Reviews of The StreetMachine GT

The Average Rating is: 4.0 out of 5.

For the long haul Reviewed By: AC Rating: 4/5 Date: January 31, 2010 85 out of 168 people found this review helpful I bought my street machine from Ben at Kinetics nearly 2 years ago after test cycling it against the Grasshopper at the Kinetics shop. I'd anticipated that I'd buy a grasshopper with the adjustable lumbar support as I'm troubled with a bad back. A generous trial resulted in me changing my mind and buying the aluminum frame style seat equipped street machine. It's proved to be a very comfortable bicycle,much more comfortable on a long journey that my Dawes Galaxy. It is better to use cleated shoes especially in the hilly countryside around where I live,as you can pull on the pedals and reduce significantly knee strain. It feels easier too. Coming up to traffic lights on an uphill incline can be a bit tricky with cleated pedals though. The 3 speed hub gearing is very good and provides a bigger change in gearing suitable for the drumlin counstryside where I live, up hills in 1st, level in 2nd and downhill in 3rd. The derailleur gearing is about spot on for me, with a high enough gear for even the steepest hill descents. I've got off and pushed up the steepest hills! . It's very important to ensure that the leg length is adjusted correctly and to spin rather than slog it out on the pedals. There is a good range of gears and I find I'm much more likely to change to be in the best gear using the twist grip gear change. I've had a few mini tours on the bike and a pair of halfords panniers worked well with the rear rack. The view forwards is excellent, my neck and back remain comfortable, I arrive relaxed and comfortable after what would be for me a long ride and do not feel as fatigued as if I had done the cycle on an upright bike. My impression is that the bike is not as fast as the Dawes Galaxy uphill but for a touring holiday this is not important. The disc brakes are excellent. I've never been able to get a speedo to work well and have given up on this for now. Cycling at night, the reflective strip on the seat and the wheels is helpful. I've used Catseye LED lights and they attach easily to a bracket mounted on the allen key bolt on the top of the end of the boom.The street machine is a beautifully finished bike that will provide many years of comfortable service as a touring bike. Did you find this review helpful? Yes <-> No

StreetMachine Reviewed By: Simon Rating: 4/5 Date: July 6, 2004 1065 out of 2087 people found this review helpful Incredibly comfortable. It glides over any terrain like a Rolls. The only disadvantage is that, like a Rolls it is huge and the steering is sluggish. Try to get it up ramps and down subways and you miss the convenience of a normal bike. Try to get it up the steps instead and you get a hernia. The Rohloff hubs and disk brakes are brilliant. Everyone should have them on whatever types of bikes. I would prefer a smaller, lower, faster one with quicker handling. I would have sold it, had it not been stolen. Did you find this review helpful? Yes <-> No

a modern touring classic Reviewed By: Peter Clinch Rating: 4/5 Date: December 16, 2003 1152 out of 2248 people found this review helpful Tourers need to be dependable, comfortable and take loads well, and the Streetmachine does all 3 superbly. It's not that fast (though it'll blow away most things downhill over a bumpy road) but it's very civilised, giving a great heads-up view of the countrryside from your sprung, padded chair as you trundle through the countryside. Equipment spec is good even without the improvement options and for a road tour I can't think of any other bike I'd rather have (except a Streetmachine with a Rohloff and hydraulic discs, that is!). 4 rather than 5 out of 5 as it's a bit of lump and is particularly unwieldy if you need to carry it anywhere: if I still lived in a tenement I would not want to own a Streetmachine. If you buy one I'd recommend the dynohub lighting and the lowrider rack as well as the rear one. The lowrider lets you concentrate weight between the wheels under the rider so the handling isn't affected by heavy loads much at all, certainly not the case on a normal upright tourer. If you want a sporty machine or a recumbent city bike you can do better, but for carting loads long distances in comfort it's well worth an audition. Did you find this review helpful? Yes <-> No

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