Alternatives to Condor Tempo?

[Sergeant Pluck]

It seems my employer's Bike to Work scheme does not include purchases from Condor. What alternatives are there to the Tempo?

[Jurek]

It seems my employer's Bike to Work scheme does not include purchases from Condor. What alternatives are there to the Tempo?

Does your employer exclude BikeHut (Halfords) from their scheme?

AIUI BikeHut can source / acquire Condor (and other notable brand) bikes to sell on....

[Sergeant Pluck]

No Halfords as "they have their own scheme". I did note that on Condor's site they mention M. Steele as a dealer, but nothing more local. Good idea though.

[GrahamG]

It's a bit difficult really, there's not actually that many off the peg fixed bikes with the more relaxed geometry like the Tempo - I've gone for a custom Paul Hewitt which is probably very similar (welded steel & carbon fork) but a tad more expensive - other than that I can't think of any nice lightweight steel bikes which come in that compact geometry/long-distance-all-day comfort variety. As Craig mentioned, it's worth checking out the Ridgeback/Genesis models.
How is it that Condor are excluded? Is your company not using Cyclescheme?

[Sergeant Pluck]

The scheme my employers are using is Bikes for the NHS. They did contact Condor on my behalf - my understanding is that they cannot get a big enough discount to make it work for them 

I was thinking of Pearsons as one possibility.

[Chris N]

I was thinking of Pearsons as one possibility.

Then the Hanzo is definitely worth looking at.

[Greenbank]

If I hadn't got my Tempo then the others on the list were the Genesis Skyline (now the Ridgeback Solo) and the Pearsons Hanzo.

[Sergeant Pluck]

If I hadn't got my Tempo then the others on the list were the Genesis Skyline (now the Ridgeback Solo) and the Pearsons Hanzo.

I'd never have thought of the Ridgeback - certainly gets decent reviews, cheers for that. Might also have the advantage of being a bit less tempting to the scrotes when parked up.

[Regulator]

The Pearson Hanzo is a mighty fine machine.

A Satisfied Hanzo Owner

[Fab Foodie]

My choice would be buoily on a Salsa Casseroll frame. Old fashined dropouts (+ hanger for geared conversion), takes guards and is reviewd as being a sprightly and comfortable ride.  Takes decent tyres sizes.  Clubmate has one as a witer bike with veritable balloons on the rims.  Not so many about either.  Like a proper all-rounder bike should be.

Fixed
© Salsa Cycles 2009

Geared (should be a BR review on this)
© Salsa Cycles 2009

Also, take a look at the new Pearson Touche... Almost as sexy as a Tempo!

[Sergeant Pluck]

Interesting, Fab Foodie, thanks.

The thing about the Tempo that I like is, aside from the reported ride quality, by all accounts the dropout arrangement lends itself well to faff-free rear wheel p* repairs with mudguards in situ.

[Panoramix]

The scheme my employers are using is Bikes for the NHS. They did contact Condor on my behalf - my understanding is that they cannot get a big enough discount to make it work for them 

I was thinking of Pearsons as one possibility.

These scheme works by asking a percentage of the bike. Condor and SJS refuse to hand them the full 10% they ask arguing that margins on bespoke built bikes are lower. When I got my fratello I was hesitating between a thorn audax and a condor fratello 

If you buy a Condor on the cyclescheme, they will pass you down half of cyclescheme commission (5%), may be you could try to find a similar arrangement?

[border-rider]

The thing about the Tempo that I like is, aside from the reported ride quality, by all accounts the dropout arrangement lends itself well to faff-free rear wheel p* repairs with mudguards in situ.

This is really not an issue with any sort of dropout - though people seem to imagine that it should be.

[Sergeant Pluck]

Do you just move the wheel forward, drop the chain off the front and then take out the wheel - for track ends?

[clarion]

I like the look of the Gary Fisher Triton

[GrahamG]

I'm just sticking secu-clips to rear mudguards (those little plastic safety bits that come on the front of sks guards) to save any faff with pulling the wheel out with track ends. However if you just set it up so that the wheel sits nearer to the rear of the track ends and leave enough clearance to the rear mudguard then it's not a problem anyway.

The comment about Condor/SJS passing on 5% of the cyclescheme cost to the customer is fair enough and is actually more widespread than you think - Hewitt's quoted me an extra 6% for a full custom build.  Condor/SJS are charging for custom build i.e. choice of components etc. like they always do, not for a custom frame which I thought was a bit cheeky but then realised that their pricing is very competitive compared to large volume manufacturers buying bulk OEM so they must have their margins down low enough to make a 10% discount very painful indeed (especially as there's very little available for less than £1K!).

The pertinent question is WTF are Cyclescheme doing to justify taking 10% from our local bike shops - they must be making an absolute fortune although as a local bike shop owner mentioned to me, the impact of signing up to Cyclescheme as a shop can be massive with some outlets having 50%+ of turnover on new bikes through the scheme.

[Sergeant Pluck]

I like the look of the Gary Fisher Triton

So do I. Thanks!

[border-rider]

Do you just move the wheel forward, drop the chain off the front and then take out the wheel - for track ends?

yes. Or use secu-clips on the guard if it's a fat tyre

In my experience, you can get away with fatter tyres with rear-facing dropouts - big tyres can sometimes stop you moving the wheel far enough forward for the axle to clear the end of a long forward-facing dropout.  If so, you have to deflate the tyre to get the wheel out.

I must say that the dropout design has never worried me  - most of my bikes have rear-facing ones, but some have forward facing.  It really shouldn't be an issue.

[Panoramix]

The pertinent question is WTF are Cyclescheme doing to justify taking 10% from our local bike shops - they must be making an absolute fortune although as a local bike shop owner mentioned to me, the impact of signing up to Cyclescheme as a shop can be massive with some outlets having 50%+ of turnover on new bikes through the scheme.

+1

I don't understand why LBS don't set up some kind of organisation to bypass Cyclescheme!

[Greenbank]

With forward facing dropouts I've never had any hassle removing the rear wheel, or needing to unclip the mudguards. If you have to with track ends then, compared to my experience, it's more faff. If you don't then it's no extra faff at all anyway.

[border-rider]

With forward facing dropouts I've never had any hassle removing the rear wheel, or needing to unclip the mudguards.

I have, though

If you have to with track ends then, compared to my experience, it's more faff. If you don't then it's no extra faff at all anyway.

Secur-clips take a fraction of a second to unclip and second or two to reclip.  If you have skinny tyres you don't need them. 

I've also had dropout-splay with forward-facing dropouts...

As i say, i have no real preference - there are pros and cons to both.  It's certainly not a given that rear-facing dropouts are inherently more faffy.

[Domestique]

Same scheme my employer, NHS, is using.
I wanted a Brompton and have had to go through Pearsons as my LBS doesnt use BftNHS.
Pearsons have been really good with comunication etc, I am about 9 weeks into a 12 week waiting list.

The scheme my employers are using is Bikes for the NHS. They did contact Condor on my behalf - my understanding is that they cannot get a big enough discount to make it work for them  

I was thinking of Pearsons as one possibility.

[hugo15]

I got a Pearson Hanzo on the C2W scheme through Halfords. I had to do all the ordering over the phone as I am miles away from their shop. Found them very helpful and I am very happy with the Hanzo.

[Sergeant Pluck]

I noted today that I have until 22nd Nov to take advantage of this. Colleague in work has just ordered a steel Langster - way too trendy for me although I do like it. Too trendy for him as well TBH though I daren't tell him   He'll have to undergo a full makeover to be able to ride it.

I guess a trip to Pearsons in Sutton might be a reasonable move. I do like that Gary Fisher, but I can't see much in the way of reviews of it. No mudguard eyes on the fork but it would suit the new-fangled Cruds.

[dasmoth]

Fairly sure the Triton is more-or-less equivalent to last year's Lemond Filmore, so might be worth looking for reviews of that, too.  I thought the Filmore seemed a pretty nice bike and I considered it myself for a while -- but by the time I was looking seriously, the size I wanted was getting thin on the ground.