On the road: Charge Grater 3 Mixte – bicycle review

'This bike seems like my perfect match - but is it too good to be true?'

Like a dating profile that promises more than a real-life human could ever deliver, the Charge Grater 3 Mixte always seemed too good to be true. Just as few men are handsome, kind, able to complete cryptic crosswords and jumpstart an engine, so does the Grater promise that bit too much for its 549.99 price tag. The key is finding the catch.

A bike fitted with Shimano Nexus hub gears - eight of the beauties - would normally be significantly more expensive. Hub gears are the biz for anyone who wants to commute in their work clothes, because the machinery is all hidden away and there are no oily, exposed cogs. Usually they are teamed with a chain guard to protect your slacks, though that's weirdly missing from the Grater. I have Nexus gears on my indestructible Fahrrad 300, which I've ridden without any maintenance for five years.

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