VACaver

In shopping mode right now and could use some of ya'lls expertise:

Eyeballing the Bacchetta Giro 20 and liking what I see (except for that hideous gray/green color...yuck). Then I see the Volae Tour, which appears to be very close to what the Bacchetta is and is a hundred bucks cheaper.

I've read lots of reviews and postings about how much people like their Giro, but only a few things about the Volae.

Opinions?

Thanks...I appreciate it, and hopefully won't drive you all nuts with my questions

Steamer

Well, both are steel framed stick bikes with 26-20 formats and rim brakes. Both are going to work well for touring and general riding. Both companies are known for providing good support after the sale.

Some of the differences I see are:

• Weight limit (250lbs for Volae, 275lbs for Bacchetta)
• Tubing is very differently shaped (Bacchetta considerably deeper and stiffer)
• Paint finish quality (Volae is a bit nicer)
• Minor seat height difference (Bacchettas are a touch lower)
• Minor BB height difference relative to the seat (Bacchattas are a little higher)
• Volae uses a telescoping boom where as the Bacchetta is a fixed boom / sliding seat. The telescoping boom is a hassle with respect to getting your chain length correct, but the fixed seat can be good for establishing the desired weight distribution, particularly for taller folks.
• Country of origin (Taiwan for B's; USA for V's)
• Handlebars (the wider B-bars are narrower than even the narrowest Volae bars)

The two brands offer somewhat similar, but still different seat styles. Hard to say which is 'better' - it all depends on personal comfort - a highly individualize thing. Bacchetta gives you a choice between two different seats (recurve and euromesh) at no added cost, whereas Volae charges you if you want their hardshell seat instead of their stock sling mesh. BUT, Volae offers multiple sizes of their hardshell, which is nice if you are going that route. (I should note that Bacchetta offers a hardshell at added cost too.)

Bacchetta offers a disc brake option, but Volae doesn't seem to do that (although if you contacted the Hostel Shoppe about that they may work with you... dunno.).

JanMM

Except for the two (?) CF models, all Volae frames are steel and are made by Waterford.
The other 26x20 model, Century, comes with discs but also costs more than a few dollars more than the Tour.

BlazingPedals

I've heard it said that if you're a heavy or powerful (as in torque) rider, the Volae is a bit of a noodle due to the smaller diameter round main tube. If you're lighter weight or a spinner, you might never notice.

VACaver

Valuable info...I knew I could count on you guys!

Thanks!

2travelers

I am fortunate that I live a little more than an hour from the Hostle Shoppe in Stevens Point, WI. I was able to try the Volae Tour and they are great people to work with there. Although I did not purchase a tour yet, I did two test rides on one and in time may be riding one for our mini tours.
The adjustable boom did allow them to fit me at 6'3" and they also made many adjustments with the handlebar size widths available and stem extensions.
At the time (later spring) there was no difference in price from a mesh to the carbon seat. I also contacted them regarding disc breaks and it should be no problem on a new order.
i enjoyed the test rides and would have no problems ordering the Volae Tour...plus, being near Hostle Shoppe and the team makes it an easy choice for the fit and all.
i had been very interested in the Giro 20 and know it does get great reviews. Perhaps when I am more serious on an order I will take some time and test ride a Giro also.
Good luck with your decision. Don't think you could go wrong with either.

lovemachine

If you're still shopping you might want to look at the Trident TWIG also. It's another option along the same lines but it will fold down fairly compact.

rydabent

You might also want to check out the Rans *****.

rydabent

Oh for heavens sake the nanny computer blanked out the name of the Rans bike. Maybe I can say the name is a long barreled bang stick. Just check the rans bike site.

VACaver

Bought the Giro 20s right before Christmas and love it!