Charge or GT - another "help me choose" thread

[Lord Stradmor]

Ok, so I've looked around and the roads round here are pretty shoddy, but mostly flat.

longevity and strength and ease of home maintenance are more important than sportyness.

I'm unlikely to do more than 50 miles very often, and equally unlikely to go touring, but might one in a while.
I've got a 50 mile charity run to do in four weeks time.

I've struggled with the sprogs mahoosive gearsets on their racers and MTBs and hate the things and am keen on an enclosed gear arrangement, and I'm a cheapskate.


So I've narrowed it down to these two from Wiggle:

Charge Tap 2010

GT Traffic 2010


what do people think - am I barking completely up the wrong tree?

 

[wheres_my_beard]

Ditch the gears and go fixed/ singlespeed (IMO)


I would recommend Charge based on how pleased I am with mine (Plug). Stiff, robust and super responsive. I have had to do next to no maintainance to mine besides wiping it down and tightening the breaks as the pads get worn.



A lazy/ pushed-for-time/ cba person's dream.

 

[corshamjim]

Much as I love the look of it, I can't see much clearance on the Charge for a rear mudguard nor mountings for a rack so I'd go for the GT (which also looks good imo). In fact if I had the money I'd buy one right now - it's a cracking good deal.

 

[wheres_my_beard]

Roadracer 2 Mudgaurds fit my bike. Not huge clearance, but it goes.






A rack is a different issues tho... maybe something like this :

A bit fugly tho

 

[colinr]

Hub gears are brill (from what I've heard). The Charge looks great, the GT looks hideous IMHO, I usually love their triple triangles but that thing is all sloping downwards.

Crud Roadracers will fit on nearly anything, racks I know nothing about.

Edit: Looks like the 2011 has proper mounts but the 2010 doesn't. Probably for the best, I'd have had one if it took full guards and racks for that price.

 

[Lord Stradmor]

Thats the rub, the Charge looks funky as heck, and has better brakes but looks tricky to fit accessories to. Also its only available in Medium, and I'm on the cusp of medium/large. But it does look a lot more upright than the GT.

The GT looks solid and dependable and has some neat touches and comes in all sizes, but the brakes look cheap compared to the Charge, I'm not sure about the pin bolt security locks - what if you get a flat and don't have the tools - and its just not as groovy as the Charge.

Decisions, decisions...

 

[colinr]

My experience of charge frames is they come up a bit large, so you might be ok. I'd just buy the one I liked the look of most and work the rest out later

 

[wheres_my_beard]

My experience of charge frames is they come up a bit large, so you might be ok. I'd just buy the one I liked the look of most and work the rest out later

+1 For that. I'm 6' and the large has an inch or two clearance on the cross bar for me.


There's always a way round a problem, although from OP I'm not sure what you would want to attach beyond mudguards and lights.

 

[Moodyman]

Our of the two my vote goes to the Charge.

But if you live in a flat area a single speed might be a better option if you're wanting minimal maintenance

 

[Lord Stradmor]

Just checked of a Charge Plug with an identical frame, and the Medium one is fine. Large would be stupidly tall

Damn, its a nice bit of kit, really well equipped.

Next decision, Wiggle for £330 and get it now or local shop through work cycle to work scheme for a 2011 model for a a bit more and wait a month.

Should really support the local boys I suppose.



will now trawl forum for horror stories about cycle to work going horribly wrong...

 

[david1701]

well if the 2011 gets you the right fittings its a no brainer but I totally get the impatience