cycles Toussaint reviews

[ciga...@gmail.com]

Good Morning

I'm thinking about one of their frames or kits, and in doing some research, most of the reviews are from 2013-14.  I'm wondering if anyone has recent experiences/impressions to share.  I'm mostly concerned with the frame qualities.  As a reference point, I tried a Masi Randonneir maybe 2 years ago and was not happy.  It was heavy and clunky feeling, despite the wide cushy tires.  Felt like a Surly LHT without a load, and made my back hurt.

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Alan Lavine

NYC

[recarcar]

Hi Alan,

I picked one up for my partner and they are really nice bikes for the money. They are built with 8/5/8 OS (I believe double-butted) main tubes. Although it doesn't fit me well, I take it out for a spin every now and then and it rides very nicely. It's definitely not as overbuilt as a Surly LHT as it was designed with randonneuring in mind. While not as compliant as my L'avecaise, the rides are comparable in my mind and is a much nicer ride than say a Surly Crosscheck I had many years ago in that it's not as stiff and dead feeling. The other plus side of it using 8/5/8 OS, in all sizes, I think, is that it can double up as a light touring bike which I would hesitate to try to do with my L'avecaise unless I was going pretty light on the gear. I do think this frame is a really good deal when you compare it to similar bikes in the same price range from bigger companies. The frame also came straight, everything was chased, and the general frame quality is pretty nice for a $500 frame IMO. 

I am in Brooklyn if you would ever like to check the frame out for yourself.

Carlos

[Tfay]

Alan, I picked one up last year at the beginning of COVID, their “build your own” set with all of the components (except a saddle and pedals). I selected the microshift bar end shifters.

Happy with the performance, with some modest notes:

- I upgraded the front wheel to have a SON dynamo. 

- Replaced the back skewer with a Shimano. All too often it would slip under load before.

- I don’t love the handlebar that came with it (deep drop, a bit “thin”), and may switch that out.

It handles well, understanding that it is both 650b and longer trail. 

I’d recommend the product. 

[ciga...@gmail.com]

Thank you for your responses.  Maybe I misread the description ...I thought it was low trail.  What size do you have?  Do you find it overly stiff/rigid?

Alan

[Ryan Witt]

Geo places it at very low trail, actually: https://bikeinsights.com/bikes/5b92a31b21a463001594f12f-cycles-toussaint-velo-routier

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[Francis “Ted” Fay]

60cm. Not rigid. I like the ride. But that’s personal. 

Ted

On Mar 24, 2021, at 1:26 PM, Ryan Witt <onecrea...@gmail.com> wrote:

Geo places it at very low trail, actually: https://bikeinsights.com/bikes/5b92a31b21a463001594f12f-cycles-toussaint-velo-routier

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[ciga...@gmail.com]

Okay, thanks Ted.

[Alex Israel]

From earlier this year if it helps: https://groups.google.com/g/650b/c/XjN9ckKdMFw/m/CpwVej0ODAAJ

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/650b/81875573-6043-45d7-a4e2-2bb750b0156cn%40googlegroups.com.

[Erik Jansen]

I built up a few of these when I worked at Free Range in 2013ish. The steering was really fast, even for low trail (they're VERY low trail, if I recall?), but overall I thought they were really nice bikes. Build quality was good, etc. The paint/graphics were a little ordinary, but nothing terrible. 

I'd buy this over a Soma GR or a VO Polyvalent, that's for sure. Don't think there's much else in low trail mass(ish) produced for this price range.

[David Cummings]

I test rode one up in Calgary a couple years ago when we were up there for my girl's hockey.  It was snowy so I didn't really get a full test ride, but I was impressed with the quality. For an "off the shelf" bike, it has what a guy needs to make a great randonneuse.  Yes, trail is low at 30mm, but it did't seem like I was riding a drunken donkey.  

If someone had interest in a low-cost, retro-styled rando bike with arguably "custom features" (direct mount centerpulls, low trail geo, mid-fork lowrider mounts, designed for fenders) and had the skills to build one up, this is a turnkey option. Even a full build is still a great deal at $1400. I seriously considered them but went with 650b conversions and re-raked forks instead. (I really like vintage Treks.) 

David in MT