Holdsworth Mystique vs On One Free Ranger

Now that PX are back in the CycleScheme – er – scheme, I’m looking to buy myself a gravel bike. I had previously been planning on buying a GT Grade Carbon bike if they ever came back into stock, but the PX offerings seem to be much better value.

I can’t work out what the differences are between the Holdsworth Mystique and the On One Free Ranger, other than cosmetics and asthetics. On that basis, I’m erring towards the Holdsworth. I’m guessing a few other STWers will have been down this route before – anyone able and willing to share what they went for and why?

Cheers!

Must admit I’ve liked the look of the Mistique frame for a while, but the Cadburys Creme Egg has clearance for 700*50 iirc.

but the Cadburys Creme Egg has clearance for 700*50 iirc

Ha! Thanks for that. I was thinking it looked like the flag of some tiny east European country, but now you’ve mentioned Creme Egg I can’t see anything else!

48mm clearance for the Free Ranger, 43mm for the Mystique according to the blurb. Not sure I’d ever need anything bigger than that to be honest…

Freeranger takes a 50mm bluemels guard which makes its flexible as well as fast
I can run it as a winter road bike with conti go 50000 32s

Or as a gravel bike with gravelkings – think they are 42

Very happy with it but not tried the mystique

Hi there,

Have had two Mystiques – both cracked around the Bottom Bracket area:

No 1.

No 2.

Maybe the new frames/colours have different construction…

Shame. Really liked it otherwise. PX were pretty decent about it too – so no real complaints there.

I was going to get the Holdsworth to replace my heavily used PX Full Monty but seriously dislike the new colours so got the Free Ranger in ‘inside egg’ colours instead. Really like it.

And I’ve 50c Gravelkings on mine, plenty of clearance (but I don’t really have a mud problem around me).

I’ve also got an inside egg Free Ranger. Very happy so far.

Starting to think I should have gone 650b though as I’m using it in more lairy places than I intended and wouldn’t mind a spot more give.

Thanks for this info. Being able to fit and remove a mudguard quickly would be a big bonus, as the plan is for this to replace the winter bike. I’m finding the Free Ranger colour schemes to be pretty minging to be honest. I’d probably have ordered one already if they were less painful on my eyes.

I’m finding the Free Ranger colour schemes to be pretty minging to be honest.

The Inside-Egg one looks good in real life.

Orange brown white here too – I think it looks fine

The brown and orange is proper minging – I know someone who bought one of these and immediately had it resprayed in a much nicer colour. The creme egg looking one is better but not great. The black / red / white looks ok to me though. All personal preference though.

All personal preference though.

Never a truer word was spoken but the “inside” option clearly has its fans. I was REALLY not sure, ordered the black, red and white and it was only an issue in assembly that forced a colour change or wait until March. I like it but I think as a 70s/80s kid it’s a bit of a colours of the childhood era thing without realising it.