https://mendhambikes.com/products/700c-metro-h2
Ok, so nobody is thinking of bikes this time of year, but it's exactly the time of year you should be buying, and this bike is quite a bargain for what it offers. I don't know how Mendham bikes can sell this bike so cheap, but they do. Ignore the list price and discount. It means nothing, but this bike is approx equivalent of a $400 bike in a decent shop.
For the most part, I'll skip repeating the description - just go to their website - but instead I'll give my firsthand review.
Getting older and I can't really take long rides hunched over my road or even CX bikes like I used to. So I bought an upright BMC last year for a steal (thanks Slickdeals!!!). Then I wanted a better bike for my GF who doesn't really ride :-( when I ran across this bike for the outrageous price of $150 (heck, I almost bought another one at that price to electrify!).
Ok, this price at $230 is not nearly as amazing a buy, but it's still a great value. Maybe it will go cheaper, but maybe not, and right now it's better than than anything in it's price class, period.
FIRSTHAND REVIEW: I bought the medium which fits both of us perfectly at a shrimpy 5'7" (yeah, we're the same height - makes switching cars easier LOL). Mendham shipping was fast - maybe a week. Packaging was straight from the shipping crate. The medium weighs in at a reasonable 29 pounds - lighter than expected at this price. The drivetrain is a 1x9 microshift setup in the modern style for this type of bike. The largest rear cog is 42T, which isn't quite as monstrous as the 50T on my BMC, but more than enough to climb mountains for most people. The Microshift shifter is not the slickest thing around, but it's totally solid for a budget build, and easily comparable (I'd say better) than the bottom of the line Shimano offerings. The hydraulic brakes are sourced off some Chinese scooter - had to look them up - they are really cheap - BUT they work just fine with very strong grip, decent modulation, and none of the adjustment/rubbing hassles of cheaper mechanical brakes. Only downside is that the gear grouping runs out of speed going downhill, but that's true of all the 1xX groupsets and you're still going about 30 mph before you run out of pedal pressure. Bike rides very well, heck, it even feels like my BMC, just heavier with larger shift intervals and just ok brakes. Only upgrades I'd recommend for this Metro H2 are lighter aluminum handlebars (maybe $25 on amazon). Otherwise, component swaps (wheels and crank could save a lot of weight) if you have them leftover from old builds you have lying around.
ASSEMBLY: Really not bad at all, but I have decent experience. The longest bit was truing the wheels and only the front needed serious attention. Probably would be ok for most people as it was, but I'd hate to taco the wheel when some truing was the right thing to do. Microshift stuff adjusted right up almost immediately. Fortunately the derailleur was true out of the box. No front shifter on this bike, and I think that's a good thing. In all, I spent maybe 30 minutes putting the bike together, with half that being truing wheels. If you're worried, take it to a local bike shop who will put it together for $60 - $75. Trust me, they'd rather have your business even if you bought this bargain bike through the mail.
CHEAPER ALTERNATIVE: 700C METRO H1 STEP OVER | HYBRID COMMUTER BIKE $200
https://mendhambikes.com/products/700c-metro-h1
This comes with a less desirable 1x8 groupset and mechanical disc brakes, but it still has a 34T rear cog, decent hill climbing. Honestly, I hate mechanical disc brakes because they are such a pain to adjust well and they just suck. Give me old fashioned clincher brake generally, but they do work well when they're wet, so maybe the mech discs are ok, meh. One the plus side, cable-actuated mechanical brakes will make it MUCH easier to swap out handlebars if you want to make a real upright cruiser with taller bars or touring bars. As it was, I was able to raise my GF's bike only about 1" with a bar swap, otherwise the hydraulic lines bound too much.
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