Specialized Sequoia

[ootini]

Just wondering if anyone has any experience of a Spesh Sequoia???

I went to check out an AWOL at the LBS, whilst there noticed a Sequoia for £850. 2x9, sora alivio mix, much bigger tyre clearance than other similar bikes I've looked at, and its the right size for me. Must admit, given it's price I'm a bit smitten.

Is there something else I should be looking at for the same price range? I still like the camino but i believe a 2" tyre is a bit of a squeeze. Same for the Arkose.

[Bearbonesnorm]

2x9, sora alivio mix

And that's good is it? Doesn't sound very good for £850.

I still like the camino but i believe a 2" tyre is a bit of a squeeze. Same for the Arkose.

Really, if you want tyres larger than 2" perhaps buy a mountainbike.

[ootini]

2x9, sora alivio mix

And that's good is it? Doesn't sound very good for £850.

I don't know. That's why I was asking. The reviews online suggest the combination is pretty reliable. This year's sora is last year's tiagra, correct?

I still like the camino but i believe a 2" tyre is a bit of a squeeze. Same for the Arkose.

Really, if you want tyres larger than 2" perhaps buy a mountainbike.

Sorry, what I mean is I've heard the Arkose and Camino frames won't accept a knobby 2" tyre. I have a hardtail mtb, but it's no use on the road. I'm hoping this bike, or similar, with a second set of wheels would allow me to get rid of the hardtail by still managing the basic off road stuff I do, but also being relatively swift on paved surfaces.

[voodoo_simon]

This years Sora, in terms of looks, looks very professional indeed.

To be fair, at £850, you could start getting Tiagra but think Spesh have invested the money (perhaps) into the frame.

Lets face it, gears rarely make or break a ride

[Bearbonesnorm]

This year's sora is last year's tiagra, correct?

I've no idea Dave .. I'm sure someone who knows more than me will be along shortly.

Sorry, what I mean is I've heard the Arkose and Camino frames won't accept a knobby 2" tyre. I have a hardtail mtb, but it's no use on the road. I'm hoping this bike, or similar, with a second set of wheels would allow me to get rid of the hardtail by still managing the basic off road stuff I do, but also being relatively swift on paved surfaces.

It's surprising what a decent 40c or 45c tyre is capable of. The 45c WTB Riddlers I've tested have made me re-evaluate my ideas about cross / gravel tyres of late.

You could always buy a second set of wheels for your mountainbike and put some slicks on

Lets face it, gears rarely make or break a ride

That's true but there's value for money to consider.

[voodoo_simon]

This year's sora is last year's tiagra, correct?

I've no idea Dave .. I'm sure someone who knows more than me will be along shortly..

It's not, still 9 speed whilst tiagra is 10 speed and has been for for a few years.

Its a remodelled groupset, looks very neat. Performance wise, can't remember if I've used it or now (must be an age thing)

[ootini]

That's true but there's value for money to consider.

At the £850 price point do you have any suggestions for better spec bikes I should be considering?

[jameso]

I've seen one up close and had a quick spin. I'm not sure there's any more clearance than the Arkose though - 2" tyres won't fit either properly (ie 6mm ISO clearance limit) unless you go 650B, which I would on a bike like that if you want that much tyre volume with a drop bar bike's ride feel.

The 45c WTB Riddlers I've tested have made me re-evaluate my ideas about cross / gravel tyres of late.

Same here - fantastic tyres on dirt, good on tarmac ... had me re-thinking my 650B Byway choice for TNR. Best 700C all-rounder for that kind of bike that I've used so far.

[Bearbonesnorm]

At the £850 price point do you have any suggestions for better spec bikes I should be considering?

Probably not what you're after but at less than £600 ...

At the £850 price point do you have any suggestions for better spec bikes I should be considering?

[johnnystorm]

Barely anymore space in a Sequoia compared to an Arkose. I have the latter after buying it off my mate who bought the sequoia. Incidentally which he has since sold on as he felt it was a leaden lump and didn't live up to the hype. That was with 105 not Alivio.

I'd find another 50 quid and get the Arkose X:
https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-ar ... 9YEALw_wcB

[ootini]

Stu, that Holdsworth actually looks really nice, love the retro styling. However, according to the website, max tyre clearance is 38mm.

I know the sora alivio mix doesn't sound great, but it does give a pretty decent range of gears, which, given my current lack of fitness, may be useful. 48/32 : 11-36.

I've been looking at Arkoses, I like the Arkose 2 for a grand with tiagra all round etc but for the gear range and extra cash.

There's also the camino with 105.....but there's a good chance it won't be ready for a few weeks and again we're up to a grand again.

I like the Arkose x, it was one of for first bikes I thought of for this endeavour, but the 1x drive train and gear range, might be limiting on hills, again given my current lack of fitness. Plus there's the issue of never having used car end shifters.

The Marin Four Corners looked ok, but difficult finding stock, again sora all round.

[Pat]

Ive had my Seqouia for nearly a year now, and while it is pretty chubby, at 29lbs with pedals and cages, it is a good bike.
The sawtooth tyres are excellent....much better than they should be on dirt, and spot on on Tarmac. Low pressures mean comfort with speed, and the wheels set up tubeless easy with gorilla tape.
If you are used to a light bike, you might not take to it, but I find that the longer the ride, the better the sequoia feels...the weight becomes momentum!
I did the dunwich Dynamo and back the other week, which equated to 175 miles, loaded up, and it was perfect.

I am looking for some 650b wheels for some knobbly tyre action, as the only 2.0 mtb tyres I have, maxxis beavers, are very tight on the front....the rear fits fine though.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Stu, that Holdsworth actually looks really nice, love the retro styling. However, according to the website, max tyre clearance is 38mm.

Sorry, I'd missed that snippet.

I like the Arkose x, it was one of for first bikes I thought of for this endeavour, but the 1x drive train and gear range, might be limiting on hills, again given my current lack of fitness. Plus there's the issue of never having used car end shifters.

When you look at what's actually fitted, the 1 x shouldn't cause any trouble when compared to the other more road bias drivetrains. There's always the addition of a bigger cassette as extra insurance, for not much outlay.

You'd have the hang of a bar-end shifter in a matter of minutes.

[ootini]

Stu, that Holdsworth actually looks really nice, love the retro styling. However, according to the website, max tyre clearance is 38mm.

Sorry, I'd missed that snippet.

No problem, I appreciate the help. I'd have never seen those bikes otherwise.

I like the Arkose x, it was one of for first bikes I thought of for this endeavour, but the 1x drive train and gear range, might be limiting on hills, again given my current lack of fitness. Plus there's the issue of never having used car end shifters.

When you look at what's actually fitted, the 1 x shouldn't cause any trouble when compared to the other more road bias drivetrains. There's always the addition of a bigger cassette as extra insurance, for not much outlay.

You'd have the hang of a bar-end shifter in a matter of minutes.

Probably, but it's still the unknown. What if I hate them.... Also, swapping the cassette is an option, and granted to for technically minded riders probably a really easy one, but I'd rather buy a bike I didn't need to faff with... at least for a while.

So; pros and cons. Obviously there's some speculation, guess work and personal bias in this, as is human nature.

Arkose X
Pros:
Simplified drive train 1x
Better spec rear mech
Slightly lighter (-1 kg)
Hydro brakes (TRP Hylex)
Everyone likes them, including me. I think it's a better looking bike.

Cons:
1x drive train reduces range (min = 1.0555, Max 3.4545)
Bar end shifters (I may well get used to them quickly, but there's a chance I might not, just apprehensive due to lack of experience with them).
No stock at the nearest Evans store so test rides would take a while.
Slightly reduced tyre clearance (on paper).

Sequoia
Pros:
Slightly cheaper (-£50)
The gearing provides a nice big range (min = 0.8888, max = 4.0000)
STIs (I'm comfortable with them).
Increased tyre clearance (on paper).
I've actually been on the bike (amongst a few others) and it fits really well.

Cons:
STIs (more complex and likely to fail than bar end shifters?)
Lower spec mix of gearing hardware (Sora / Alivio)
Bit heavier (+1 kg)
Mechanical disc brakes (Tektro Spyre)
It looks quite boring in matt black
Specialized (EvilCorp) A lot of people have issues with the big corporation, although this really doesn't bother me.

*EDIT* Also, I've listed hydro brakes as a pro and mech brakes as a con, purely based on stopping power. However, if a mechanical disc brake were to suffer some fault, I reckon I'd have a fighting chance at replacing the cable. If a hydro brake suffered something similar I wouldn't know where to start. So possibly it's six of one and half a dozen of the other.

[Asposium]

I test rode a base model sequoia on sat, ordered the elite.

felt a very nice bike.

[atk]

Specialized (EvilCorp) A lot of people have issues with the big corporation, although this really doesn't bother me.

I don't even know where to start with this

[ootini]

Specialized (EvilCorp) A lot of people have issues with the big corporation, although this really doesn't bother me.

I don't even know where to start with this

It seems it might be an American thing. I've been looking for reviews and it seems a lot of people on American forums appear to dislike Specialized as a brand / company.

[johnnystorm]

Specialized (EvilCorp) A lot of people have issues with the big corporation, although this really doesn't bother me.

I don't even know where to start with this

Not that it would put me off now but Spesh ripped off Ritchey with the Stumpjumper, unleashed their legal team on a bloke running a cycle cafe and wheelshop because it had Roubaix in the name and plastered up posters on an LBS that had shut down pointing people towards an online shop (iirc). I can understand people not getting on board with that.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Not that it would put me off now but Spesh ripped off Ritchey with the Stumpjumper, unleashed their legal team on a bloke running a cycle cafe and wheelshop because it had Roubaix in the name and plastered up posters on an LBS that had shut down pointing people towards an online shop (iirc). I can understand people not getting on board with that.

You missed out Revelate having to change their name from Epic.

[johnnystorm]

Not that it would put me off now but Spesh ripped off Ritchey with the Stumpjumper, unleashed their legal team on a bloke running a cycle cafe and wheelshop because it had Roubaix in the name and plastered up posters on an LBS that had shut down pointing people towards an online shop (iirc). I can understand people not getting on board with that.

You missed out Revelate having to change their name from Epic.

D'oh I knew there was something else much closer to home!

[benp1]

I have a Pinnacle Arkose 2 from 2015, it's like the Pinnacle Arkose X with 1x gearing on a bar end shifter and TRP Hylex hydro brakes

It's my most ridden bike, but I commute to work on it. Currently sporting many commuting accessories such as rack, full length mudguards, 32c marathon plus tyres, dual sided touring pedals (flat and SPD) and big heavy D lock

It's ace, although I don't ride it off road much. Lots of road miles but it's fine down tracks and light off road. Would be better with the Nanos it came with but the marathon +s are excellent hassle free commuting tyres

I really like mine, it's well worn now but it's still good

[ootini]

OK, I popped back to the LBS for another look at lunch time. I was expecting to be coming home with the Sequoia, however, I took it for another ride, this time around a few local lanes, not just fannying around in the car park. I'm glad I did. I still like most aspects of the bike, it fitted well, gears worked fine etc however, the brakes! Oh deary me. On the flat, in the car park with not much momentum they're fine. However, build up a bit of speed, down hill and need to use them in anger and they don't inspire confidence. As I said, I still quite like the bike in general, but I've decided I'd much rather have hydraulic brakes. So, back to the effing drawing board.

I'm currently browsing Charlie's site. If I had £1,800 lying around, and was about 5 inches taller..........

[Asposium]

OK, I popped back to the LBS for another look at lunch time. I was expecting to be coming home with the Sequoia, however, I took it for another ride, this time around a few local lanes, not just fannying around in the car park. I'm glad I did. I still like most aspects of the bike, it fitted well, gears worked fine etc however, the brakes! Oh deary me. On the flat, in the car park with not much momentum they're fine. However, build up a bit of speed, down hill and need to use them in anger and they don't inspire confidence. As I said, I still quite like the bike in general, but I've decided I'd much rather have hydraulic brakes. So, back to the effing drawing board.

I'm currently browsing Charlie's site. If I had £1,800 lying around, and was about 5 inches taller..........

what about the sequoia elite?
got mine for £1475 from my LBS

[ootini]

OK, I popped back to the LBS for another look at lunch time. I was expecting to be coming home with the Sequoia, however, I took it for another ride, this time around a few local lanes, not just fannying around in the car park. I'm glad I did. I still like most aspects of the bike, it fitted well, gears worked fine etc however, the brakes! Oh deary me. On the flat, in the car park with not much momentum they're fine. However, build up a bit of speed, down hill and need to use them in anger and they don't inspire confidence. As I said, I still quite like the bike in general, but I've decided I'd much rather have hydraulic brakes. So, back to the effing drawing board.

I'm currently browsing Charlie's site. If I had £1,800 lying around, and was about 5 inches taller..........

what about the sequoia elite?
got mine for £1475 from my LBS

That was my first instinct, however, once we're up to £1500, there's a lot more competition to consider.

Second hand Fargos are not beyond the realms of possibility.

[atk]

Specialized (EvilCorp) A lot of people have issues with the big corporation, although this really doesn't bother me.

I don't even know where to start with this

It seems it might be an American thing. I've been looking for reviews and it seems a lot of people on American forums appear to dislike Specialized as a brand / company.

I'm referring to your attitude, not them repeatedly breaking life's most important rule: don't be a dick.

They've also ripped off Porcelain Rocket, King Cage (including ordering from Ron, to their R&D department directly) and their new tarmac looks very much like Rob English's aero road bike from a few years back.