Reilly spectre, Reilly Gradient, Reilly Cycleworks???

danpari wrote:Had anyone got a Reilly spectre bike? Any reviews, etc?
I'm close on buying one and just wanted people's opinion on both the bike and Reilly cycleworks as s business.

I like the Reilly gradient too.

I'm looking at mostly doing endurance road cycling, with a bit of gravel riding. 

Opinions?

a friend in oz has a spectre and he does trans-Oz and trans-US bikepacking on it and loves it. 

iirc the spectre’s geometry is slightly more road focused and has less tyre clearance (35?). Personally I’d go for the gradient purely on the tyre clearance unless you’ve got very smooth gravel and are happy on 35s or less. The geometry works really well both on road and off somehow. 

 Build quality is excellent and Reilly were really patient with my hundreds of questions and two demo rides. I’m really happy with my bike. 

 hope that helps

I have the Spectre. Test rode a Gradient and a Spectre, there is not much in it. The forks are the same so you can run as big a tyre on the front of the Spectre as the gradient. The rear is tighter and shorter. Depending on rim/tyre combo you can probably get a 38 on the back although not if you want to run guards. 

I went for the Spectre because i am more of a roady and a 38 tyre is plenty for the sort of off road i do. On the road it felt a little snappier and racy (but there really isn't a great deal in it).

So if you want to run a bigger tyre and/or want to attach racks then go for the Gradient. but if like me you don't then give the Spectre a try...

Reilly cycles were a pleasure to deal with....