Charge Juicer Mid

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 a Cyclescheme-friendly £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. Maths 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 while that is a fantastic machine 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.

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 ever 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 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 1) I didn’t know where I could find cake in the wilds of Suffolk and 2) I had no money, so I duly carried on my way cakeless.

The mudguards are a really solid fitting set and look great on the bike, they don’t rattle or scrape 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 is just a 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 ignored. 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 - it's designed as a unit. 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 6 weeks 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 bit of 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 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 ones napping, 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 days but no 23C will ever be that. Personally for this style of bike a more relaxed 25C would be a better choice I think.

Tektro's brakes do let themselves down on occasions, especially in the wet. I would personally change the pad to a stiffer cartridge system, perhaps from the excellent Ashima range.

Verdict

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 that is a much better ride than the spec list initially suggests.