Assembling and reviewing the affordable and versatile gravel and bikepacking model from Poseidon Bicycles.
Poseidon Bicycle is a direct-sales brand that has earned a solid reputation for delivering great values in touring, gravel, #bikepacking, and mountain bikes. How is Poseidon different than other brands?
From the Poseidon website: "Our bikes are manufactured in a factory that we own and operate, ensuring quality while giving you an affordable price. Our legacy of in-house manufacturing gives us the power and experience to source, design, and build the highest-value bikes and components on the market."
Poseidon Bicycle offers a LIFETIME warranty on their frames (to the original owner) and a one-year warranty on components. If you do any comparison shopping, you will quickly learn why the brand has become known for delivering exceptional values in their range of models.
In the "gravel bike" category, Poseidon offers two models: the budget-priced aluminum Redwood and the aluminum/carbon X Ambition. This review will cover the dropbar Poseidon Redwood. (The "new and improved" X Ambition will be covered in a future article.)
Poseidon has designed the Redwood for touring and bikepacking.
This bike is available with your choice of flat bars or drop bars. It is equiped with 650b wheels and 2.35" tires (comparable to most mountain bikes where they would be called 27.5".) While the wheels are perfect for trails and rough roads, riders of the Redwood do not have the advantage of a suspension fork. (See also the Poseidon Norton for a dedicated hardtail mountian bike.)
Where the Redwood has the advantage is on paved or gravel roads - not MTB trails. The rigid fork and lighter weight will leave any mountain bike in the dust. Plus, unlike mountain bikes, the Poseidon Redwood is designed for bikepacking with water bottle bosses on the frame and fork, plus mounts for racks and fenders.
I had the opportunity to assemble, ride, and race the "all road" Poseidon Dropbar Redwood and would like to share my impressions in this review.
Out of the box, the bike is very attractive. My bike had a deep, metallic maroon paint job on the TIG welded aluminum frame. The black Poseidon logos are very subtle and the frame is complimented by the black components.
The assembly was straight-forward - if you have some bicycle repair experience and the necessary tools. You need to install the handlebars, tighten the stem, and insure that the threadless headset is adjusted properly.
I installed the aluminum seat post and saddle. I immediately upgraded the saddle from the stock, unpadded, minimalist plastic model to a gel-padded saddle for comfort. After checking the position and tightness of the brake levers, I centered the brake pads on the disc rotors. The bike assembly was completed with checking the crank arm tightness with my torque wrench, installing the clipless pedals, and then adjusted the indexing of the Microshift 10-speed rear derailleur.
Looking over the assembled Redwood, it makes a striking package that defies the $849.00 price - which INCLUDES shipping!
The rear derailleur and shifter functioned properly and was easy to index. The brakes operated smoothly and needed only minor adjustments. The main criticism I noted from other reviews was poor braking from the Tektro mechanical disc brakes. That might be an issue for riders in the mountains. But as a Wisconsin resident, I can see no reason to automatically upgrade to hydraulic brakes. Other riders have also upgraded to compressionless brake housings.
If you have concerns about the mechanical brakes, Poseidon offers an upgrade to hydraulic disc brakes (installed) for only $125.00!
The main attraction of the Poseidon Redwood was the option to add an interchangeable set of 700c wheels.
I took advantage of this offer and bought the 700c wheels for the dropbar Redwood.
My goal was to have use the stock 650b wheels for loaded bikepacking. Then I would swap the 700c wheels for unloaded gravel riding. At the time of this review, this extra set of interchangeable wheels (that is, with the SAME hubs and thru axles) is an added cost of $349.99.
PLEASE NOTE that this cost is ONLY the wheels!
To this cost, you MUST add matching brake rotors, a rear cassette, and your choice of tires (700c x 40mm, in my case). Also note that while the Shimano freehub will accept a 12-speed cassette - IF you install this you will ALSO need to change to a 12-speed chain and new derailleur. THEN the ORIGINAL 10-speed cassete on the 650b wheels is no longer interchangeable - so you will need another, new cassete... My advice: Buy the Redwood for its simple and dependable 10-speed drive train!
In total, adding this optional SECOND set of 700c wheels to your new Redwood will end up costing $500 - or more!
If you notice, my Redwood is shown with tan "skinwall" tires as opposed to the stock blackwall tires. I consider TUBELESS tires to be a mandatory upgrade.
The Redwood is supplied with Kenda 27.5" x 2.35" wire bead tires. While the stock rims ARE tubeless-compatible, the wire bead Kenda tires are NOT.
I ride aggressively and long distances. I ONLY ride with tubeless tires - both to help minimize flats and for the added traction and comfort. I can vary the pressure in tubeless tires without suffering pinch flats since there are NO inner tube! In addition, eliminating the inner tube reduces the "rotational mass" of the tires - and I feel like I gain an extra gear in the process.
If you agree with me that there are significant advantages to riding tubeless tires, the next process is removing the brand new, stock Kenda tires and installing a new set of "Tubeless-Ready" tires. This gave me the chance to true the bare rims - and ensured even spoke tension on the stock wheels.
The tubeless conversion process requires that you thoroughly clean the inner rims before installing tubeless rim tape and tubeless valve stems. Next, you install the new tubeless-ready tires and add the liquid sealant. If all goes well, the tires seat on the rims and you are ready to ride. For a complete discussion of the tubeless conversion process - including trouble-shooting tips if you have difficulty acheiving a seal - see the related article - Click HERE.
I set up BOTH sets of wheels with tubeless tires. Completing this upgrade to the stock 650b wheels on the Redwood adds ANOTHER $150!
I continued the assembly proicess by adding water bottle cages to the frame, including a third cage under the down tube for my tool kit. This is a zippered case that fits exactly into the water bottle cage where it is handy, plus centers the weight of tools down low.
Next, I installed a sturdy, aluminum rear rack with extended bikepacking in mind. When not loaded, the rack serves as a fender on sloppy roads!
The photo above shows the rear pannier rack and double-sided pedals with SPD clips. Finally, I wrapped the frame with clear protective tape before adding a frame bag, a "bento" bag on the top tube and two feed bags on the handlebar stem.
I have now ridden the Poseidon Redwood for many hundreds of miles, on both sets of wheels.
The 650b (27.5") x 47mm tires are "plush" on gravel roads. I feel these are the best compromise for loaded bikepacking, offering the combination of traction and carrying capacity.
The 700c x 40mm tires take higher pressure and roll faster and are lighter. I have used these for unloaded recreational riding on the endless central Wisconsin gravel as well as a local "gravel grinder" race.
This doesn't mean that you can't tour on 40mm tires - I have ridden thousands miles on 25mm to 32mm tires! This also doesn't mean that you can't race on the 47mm tires. There are many rough "gravel" bike races with rocks and mud where 45mm to 50mm are the best choice. Likewise, if you are a year round commuter, typically the wider the tire the better, even on paved streets.
Which brings us to my riding review of the Poseidon Redwood:
Based on a year of riding experience, who should buy the Poseidon Redwood?
In my opinion, the Redwood is the "Swiss Army Knife" of gravel bikes. That is a compliment in that this bike is versatile with rugged dependability as a result of its simplicity.
The converse of this recommendation is that the Redwood is not the "BEST" at anything. For a bargain price, you get a "utility" bicycle that will endure almost any road, trail, tour, race, or adventure. There are better (that is, more expensive) options in each category - which is why many cyclists have three or four or more bikes!
But if you want ONE bike that can do it ALL - and you have a moderate budget - you can't go wrong with the Poseidon Redwood!
While I recently rode the Redwood in a 55-mile gravel grinder, you are not competitive against 20 or 25-pound dedicated gravel bikes. If competitive gravel riding is your MAIN pursuit, you will be happier with the Poseidon X Ambition (Click HERE for more information.) The Poseidon X rolls on 700c x 40mm tires and shaves 5-pounds off the Redwood.
The Redwood has the frame and wheels to handle gnarly trails. But if rocks, ledges, and jumps are your thing, you will be better fitted with the Poseidon hardtail Norton MTB. (Click HERE for more information.) You will appreciate the suspension fork!
The "Sweet Spot" for the Poseidon Redwood isn't mountain bike trails or high-speed gravel rides. It is casual mixed road and gravel riding, plus loaded #bikepacking.
The aluminum frame and fork are bomb-proof. You have all the braze-ons for water bottles and gear on the frame and forks. If you choose, there is sufficient clearance for fenders even after fitting plush tires.
The 10-speed drivetrain is as strong and simple as you can get. These chains are durable and inexpensive to replace every few years. Pack a 10-speed chain repair link when touring.
While you can buy a Redwood with flat bars, the drop bar model is always going to be faster. You can't beat the advantages riding into a headwind and the variation of hand positions.
The Redwood is supplied with a WIDE gearing range: 38-tooth crank paired with an 11 x 48-tooth rear cassette. This is essentially mountain bike gearing, with a low range of 0.79 - ideal for noodling up long hills with a touring load
You don't need to change a thing to enjoy riding the Redwood. The stock components will give you years of trouble-free riding. Now that doesn't mean that you CAN'T improve many parts - because you CAN! You just don't NEED to!
This review of the Poseidon Redwood wouldn't be complete without my suggestions for improvements and upgrades:
As already noted, make the investment to upgrade to tubeless tires. Yes, this means removing the brand new stock 650b tires. But the riding comfort, reduction of flats, and added energy-efficiency is worth the cost.
Throw away the stock seat and add a decent padded gel saddle!
If you are in the mountains or will be riding with a touring load or commuting in the rain, spend the extra $125.00 to upgrade to hydraulic disc brakes.
If you want to enjoy gravel grinders on hard-packed roads on the Redwood, shop around for compatible 700c wheels. The Poseidon option is the most convenient, but you can probably find better deals, especially after adding the required parts. Also note: When I assembled my 700c wheels, I installed an 11 x 42 cassette for the relatively flat central Wisconsin countryside. You might want to duplicate the stock 11 x 48 cassette.
The other cheap and easy upgrade is a new crankset. The stock square-tapered steel bottom bracket is servicable, but a modern aluminum hollow crankset is both lighter and stiffer. Wait to make this change until you have some experience with the stock gearing since this is another opportunity to change to lower gearing. You might want to go down from the stock 38T to a 36T for more power in the hills.
In my case, the Poseidon Redwood is my dedicated #bikepacking rig.
I have the luxury of owning a lighter and faster gravel bike for intense workouts and competitive events. While the Redwood currently runs 47mm tubeless tires, when the time comes to replace these I will being going to wider 50mm or 2.2" tires since I sometimes encounter both soggy gravel and sand on my overnight routes.
The Redwood is my "sports utility bicycle". It is the first bike to get ridden in the Spring when the gravel is soft. It is the bike that can handle the bikepacking routes I enjoy - which do not include MTB challenges. (I've owned MTB bikepacking rigs and the drop bar Redwood is lighter, FAR more comfortable and efficient!) It is the last bike to get ridden in the late Fall when we get the first taste of snow.
The Path Less Pedaled YouTube channel agrees with my review of the Poseidon Redwood. Here is his assessment:
Thanks for taking the time to consider my opinions and this review of the Poseidon Redwood. Please subscribe to the Great Out There blog for more bike and bikepacking content. Follow me also on Facebook, instagram, and Pinterest!
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