pull brakes scared me a little, although I didn’t experience any problems with this system my brother suggested I (note the I) upgraded to a hydraulic system which would eliminate any possibility of reduced effectiveness in wet weather. Remember tightening the brakes too much on your BMX and nearly flying over the handlebars? Well it didn’t happen but I always had that thought in my head flying downhill. All in all the Hope hydraulic brakes we fitted are fantastic and now I have changed I wouldn’t consider having linear rim-type brakes again. Although, as I said if you don’t want to customize your brakes the Marin standard brake system was perfectly adequate when I used them.
To be honest I don't know why it took me so long to get back into cycling, I think had I bought a more inferior bike then the experience wouldn't have been as pleasurable and I may have given up. As it happens my car is gathering dust and I am seriously considering getting shot of it when the tax is due to cycle exclusively. At work I am constantly being offered lifts home by colleagues who look on me with pity, however, I PREFER to cycle, at least now I can appreciate the little rabbits hopping along the road instead of flattening them in my gas guzzler.
I think I have just about covered all the issues about the bike which, for me, when I first was looking would have been of help. The best piece of advice I received was simple enough, it was: think of what you use your bike for and what type of terrain you will traverse. Luckily for me I choose this bike and I have never had any issues with the quality of the ride or any major concerns with safety or repairs. The only problem I incurred was when adjusting the seat, the seat post was firmly wedged in and took ages to come out – I lubricated the metal when replacing it so next time it should come out fine. Oh and unless you have been a contestant on the Krypton Factor then putting the underside of the seat back together can be a pain. It will all slot into place eventually.
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