That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but something to be aware of. The lowest price bikes may use 7-speed Shimano Tourney or derailleurs from Microshift. There are even fenders / mudguard and rack mounts if you want to use the Brand X road bike for commuting or all-weather duties. Designed with ‘balanced’ geometry, its ride position is comfortable enough but you can slam the stem for a more aggressive ride.
Most cassettes at the rear start with an 11-tooth sprocket, giving you a usefully high top gear. As you might expect, the Brand X road bike is fitted out with rim brakes rather than the more expensive disc brake calipers. Cables are also external rather than running through the frame or boasting full outers, so they may be more prone to contamination. This isn’t an unusual feature in a lower priced bike though. Rebranded and redesigned, the aluminium frame now comes with a carbon bladed fork. The Triban 520 has also switched to disc brakes in the form of TRP’s well regarded HY/RD mechanical offerings.
The Second World War provided a financial boon for Huffmans. A government contract was landed for the production of ‘primers’ – an artillery shell part. Horace ‘Huff’ Huffman Jr – took over the role as the works manager at Huffmans and huffy cruiser bike quickly switched the production process over to include a ‘straight-line conveyorized assembly line’. In 1924, feeling confident, he set out to establish his own company called the Huffman Manufacturing Company.
Don’t assume that alloy is an inferior choice though, as a well-made alloy frame can ride better than a budget carbon frame and may weigh less as well. With space for 40mm tires, it’s a bike that could be set up for gravel duties as well, with a simple change of rubber. Being a gravel/adventure bike, the Haanjo will roll smoothly on the road but also comes with 38c tires which will cushion out the bumps for off-road gravel rides. The frame’s geometry places the 520 clearly in the endurance/commuter/light tourer camp.
Manufacturing is based outside of the U.S.[19] Crown Equipment Corporation now uses the former Huffy U.S. bicycle factory in Celina, Ohio, to produce forklifts. By 1953, a Huffy logo huffy bikes was created and Huffman switched all its bicycles to the Huffy brand. A few of the most popular models included the Special Roadster, the Racer, the LaFrance, and the Streamliner.
But we were impressed by the frame’s efficiency and the quite racy geometry, although there’s a bit of road buzz on less smooth surfaces. The Boardman own-brand components work well and are comfortable. Boardman’s wheels are tubeless ready if you want to upgrade the tires.