Specialized is probably best known for its high-end exotica – and for its attempts to achieve worldwide cycling ubiquity – but its original sport-tourer Sequoia dates back to 1981. The 2017 incarnation is a very different beast though.
- Best gravel and adventure bikes
- Best touring bike: how to choose the right one for you
- Specialized Sequoia Expert review
Down-tube shifters have long since vanished, and side-pull brakes have been supplanted by hydraulic discs. But it’s still essentially a ‘sports-tourer’, albeit in a more modern gravel bike-inspired design. And it’s made from good ’ol chromoly, so some things never change – though we doubt ’81-era Spesh would have released a bike in ‘California white sage’. Or very pale green to the rest of us…
Components and handling
The Sequoia’s contact points are comfortable, and they’re colour coordinated too – a sort of charcoal black pairing. But the canvas tape and the canvas-feel saddle finish looked much the worse for wear after one very muddy ride, and neither is as easy to clean as traditional bar tape or saddle.
ADVERTISEMENT
There’s no doubting that the Sequoia Elite’s braking is head and shoulders above the next model down in the range, as your extra money contributes to Shimano hydraulic disc braking (the entry-level Sequoia has Tektro Spyre mechanical disc brakes). The thru-axles also contribute to the quality braking.
The downside of the Shimano 105 groupset is the shape of the hydraulic levers, which have a pronounced bump you feel under the inside of your thumb when you’re on the hoods. That said, the 105 gearing is superior to nearly anything else at a similar price point, and the 48/32 FSA chainset paired to an 11-36T cassette will get you up any hill.
Specialized Sequoia Elite summary
You can read more at BikeRadar.com
via BikeRadar All the latest from BikeRadar.com http://ift.tt/2fYZ8aZ
No comments:
Post a Comment