Cinelli Bootleg Hobo – in brief review

Cinelli’s Hobo is a lot of bike, weighing over 30lb, but it’s built for comfort over speed, and it’s kitted-out for full-on touring: Tubus racks with a 58kg payload, 38mm tyres and 27 gears, the largest sprocket eight teeth bigger than the inner 26t chainring. It even has a spoke holder with spare spokes.

• Highs: Comfortable, well-chosen kit
• Lows: Comfortably not a light machine

The gearing means that in spite of its mass there should be a gear low enough to keep you in the saddle and cranking rather than off the bike and pushing. Wheels shod in Vittoria’s Randonneur Trail rubber cope well with road abuse, the central strip rolling reasonably on tarmac, with a broken tread for towpaths, tracks and gravel.

Bar-end shifters and cantilever brakes are old-school but work well, and the shifters can be adjusted to work in friction mode (rather than STI) in case of mechanical problems. The over-a-metre-long wheelbase ensures stability, complemented by comfort from the steel frame and big-volume boots.