Commuting - Twighlight Zone

So my wife is giving me and my bike a ride to work this morning (running late, long story), and SHE starts this conversation up about how we could make do with only one car! I have been thinking this for sometime but had not brought it up as... well..., her family might think I was even more coo coo than they do for commuting by bike. The real sweet part is that I can get a new bike if we sell my truck. So, anyway, she didn't see the logic of paying 6000 dollars a year to let our truck sit in the driveway 5 days out of the week (I didn't either of course) so now I have a new dilemma. Which bike should be the new commuter bike? I have been looking at the Fuji Touring and the Trek 520. My commute is 18 miles one way and I ride the bus home usually (although I am working up to going both ways as much as I can). I want to do some 2 or 3 day self supported tours in the future and these looked like two bikes in the $1000 range that fit that bill. Anyone have any comments? I have heard good things about the Trek but not so much info on the Fuji. The advantages of the Fuji are free lifetime service from a close LBS. The Trek bikeshop is further away. This isn't too big a deal though because I am mechanically inclined and like working with things. I do need a rack because carrying a backpack in the heat here is moider (and my back isn't getting any younger).

Both bikes sound great, try them out and see which one you like the best.
As a former truck owner I'd like to offer some different advice - sell the car, keep the truck!!!:D

The other car is a Jeep Cherokee. It has enough seats to hold the kids, and tows a trailer! We figure a trailer will make up for the loss of the truck (the truck wasn't four wheel drive anyway) and be much cheaper. The problem with test driving is the shops don't have these bikes in stock. They have to order them. Of course I would ride the bike before I bought it but would feel a little squeemish about ordering a bike just to test ride. I wonder why shops don't stock touring bike around here? There are all sorts of great places to tour. I guess it's the car is my right arm type thing.

I don't know too much about the Fuji (inexistent around here, so I only read from the web), but the Trek 520 is a very solid bike. There is a fair amount of clearance around the 700 x 32 Top Touring Continental tire in front, but I think a studded tire or a large 700 x 37 knobby tire would be a tight fit with fenders. Around the rear wheel, there is plenty of room for 700 x 37, and maybe even for 700 x 42.

Gearing on the Trek is on the high side for touring (evaluate your ratios at http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears ), but OK for commuting. If you plan on loaded tours, it could be wise to either swap the 30 granny for a 26, or to swap the entire drivetrain for a compact one. (better to negociate those deals beforehand).

Advantages for the Trek : rock-solid wheels (so far, even loaded with the kitchen sink AND a trailercycle), bar-end shifters (which also work in friction mode)
Brakes are a mixed-blessing. The bike uses v-brakes with Dia Compe 287V levers. It means good braking, easy adjustment, but pads very close to the rims (which worried me, but I never had any problems so far). At least, the Trek doesn't use a Travel Agent on the brake cables!

The Trek has also a rather beefy rear triangle, which is wonderful for loaded touring, but it's a heavy bike to load on a bus carrier.


BTW, if you already have a good bike, another option would be to buy a folding bike that you could bring inside the bus or to camping.

Regards,