REVIEWS BIKE TEST 2 Dimensions 660 in millimetres 605 and degrees 73˚ 832 76 460 710 51 657 455 135 622 71˚ 175 280 38 65 110 9 SPECIALIZED GLOBE WORK 3 Price: £600 Weight: 13.8kg (30.4lb) as tested Sizes: XS-XL (L tested); XS-L step-through TOWN BIKE, £600 Frame & fork: aluminium frame with fittings for mudguards, racks, 2 bottles, & kickstand. Aluminium fork, steel steerer Specialized Globe Wheels: 38-622 Specialized Infinity tyres, SVX200 rims, 32×3 spokes, unbranded front hub, Shimano Nexus Inter-7 rear. Work 3 Transmission: flat pedals, 42T chainset, square taper BB, 18T sprocket. Inter-7 Practical hybrids aren’t the rarity that they once were. Journalist twist shifter & hub. 7-speed, 42-103in. Mike Davis reviews one from the US Braking: V-brakes Steering & seating: Globe Kraton grips, THE GLOBE Work 3 is designed stem and 16˚ swept-back bars – not 1 Globe Work 25.4mm bar, 20˚ stem, for urban commuting and errand quite as swept as a traditional ‘north 27.2mm seatpost, Globe Work saddle running, offering a more user-friendly road’ bar but considerably more swept Equipment: mudguards, chainguard riding position than the many sports- than a conventional MTB-style bar – Contact: specialized.com oriented hybrids and flat-bar road the Globe has a deliberately upright riding position. This works very well bikes. It’s built around a lightweight Specialized’s 38mm Infinity tyres on busy streets, making it easy to aluminium frame (also available as have puncture-resistant belts and look ahead and behind without undue 1 Even a partial a step-through design) and fork that reflective sidewalls. If only it came carries all the necessary mounts and contortions. It’s not that well-suited to chainguard lets you forgo cycle clips with a luggage carrier and integral vigorous sprints from the lights, but if bosses for mudguards, racks (front 2 The 7-speed hub hub-dynamo lighting, the Globe Work and rear) and a kickstand, although that’s what you want to do there are has a 244% range, but could use a bigger 3 would be very well suited to its many other bikes to choose from. The only the ’guards are supplied. sprocket utilitarian role. Sensibly for a bike likely to be left Globe is all about a more sedate pace. unattended, the seatpost, stem and Top gear bars are all attached using security The Shimano Nexus 7-speed internal Also consider bolts that require a specific, slightly gear hub is tried and tested, with a unusual tool, to undo – they’re Torx useful range of ratios. I would prefer heads with a central spigot, so you a smaller chainring/sprocket ratio need a hollow Torx bit. That won’t than the 42/18 that’s fitted. With the deter the determined thief, but it’s not 18T sprocket, the Nexus is roughly the sort of thing that the opportunist equivalent to a 7-speed 11-28 bike thief is likely to carry. The derailleur setup. The 42T chainring necessary tool comes with the bike. gives an overall range of 42-103 The rear wheel has a nutted axle, while inches, and on a bike like this there the quick-release front has a skewer 1) Cube Hyde Pro £599 2) Kona Africabike Three £450 doesn’t seem much call for a 103- The Hyde Pro has a sportier riding More fully equipped than most bikes with a removable lever, drilled to fit on inch gear. The easy shifting and low position than the Globe and benefits on the UK market, but only 3-speed a key ring. from an extra gear, but is missing and still lacks integral lighting. Buying maintenance demands of a hub gear With a long head tube, short, high essential equipment that will be one funds bikes-to-Africa charities. make perfect sense for a town bike. costly to add. cube.eu konaworld.com 72 CYCLE APRIL/MAY 2013.