Aug 03, 2011 10:51 AM
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Frame:
The Alite series 150, 300, 500 and 1000 all use the same 6061 Alloy frame - this aluminium alloy material is very popular across well known bicycle manufacturers.
Riding Position: As a user, I found the Alite frame geometry to be more comfortable than the Btiwn Rockrider 5.2 and very similar to the Giant Yukon and Trek 3700 - of these I found the KHS to be the most comfortable in terms of overall riding stance(longer top tube, more upright seat tube and head tube angles) - Note: YMMV.
Gear Components and Brakes:
Gearing: The 300 comes with a Shimano Altus+ Acera mix(Altus shifters and FD, Acera RD). Brakes: The 300 has a linear pull Tektro brake, while the Alite 500 comes with mechanical disc brakes. From other cyclists I hear that linear pulls are great most of the time, and that mechanical disc brakes are often in need of adjustment to ensure they work properly.
Tires and Suspension:
The 2011 Alite 300 comes with Kenda Small Block 8 26x1.95 tires - the 2010 model came with different, more knobbly tires, which I was tempted to change to a Continental touring semi slick. When I saw that the 2011 model came with Kenda small block's, which are on the Alite 1000s and Cannondale Trail 6 as well, I was very happy. The reason I like the small blocks better is that it seems to offer lesser road resistance than the more knobby tires and emits a very satisfying hum on a road tarmac surface.
The Spinner front suspensions are very useful for our cities, with potholes in expected and unexpected locations, and for the occasional bit of(forced) sidewalk riding. And an absolute must for any kind of offroad biking.
Ownership and rides:
After months of evaluating several bicycles - Rockrider, Merida, Trek and Giant - and riding a few of their models, I ended up owning a KHS 300. Even the test ride I took on it, compared to the longer rides on the other bikes I tested out, felt so comfortable and the fit and handling were just right.
Its now been over a month of owning the 300, and I have done some office commuting and some longer rides of around 50Km each. In addition, at INR18K the KHS Alite 300 is a superb VFM package considering the component set(gearing, suspension, frame) it offers compared with similar bikes(Trek 3700/4300, Giant Revel 2/1, Merida Matts 20).
This is a bike I would wholeheartedly recommend along with the bike shop where I got it - WheelSports in Bangalore - https://wheelsports.in, which is run by an experienced cyclist - Venky and the very helpful Naveen and Chandra.
