These are looking pretty good for £250 "shop soiled" on CRC at the moment. Does anyone have any experiences of them they'd care to share? I've already found Terrahawk's excellent review of it but more info would be welcome.

Oh and does anyone know what "shop soiled" actually means in this context? 😯

*Pulls up chair..*

I was wondering what they ment… if its the odd scratch, then I'm not fussed…If its a big ding then I wouldn't bother..

perhaps a 2009/10 frame they want to shift as the x season is over, probly nowt wrong wih them

In action at the 3 Peaks.

Not got one myself but i've seen one and the look "reet".

What are you comparing it to?

I used to race a planet x uncle john and have found the rodwell is shorter, stiffer (especially with the much wider seatpost), faster handling, lighter, with a lower front end and is a nicer shade of brown

it's also got some nice features you don't notice at first like a nice shaped top tube that gets flatter towards the seat tube – making it much comfier when shouldering the bike

IIRC (and I could be wrong here) the shop soiled ones had got a scratch on them in transit, nowt huge or awful. (Brant'll know more about that though)

oi Nick.
Rodwell does not sound the same as Hakkalugi 👿 😀

What are you comparing it to?

Kona Jake, so I'm expecting it to feel a bit different, especially with the carbon forks. I'm sort of wavering between this or something burly and steel, like a Crosscheck or a Pake C'Mute, which would be more suited to touring and hacking about. It will be raced, but more to get me out of the house in the winter than anything else. 🙂

Shouting "badge job" to me!

Good price though unless the frame is a tank

I like the look of the Rodwell but I must say I think something like a Cross-check or a Roadrat would be more suitable for you Ant.

IIRC (and I could be wrong here) the shop soiled ones had got a scratch on them in transit, nowt huge or awful. (Brant'll know more about that though)

That's what I remember him saying as well.

You mean more suitable for a waster who's never going to win any races? 🙂

I like the look of the Surly and the 'Rat but they are both more expensive, heavier, and I'm not sure whether I'd ever singlespeed either of them.

Well, I went for it. 🙂

Not ridden it much so far, but it's quite a bit shorter and lower than my old frame. It's quite a bit quicker handling, but felt fine and was perfectly comfy for a 70 mile road ride at the weekend. The "shop soiling" turned out to be a tiny scratch on the chainstay, and it came with all the advertised bits, including a special headset for the placcy forks.

A couple of niggling points are that on my size frame (54 cm)there isn't enought clearance round the brake callipers to install the back wheel with the tyre inflated, and you have to take out the rear QR completely as the dropout is so close to the derailleur hanger. Minor in the grand scheme of things, admittedly, but I'm a bit gutted as one of the reasons I went for the Ragley over the Crosscheck or Roadrat was the prospect of faff-free puncture changes.

That picture is brilliant. 😆

[quoteyou have to take out the rear QR completely as the dropout is so close to the derailleur hanger. Minor in the grand scheme of things, admittedly, but I'm a bit gutted as one of the reasons I went for the Ragley over the Crosscheck or Roadrat was the prospect of faff-free puncture changes.[/quote]

File the front corner of the dropout. As for the former fault, unforgiveable!

I have taken a slightly more sensible pic for insurance purposes. 🙂

I'm not going to take a file to a spanking new frame. I think I'd have to remove quite a lot of material anyway, which I'm guessing would not be good.

Not a fan of the bike as it's not my thing, but 10/10 for a being able to include two toy tigers into a picture and getting them to help steady the bike.