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Somerset's Charge Bikes made their name in the mountain bike world but have become one of the best known brands in the ï¬xed wheel market. This year the company have expanded their range with the Juicer, a modern take on the classic British steel racing bike.It weighs in at 23lb, which is no lightweight when compared to a carbon bike, but out on the road it doesn't seem that much of an issue. The bike rolls beautifully, is stable at speed, and you only really notice the extra pounds on long climbs - when the big spread of gears courtesy of a triple chainset comes to the rescue.Ride & handling: Comfortable machine that excels at eating up the milesThe Juicer has been developed with input from Charge's team riders, and they have created a superbly positive-feeling frame around a Tange Prestige tubeset.Through the pedals and chainstays the Juicer feels as rigid as a quality carbon frame, but the thin pencil seatstays and straight, narrow-bladed fork means it's both remarkably absorbent over rough surfaces and able to maintain a straight line, with positive acceleration out of the saddle.This bike really excels at eating up the miles. It's not quite as fast as a stiff carbon lightweight, but the comfort offered by the frameset is more than enough compensation when you're spending long days in the saddle.The groupset and wheels are from Shimano: R500 wheels, and a Tiagra drivetrain which eschews the current fashion for compact gearing in favour of a 50/39/30 triple.While some might think this is overkill for general riding, if you live in a hilly area it'll prove a boon - as we discovered when, as part of the test, we took the Juicer to Cornwall for a few days and rode it up the killer hills around Bodmin Moor. Having the bail-out 30-tooth granny ring means you can keep turning the pedals with tired legs on steep ascents.Equipment: Excellent bar and saddle, but brake pads don't cut the mustardAlthough you'd expect rack mounts on a bike with a touring or audax background, the Juicer sets itself out as a racer through and through, and there's no provision for luggage carrying here.Being a British company, Charge have specced mudguards - not standard aftermarket off-the-peg items though, these are colour co-ordinated with the frame, with plenty of clearance should you want to change the standard Continental Ultra Sport 23mm tyres fitted for something bigger and more hardy for winter riding.The finishing kit, including FSA seatpost, stem and bar, is all mid-range quality. The saddle is Charge's excellent Knife, a slimmer version of the top rated Spoon and one of the most comfortable saddles out there.The bar is FSA's superb shallow drop design - a great choice for riders new to road bikes as its reduced depth makes it more comfortable than a standard drop bar, and encourages even experienced riders to get off the hoods and spend more time in a slippery aero position.Unfortunately it's not all good news. The Tektro R538 brakes are good, featuring a neat quick-release mechanism, and are solidly made with no noticeable flex or chatter even when braking full-on, but the problem is the pads' waxy surface; they just don't offer enough grip or bite, and you end up grabbing fistfuls of brake in an effort to slow down, making modulation or scrubbing speed on fast descents nigh on impossible.We thought it was simply because they were new, but even after plenty of miles of riding the pads only improved marginally. Also, being from the budget end of the range they aren't the cartridge variety, so replacing them is a more costly business as you need the carriers too.
A re-imagined classic steel bike with loads to offer
Charge bikes are arguably the coolest bike brand out of the UK at the minute offering an infectious mix of exciting design, excellent marketing and the West countries finest riders to boot. The Juicer mid is the more affordable version in the Charge classic road portfolio. Coming in at £950 for 23lbs of steel with a Tiagra groupset it might be hard to see why this bike is so appealing, however as I found it was love at first ride. Actually it happened before I had finished setting it up.There are many good reasons why racing bikes are not made in steel anymore. Numerating the problem of material selection for a light and stiff bicycle frame always yields one answer - carbon. However in some cases this method has some flaws. Math's doesn't do emotion. Nor does it understand the joys of tractor beaten, frost bitten roads on my favourite "tour of East Anglia's potato and turnip farms" (training whilst back at the folks place for Christmas). The last bike I rode was the Boardman Pro Carbon and I can honestly say what a treat it has been to ride a steel bike. I couldn't have had a bigger switch in bikes yet instantly the Juicer was a pleasure to ride and based on the times of my usual routes surprisingly quick despite the obvious weight penalty. I dare say we are all going to struggle to catch Sam Humphries or Abi Greenaway on one of these.Handling is good and much more comfortable at slower speeds than more twitchy aggressive geometries, without losing stability whilst on the rivet. Out of the saddle the position on the hoods is comfortable and stable. Thanks to the combo of Charge's most excellent Knife saddle and a triple upfront you hardly have to get out of the saddle except for sprinting. The triple might not be super cool but personally having 133m elevation between my desk and my bed meant it came in handy on the commute.The vibration dampening is suitably excellent as you would expect from steel. The "springyness" of the material really enlivens the ride and combined with a more traditional geometry it was a real pleasure to sit up and enjoy the view rather than my usual HRM based self destruction. It was so infectious I almost stopped for cake on a ride, I then realised having never done such before a) I didn't know where I could find cake in the wilds of Suffolk and b) I had no money, I gaily carried on my way cakeless.The mudguards are a really solid fitting set and look great on the bike, they don't rattle or scrap or any of those bad mudguard related annoyances. They also work pretty well too, well enough that like a kid in wellies I rode through as many puddles as possible. My only gripe being the front it just that little too short meaning the water gets dumped on to your feet through the deepest puddles.The main point that I want to stress about the quality of this bike is the selection of components and attention to details which are so often negated. I have read a lot of people on popular forums slating the value for money of this bike but hear me out. The groupset is a groupset. Sounds silly but you get a full set of Tiagra, which in my experience works a lot better than mixing a cheap cassette with a 105 rear mech and a crank from another manufacturer for the same price. Yes compatibility in cycle drive train is good but there is something that just works about using a full Tiagra set. I would note that it took some getting used to switching back from SRAM to Shimano. The much quieter shift is sometimes missed and the up-shift lever is a little small in winter gloves, especially if you use a lobster style mitten. Other attentions to detail include the well selected FSA finishing kit, the compact drop means anyone could sit on the drops comfortably without 6weeks of intensive yoga and pilates. The bar tape is a decent quality padded offering again from FSA. For many manufacturers bar tape is a cost saving exercise but it really makes a difference to how the bike feels straight out of the box, thanks Charge. Finally my favorite attention to detail and why I fell so deeply in love with this bike before riding - the bottle cage bolts (sad I know). For once they are not ridiculously short to reduce the published weight of the bike, you can actually fit bottle cages and a pump simultaneously with the greatest of ease, praise the lord!Shimanos R500 wheels are a great choice again. I am a firm believer in Shimanos cup and cone gospel and they have faultlessly spun without the need for readjustment of any kind. Plus they come with excellent QR's. Albeit not the lightest of wheels, but a dependable and very serviceable set nonetheless. Continental are usually my tyre of choice but a couple of flints caught these one knapping, leaving me to play my least favorite roadside game, the "Topeak hand shuffle". Whilst inflated the grip was good in most conditions, I wouldn't go as far to say confidence inspiring on the iciest of day
If you are looking for a dependable workhorse commuter or classic racer then the Juicer Mid is a great starting point, especially for the more style conscious. The Juicer combines classic materials and geometry with a selection of components that work together almost faultlessly. All things considered this delivers a bike is much better ride than the spec list initially suggests.