Well, initially when I got it, the Bend RIV wasn't available nor did I know that Polygon were going to bring it out. If I was in the market right now to buy a bike, I would still go with the Bend RV. Here's why: - Before purchasing the bike, I tried to understand how much I wanted to carry on my bikepacking trips. I decided I would rather travel light and enjoy the riding, on and off road, rather than carrying more weight and being more self-sufficient. For that reason, I had no need for pannier racks front and/or back. I got Apidura bags that I can use on the Bend RV, or on my carbon road bike (Polygon Helios A8X) or even on my dual suspension (Lapierre X-Race 500). You can see a photo of the Bend RV on the link below: instagram.com/p/BSCj3NOj8_I/?taken-by=batista.andrec - Drivetrain: I do like the simplicity of a 1x11, specially for mountain biking. On road and touring, having 2x11 gives me a broader range and a higher top end speed. If you use a gear ratio calculator, 1x11 runs out just over 36kmph, 2x11 over 50kmph - Fork: Bend RV comes with a Carbon fork, Alloy fork on the RIV. The lower weight and dampening of a carbon fork is very appealing to me on days where I'm cycling 6 hours + - Shimano Vs. SRAM: Some prefer Shimano, others SRAM. I have both and I do like SRAM better for off road and Shimano better for on road. For this bike and for what I want to do with it, I believe Shimano is a better option due to the brakes. Shimano uses Mineral Oil, much easier to bleed, much easier to get parts for worldwide. SRAM uses Dot4/5 oil, which is much better for temperature control and brake fade but much harder to get spare parts or bleed. +FatTraction Let me know if you have any questions or comments!
I got a size Large (56cm frame) and I'm 190cm (6'2"). I could've gone for the XL frame but wanted a slightly smaller frame to make it easier to ride offroad on technical trails. Hope this helps!
sick video bro ! good riding and music, keep going !!
Good review
Tão bom! Beijinhos
hey mate, why did you choose this model over the bend riv touring model?
Well, initially when I got it, the Bend RIV wasn't available nor did I know that Polygon were going to bring it out. If I was in the market right now to buy a bike, I would still go with the Bend RV. Here's why:
- Before purchasing the bike, I tried to understand how much I wanted to carry on my bikepacking trips. I decided I would rather travel light and enjoy the riding, on and off road, rather than carrying more weight and being more self-sufficient. For that reason, I had no need for pannier racks front and/or back. I got Apidura bags that I can use on the Bend RV, or on my carbon road bike (Polygon Helios A8X) or even on my dual suspension (Lapierre X-Race 500). You can see a photo of the Bend RV on the link below:
instagram.com/p/BSCj3NOj8_I/?taken-by=batista.andrec
- Drivetrain: I do like the simplicity of a 1x11, specially for mountain biking. On road and touring, having 2x11 gives me a broader range and a higher top end speed. If you use a gear ratio calculator, 1x11 runs out just over 36kmph, 2x11 over 50kmph
- Fork: Bend RV comes with a Carbon fork, Alloy fork on the RIV. The lower weight and dampening of a carbon fork is very appealing to me on days where I'm cycling 6 hours +
- Shimano Vs. SRAM: Some prefer Shimano, others SRAM. I have both and I do like SRAM better for off road and Shimano better for on road. For this bike and for what I want to do with it, I believe Shimano is a better option due to the brakes. Shimano uses Mineral Oil, much easier to bleed, much easier to get parts for worldwide. SRAM uses Dot4/5 oil, which is much better for temperature control and brake fade but much harder to get spare parts or bleed.
+FatTraction Let me know if you have any questions or comments!
Cycling Grand Tour
Thanks for the reply. Looks like a great bike! I look forward to seeing some bikepacking videos from you
Hi! Great video. What is the frame size? And what is your height?
Thank you Illia! I got a large frame, 56cm, and I'm 190cm tall, or 6'2".
I got a size Large (56cm frame) and I'm 190cm (6'2"). I could've gone for the XL frame but wanted a slightly smaller frame to make it easier to ride offroad on technical trails. Hope this helps!