Ryan_M

Yep totally hear what you're saying. I spin slower now than I used to... I guess being out of the hobby off and on plus 20 something years later will do that. Now my cruising cadence is only ~95RPM. I'm picky about keeping my cadence and my more road based hybrid had a 14-25 9s cassette that I really liked. My GF is totally new to cycling so is a little slower at 80RPM but she's working on it. Still I think she has an aptitude for it. She just started riding 3 1/2 months ago and I got her to do her first century (metric) last week. Point is gearing is definitely a personal fit just like a pair of shoes.

If you spin slower or don't mind a larger gap in between gears then I guess the included options make sense. Obviously most think that way to make it the decisions the manufacturers made. That's not in my wheelhouse so it's not for me.

Cornchips

Forgive my 'technical' ignorance - I don't know much about the mechanics of bikes - I just like riding them, and perhaps to a lesser extent, learning about them

But...I hardly ever change out of the middle ring on the front sprocket, so doesn't the trend towards a 1x setup make sense? On the 3x8 setup I have I probably only use 8 gears consistently, making a lot of them redundant. What's more is that after I go for a ride on a gravel path after its been raining, the front derailleur gets absolutely caked in mud - I'd much prefer it wasn't there at all! Side question: Does having a 1x setup increase the chance of cross-chaining, on a 1x11 for example? (I imagine it would, but why would they design something that encourages cross chaining? Although the same could be said for a 3x)

It seems to me that the bike industry is heading in the right direction with fewer gears on the front, in my opinion. Although gleaming from the comments made by Hokiefyd and Ryan M, it seems they haven't got the front configuration right just yet. Give it a few years, and I'm sure this issue will be smoothed out (I'm anticipating a move to 1x as 'standard'). Seems like they should have a 36-38t chain ring on the front! (I don't really know what these numbers represent - the more teeth on the chain ring, the faster you can go, right?)

Also, I'm presuming these Roams all come out of the same factory in Taiwan, so why are there some variations in the models that go to different countries - Aus v USA for example, are they trying to tailor the bike to local conditions? Is it a quirk of bicycle manufacturing?

CC
Curious Cornchips

travbikeman

1x in hybrid form is really dependent on the customers needs and wants. Does your geographic area have many hills, how comfortable are you with using the front derailleur and so forth. In your case Cornchips, it sounds as if you would benefit from a 1x system. I myself have found it is more difficult keeping a multi geared crankset clean even with the right tools after riding through muddy trails. I can definitely see the benefit of cleaning a 1x system. Honestly, cross chaining occurs to all bikes with multiple gears and it really depends on how often certain gears get used on how quickly the chain ends up being worn out.

The biggest thing that has kept me from switching my 3x9 bike to a 1x11 is cost. Other than easier to shift only one derailleur and ease of cleaning, I don't think for me that it is yet worth spending around $250 to upgrade the bike. So while chances are I will be upgrading in the future, it might wait until a few of my current parts are worn down ready for replacement. (which I thought 3 weeks ago was then when I wiped out on drive side trying once again to use my hybrid as a mountain bike to follow my son on a trail). I really need to get myself a mountain bike. It took a while for me to readjust the rear Alivio derailleur to shift properly again.

Giant and other brands do tailor the U.S. bikes to what they believe will sell the best. Which in some cases is a real bummer. But realistically, upper level priced hybrids like the Roam 0, Carbon fiber Crosstrail, and other bikes don't sell well here like it does in other countries. The U.S. in my opinion has become polarized on gravel bikes and ebikes and that's where the brands are making the most money.

hokiefyd 

Yes, I think 1x drivetrains make sense in many cases. Like travbikeman stated for him, the primary obstacle for me is return on my investment to get a quality 1x11 setup. I would want a lot of range, so I'd want something like an 11-48 or an 11-51. More sprockets (like 11 or 12) will minimize the size of the steps between sprockets. I'm very sure a 1x11 drivetrain would work for me, but it'd cost a few hundred bucks to convert and it doesn't offer me many benefits. It may offer more benefits to other people.

If buying a new bike, I'd very much consider one with a 1x drivetrain...as long as it had the gear range that I want.

badger1

@Cornchips: there's a lot of 'princess and pea' when it comes to comments on 1x drivetrains. I have two Sirrus bikes; both are set up and used for distance riding, including lots of climbing -- all solo. Older one has 2x10 (48/34; 11-32), newish one has 1x11 (42 ring; 11-42 cassette).

In practice, no significant difference in use. Yes, one can notice the very slightly larger gaps between gears, but one adjusts very quickly. I'm a spinner, not a masher, and can easily adjust to keep preferred cadence of around 90-95.

I can see that if one is a committed 'group' rider and/or committed to measured training, with target heart rates, FTP and all that stuff, the slightly closer ratios of a 2x set-up could matter, but other than that ... meh.

Me? I like the simplicity of the 1x set-up, and have experienced no real limitations at all after almost two seasons, so I'll probably stay with it. It's also easier to keep clean!

Cornchips

I was just watching a YouTube video on the Talons, apparently you can 'customise' your wheel-size - either 27.5 or 29 inch. Given that biking is very 'personal' to each individual, I'm surprised manufacturers' don't offer more customisations, eg. Here's the Roam frame you can set it up how you want - with a 1x drivetrain, 29 inch wheels, rim brakes, air fork, blue colour, etc. for X amount of dollars.

I for one would value a 'better' drivetrain over the latest and greatest brakes for example.

I know a lot of people do their own customisations after-market, but it would be good, for those of us not so mechanically minded to just order what we want straight from the manufacturer.

hokiefyd 

I think the Talons offer different wheel sizes based on frame size, right? Like, 17" and smaller get the 27.5" wheels and 19" and larger get the 29" wheels or something like that? Can you really customize any size Talon with any size wheel?

DorkDisk

That's a very odd (anachronistic, even) combination of features that will be hard to find.

badger1

Correct ^^^
IIRC, the '21 Talons are 27.5 in S/M, and 29 in M/L/XL -- which makes sense. So there's a 'choice' in M only.

DorkDisk

Modern double and single drivetrains are designed to run all possible gears as a system. Technically, on a 1x there is no cross-chaining but one can have some bias if the chainline is off center.

This is a strength of modern drivetrains, a 26x13 on a double is not the same as a 26x13 on a triple. Not only is this gearing feasible, but it does so without chain slap and it shifts better at that extreme. Shorter chain from a double or single is nice to have IMO.

For bikes that have the same intended purpose as the Roam (mixed use, offroad bias) I am using 26/36, with 12-30 10sp cassettes. 30/46 is what I run on my higher speed road/cross bikes, but I do tend to run small gears and maintain a high cadence.

Cornchips

Giant have added a RoamE to the 2021 line up!

If ever I had a dream bike, this would be it!

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/au/roam-eplus

Ryan_M

I love this machine. It is/was a 2020 Roam 1. The drive train is now 100% M8000 2x11, brakes are M6000 with RT66 rotors, handle bars cut down to 580mm (which still seems a bit wide), Ergon SG1 grips, some unkown horns, a Bontrager saddle, and a Garmin 530 with speed sensor. Damn I love this hobby lol.

Gunfunk

I understand that as the brake callipers of my 2021 Giant Roam are inside the rear triangle, any (non-disc) version of a rear carrier (rack) would fit, so long as it will accommodate a 28 inch wheel. Is this correct?

Ryan_M

I bought a Topeak Explorer rack. The disc brake version was a hard no on a nice fit, the non-disc brake version fit great! It would seem that would translate into other designs.

Gunfunk

so to be clear you are NOT using the disc version of the rack?

Ryan_M

That is correct. I bought this one. I can send a couple pics tomorrow if you like.

hokiefyd 

You do NOT need to use a disc-specific rack on these Roams. Those are designed to clear disc brake calipers that sit on the outside of the rear triangle. Roams, with their calipers inside the rear triangle, can use any rack. I had a Topeak Explorer (non-disc) on my 2018 Roam and it fit great.

androxylo

I definitely consider Roam, asked a question here:
hybrid-bicycles/1249057-offroad-hybrid-older-people-dual-sport-roam.html

Cornchips

I'm the type of guy who loves to ROAM around

Cornchips

With La nina well and trulyset in here in southern Aus (lots if rain), I haven't been riding quite as much as I would like, but here are some musings (ok, complaints) about the Roam 3 after approximately one month of use:

• I have had issues with the seat post (slowly) slipping on longer rides. I would like to think this was because it was not torqued correctly (didn't want to over tighten it and crack the frame), but there are scratches on the seat-post from the previous owner suggesting it might've been a bit of an issue. I haven't had issues with it for a while, but still don't fully trust it. In theory, a 'D-fuse' seat-post should work, but I have read comments online suggesting plenty of people have had trouble with it.
• The gearing: I've just re-read much of this thread and totally get what Hokiefyd and co.was saying now. On my Escape (and previous Roam for that matter), I spent 90% of my time in the 'middle ring' on the front drivetrain, and barely went into the lower one (for climbs) or the higher one (for descents). With the 2x system on the Roam 3, they've seemingly taken the 'middle' one out, i.e. the one where I used to spend most of my time, leaving a very awkward gearing arrangement. Neither of which feels totally comfortable, with my style of riding, anyway. Also, it seems to 'cross-chain' quite easily, especially when I'm in the bigger ring. (Not sure if 'cross-chaining' is the right term, but it does seem to make a lot of noise).
• The brakes: this is my first bike with disc brakes. They're ok, I guess. Although I do notice they make a bit of a 'whizzing' sound when I apply them at speed or going down a really steep hill. Is that normal? To be honest, I haven't noticed a significant difference in stopping power between rim brakes and disc. I guess the bigger difference would be a better-quality wheel with disc brakes? But alas, I digress, brakes have never been a major attraction for me - if anything I need more help speeding up than slowing down!

It's not all bad though, unlike a lot of people here, I am actually a fan of the front fork - it makes my rides along the creek and harsh urban terrain way more comfortable. And I don't even notice the added 'weight'. Actually, I don't think the Roam is any slower than the Escape, not at the pace I ride. It's also a very fun bike to ride and very suited to the riding I mainly do - both sealed and unsealed bike paths - with the occasional longer ride. It's just a pity about the issues mentioned above. Part of me wants to renounce all this new-fangled technology and get back to basics with a single-speed!

hokiefyd 

Cornchips to some of your comments...

Gearing: yes, I think this is a drawback for the recent move back to 2x drivetrains on many of the current hybrid bikes, like Escapes, FXes, Roams, etc. In my opinion only, I'd much rather than use a 1x with a very wide range cassette or keep using 3x drivetrains with an 8- or 9-speed cassette. The 2x systems all seem to be a weird middle ground where neither chain ring is really optimal for most situations. I think many of them are 30/44 or similar and...30 isn't really all that low and 44 isn't really all that high, and there's a 14-tooth step between them, which is equivalent to shifting several rear sprockets at once (in terms of a change to your pedaling cadence).

Braking: yes, the whizzing sound is pretty normal. I describe it as sort of a high pitched burble or warble sound. It seems to just be the noise the rotor makes as it passes through the clamped brake pads, and is probably influenced by the shape of the cut-outs in the brake rotor. I agree with you that the braking power from them isn't all that different from a good rim brake (especially in the dry, which is 99% of my riding, personally). I have several bikes with really good rim brakes that will lift the rear wheel just as easily as my bikes with hydraulic disc brakes. And they're not nearly as troublesome with wheel removal and reinstallation, nor as sensitive to exact brake adjustment, as the disc brake bikes are.

Single speed: I recently built one up for myself out of old parts and an old 26" mountain bike frame I had laying around. It sounds contradictory, after talking about wanting to optimize gearing above, but a single speed is indeed a lot of fun! I used a 36-tooth chainring and a 17-tooth sprocket and street tires (Michelin Country Rock). It's a ton of fun to zip around on.

jasiek

Hi,

Welcome everyone - I am new on that forum

Does anyone know what headsets are installed on Roam 0 2017? I am planning to replace Suntour with riggid fork and would like to order new headsets without removing old one for now.

I think they are ZS44/Zs44 but wanted to confirm.

Did someone done similar swap and is able to reply? I know that i can measure that but maybe I could buy new headsets without removing current one (don't want to wait for new one).

Thanks a lot!

Phantom_Biker

Just upgraded my 2018 Giant Roam 3 (mechanical) Disc to hydraulic brakes and used these parts for the upgrade due to the integrated shifters in the original:

Shimano ST-EF505 EZ Fire Plus Shift/Brake Lever BR-MT200 Disc Brake Caliper - Left/Front 3x Shift 2-Piston, Shimano ST-EF505 EZ Fire Plus Shift/Brake Lever BR-MT200 Disc Brake Caliper - Right/Rear 8-Speed 2-Piston. The total cost was under $75 at Bike Hub.

It took an hour or two to complete; the biggest issue was adjusting the shifters afterwards. The hydraulic hoses are slightly longer than the original mechanical brake cables, but no biggie.

Dbike1

Anybody know where I might find original SRAM replacement parts for 2012 Roam Zero? At a minimum, I need the two largest 4 bolt chain rings (48 & 38 teeth with chain guard), or I would just get all 3 with crank arms (smallest ring is 28 teeth)

finch204

Hey guys it's been awhile. I'm curious to know what saddle you guys are using on your Giant Roam? I went from the stock 2018 Giant Roam saddle, to a WTB Speed (which probably was not wide enough for me), to a Bontrager Sport (which is wider than the WTB Speed) saddle. I'm still not really happy with the current saddle on my Roam.