[Closed] Planet X/On One Gravel Bikes

Is this a thing? Seen a lot of others replying to create visibility

Not specifically answering your question, but I've had two bikes from them over the past couple of years, a Full Monty SL and the new Pro Carbon. They were both well packed and assembled, no damage, were as described and perform as expected. So all good really.

A friend's Space Chicken cracked, in the middle of the top tube. An unusual failure, not likely to be anything other than build, but they fought it long and hard before eventually accepting that he wasn't to blame. Replacement frame is ok approx 9 months later.

Wife's 'gravel' bike is a rebuild of a 4 year old XLS, and thats still going strong.

OK, not exactly a ringing endorsement but probably no worse than other brands?

I bought a carbon XLS as a commuter/CXer/offroad explorer, the only regret I have is not waiting till the Freeranger came out as (for me) that would have been the ultimate Doitall bike. I have 3 sets of wheels that I use on it, as the clearance on the back is lacking(I was warned)so it needs 650b to let me use bigger tyres. I think the XLS is brilliant and very capable, so much so that I still haven't got my summer road bike out the attic yet.

I got a carbon dirty disco a few years ago, £750 cycle to work. As well as cycling to work I've ridden the yorks three peaks cyclocross race on it three times and would have done again had they run it last year. Buying was straightforward and it shows no signs of breaking.

This I'll helpful stuff, I will check out the XLS not seen it. I wa thinking of the free ranger as more what (I think) I am looking for. Mild off road with bits of on road

Bought a Full Monty 2 years ago with Apex 1, not missed a beat.

Bought a Freeranger a couple of months ago with Force 1, like-wise. Put new wheels on this, 25mm internals and running 700x50c.

Recommended and VFM.

OK, not exactly a ringing endorsement but probably no worse than other brands?

Not just worse. A lot worse.

Pile em high and sell em cheap, majority get no issues but if you do get issues good luck, as those cheap prices don’t pay for decent service. Especially if you get one of a batch of frames that they sent the wrong measurements to China for, or they forgot that people like to use all of their cassette or wider tyres or whatever.
Check out the infamous “wizards sleeve2 seat tube debacle. There’s plenty more examples on top of that too.

Ran a space chicken for a year before moving it on. Great bike.

Mate has space chicken(recent purchase) all good.

Other riding buddy has their titanium gravel bike again all good 🙂

Heard good things about the ribble gravel bikes but think it’s a loooong wait for one

No gravel bikes from them, but a 456, Fatty, Fatty Trail and a Scandal from them without any unresolved.

They went above and beyond to resolve an issue on the Fatty that wouldn't go away. Headset wouldnt stay adjusted and would knock after even a short ride. In the end it was traced to a stem that wasn't quite flat. And gave me a new set of carbon bars for my trouble.

Also had a Floater tyre explode, and the odd bit of clothing returned because it didnt fit. All refunded or replaced promptly.

They're fashionable to hate, but then I've never been fashionable.

Again, not gravel bikes (nearly though) - bought a brace of Whippets and they're great. Open mould frames, but everything was assembled fine and we've had no issues as yet.

Dumb question what is open mould and what is wrong/not great about them?

If PX/OO arent great what else should I consider for the sub 2k bracket?

I've had a couple of bikes, and loads of other stuff from them over the years, never any problem.
I had a kaffenback on order, they called whilst it was being built and asked me if I minded getting a (free) upgrade on the groupset because they'd run out of what I ordered, which was nice.

(I would also have got myself a Free Ranger too, but was too puzzled about the size guide putting me at 6ft on a medium)

AND it looks like they're actually building and selling bikes, everyone else seems to be stuck due to delays with stock, so no bikes till winter YMMV

Dumb question what is open mould and what is wrong/not great about them?

When making a carbon frame the expensive bit is the tooling, having to make 5+ different moulds for different sizes is expensive. So lots of brands buy frames made in the factories moulds and have them painted/snickered. There may be variations in carbon quality and layup between different brands using the same moulds.

I'm not 100% sure it's as common as it used to be. There was definitely a time when every Planet X, Dolan, Ribble and Tiffosi was instantly recognisable in a catalogue.

And there's different ways of doing it. E.g. Planet X apparently didn't have the money to pay for moulds for their original track (or was it TT?) frame so had the factory make them but the factory was allowed to keep the moulds for other clients. Which lead to the odd scenario where they had a tour de France winning TT bike as another brand (which didnt have one of its own) was stickering up Planet X bikes! Similarly the track frame was the winningest of all time or some such record if you included all the other brands and national teams borrowing it.

If PX/OO arent great what else should I consider for the sub 2k bracket?

Mate's just taken delivery of a Ribble - they seem to have stock and components as I think he only ordered a month or so ago.

I have a Pickenflick that I’m very happy with. Also have a Fatty Trail and have had multiple Inbreds and 456s in the past. No problems with any of them and good service from Planet X.

I bought an early Free Ranger so I’ve had it 18 months.No problem with frame or paint finish,rides well and has been a joy to ride.It ticked all my boxes,like carbon frame,bsa threaded BB,1x11,outrageous paint schemes.Wheels are basic but tubeless ready,I run mine tubeless with 38c Schwalbe G One Bites.

Dislikes are out of PX control,I don’t like the SRAM and would have preferred Shimano.On mine I have added a Redshift stem and Specialized CG-R elastomer seat post.Force brakes squeaked like pigs,changed to Hope RX4 calipers,problem solved.SRAM bottom brackets didn’t last so changed to Hope.SRAM jockey wheel bearings wore out so changed to Hope jockey wheels (there’s a trend developing here).

Bottom line is that it’s been a fantastic bike and if it was stolen tomorrow I would replace it with another.There is too much brand snobbery around direct sale bikes but I only paid £1500 pre COVID for mine and for the money it couldn’t be beaten.You have to be capable of doing your own servicing but most people on here are.The Carbonda 696 frame seems to be well regarded everywhere.The funniest thing I came across was a small “boutique” brand offering a Carbonda 696 framed gravel bike in their colours,SRAM force equipped for £4000,go figure.

will shortly be heading out on my Procarbon disc with SRAM Force hydraulic groupset. I probably won't be very quick though, the £500+ notes I saved over similar carbon plus Ultegra level 'brand name' bikes really weighs me down.

Plus they had stock.

Have also have Inbreds and never had an issue with quality or customer service.

There are a few that are very quick to complain when they've had poor experiences and that is fine; absolutely their right. But I suspect the silent majority would disagree, if we weren't out riding.

Ref. open mould frames - no idea who OO/PX use for the gravel bikes, or if they're even open mould at all, but this is the Whippet: http://www.flybike-asia.com/product/175.html

Ok so it sounds like a goer, good to hear. I get what open mould means now, I thought it might have been a construction technique.

So I guess forced is better than rival given the price difference and weight difference, is it worth it?

What colour is best?!

What colour is best?!

Orange.

@devonboy what size did you buy and how tall are you?

Large 56cm and I am just on 6ft tall.Please don’t get me started on PX sizing guide.I went on stack and reach and this gives me the right feel and seating position however as always I use a shorter 80mm stem.In the end it’s personal preference but I prefer a higher front end.

This is what makes it hard.

I am v unfamiliar with drop bar sizing.

I am 175cm with short legs (78cm)

I ride a small genesis croix de fer which I think is too small as it feels too cramped in the drops, but it's the o lying drop bar I've ever had so maybe they should?!

I've got a London Road, 2 and a bit years old, Hydraulic Rival. Whilst not strictly a gravel bike its got fairly massive tyre clearance (currently running 700 42's) Its done everything: commuting, road, gravel singletrack, bikepacking and 1000s of KM on Zwift and hasn't missed a beat. I've only changed the chain and brake pads. Best £750 I've ever spent on a bike! Only issue I had is they sent the wrong size initially, but couldn't do enough to rectify it even though Id ridden the bike for a few weeks.

Thanks Tom,

Happy to order a free ranger just trying to figure out size now

I had an Inbred 29er that's was all good. Currently have a London road (5 or 6 years old now) and a pro carbon Evo.

LR I bought frame only and it's been great, done thousands of miles, been a commuter road bike, endurance road bike and is now my gravel bike.

Pro carbon Evo was a full bike buy, and came very well packaged and assembled, and is a cracking bike. 5'9" 31" inseam on a medium

I'd happily buy another from them but would also like fancier names....

Tempest owner here, fantastic frame but didn't get on with the Sram Rival so swapped out for GRX. It's not missed a beat from 1000s of commuting miles to last Sunday's Cotswolds Cross Off-road Sportif. Third Planet X/On-One bike I've owned and I have never had an issue.

I've had 2 inbreds a 456 some carbon mtb with odd forks , 3 pompinos, and rt57 (probably more tbh but ive had that many bikes I cant remember, ive currently got a London road with sram rival that Ive been using on club runs with local club , not had a single problem with any of them

Got a free ranger it's currently low mileage due to lack of riding time but I've really enjoyed riding it.

The "inside of the egg" paintjob is a bit marmite (I love it, it's got a hint of 70's tank top colour scheme about it and as a child of the 70s...).

Still trying to get to grips with tyres and pressures.

I'm 5'10 on a medium, long body short legs. It's long enough but I could do with raising the bars a bit and adding 10mm of stem length for a better fit.

Over the years I've had 4 inbreds, 3 456s a parkwood and a full monty sl.

Still have the parkwood and full monty and no thoughts of getting rid of them. Admittedly I bought them as frames and not full bikes.

The full monty is great, can run 43mm tyres and it rides great. I wish the stack was higher and wish forks had rack/cage mounts.

Size wise I'm 6'3 and ride an xl. Long legs so saddle is high but I've had to stick tonnes of spacers under the stem and get a 17°stem on it. Bars are still 5cm bellow saddle

Thanks all,

@garage-dweller you sound similar build to me, what size space chicken did you get?

Late to the party, but my wife loves her Space Chicken. 2 years old, no problems. She’s 5 7, I’m 5 9 (with looong legs, fwiw sizing wise) and the medium is right for both of us. Super pleased with it.

@ravingdave

I'm on a medium (Free Ranger)

Have a friend who's a couple of inches taller at 6' who rides a large space chicken.

I think I made the right call for me because of standover height. The only thing I might need to try for fit is sliding the saddle back a bit and/or a flipped 10-20mm longer stem compared to the default. I'm a bit inflexible and prone to getting neck ache so I want a slightly taller but not shorter front end than the spacers allow (my road bike is set up similarly, I've just not done the Free Ranger that way yet).

One more thing if you want to do anything more than basic gravel seriously consider getting the 650b version.

I didn't (despite advice on here) and went for 700c. I've ended up riding it on some relatively rough stuff compared to what I originally planned (rough roads and gravel tracks) and although it's still pretty capable on rougher off road I have found more than once that some extra cushioning on the south downs would have been welcome.

I ride a 29r MTB so was firmly in bigger is better. Now wondering how to sneak some 650b wheels into the shed as well 🤫

I have a very battered On One Dirty Disco - frame and fork bought from On One on eBay for 400 quid or something daft. It's been horribly abused, ridden over stuff like the Roych and Cut Gate along with a lot of less stupid stuff on and off road. Mostly it's been fine, but it cracked the headtube and one seat-stay eventually. Both fixed by Rob Hayles. The late Mike Hall rode round the world on a Dirty Disco btw.

The missus has a carbon Planet X XLS and it's been fine.

Basically you know what you're getting, which is a decent enough, middle ground frame without a posh name or frills and frippery. I've never experienced Planet X customer service, but bear in mind that Dave Loughran has left the building so the culture may have changed. Or not I guess. Sometimes these things take time.

I’m 6ft on a medium free ranger (as per their size guide) and it’s perfect for me. Racey position.
20mm setback post
10mm stem

Built up from a frame which arrived poorly packaged but intact - bought via Px eBay store, with couple scratches

I run it through winter with full guard, road wheel set and 32mm tyres

In summer guards come off and a set of light 29er mtb wheels go on with 45 mm gravel tyres. Tiny amount of toe overlap but just with the 45mm 29er setup

It’s very comfortable and very fast

Frame itself comes from Carbonda and you can order direct, specifying paint etc, for a decent price. Obvs have to wait.

I’ve got a few PX frames in the family - boot zipper, inbred, Titus rockstar and they are all going 💪

I'm still using my Wizards sleeve edition London Road circa 5 years after that thread, other than the out of spec seat tube it's been great. But TBH that defect wasn't really acceptable, and sort of highlighted their general attitude, they had a duff batch that they flogged off cheap and then played dumb if challenged...

You're not really a customer more a 'mark' with PX these days. You're either paying substantially over the odds, or they're palming a defective product off cheap, if you're really lucky they've cut prices on some overstock item that isn't duff...

I decided to limit my dealings with them after buying the LR, I'd spend up to a maximum of ~£150 with them again, on cheaper items but keep my expectations proportionately low, and certainly never buy a whole bike... YMMV.

I'd take a.look at other shops Ribble, Merlin maybe see what Paul's cycles have got?

Thanks cookeaa.

Not sure what to do. It seem if it goes wrong it goes badly wrong and sorting out will be hard.

Had a look at merlin cycles. They have some reasonable offerings in, but heavier and less well speced

You’re not really a customer more a ‘mark’ with PX these days

I disagree, there's evidence too (TINAS, Tomcrow) that they have sorted out things that have gone wrong. I'm not accusing others of making things up, sure they aren't perfect but I think the assumption that as long as all goes to plan it'll be OK but otherwise forget it is just wrong.

They've been going possibly 20 years now, OK a vaguely contentious business model and some interesting pricing at times, but

You’re not really a customer more a ‘mark’ with PX these days. You’re either paying substantially over the odds, or they’re palming a defective product off cheap, if you’re really lucky they’ve cut prices on some overstock item that isn’t duff…

is just wrong. If they were as bad as some make out they'd have failed years ago.

Bikes and frames are hardly overstock in the current climate, yet I've got a full carbon / SRAM Force bike for £1700; probably £500-£700 less than the going rate for a brandname. For comparison, Ribble's full carbon with Ultegra is £2300 with an estimated dispatch date of 31st Dec. That clearly is not over the odds, or shifting overstock. Defective - only had a few weeks admittedly but I can't spot any defects so far, and reviews don't seem to have concerns.

Perhaps I was a little harsh, maybe it's different if you're paying out for a full bike, which TBF I've never done with PX/OO I've had frames and parts and clothing and lids and will continue to spend smaller sums of money on stuff like that with them occasionally, but I don't particularly trust them to deal with faults or be honest anymore, I know I'm not the only one.

I'm sure once you're spending upwards of £1k their attitude improves. And I'd not tell anyone how to spend their own money, the odds are things will be fine, but it was my own personal experiences that persuaded me to limit my exposure to their shadier business practices...

On the flip side I was heartened to see the budget bikes they came up with as covid set in (can't remember what they were called and they seem to have vanished from the website now) to get people out and Riding.

I'm just not the PX/OO fan I once was, and would suggest caution when dealing with them.