Two firsts today. It stayed dry long enough for my wife to try out her new Mixte. Nexus 8 hub, coaster brake for ease of use and maintenance! We went for an Alfine trigger shifter and it has a better feed for the cable than the Nexus twist grip. It also meant we could use the leather style grips which are really comfortable and look great. First trip was obviously to the local Italian for coffee. Job done!

I’ve been aching to get out and try my new single speed bike. I say single speed but it’s got a Sturmey Archer S2C duomatic with a coaster brake. It was also the first ride for the truss forks and the ace bars. First thing to notice was the bars. Quite low, narrow and close but the hands felt in a really comfortable position with straightish arms. Might try a slightly longer stem but to see how that feels.

Second thing to notice was the coaster brake. It makes sense really but having means you can’t back pedal to align your cranks. Like riding a fixie but you can freewheel just can’t turn backwards.

Next up try changing gear. Having only read about the hub operation I was keen to try it. Sure enough a quick backpedal and it changed up into a higher gear. Trying it a few times it was a bit too easy to engage the back brake whilst trying to change gear but no biggy, it’s not a setup for maximum speed. Just helps to stop the knee popping at the multitude of lights on my commute.

Lastly the fork. To be honest I didn’t notice it, which I think is a good thing. Felt plenty rigid and not too firm. The skinny legs look great and i’m happy to take them further a field now for a longer test so will be looking for some big bumps. Fortunately the state of out local roads means those are easy to find.