SE Lager or Giant Bowery, anyone ridden either?

If you have, or even if you haven't, just wondered what your thoughts on the ride/bike were/are? As I'm currently looking for a reasonably priced beater and both of these seem to be the cheapest out there for OTP coming in at 350 squids each. Both quite different, one steel one ally, but would like to hear your thoughts/opinions. Cheers.

Hey Joel, pick up a Fuji Track, £300 (or less at some places)... You'll have no problem selling it on once you've built the Gazelle up...

i don't rate giant (even though i've bought three), whereas SE have great pedigree. plus the lager is made of steel. plus it's named after a kind of beer, which has to count for something.

Hey Joel, pick up a Fuji Track, £300 (or less at some places)... You'll have no problem selling it on once you've built the Gazelle up...

Good call Joe. Will look into this, have seen an online shop doing them for 315, which seems pretty good for what would be an A to B machine. Still liking the look of the Lager although 40/50 more, plus it has bullhorns as standard, which I tend to prefer position-wise. Hmmm.

You could easily flop and chop the Fuji bars, no?

hey guys, I have to sell my SE lager sharpish as I'm away traveling, bit of a quick desision. I bought my lager new at the start of the summer and its runs well. If your still after one I was looking for £350 but can negotiate for a quick sale,

let me know, ta

+1 Bowery.
Well built workhorse and great value. (Offered £225 new around)

+1 Bowery.
Well built workhorse and great value. (Offered £225 new around)

agreee totally with that, I thought it was the best value off the peg at the RRP of £350, but that deal pearsons were doing is incredible.

Dont think you could do better in the USA.

Made of aluminium like the more expensive off the pegs, pretty relaxed comfy geometry, got on my nerves a bit when trying. But if you like langsters etc, this is definetley a very wise choice.

i don't rate giant (even though i've bought three), whereas SE have great pedigree. plus the lager is made of steel. plus it's named after a kind of beer, which has to count for something.

SE and FUJI are the same company.

If you like those simple track bike straight top tube geomity look, go for the SE,

if you're not bothered by that and just want a bike to piss about; the Giant.

I confess; I love my Bowery. But at the moment, she's sick and off the road. A bit of TLC from Kiwi-Cycles and my little honey will be back on the road. Poor thing, groaning under a ton of man. :))

BUT, Giant know there's money in SingleSpeeds and have these to offer to our love-thy-gun cousins from across the pond.
Do we need to take up Smith and Wessons to get these also?

Meet you at Holland and Holland.

They're called the Bowery 72 (Red), Bowery 84 (White), Bowery Mash-Up (Grey)

3 Attachments

http://www.swinnertoncycles.co.uk/09-Giant-Bowery-Bowery.aspx%2784

Good work snoops. But jeezus, mary and cilla black, six hundred squid is alorra lorra wonga!

EDIT: At least Swinnerton and Compton Cycles sell them here. The Bowery 72 is £550.
http://www.swinnertoncycles.co.uk/09-Giant-Bowery-Bowery.aspx'72,
http://www.comptoncycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b24s197p3572&z=3421

Actually, they'll probably be about a million of these on the roads in the new year, and going into the summer. The 72 and 84 are eye-catching.

Got a bowery a month or so ago, first single/fixed.
Pretty decent for the price and good for a first change from gears.
I reckon it will be good for a while but you start realising you need to spend more cash either to upgrade or on a new bike pretty soon.......
And 550 for the new ones......??

pearson still seem to have the giant for 225:
http://www.pearsoncycles.co.uk/product/3277/GIANT_BOWERY_SINGLE_SPEED_CLEARANCE_RRP_350_SAVE_125_NOW_22500

I rode a giant (and loads of other OTP) very recently - the giant didnt suit my body shape or I'd have ordered one already. Seemed a good buy though, especially at 225. It felt to me (though I'm new to road sizings) that the large was bigger than the stated size (55 or 55.5 I think) felt a centimeter or so bigger than stated size.

With Mattc on that, picked one up for just over £225 - great way into riding ss/fixed whilst avoiding the dreaded Unicrap...

Rode a 2007 Bowery for 6 months, very good bike for the money, but in my experience you'll end up buying something you love before too long (the Bowery's a little low on charm):

Bit too stiff (although comfortable),
Very light for the money,
Reliable although not exactly a tank of strength,
Cheapo bars/pedals.

been riding a bowery for approx a month now, got it as a cheap beater via pearsons.

it's a pretty decent bike for the cash, very light & quick, but like people have already mentioned you will soon start upgrading parts (pedals, brakes, seat, pie dish type crank) and begin eyeing up more desirable premium model's in no time.

so with that said it may be a false economy really.

tbh i am starting to regret not holding out for something better like the lager, or track etc....

I ride a Bowery and I love it!!!!

yep, am already purchasing a few new bits, bars, crank etc.... think not long before a new frame.... wouldn't regret it though, it does serve a purpose and sure it can be sold on as all in all is a good bike for the price...

i think it's the fact that it's so cheap, that somehow we're more compelled to upgrade a lots of stuff on the Giant?

Having parted with £400 for an OTP fixed wheels, I felt less compelled to change part than my converted £60 peugeot (thought the peugeot need converting).

im thinking about gettin a giant bowery seen a good deal on a 08 model, im about 5'11 what size should i get ?

Hi gogosama - im same height as you, maybe a tad taller. I test rode a med and a large, I think they come up slightly on the large side compared to other similar bikes I tested. Large was a little too large for me, but medium felt a little compact.

GA2G has one - http://www.londonfgss.com/thread9085-2.html

I've ridden a Fuji Track and a Giant Bowery.

IMHO the Giant is pretty terrible. I thought the Fuji was great fun and a friend is now buying one as a result.

The Fuji is a steel track bike, making it quite different to the Bowery.