Our Review of The Windsor Rover 2.0

I’ve come across the Windsor Rover 2.0 by accident, really. My buddy came from a knee operation and wanted an affordable bike he could use for his daily 3-mile commute, and wanted it to be something he could take to a trail every other weekend, too. In other words, he didn’t really require much and just needed a reliable daily beater. So, being the “bike guy” in our circle of friends, I took it upon myself to give him some suggestions.

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Of course, it was clear that he needed a hybrid bike. So I suggested some of the bikes I already had the opportunity to review that I thought were particularly good. There was the Vilano Diverse, an awesome and budget-friendly hybrid bike, and the Raleigh Cadent, which was even better. There were also quite a lot of Schwinn bikes under the $500 range (my buddy’s maximum budget) that were great, as well as more than a few Fujis that could fit the bill.

But he came to me one morning and asked if I’ve heard about the Windsor Rover 2.0 because his college-aged son just purchased one for him the day before. Embarrassingly, I never actually heard of the Windsor Rover 2.0, despite being the “bike guy.” Nevertheless, this made me curious about the brand. So I called one of my bike-buddies and asked if he heard about the Windsor Rover 2.0, and lo and behold, he’s not only heard about it, he happens to have one, and also confirmed that, yes, it’s quite a reliable beater. So, of course—of course!—we needed to do a review!

A cursory glance of the Windsor Rover 2.0 online shows that it does have more than a few happy customers. In fact, this is quite the understatement because it’s rated 5 out of 5 stars in Amazon, which is exceedingly rare for a bike. Indeed, I might have thought the Amazon rating a fluke were it not for the fact that it’s also highly rated at other online bike shops.

In any case, without further ado, here are my impressions of the Windsor Rover 2.0—of course, the object of this review isn’t brand new and was purchased, I was told, in 2018, a good two years prior to this review, which means this bike has seen a lot of use already.

Aluminum Frame

First off, the frame. I can confirm that it is made from a high-grade aluminum alloy. This being a 2-year-old bike, there are a few dings and scratches here and there, but for a bike in this price range, the quality is definitely there. The design is pretty standard and is one that is common among bikes at this price (or even at higher prices), but there’s nothing to complain about here because it looks traditional and is fully functional as it is.

Pull V Brakes

The brakes feel powerful and confident. It consistently felt this way, I was told. Instant braking wasn’t a problem, and modulation felt good, too. One thing that I can say is that the brakes in the Windsor Rover 2.0 is more powerful, and perform more competently, than the people who typically ride hybrid bikes will need them to be. Because they really work well and will work well even under the conditions this bike wasn’t designed to be ridden in.

Comfort

The saddle isn’t premium, I’ll tell you that. But you can’t really expect anything more from a bike at this price range. It will be perfectly suitable for most people, and one can sit leisurely on this bike or sit in a more racing position with relative comfort. In fact, I’ve racked a good amount of miles on the bike as I was doing the review, and my sit bones didn’t feel the least bit of pain. I would say that I’ve ridden bikes, typically at higher price ranges, that were more comfortable, but the Windsor Rover 2.0 is comfortable enough for what you’re paying, and only the really discriminating “bike guys” will be able to notice those minute differences in comfort anyway.

It also has an adjustable Suntour fork suspension at the front, which adds to the bike’s ability to manage moderately rougher terrain.

Overall, it’s not a complicated bike. It is 21 speed and is fitted with mid-tier front and rear Shimano derailleurs. These are the components you would expect a bike at this price range to be fitted with, but it’s not something to rant about because they are Shimano, and will, therefore, be reliable.

Quality Tires And Wheels Set

This is a 2-year-old bike, and it’s clocked in close to 900 miles already. So the Kendra Tires the bike came with has definitely seen better days, to be sure. Nevertheless, it looks like it can still do quite a lot more. So as far as tire performance is concerned, I’m giving these stock tires an A. As for the Double alloy wheelset, they’re ok I guess. Not at all mind-blowing, but they are definitely better than some wheelsets that come standard with other bikes in this price range, so I can’t complain.

The Bottomline

I’m glad I’ve encountered this bike. If one is looking for a capable hybrid bike in the $500 price range, then the Windsor Rover 2.0 definitely deserves a look. It has all the features that one will need in a daily beater, all in a nice frame and well-designed package. It will ride comfortably in most road conditions and will perform competently on moderately rough trails. And a bike that can do all that at this price range is already awesome in our opinion.