When I came to research the Guess RB1 before purchasing it, I could find very little information about it on the web. Therefore I thought I would collate everything I know or can find in one place, so if anyone else wants to know about these wonderful little bikes they can hopefully find most of it here.
Guess is SuperCycles of Nottingham’s own brand of bike. Up until December 2002 it was only available as a frame, however after that SuperCycles started to release it as a complete bike.
Cycling Plus gave it “Best-Of-Test” in a review.The British Bicycle Awards gave it “Best Value Road Bike”
The Guess RB1 frame is constructed from 6061 Aluminium. The top tube, down tube and seat tube are wing-shaped for aerodynamics. The seat and chain stays are ovaloid, with the chain stays having dog legs for crank clearance. All of the tubes are fused together with big chunky welds, similar to my mountain bike. The frame has solid rear drop outs
The seat tube features quite a large cut out for the rear wheel, however, the tyre barely comes close the the tube. I don't understand why such a large cut out has been designed into the frame. Maybe it is to reduce drag of air over the rear wheel. Can anyone shed some light on this?
The head tube suitable for is 1 1/8" diameter steerer forks.
The frame comes in the following sizes: 25, 54, 56, 58 cm. Mine is the 58 cm Model. I’m 5’10 and it is comfortable to ride, but I think if I was to buy from new I’d choose a 56 or 54cm frame and have a longer seat post and a more aero dynamic position.
The forks are constructed of carbon with an aluminium alloy steerer tube. They are of a blade design for aero dynamics and feature a 5cm rake. The steerer tube is 1 1/8" with Ahead fitting. According to SuperCycles website these forks have received the Cycling Plus Gold Award for being truely aerodynamic.
The wheels on my bike are not what originally came with the bike, these would have been Guess hubs tied to American Classic rims. According to the shop owner the original owner had upgraded from the original wheels to the Capagnolo Scirocco G3 wheels.
According to roadcyclinguk.com - The Scirocco G3 wheels were made to be exceptional value for money but provide top end technical features. 30mm black-satin rims. Oversized hubs and G3 spoking front and rear. Weight 790g front, 1040g rear (Or 770g front, and 955g rear on the Capagnolo website) They retail at around £220.
I'm not sure what tyre come on this bike from new, but the previous woner has equiped the bike with... tbc
The brake Calipers are made by Guess, and look like a cross between Tektro and Shimano. If any one has any more information on the calipers, please provide. I am unsure what the brake blocks are, or who they are nade from. I haven't had to emergncy brake yet, or brake on a sustained down hill, so I cannot comment on their performance.
The handle bars are Guess's own aluminium creation. I currently have Outland aluminium clip-on Tri Bars fitted to them
The stem is Guess's own, made from an aluminium alloy.
The seat is Guess's own. It has hollow Chrome-Moly rails.
I may not be the best person to review how the bike is to ride as for the last twenty years or so I have been riding mountain bikes only. To me the bike feels extremely light and responsive. Due to the weight, excelleration is a doddle, and I'm sure a fitter person than I would find it a pleasure to climb with. I haven't cornered hard with it yet, as I need to learn to trust the tyres, but the bike feels nimble and seems to return to an upright position easily.
Please feel free to comment. If you have any further information that you can add about this brilliant budget bike, please do. I would love to hear from fellow RB1 (Or RB2) owners, and hear of their experiences, good or bad.
Full bike reviewshttp://www.roadcyclinguk.com/forum/forummessages/mps/utn/106070/v/1/cp/1/http://www.bikemagic.com/forum/forummessages/mps/dt/4/UTN/46381/srchdte/0/last/1/V/6/SP/328890336794364665472http://forum.220magazine.com/tm.asp?m=29192http://www.bikemagic.com/forum/forummessages/mps/dt/4/UTN/50389/http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/gear/gear.asp?pid=311
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Disclaimer The opinions expressed herein are my own personal opinions and do not represent my employer's view in any way.