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sven cycles pathfinder light

sven cycles pathfinder light

though the handmade bicycle revolution, as we in the cycling media would have had it, seems to have calmed down just a smidgeon in recent times, there is still a hard core of frame builders in britain offering a thoroughly practical and attractive alternative to far eastern carbon fibre. one of those number is ensconced in weymouth, dorset; the distinctly nordic sounding sven cycles have been offering a variety of bespoke steel frames since 2012, garnering a number of bespoked awards along the way. the pathfinder light is arguably their top of the range model, featuring tig-welded reynolds 853 steel, with a faintly sloping top tube, subtly painted in a matt blue-grey with the letter-spaced sven almost too subtly decorating a comparatively anorexic downtube.

sven cycles pathfinder light

the frame scarcely equals the featherweight nature that can be found in contemporary carbon, but it's a very long way from being an anvil. nowadays, steel is probably a lifestyle choice and a highly commendable one at that.

though there is more than sufficient clearance to fit a pair of mudguards, the only concession on this build was a braze-on fitted to the bottom bracket bridge. that, however, could be easily remedied by speccing the necessary at point of order. the frame has no rear brake bridge, since none is necessary.

sven cycles pathfinder light

though certain custom options are available, the bicycle as supplied for review offers contemporary internal cable routing married to the round steel tubing that preceded aluminium, titanium and the ubiquitous carbon fibre, with through-axles front and rear and hydraulic disc brakes. the rear gear cable exits the top tube at the seatpost end and is then guided down the right-hand chainstay to the mech. very much out of favour these days, the bottom bracket junction looks almost spindly in these times of huge monocoque carbon constructions, eschewing any thoughts of press-fit bb cups in favour of the more easily maintained external cups. the non-tapered headtube too is distinctly old school, with a 1.125Ó external headset giving rise to more than a moment or two of consideration as to why we ever had need of anything more.

sven cycles pathfinder light

there is a modest degree of tube profiling at strategic points, but in many cases, itÕs almost too subtle to notice. standard fare on this model is generally a pair of columbus carbon forks, but the cockpit kit applied to this top of the range model incorporates a pair of sturdy parlee carbon forks painted to match the rest of the frame, parlee stem and bars, while the carbon brooks cambium saddle sits atop a commendably slim parlee seatpost.

though the 40 tooth single-ring chainset originates from the well-respected and best-kept-secret white industries, the gearing and disc brakes are the work of the sram corporation, all culled from their mid-range force groupset, including a rear derailleur capable of dealing with a sram xg cassette, offering a ten tooth sprocket all the way to a 42. this was screwed onto a hope hub featuring an xd compatible freehub, a factor that ensures the cassette is compatible with nothing else on the market. (iÕll deal with this further in the going for a ride section below).

sven cycles pathfinder light

the sturdy hope/dtswiss 700c wheel build (650b is also available) is undertaken in svenÕs own workshop and though they offer tubeless compatibility, the 38mm tyres as fitted had inner tubes hiding inside. the disc rotors were both 160mm diameter. the dtswiss front through axle sported a ratcheted lever, but the rear was fitted and removed via a 6mm allen key, each end hidden from view by an intriguing rear dropout design.

as is always the case, the review model arrived without pedals, so i popped on a pair of crank bros. candy 7s.

going for a ride

sven cycles pathfinder light

during my original communications with sven coppin, he made mention that he thought this to be the future of the bicycle. that might be a tad optimistic in the grand scheme of things, but it woul be hard to deny that the pathfinder is at least one important strand in the future of the bicycle, offering a setup that would cater to the needs of a considerable portion of the cycling public. at least, the cycling public that enjoys a pair of drop bars.

sven cycles pathfinder light

extrapolating mr coppin's original musings, it seemed like a wizard wheeze to consider how valid a proposition it would be to purchase one extremely versatile frame, accessorised with a total of three sets of wheels? the sven pathfinder arrived with a pair of 38mm tyres that offered an admittedly very wide file tred and a smooth centre-section. these proved highly effective both on road and off, always assuming that the latter featured neither mud nor wet grass, surfaces that scarcely provided sufficient friction to let those 38mm do their job.

sven cycles pathfinder light

both on and offroad, the comfort factor was delightful assuming the pressure remained between 40 - 50psi. the downside to both width and pressure could be felt in both the acceleration properties and the struggle i had keeping up with a pelotonic colleague astride a colnago c60. not entirely unexpectedly, i might add.

however, if i might refer you back to those three pairs of wheels, i removed the supplied set and replaced them with a pair of wheelsmith's finest, shod with a pair of challenge paris-roubaix 28mm clinchers. those are seriously unlikely to offer any greater tenacity offroad, but alleviated the majority of the huffing and puffing engendered when imitating a refugee from the pro peloton.

sven cycles pathfinder light

reynolds 853 steel has the alacrity and responsiveness that makes for a very quick and resilient ride, particularly when quality built in the manner of the sven. the balance has been cleverly considered to allow a high rating on the chuckability scale, something that was readily apparent when haring along a nearby gravel path and including any inherent up and down-ness. the same was there in spades on both islay's unkempt and smooth singletrack roads. (even if the latter are in somewhat short supply).

due to the incompatible eccentricity of the xd freehub, it wasn't possible to transfer the embarrassment of riches that comes with a 42 tooth sprocket, therefore the road-going portion of the review operated with a more peloton-friendly 11-26 cassette.

sven cycles pathfinder light

despite minimising the hardship quotient previously experienced by the sram force rear mech, shifting was clean, quick and efficient. swapping wheels required no adjustment of the cable whatsoever; similarly when switching back. i had hoped to fit a pair of challenge limus 'cross tyres to the original wheels in order to once more take advantage of all those cassette teeth, but try as i might, i couldn't get the 38mm tyres off. so i settled once more for those excellent aero wheelsmiths, though with a slightly more restricted gearing range that didn't quite suit my faux cyclocross activities.

it transpires that, our insatiable hunger for shiny carbon fibre notwithstanding, one superb reynolds steel frame and three sets of interchangeable wheels and tyres really could ease the strain on the space inside the bike shed, to say nothing of the less onerous pressure on the bank balance.

i doubt that it's truly necessary to opt for the parlee accoutrements to experience the quality of the sven pathfinder frame, but there's little doubt that the review was enhanced by their presence, particularly those carbon forks. in this instance, the word pathfinder easily translates as 'versatile'.

the sven pathfinder pricing begins at £1500 for frame and standard forks. the bicycle as reviewed would cost approximately £5,600.

sven cycles pathfinder light

thursday 14 september 2017

twmp ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................