# Windsor Wellington 3.0



## areola

I just bought a Windsor Wellington 3.0 from BikesDirect.
I'm completely new to the biking scene so I have no idea what's going.

First, my rear wheel came really warped. I don't know if I should mess with the spokes myself or take it to a LBS and have them tune the whole bike up.

Second, I was completely confused with the gear shifters. The bike comes with shifters that are integrated with the break levers. The left lever moves up in gear/speed when I pull the break lever towards the right and goes down in gear/speed when push the thumb lever. The right lever does the exact opposite. It goes down in gear/speed when I pull the right break lever towards the left and goes up in gear/speed when I push the thumb lever. Is this normal?

Sorry if these are newbie Q's. Thanks!

-Ken


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## DavidsonDuke

Sorry to sound harsh, but why buy a bike online if you know this little about it? It is worth the $'s to work with an LBS so that you can learn, get service, etc. Online purchases can be great for DIY folks, but I never recommend for newbies.

The levers work the same in the sense that the whole lever is pushed, the chain goes to the larger chainring/cog. It goes to the smaller chainring/cog when you push just the smaller paddle. However, the larger the chainring, the bigger the gear, but the smaller the cog, the bigger the gear. Thus, the two brifters seem to work in opposite ways.


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## Campag12

I'll venture a guess: because the OP doesn't feel like paying an extra $200 for the same bike from LBS?

Anyways, My first ride was a Windsor Kennet (full ultegra, frame with CF seatstays). 

Cycling gears are not that hard to work with. You must be an idiot to not eventually figure out how things work. The key is to have lots of patience. I started in the same boat (bought a new bike with zero wrenching experience). I then went to the LBS and bought this book:










Spend a week reading and take notes on how to put the bike together. You don't need a lot of tools as the bike should come 60% assembled. Good luck building your bike knowledge. :thumbsup: 




DavidsonDuke said:


> Sorry to sound harsh, but why buy a bike online if you know this little about it? It is worth the $'s to work with an LBS so that you can learn, get service, etc. Online purchases can be great for DIY folks, but I never recommend for newbies.
> 
> The levers work the same in the sense that the whole lever is pushed, the chain goes to the larger chainring/cog. It goes to the smaller chainring/cog when you push just the smaller paddle. However, the larger the chainring, the bigger the gear, but the smaller the cog, the bigger the gear. Thus, the two brifters seem to work in opposite ways.


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## FatTireFred

take it back to the shop and have them fix the rim and explain the shifters... oh wait, you didn't get it from a shop. call bikesdirect and have them take care of it


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## DIRT BOY

FatTireFred said:


> take it back to the shop and have them fix the rim and explain the shifters... oh wait, you didn't get it from a shop. call bikesdirect and have them take care of it


Well when you orderf orm BD, you do get a bunch of links to help you with any issues like he has.

But I also feel that newbies who have ZERO knowledge of bikes, should buy their first at a LBS for these reasons. Or be ready to learn. Also having a knowledgeable buddy to help with these minor details helps as well.

With the money he did save, we can buy tools and books to learn.

But someone like the OP should have gone to the LBS if he is this much of a newbie.

I bought my first reral MTB and Road bikes at the LBS years and years ago for these reasons.


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## DavidsonDuke

I've built up three road bikes in the past couple of years from frames and parts I got on eBay. I have nothing against trying to save $'s. But the OP is not a candidate for internet bicycle sales.


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## juicemansam

areola said:


> I just bought a Windsor Wellington 3.0 from BikesDirect.
> I'm completely new to the biking scene so I have no idea what's going.
> 
> First, my rear wheel came really warped. I don't know if I should mess with the spokes myself or take it to a LBS and have them tune the whole bike up.


If you want to just ride your bike and not wrench it yourself (at least not for a while) I would take it to an LBS for truing. The wheel truing shouldn't set you back much $-wise. But if you're willing to go at it yourself, you can get yourself a $5 spoke wrench and visit Park Tool's Repair Help page.


areola said:


> Second, I was completely confused with the gear shifters. The bike comes with shifters that are integrated with the break levers. The left lever moves up in gear/speed when I pull the break lever towards the right and goes down in gear/speed when push the thumb lever. The right lever does the exact opposite. It goes down in gear/speed when I pull the right break lever towards the left and goes up in gear/speed when I push the thumb lever. Is this normal?
> 
> Sorry if these are newbie Q's. Thanks!
> 
> -Ken


Derailleurs have springs set to pull the derailleur towards the smaller cogs/rings. You counter that tension by pulling the shift levers inwards, thus moving the derailleurs towards the larger cogs/rings. Because the shift mechanism is indexed, you'll hear clicking, which is actually the sound of locking on to the next gears position withing the shift mechanism. The thumb lever releases the locked position allowing the derailleurs spring to move the derailleur towards the smaller cogs/rings.

My first road bike was a BD bike. I knew that I would have to either pay anywhere from $60-100 per wrenching, and was/am very willing to do all the wrenching myself. I spent just about $250 on a full set of tools and a stand, but that's one time cost that will no doubt pay for itself, and more.


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## areola

Hi Juiceman.
I took the bike to a LBS for the wheel and tuning.
They said the wheel itself was pretty warped so they'll try to fix it.
They're busy so I was told the bike won't be ready until next week.

What I meant by the gear shifters is this.
The right side: Pull the break levers inward to move DOWN in gear, and push the thumb lever
to go UP in gear.
The left side: Pull the break levers inward to move UP in gear, and push the thumb lever to go
DOWN in gear.

Is this normal?

I just assumed that you pulled the break levers inward to move up in gear and the thumb lever was to go down.

-Ken


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## wim

Here are the service instructions on your shifters showing how to operate them. Good reading on a rainy night if you can stay awake . .  

http://techdocs.shimano.com/media/t...00-3304/SI_6JR0C_EN_v1_m56577569830606920.PDF


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## wbridgewater

hello i also recently purchased this bike. I was wondering how much it would cost to swap out the rear derailer with 105? thank you


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## newbikeguy

*Windsor 3.0*

I purchased this bike last week because I entered a triathlon on a whim and the only bike shop in town didn't have what I was looking for. My bike came from bikes direct on time and required some assembly. It took me zero use of the directions and about fifteen minutes to start riding it. I have never owned a road bike before but to me this is dialed in. I have made no adjustments to the derailers and quickly figured out the integrated brake shifter levers. It shifts great and I only get a little noise from the front guide and chain when I am at an odd gear, like lowest on the front and lowest on the rear or the opposite. Obviously better bikes exist but I am having a lot of fun on this one and after 50 miles I haven't had any problems whatsoever.


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## jacketa

I'm a newbie with a limited budget. BD seems to have everything I want at a price that is at the limit of what I want to spend. Any opinions on Motobecane Jubilee Trail?


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## justhal

My Wellington 3 came from BD. Krappy tyres and rims along with a bad seat and a no good chain. New Vuelta XRP Pro rims, Kenda Kaliente Kevlar tyres, Sella Max gel saddle.This thing came with a Fuji Kinesis Aluminum frame, Fuji Kenisis Carbon Forks, Aluminum bars, stem, seat post came with this animal too. What a rocket ship! Rides like a dream. Kicks Holy Ass.


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## VinceB

If you have any bike co-ops in your area, I'd highly recommend taking your BD bike there instead of the LBS. They'll teach you how to fix it up yourself for a fraction of the price.


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## skitorski

New Vince, old old old thread. What's next ? They still sell this frame/fork AKA framset and "bike" six years later. How many other make/models can say the same thing ?? I have two of them. One is weenied from the stock 24.0 lbs to 19.2 lbs, including pedals. Better wheels made the biggest difference in weight and ride. Well, other than adjusting the pressure in the tires for effect :thumbsup:


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## Mr. Pedal

skitorski said:


> New Vince, old old old thread. What's next ? They still sell this frame/fork AKA framset and "bike" six years later. How many other make/models can say the same thing ?? I have two of them. One is weenied from the stock 24.0 lbs to 19.2 lbs, including pedals. Better wheels made the biggest difference in weight and ride. Well, other than adjusting the pressure in the tires for effect :thumbsup:


I have this bike as well and with a year of riding under my belt I was thinking about upgrading it. What wheels did you buy? Did you upgrade your components also? Sorry for commenting on this old thread.


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## Aravilar

You'd be better served buying a new bike with fully integrated brifters, instead of the thumb shifters. I've rode the 3.0 as a quick errand bike the last few weeks and that's probably the biggest complaint I've had (vs. my CF main bike). 

Without hunting for deals, upgrading a bike with individual components is going to be a money sink.


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## Mr. Pedal

Aravilar said:


> You'd be better served buying a new bike with fully integrated brifters, instead of the thumb shifters. I've rode the 3.0 as a quick errand bike the last few weeks and that's probably the biggest complaint I've had (vs. my CF main bike).
> 
> Without hunting for deals, upgrading a bike with individual components is going to be a money sink.


Thanks for the advice. I was thinking more about the wheels than the components. How does the frame stack up against mid-level bikes? Is it just the components and wheel weight that is holding this bike back, or is the frame just not that great?


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## Aravilar

Mr. Pedal said:


> Thanks for the advice. I was thinking more about the wheels than the components. How does the frame stack up against mid-level bikes? Is it just the components and wheel weight that is holding this bike back, or is the frame just not that great?


The frame is fine; my old bike was the Bristol with the same frame but slightly better components. It is fairly heavy though, and compared to a CAAD10 or other highly engineered ALU frame, it's at a disadvantage.

That said, depending on whether you're looking for climbing performance (which is weight-oriented) or aerodynamic performance (more on drag reduction), you will end up paying a lot for relatively little. 

When I upgraded, I did so more for ride quality and stability, and "quality of life" than pure weight. The biggest performance upgrade I noticed going to my new bike was actually downhill (because the ride was more stable and I had more confidence in the brakes).

All the 3.0 components are "heavy" and not super high performance. You can upgrade what you want but I personally don't think it would be cost-effective. If you REALLY want the weight savings, I would just save to buy a new bike at a level you're comfortable with rather than constantly upgrading.


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## tednugent

Aravilar said:


> All the 3.0 components are "heavy" and not super high performance. You can upgrade what you want but I personally don't think it would be cost-effective. If you REALLY want the weight savings, I would just save to buy a new bike at a level you're comfortable with rather than constantly upgrading.


you can say that about any other entry level bike when you're starting at 2200/2300/Claris level components, compared to higher end bikes with higher end (and lighter) compoinents.


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## PlatyPius

Mr. Pedal said:


> Thanks for the advice. I was thinking more about the wheels than the components. How does the frame stack up against mid-level bikes? Is it just the components and wheel weight that is holding this bike back, or is the frame just not that great?


The Windsor Wellington frame is made by Kinesis (unless they've changed recently). I can buy them new for about $25. You know the aluminum that lawn furniture is made from? Yeah....


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## Aravilar

PlatyPius said:


> The Windsor Wellington frame is made by Kinesis (unless they've changed recently). I can buy them new for about $25. You know the aluminum that lawn furniture is made from? Yeah....


I'm sure you're a material sciences expert. Or just another idiot troll.


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## tednugent

PlatyPius said:


> The Windsor Wellington frame is made by Kinesis (unless they've changed recently). I can buy them new for about $25. You know the aluminum that lawn furniture is made from? Yeah....


The fork is Kinesis also, iirc.


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## Aravilar

tednugent said:


> you can say that about any other entry level bike when you're starting at 2200/2300/Claris level components, compared to higher end bikes with higher end (and lighter) compoinents.


I agree, but the main problem with the 3.0 (as I mentioned earlier) is that the shifters aren't even fully integrated and you're stuck with thumb shifters.

It'd be a waste to upgrade to Claris/Sora and then upgrade again when you decide that you want even more savings.


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## tednugent

Aravilar said:


> I'm sure you're a material sciences expert. Or just another idiot troll.


PlatyPius may be stubborn in his ways, but he's far from being an idiot troll.


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## tednugent

Aravilar said:


> I agree, but the main problem with the 3.0 (as I mentioned earlier) is that the shifters aren't even fully integrated and you're stuck with thumb shifters.


No sH!t sherlock.



> It'd be a waste to upgrade to Claris/Sora and then upgrade again when you decide that you want even more savings.


If you wanted with better components right away... then spend more than $400 and get yourself a nicer bike with better components.

Yes, I do have a wellington 3.0 also. It's my cheap vacation bike.


Someday, I might upgrade that bike, maybe to a Tiagra 4600 build.


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## Aravilar

tednugent said:


> PlatyPius may be stubborn in his ways, but he's far from being an idiot troll.


I'm not sure how else you can characterize posting misleading "facts" in BD threads. There's way too much tolerance on these forums for reverse shilling.


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## Aravilar

tednugent said:


> No sH!t sherlock.
> 
> 
> 
> Sounds like you're the one trolling. Go enjoy your CF frame bike.
> 
> Yes, I do have a wellington 3.0 also. It's my cheap vacation bike.
> 
> 
> Someday, I might upgrade that bike, maybe to a Tiagra 4600 build.


So you can save 200g? Nice. Go hit the treadmill, bro.


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## tednugent

Aravilar said:


> I'm not sure how else you can characterize posting misleading "facts" in BD threads. There's way too much tolerance on these forums for reverse shilling.


What's misleading? the Frame and fork is made by Kinesis. Sure it's an aluminum frame. 6061-T6 is a common material because it is cheap and easy to work with (ie cutting & welding). I don't expect it to be some sort of exotic aluminum, that can cost more.




Aravilar said:


> So you can save 200g? Nice. Go hit the treadmill, bro.


No, because I don't like the old style Sora shifters...why are you complaining about the weight of it? You do have a carbon fiber frame bike, right? Maybe you should take your own advice.


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## Aravilar

tednugent said:


> What's misleading? the Frame and fork is made by Kinesis. Sure it's an aluminum frame. 6061-T6 is a common material because it is cheap and easy to work with (ie cutting & welding). I don't expect it to be some sort of exotic aluminum, that can cost more.


Among other things:
- $25 will barely pay for your sea shipping from China
- Quoting wholesale prices for "parts"
- Clear weasel wording with the lawn chair thing (who knows if they're made of 6061 or not)
- 6061 is a common material for nearly all entry frames

Maybe it's just because I've read way too much bs re: BD on these forums.




tednugent said:


> No, because I don't like the old style Sora shifters...why are you complaining about the weight of it? You do have a carbon fiber frame bike, right? Maybe you should take your own advice.


There's Claris for that now, but this might be an misunderstanding.

As for why I finally bought CF and lycra, I reached a point after several months of biking where finding 5lbs of weight of non-lean mass to lose actually became hard.


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## PlatyPius

Aravilar said:


> Among other things:
> - $25 will barely pay for your sea shipping from China
> - Quoting wholesale prices for "parts"
> - Clear weasel wording with the lawn chair thing (who knows if they're made of 6061 or not)
> - 6061 is a common material for nearly all entry frames
> 
> Maybe it's just because I've read way too much bs re: BD on these forums.


- There are these things called "shipping containers". When someone buys frames by the container, the cost to ship each is small. Sure it was a closeout price, but I still did indeed buy a bunch of Kinesis frames for $25/each.

- I do that a lot. People think shops get crap even cheaper than what they see on Ribble or PBK. I post wholesale to prove them wrong.

- My point was that it's crappy aluminum tubing. It's as thick as the engine block on a 1977 Chevy Vega.

- Yes it is. Chicken is a common material in a lot of foods. They don't all taste the same.


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## Aravilar

PlatyPius said:


> - There are these things called "shipping containers". When someone buys frames by the container, the cost to ship each is small. Sure it was a closeout price, but I still did indeed buy a bunch of Kinesis frames for $25/each.
> 
> - I do that a lot. People think shops get crap even cheaper than what they see on Ribble or PBK. I post wholesale to prove them wrong.
> 
> - My point was that it's crappy aluminum tubing. It's as thick as the engine block on a 1977 Chevy Vega.
> 
> - Yes it is. Chicken is a common material in a lot of foods. They don't all taste the same.


- You should really just disclose your vested interest as a competitor instead of the half-assing.
- Good job proving people wrong by posting unit cost instead of total landed cost. OH WAIT...
- It's low cost tubing, sure. Is it lawn chair tubing? Are lawn chairs designed to absorb shock? It's a spurious comparison designed to deprecate BD bikes.
- That's because the taste in chicken is the fat, not the protein. But I'm sure you knew that.


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## tednugent

RBR has a general distaste for Bikes Direct products. Why do you think there is a giant thread in The Lounge about Bikes Direct for?

Some of the big companies contract their frame & fork production to other companies.... Kinesis is one of those recipients.


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## PlatyPius

Aravilar said:


> - You should really just disclose your vested interest as a competitor instead of the half-assing.
> - Good job proving people wrong by posting unit cost instead of total landed cost. OH WAIT...
> - It's low cost tubing, sure. Is it lawn chair tubing? Are lawn chairs designed to absorb shock? It's a spurious comparison designed to deprecate BD bikes.
> - That's because the taste in chicken is the fat, not the protein. But I'm sure you knew that.


- Anyone on RBR worth my time already knows that I own a shop. It used to be in my signature as a disclaimer until I stopped caring.
- My total cost on the frames was $25/each. That's what I paid for them from a distributor. I'm sure they got them cheaper.
- I don't need to deprecate BD bikes. Most people realize that you're paying for the components, not the frame. The only time the frame is at all a benefit rather than a liability is when you buy a Motobecane that uses one of the 5 year old Fuji frames. At least then it's halfway decent.
- I don't even know what to say to that.


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## skitorski

PlatyPius said:


> The Windsor Wellington frame is made by Kinesis (unless they've changed recently). I can buy them new for about $25. You know the aluminum that lawn furniture is made from? Yeah....


You are so full of yourself you don't know when to stop or that you make yourself look like a total tool. What the heck is wrong with you ?

Aluminum bike frames are all made of 6061 or 7075.

Please Mr Wise one, tell us all about the difference between the aluminum in a Trek, Orbea, and a B-52 Strato fortress. Or a $3,000 benchrest target rifle receiver.

And, I ask you to show a recipt or any credible proof other than your self trumpeting of a $25 NEW Kinesis Windor frame with fork.

Your move, again, ace.

Or, just stay the heck out of this area of the forum. And send me another nasty little reputation comment.

What was it ?



> Enjoy your souless riding experience.


 Perfect advice and a great spokesman for the industry.

Mods, - sorry, but this fool needs a beatdown.


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## LifeinHD

Hey, I'm thinking about getting either the Wellington 3.0 2013 or 2015 model. The 2015 model is actually $20 cheaper than the 2013 model, which I found weird. Which one would you guys go for if you had to choose?


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## Taz2014

I think most have stated the 2013 due to the shifters, fork. 




LifeinHD said:


> Hey, I'm thinking about getting either the Wellington 3.0 2013 or 2015 model. The 2015 model is actually $20 cheaper than the 2013 model, which I found weird. Which one would you guys go for if you had to choose?


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## Taz2014

Was they online then? ")


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