Blade 8 opinions

Hmm, doesn't seem as if nobody knows much.

So here is something to help you help me.

http://avantibikes.com/bikes_detail.asp?id=250&t=14

The going price seems to be about $900.

The gear on it seems to be the same as Blade Sport but with internal
hub gears.

Any opinions for the learned ones.

[email hidden said:

"]Hmm, doesn't seem as if nobody knows much.

So here is something to help you help me.

http://avantibikes.com/bikes_detail.asp?id=250&t=14

The going price seems to be about $900.

The gear on it seems to be the same as Blade Sport but with internal
hub gears.

Any opinions for the learned ones.

Dont know about "learned" but I ride an 05 Blade Elite, the one with disk brakes for $1600.
A lot of women in Townsville have got rid of their MTB or other beaters and are riding the standard Blade.

You dont say what standard your wife is and what she wants to do so I will assume that its on road commute/ fitness/ recreation.
The Blade/ Blade 8 are both mens geometry so the fit for a woman may be a bit of a compromise depending on the individual.
Typically a woman rides one size smaller bike than a guy of the same leg length. Women "generally" have a shorter trunk and therefore a shorter reach. If put on a mens bike of correct leg a woman will have to really stretch to reach the handlebars and end up with all sorts of aches and pains. Sort this out with the sales person, firstly on a trainer in the shop and then test rides.

The internal hub is a good idea for a "non Tech" persons bike as they dont have to worry about all the confusing gears and two sets of changers. The hub is a bit heavier than all the deraileur gear stuff but on a commuter it doesnt matter. A bonus is you wont have to clean the der , cluster n stuff because its too complicated, the hub only needs an occasional wipe over. A puncture in the rear is slower to repair as the arm and change mechanism have to be undone/ re attached and as I recall the axle is nutted so you need a spanner in the toolkit too.

My 2 cents worth

Hugh

Blade 8 Link

On 6 Nov 2005 18:24:52 -0800, [email hidden] wrote in
aus.bicycle:

Quoted message said:

So here is something to help you help me.

http://avantibikes.com/bikes_detail.asp?id=250&t=14

The going price seems to be about $900.

Isn't it irritating when they say 'Alloy' frame. Steel frames are an
alloy, aluminium frames are an alloy so what is the frame made of? The
only thing it eliminates is carbon fibre.

Regards
Prickles

This message only uses recycled electrons

Flying Echidna said:

Isn't it irritating when they say 'Alloy' frame. Steel frames are an alloy, aluminium frames are an alloy so what is the frame made of? The only thing it eliminates is carbon fibre.

Not quite. It also eliminates bamboo: http://bluecollarmtb.com/2005/05/03/build-a-bamboo-mtb-frame/

Flying Echidna said:

Isn't it irritating when they say 'Alloy' frame. Steel frames are an alloy, aluminium frames are an alloy so what is the frame made of? The only thing it eliminates is carbon fibre.

In this case, they are actually telling you exactly what the frame is made of. 7005 is I believe aluminum-zinc-magnesium-chromium alloy. It's definatly mainly aluminium, and a little bit of searching would probably reveal the other metals used.

Edit: Found it. Google rocks.

Quoted post said:

Alloy 7005, according to Aluminum Association registration, contains 4 to 5% zinc, 0.2 to 0.7% manganese, 1 to 1.8% magnesium, 0.06 to 0.2% chromium, 0.08 to 0.2% zirconium, 0.01 to 0.06% titanium, maximum of 0.35% silicon, 0.4% maximum iron, 0.1% maximum copper, the balance aluminum and incidental elements and impurities.