UPDATE: Click here to see our new Poseidon bike: The FX!
When Poseidon bikes released their affordable gravel bikes I went ahead and ordered both of them. I rode the Poseidon X for about 3 months before selling it to my brother and this why:
Let’s start with the good; the bike was very affordable (still are), it was good looking and it had decent gearing for climbing. The X was a good bike on pavement but it left a lot to be desired on the dirt. The only drawback of the Poseidon X was the drive train; even though it was a good climber, it was slow on the flats.
Also, the rear derailleur exploded when my brother dropped the chain and tried to pedal. Luckily the Microshift derailleur was cheap to replace.
The main reason I sold the X was because the Poseidon Redwood came out and that bike looked bad ass and it looked like it could tackle the dirt with more confidence.
And yes, the Redwood was a great bike in the dirt, it climbed well, it descended well BUT the brakes sucked. I was also slow in the pavement; the stock meaty tires that it came with had a lot to do with this. Another major nuisance of this bike was the paint job; you will sneeze on the paint and it would peel off.
I actually ended up spending quite a bit of money upgrading the Redwood. I got new tires, a Redshift stem, brooks saddle and frame protection decals. But the bike was still not what I really wanted which is a bike that would be good in both the dirt and pavement. So I sold it.
What did I get instead of the Poseidon bikes? I ended up with a Giant Revolt Advanced 2. Although this bike was more expensive, it is a bike that is excellent on the road and the dirt.
So would I recommend Poseidon bikes? Yes, if you are in a budget and don’t want to spend a lot of money upgrading them.
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Show CommentsIt seems like the problems you had with the Poseidon were due to the components being crappy, which I actually agree. I only got the frame, and I am super happy with it as I got the components I wanted and customized to my way of riding.
I own a Redwood, but I bought it with rebuild in mind, so I was prepared for the shortcomings.
I used it as the base for an e-bike build that has a CYC X1 Pro Gen 3 mid-drive electric-assist motor.
Two things that I have had problems with are 1) I should have bought the size up, and 2) the lack of a chainstay bridge and fender mounting points in the rear triangle.
Mounting a front fender will be easy — enough mounting points — but a rear fender and a kickstand is going to take some engineering.
Dude,
You may have spent $$ on upgrades, but really, you went from sub $1000 bikes to a $3000 carbon frame bike.
I built up a bike similar to the Dropbar X from an aluminum frame. Let me say this. For most of us the Dropbar X will do nicely. That is especially true if one is going to tour. No doubt, that Giant is a great bike, but how does one attach a rack? Microshift components work well in my experience. As for the cable actuated disk brakes, they will never match hydraulic units. However, they generally work as well or better than caliper brakes without eating rims. Here is an upgrade to try for cable actuated disk brakes. Better pads.
Cheers!
Thanks for your comment. I do think Poseidon bikes are great entry level and budget friendly bikes; they just did not fit the type of riding I do.
Seems like you would have been the perfect rider for the Ambition X. Of course, it comes stock with QR.