Cinelli HoBootleg

The Cinelli HoBootleg keeps things simple; it's a back-to-basics, do-it-all tourer/adventure bike, a combination of a strong, reliable frameset and components that can be fixed at the side of the road, or a workshop in the back of beyond. It has a decent ride quality, too, and even though it is on the heavy side, it isn't a chore to ride.

If you're dreaming about seeing the world on two wheels, check out our guide to the best touring bikes, or for adventures on the rough stuff, our guide to the best gravel bikes.

You could argue that the HoBootleg is a gravel bike from before gravel bikes were a thing. It's been in Cinelli's line-up for more than a decade, and achieved an impressive 'adventure' palmares according to the opening paragraph on Cinelli's website, such as breaking the Guinness World Record for crossing the world by bicycle and conquering all seven of the world's highest mountain passes.

Cinelli HoBootleg: Ride

As a big-tyred tourer it makes a lot of sense for everything from commuting to exploring your local lanes or a far-flung adventure, especially if you are on a budget. With new bike prices bringing a tear to the eye, the fact that Cinelli has priced this a penny under 1,500 quid is a bonus.

That's not to say there aren't compromises, the main one being weight, with this medium model coming in at 13.78kg (30.4lb) on our office scales.

Now, no one is looking at the HoBootleg and going 'ooooh...racy', but neither do you want to be riding around on a sluggish bike, especially if your route takes you up plenty of hills, or you have plenty of stop/start points like traffic lights on a commute. Thankfully, Cinelli has specced that rare beast – the triple chainset.

I can't even remember the last time I used one, but it is the HoBootleg's saving grace.

The combination of 48/36/26T chainrings mated to the 9-speed 11-34T cassette takes the strain when you are moving off the line and allows you to spin on pretty much any climb. Helpful if you are loaded up with kit, and the ascent is long.

The inclusion of bar-end shifters is also something that takes a bit of getting used to, but for the type of riding the Cinelli is aimed at, where quick and crisp shifts aren't top of the list, they work.

In terms of ride quality, the Cinelli is a pleasant place to be. The frame and fork both have that supple feeling offered by steel tubing, topped up by the squidge allowed by the 37mm tyres, which makes the HoBootleg a joy to ride over long distances.

It's definitely a comfortable bike, with a riding position I found purposeful, with a decent drop from saddle to handlebar but without being overly extreme, keeping your upper body relaxed on longer trips.

Feedback levels are decent enough, so you can feel what your tyres are up to regardless of terrain, although you can also feel a small amount of flex around the bottom bracket area and fork legs when putting the power down. It's nothing major, and for the type of bike it's well within the tolerances of what I'd expect.

In terms of its geometry, the HoBootleg has a shorter head tube than most modern gravel bikes, and therefore a slightly lower stack measurement. As I said above, though, the front end doesn't feel excessively low. Plus, with the fork's steel steerer you can also run plenty of spacers, whereas with carbon fibre the general consensus is to limit them to 20mm.

Other than that, the geometry is generally relaxed, with a 71-degree head angle and a wheelbase of over a metre on this review model, making it an easy bike to ride, even when loaded up with kit.

The handling is very neutral, so while not exactly exciting, it is easy to live with. Ideal for those rides where you don't know the terrain or when fatigue is starting to kick in.

For such a neutral front end the HoBootleg descends reassuringly well, helped I'd say by its overall weight. It feels planted and secure, which means you don't need to rein in the speed too much unless the descent is a technical one.

The brakes give decent stopping power, although there is a bit of flex in the system when you are really hauling on the anchors. With pretty much all of my riding being carried out on hydraulic discs these days, I did miss them in the wet, but I never found that the canti brakes reduced my confidence in the dry.

Cinelli HoBootleg: Frame and Fork

The HoBootleg has a steel frame, specifically double-butted Columbus Cromor tubing, which is a 25CrMo4 steel, seamed and cold drawn, if you like to know the technical details.

Just like the full bike, it ain't light, with a frame averaging 2.3kg and the fork with an uncut steerer weighing in at 1.25kg.

It's neatly welded, with an 'engineered' look to it thanks to the welds being left in their raw state rather than being sanded and filled. The red paint job is also functional, with its matt finish being tough and durable while still looking bright and vibrant.

All cables are run externally, with the multicoloured outers being directed along the upper part of the top tube. This keeps them out of the way of mud and road spray, and also allows you to carry the bike on your shoulder without any cables digging into your skin. They clash slightly with modern frame bags, but the fact that the HoBootleg comes with front and rear racks included (the front wasn't fitted in time for our pics) means you don't really need them.

There are plenty of mounts other than those used for the racks, too. You get full mudguard mounting alongside your usual bottle cage mounts, and extra cage mounts under the down tube.

The wheels are fitted to the frame and fork via quick release axles as opposed to thru-axles, which for this kind of bike I have no issue with whatsoever.

The bottom bracket is set up to accept a threaded BSA 68mm.

Tyre clearance is generous at 38mm with full mudguards fitted, and 42mm without.

Sizing-wise, the Cinelli is available in five options ranging from XS to XL. That equates to seat tube lengths of 490mm to 610mm measured from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the tube.

I've touched on the general geometry in relation to other bikes above, and as I said there is nothing out of the ordinary really. On this medium size, you are looking at an effective top tube length of 540mm and a head tube length of 125mm. The seat tube is 480mm centre to centre (53cm centre to top), with an angle of 73.5 degrees, while the head angle is 1.5 degrees slacker. The wheelbase is 1,031mm in total, with 440mm chainstays.

In terms of stack and reach figures you are looking at 572mm and 370mm respectively.

Cinelli HoBootleg: Finishing kit

The HoBootleg is available in two versions, this one at £1,499 and the Easy Travel, which comes with Shimano's 9-speed Sora shifters/brake levers and a slightly larger ratio triple chainset, for £1,799.

The model we have uses a Sora front mech, Deore rear mech, Shimano triple chainset and Microshift bar-end shifters. Microshift also provides the cassette, while Tektro supplies the V-brake callipers and levers.

By modern standards the drivetrain and brakes are quite simplistic, but they work fine, plus they have the advantage of being easy to fix or bodge while out in the back of beyond. If you are using the Cinelli for touring across countries that don't have a gleaming high-end bike shop in every town or village, you are still likely to be able to get spares for the older technology components.

Their performance isn't up there with the latest kit you can get, but with a bit of adaptation I never found either the brakes or gears to dampen the joy of riding or to be inferior.

The rest of the finishing kit is Cinelli branded, with an alloy stem, handlebar and seatpost. It's decent stuff, with stiffness where it's required and, in the case of the handlebar, plenty of positions for your hands.

The saddle is a WTB Bolt, which I got on well with. Its slim nature suited my preference for saddles with minimal padding, and the length allows for changes in the fore and aft position.

As for the wheels, they too are on the basic and weighty side, but decent performers, a combination of Alexrims and Shimano hubs, with 32 spokes front and rear.

They're tough and durable, with no issues whatsoever when it comes to trueness and spoke tension. With brass nipples, corrosion isn't as much of an issue as with aluminium ones, and they should be easy to true out in the wilds should the need arise.

There is no mention of any tubeless compatibility with the wheels nor the WTB Riddler tyres, which may or may not be an issue for you.

The tyres are good all-rounders, with a slight tread for unpaved routes while still managing to roll well enough on the road. I rode the HoBootleg through a very wet December and beginning of January with their various storms and didn't suffer any punctures or issues from the roads strewn with branches and the like.

Getting full mudguards is a bonus, although the front could definitely do with being longer, and a mudflap wouldn't go amiss to help keep your feet dry.

The rear won't stop following riders getting covered in spray, either.

Cinelli HoBootleg: Value

While the HoBootleg comes in at a lower price point than many bikes on the market, that doesn't mean it's particularly good value compared with similar options.

Marin's Nicasio+ has a 4130 chromoly steel frame and fork, and weighs about the same at just over 13kg. It has cable-operated disc brakes, loads of mounting points and wide tyre clearances. The Microshift Advent groupset is 1x, so you don't get as wide a range of gearing as the Cinelli, but it is only £1,045.

Sonder's Santiago, which I rode  a few years back and was very impressed with overall, is a tourer with a steel frame and fork, a mixture of chromoly and Reynolds 631 for the main triangle. There's no triple chainset option, but at just over 11kg the bikes generally weigh 2kg less. Current builds start at £1,299 for a 1x SRAM Apex build with mechanical brakes, or for the same money as the Cinelli you can get a 1x Apex build with hydraulic brakes. A 2x SRAM Rival 22 Grand Tourer build, which includes full mudguards and a rear rack, is available for £1,799, the same money as the Sora-equipped Easy Travel HoBootleg.

We recently reviewed Spa Cycles' Elan Ti Mk2, which has similar tyre clearances to the HoBootleg, relaxed geometry and all the mounts you could need. The titanium frame pushes the price up, but for the more budget conscious it's also offered in steel, namely Reynolds 725. You also get a carbon fibre fork with an aluminium steerer. A Mk1 (post-mount calliper compatibility) Sora-equipped build with mechanical TRP Spyre disc brakes and a Spa triple chainset has an rrp of £1,450.

Cinelli HoBootleg: Conclusion

Overall, if you want a comfortable, back-to-basics tourer with the ability to take on variable terrains then look no further than the HoBootleg. It's got a lot going for it in terms of comfort and rideability. You'll want to find it on offer, though, as at full price it struggles against the competition on value.

Verdict

Comfortable to ride on all kinds of terrain, with a certain 'old school' charm, if pricey against the competition