Pearson Once More Unto The Breach

Pearson's Once More Unto The Breach is a single and fixed speed aluminium road bike ideal for commutes or winter training. While its price tag looks a little on the high side, there is enough potential in its relatively simple ingredients to offer more cycling excitement and performance than you might expect.

• Pros: Fun, fast and comfortable, excellent power delivery, really good fit and geometry
• Cons: Hard work on tough climbs, brakes are a bit weak

> Buy this online here

Ride quality

The first thing to say is that, thankfully, power delivery is superb: what you lose out on in gear choice you (almost) make up for with the ability to make every ounce of effort count. In fact, the Once More will cope with bigger hills than you might expect. Long drags where you can get into a groove are especially do-able, while short, sharp shocks are a little trickier unless you have thighs like Chris Hoy.

Because of this impressive stiffness at the back end, it's quite a surprise to find comfort is not just acceptable but actually very good. Only surfaces that resemble a cheese grater really knock the Once More off its stride. Of course, potholes and speed bumps are noticed, but on the vast majority of city roads it's an enjoyably smooth ride.

This is partly because of the carbon-bladed fork, which also keeps the Pearson tracking nicely. Despite the frame's fairly traditional shape and long wheelbase, the Once More is a very lively bike in terms of control – it's not flighty, but it is definitely fun. In terms of the big three ride characteristics – comfort, control and efficiency – it's very hard to fault.

Frame

We'll come fully onto the thorny issue of value later – no doubt an £800+ singlespeed bike is a subject that will exercise a lot of you – but at this stage it's worth pointing out that this isn't any old aluminium road bike.

For years, Pearson has been precision bike fitting its customers and has accrued data from thousands of case studies of individual riders' fitting and positioning preferences. From these, Pearson has created what it thinks is the ideal average geometry for city cyclists and used it to create the Once More frame. Then, Pearson has had it made in the same factory that builds the brand's other aluminium bikes, which is one of the leading manufacturers in Taiwan itself rather than in a cheaper offshoot factory.

The result is a classy aluminium frame with quite nice retro touches, not least the almost level top tube, combined with that carbon-bladed fork.

There are also eyelets for a rear rack and, as on our test bike, front and rear mudguards (a £40 option). In all, it's a smart if not striking bike, but the real magic is more in the hidden details that contribute to the ride experience.

Components

In theory, there's not much to say about the gearing, other than it's a 48-tooth chainset allied to an 18t rear sprocket, which comes in both freewheel and on the other side – if you're a complete sadist – fixed form. Simply take out the rear wheel and turn it round to suit your preference.

However, one thing you might not expect is the 170mm crank length: Pearson is one of the more enlightened marques to realise that 175mm doesn't have to be mandatory and even only slightly shorter cranks can have a modestly positive effect.

As I've already mentioned, in this age of ever-expanding gear choices, you might be surprised at how much you can take on and conquer on a singlespeed. That chainset and sprocket choice is good enough for medium-sized slopes. You're never going to want to attempt Alpe d'Huez on it, but any moderate lump and bump on the commute or training run is very possible.

Braking comes courtesy of TRP Ergo levers matched with unbranded calliper rim brakes. In truth, they're not great for emergency stopping duties but fine for scrubbing off speed – which is pretty much how you'll want to use the Once More anyway, where maintaining momentum is the order of the day. A change of brake pad would improve matters.

A quick word about the brake lever hoods, though, which are a great shape to hold, and the levers themselves feel solid and substantial.

Wheels and tyres

The Once More's Pearson wheels – aluminium rims on large-flange hubs with sealed bearings – might not offer much for spec sheet warriors but they are a surprising highlight. They roll smoothly and actually enhance the positives of the frame, which at this price point is something of an achievement.

As a £60 upgrade, Pearson offers 28mm Continental Gator Hardshell tyres but I'd stick with the stock rubber to begin with. These cheaper 28mm Duro Stingers perform really quite impressively. They never seem to drag or inhibit speed and acceleration, but they play their role in the One More's impressive overall comfort levels.

Finishing kit and value

To some extent, the question of value and finishing kit are linked. I've already mentioned about the research and background that's gone into the One More's geometry, which should make it specifically suited to British cyclists. But Pearson also makes sure all Once More owners – even those who buy online – get exactly the right stem length, bar width and even crank length to perfectly dial the bike into their personal preferences.

All the kit onboard are Pearson's own-branded aluminium products, which do the job nicely. In terms of absolute quality, they're about the same as you'd find on most mainstream bikes, but the chance to get exactly the right size does add just a little extra value over some other options. Also, the Pearson Road Comfort Saddle is a really decent entry-level road bike perch and another understated speccing success on this bike.

In the wider bike market, singlespeed bikes aren't exactly ten-a-penny, but there are other – and, it has to be said, cheaper – options out there, even from respected British brands. For example, the Pinnacle Monzonite Singlespeed (a more retro singlespeed than Pinnacle's previous Dolomite Singlespeed) costs just £350, but the Genesis Flyer is a very similar bike to the Pearson and now costs £749.99. Compared to the Pinnacle the Pearson looks very expensive; compared to the more relevant Genesis, much less so.

Conclusion

The last bike I tested before the Once More was the Rose Black Creek Urban trekking bike, which is about as far removed from the Pearson as you can get, being laden down with lights, racks, frame locks, wide tyres, flat bars and a huge range of gearing. The ironic thing is, while the Rose had all the gears to get up any almost hill, I never really enjoyed the experience. And although I might have occasionally suffered more on the Pearson, it just seemed so much more exciting and positive.

However, on flat terrain, the Pearson is a swift, efficient and delightfully pure way to get around. Add in the simplicity of the singlespeed gearing and an overall package that has been put together by people who know what they're doing – and which seems to work in all-round harmony – and you've got a fast commuting or road training bike that, at its best, feels like undiluted cycling pleasure.

> Why your next bike should be a fixie

Of course, it's not an unqualified recommendation. If you're an easygoing leisure rider or you regularly take on seriously big climbs, don't be foolhardy: really think if a singlespeed is right for you. But for people wanting to enhance their riding ability, or get superfit, or give a regular commute or training ride a little bit of a boost, the Pearson Once More Unto The Breach offers more than you might expect.

Verdict

A really fantastic singlespeed/fixed bike that will suit a lot of commuters and winter roadies; not cheap, but very good