Funding a new commuter

[ebubar]

@lancito brazofuerte 50590 wrote:

The good thing about going for a CX bike to commute on is that the “entry level” models typically have rack/fender mounts. And with the “relaxed” CX geo, tends to be a bit more stable at lower speeds or on crappy terrain.

One model no one has mentioned- All City Macho Man. A bit pricier at $1600 but you do get a ton of bike for the money. I used to work at a shop and we sold tons of the A/C bikes. They have a cool attitude, great dealer service and a very good product. They really do their homework when it comes to well sorted bikes that can do it all (slight exaggeration, but you know what I mean). I own 4 A/C bikes currently, and have my sights set on two more.

Definitely looks nice, but way too pricey. I’d have a lot more options at that price point, but can’t really swing it…unless someone wants to buy a used trek fx for $600!

[ebubar]

@vvill 50594 wrote:

I feel like if you know you are going to be riding your bike a lot then just a little more money really shouldn’t be *as* a big deal – especially if your commutes save you money, and help keep you healthy. I know it’s not easy to convince others of that, but if you compare it to the most expensive options (e.g. owning/running/maintaining a car) and get people to treat a bicycle seriously as a transportation vehicle (and fitness equipment), as well as a sport/hobby purchase (how they are often commonly viewed) you might be able to squeeze out a bit more. Although, since this is an upgrade from a decent commuter bike, I understand it may be a tougher sell. You could always wait until sale season (usually after summer I think) to see if any bikes you’re after get a bit cheaper, and you might have more in the kitty to splurge then too.

Cyclocross is generally a good choice for all-round speed although as touched on in other threads most touring style road bikes could also serve similar purposes.

Also: I imagine (I have never sold a bike) that when you add things to your bike it can be a tough sell to really get the value you added from the selling price. You might better off keeping your upgraded parts and putting the stock items back on, esp. easily removable items like a rack etc. so you can keep them for your new bike.

Finally – if you’re a WABA member you may be able to get a discount at many LBSs. On a new bike + accessories it might even save you money just to become a member.

I’ll definitely keep this in mind. More bike parts to keep around until we can get an N+1 sized place…

[ebubar]

@Greenbelt 50601 wrote:

Agree with all of this. I think disk brakes are also a function of load and descent requirements. With really big loads (my bike plus me is about 235 pounds), and several descents with stops at the bottom on my commute, I like my disk brakes very much. However, if I were 170 pounds fully loaded, I’m sure the cantis would do fine, even in the rain.

Bianchi is neither confirming nor denying that the 2014 Volpe will have a disk braking option.

Dare I hope…2014 Volpe with disk brakes at 1299? I think this would be my attainable dream bike….When do new bike models typically get announced?

[DismalScientist]

This is normally the point in the thread where I suggest you consider the potential internet discount if you don’t mind the lack of LBS support.
My suggestions (based on specs) would be:
From bikesdirect: (free shipping, no sales tax for now)
Motobecane Fantom Outlaw (Disc brakes/Al frame/ Carbon fork/Tiagra shifters/105 RD $1000 for 20 speeds/$900 for 18 speeds)
Motobecane Gran Turismo (CroMo frame/canti brakes/bar end shifters/Deore XT RD/27 speeds/$800)
Windsor Tourist (CroMo frame/canti brakes/Tiagra shifters/Deore RD/27 speeds/$600)

I bought the following from nashbar and I am happy with it:
Nashbar Steel Touring bike (CroMo frame/canti brakes/105 shifters and derailleurs/30 speeds/$700)

[ebubar]

@DismalScientist 50718 wrote:

This is normally the point in the thread where I suggest you consider the potential internet discount if you don’t mind the lack of LBS support.
My suggestions (based on specs) would be:
From bikesdirect: (free shipping, no sales tax for now)
Motobecane Fantom Outlaw (Disc brakes/Al frame/ Carbon fork/Tiagra shifters/105 RD $1000 for 20 speeds/$900 for 18 speeds)
Motobecane Gran Turismo (CroMo frame/canti brakes/bar end shifters/Deore XT RD/27 speeds/$800)
Windsor Tourist (CroMo frame/canti brakes/Tiagra shifters/Deore RD/27 speeds/$600)

I bought the following from nashbar and I am happy with it:
Nashbar Steel Touring bike (CroMo frame/canti brakes/105 shifters and derailleurs/30 speeds/$700)

I have looked at those exact bikes at bikesdirect. I’ve heard and read good things about them all, but at this point I still don’t trust my bike skills and want to buy from an LBS for the support. However that Nashbar is REALLY attractive at that price point.

[ebubar]

@Greenbelt 50608 wrote:

One more obs on disks in the rain. I’ve never had trouble with braking power with decently tuned/toed in cantis, even in the wet, even at my heavy load weight. However, if I neglect maintenance (which I sometimes do), and the cantis get a little off, sometimes they can get a bit grabby, which can be a bad thing in the rain – you can lock up a wheel if you’re not careful and hit the brakes too hard. I was riding fast up to Baltimore in the pouring rain on my CX bike with cantis the other week, and felt my rear wheel almost lock a couple times when I braked. In fairness to the bike, though, that was a pretty rugged road test with an inch of water on the roads sometimes and we were going way too fast!

The disks braking seems smoother, so less likely to lock up a wheel when it’s slippery — more forgiving if you’re not paying attention and have to brake harder than expected on a sloppy day. Just my observations… others may have different experiences. -Jeff

Good to hear observations from another commuter. I seem to recall an old thread of yours about canti’s versus disks for braking? After launching myself over my handlebars braking on the way home, i’m pondering if the disks are best. This makes a 2013 Kona Jake a number one choice for me (plus the lifetime warranty). Close second is the Bianchi Volpe (no disk brakes or lifetime warranty). Perhaps the 2014 Bianchi will fix all my worries…:confused::cool:

[hozn]

@ebubar 50725 wrote:

Good to hear observations from another commuter. I seem to recall an old thread of yours about canti’s versus disks for braking? After launching myself over my handlebars braking on the way home, i’m pondering if the disks are best. This makes a 2013 Kona Jake a number one choice for me (plus the lifetime warranty). Close second is the Bianchi Volpe (no disk brakes or lifetime warranty). Perhaps the 2014 Bianchi will fix all my worries…:confused::cool:

My commuter (cx/touring bike) was first a cantilever setup (Avid Shorty 4). I spent months tweaking those brakes — I had really poor braking performance. Switching to salmon pads helped, though I would say I never had a great setup. I have talked to others with cantis that had much more positive experiences. I considered buying higher end cantis, but decided instead to switch to TRP mini-v brakes. That was a huge improvement. No need to mess with toe-in to stop the shudder and squealing. Braking performance was much better. They were grabbier than disc, but on the whole this was a huge improvement.

Then I broke my frame riding in Lake Fairfax and got a new frame under warranty with disc brake mounts. Switching to disc was a little costly — had to build new wheels, buy a new fork, figure out how to get my fenders mounted (some creative bending and the Jandt disc brake fender mount extenders), but I am extremely happy with these on my commuter. You certainly can stop with any brakes. I don’t think “need” is the operative term here, but if I’m honest I don’t think “need” really applies to any of my bike-related purchases.

+1 for the recommendation of bikesdirect or Nashbar. My road frame is from bikesdirect (Motobecane) and I know folks who have bought complete bikes from both and been extremely happy. You will save a lot of money, which is generally the case when comparing online purchases to the LBS. But you’re right, LBS support can be worth that difference in savings.

Good luck!

[DaveK]

Psst… I don’t know if it’s your size, but at this price it’s worth a phone call.

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/bik/3777638267.html

[TwoWheelsDC]

@DaveK 50829 wrote:

Psst… I don’t know if it’s your size, but at this price it’s worth a phone call.

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/bik/3777638267.html

I’d negotiate. BikesDirect has these for $1000 new, so if this thing needs new tires AND a tune-up, $650 seems steep.

As an aside, one of the nice things about buying from a shop is that if you sell your bike within a year, you can save your free tuneup (which is pretty standard for shops in the area) for right before you sell, so you can market the bike as just being serviced.

[lancito brazofuerte]

@hozn 50729 wrote:

My commuter (cx/touring bike) was first a cantilever setup (Avid Shorty 4). I spent months tweaking those brakes — I had really poor braking performance. Switching to salmon pads helped, though I would say I never had a great setup. I have talked to others with cantis that had much more positive experiences. I considered buying higher end cantis, but decided instead to switch to TRP mini-v brakes. That was a huge improvement. No need to mess with toe-in to stop the shudder and squealing. Braking performance was much better. They were grabbier than disc, but on the whole this was a huge improvement.

Shorty 4’s are notorious for poor braking. The 6s are a bit better. TRP cantis are very nice and their mini-vs are stellar. I’m still an Avid fan- Ultimates on my CX. My neighbor has Paul Mini Motos. Those are NICE.

I just feel there are some great choices for cantis/v brakes for the same or less money than disc set-ups. And don’t forget the poor showing for CX disc set-ups in Kentucky. Granted that was a bit of an extreme situation, but I’ve never had my cantis so gunked up they stopped working or destroyed the braking surface on my rims.

[ebubar]

@DaveK 50829 wrote:

Psst… I don’t know if it’s your size, but at this price it’s worth a phone call.

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/bik/3777638267.html

Thanks for the heads up! Maybe I can check it out on my commute home Friday…

[hozn]

@lancito brazofuerte 50832 wrote:

Shorty 4’s are notorious for poor braking. The 6s are a bit better. TRP cantis are very nice and their mini-vs are stellar. I’m still an Avid fan- Ultimates on my CX. My neighbor has Paul Mini Motos. Those are NICE.

I just feel there are some great choices for cantis/v brakes for the same or less money than disc set-ups. And don’t forget the poor showing for CX disc set-ups in Kentucky. Granted that was a bit of an extreme situation, but I’ve never had my cantis so gunked up they stopped working or destroyed the braking surface on my rims.

Yeah, that is a good point. The disc brakes haven’t had enough time in the cx or road market yet, I guess. I do think it’s the future, but certainly there are good options in rim brakes now that are cheaper and lighter. It is great to see Sram embracing this, though I have a hard time getting excited about hydros — something about bleeding my bicycle brake lines seems excessive.

Hans

[lancito brazofuerte]

Yeah. I can’t wait till the CX Freds need new disc brake wheels. Gonna try to score some cheap tubulars!

[vvill]

And then it’ll all go 11 speed, maybe?

I’m not convinced with hydraulics either, as I like the simplicity of (mechanical) disc brakes.

[ebubar]

Update on my new commuter quest:

Test rode a Kona Jake (53 cm) and another Bianchi Volpe (49 cm) (top contender at the moment).

Jake was okay and was the correct size. I like the idea of disc brakes, but once again the Volpe just feels right (even though
it was a little small). I suspect I’ll find a place with a 53 Volpe, the heavens will part, a chorus of angels will sing and praise my choice.
Can’t explain it, but it just feels like a nice, rugged, fast, lifetime bike. The Volpe is about $100 over my budget, but as you’ve all advised, if i’m spending
upwards of 2 hours a day on it, its worth the cost!

[Author]

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