All City Cycles is reportedly selling its new Space Horse for $550 as a frameset or $1350 for the complete bike.
Nick, a new reader, brought the Space Horse to our attention. He said he discovered it in his search for a good all-around bicycle "to replace my racey road bike and bridge the gap between it and my mountain bike, consolidating down to a single cycle." It sounds like Nick has found The One.
According to All City, which also makes the popular Nature Boy, the Space Horse "is the most versatile bike in the AC lineup. It can handle front and rear racks, fenders, and has clearance for 42c tires. It also has our new custom semi horizontal dropouts which allow it to be set up geared or single." Hmmmm... perhaps it is The One.
Here is a review by Prolly is not Probably. And here are the specs:
Frame | All-City Space Horse 100% full 4130 ChroMoly steel. Double butted down, top, and seat tubes. Externally tapered, ovalized, and dimpled chain stays, tapered seat stays 130mm rear spacing, 1 1/8th headtube, English bottom bracket, 27.2 seatpost
Fork | All-City Space Horse 100% 4130 ChroMoly tapered fork blades, lugged crown and matching dropout.
Headset | Cane Creek S-10 Silver
Stem | Kalloy Silver, four bolt, 1 1/8th threadless, 31.8 clamp
Handlebar | Kalloy Silver, Classic bend, 31.8
Tape | Velo Cork Black Shift
Brake Lever | Shimano Tiagra 4600 10 speed
Front Derailleur | Shimano Tiagra 4600
Rear Derailleur | Shimano Tiagra 4600
Brake | Tektro R520 Silver
Crankset | Shimano Tiagra 4600 Silver, 50-34t
Bottom Bracket | Shimano
Seatpost | Kalloy Silver, 27.2mm
Saddle | All-City Gonzo Black
Cassette | Shimano Tiagra 12-30t, ten speed
Chain | Sram PC-1031 Silver
Hubs | Tiagra Silver
Rims | Alex DA16 Silver, 32 hole
Tires | Continental Contact 700 X 37c, steel bead
Tubes | Cheng Shin 700 X 32 Presta Valve
7 comments:
Why is this THING being reviewed on a site that calls itself "Bikes for the Rest of Us"? Why is the word "city" contained in the name given to it? This bike is just another boring example of the race-centric and an updated example of the damned so-called "10-speeds" that retarded the movement toward the bicycle as transport! several decades ago!
Al in Philadelphia
Al: You might feel differently about the Space Horse if you saw it "dressed" with full fenders and front and rear racks. Most significantly, it will take very wide tires (up to 42mm), which allow for low tire pressure. That sets it apart from the old 10-speeds that you refer to.
My question is how does nthis frame ride, smoth, rigid, firm, sloppy? Does is have a Neutral handling feel like say the Surly LHT or? anything i can usei would appreciate, just looking for new ride, Thanks J
Jason, having done much research on this bike I think I can help enlighten at least a little. The bike, in my opinion, has been designed around light touring or long distance commuting (over 10 miles or so). It has a slacker head tube than a faster designed road or cross bike and the same goes for the seat tube. The chainstays are really long, like the LHT, so larger panniers may cause some heel clearance issues. After talking with my LBS and all-city some, I think the bike will be more stable than a road racer and quicker handling than a full tourer, like the LHT. I think it would be comparable to a crosscheck or a jamis bosanova. Seems like it's kind of a relaxed cyclocross bike for more practical use, similar to the cross check. I believe the ride would be firm, but not rigid, so it will have some give for comfort but not so much that it's like riding a noodle.
It's been awhile since there was a new comment but I'll throw in my comments anyway.
I've owned a Space Horse the last few years. I commute on it and ride the hell out of it on many weekends. Last week I completed the STP on it, with a loaded pannier. My wife and I had an average speed of 16.3 mph for over 200 miles in two days. I can attest to it being a great bike.
I've had my horse for a year now and I am extremely happy with it. I bought the frame and fork and built the rest. My goal was to have a bike that I could occassionally use to ride gravel, light trails, and do light touring. However given my schedule...I knew the primary use would be road rides with some mixed gravel. I couldn't be happier with how the bike turned out. With narrow (28mm) tires the bike moves and handles well. With wider tires (32-42mm) it can tear up gravel and light trails with comfort and ease.
I like the versatility of the bike, it can go from light-touring to spirited road bike and also handle offroad duties. Its a great mix and can do several things well.
From All-City's description of what they intended this bike to be...I think they nailed it.
I agree it's a good all-rounder type bike. I bought a space horse frameset two years ago and use it for trail / gravel riding in the winter with cyclocross tires (I live in Florida) and for family bike rides with touring tires the rest of the year. My old racing bike still takes 80% of my riding during the year but the space horse is versatile enough to do everything a racing frame won't do and a mountain bike won't do well. If you're for something in between a racing frame and a mountain bike, this is a good choice.
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