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06-16-03, 08:24 PM
Ladies and gents: I'm planning on buying a new road bike tomorrow and would appreciate your input. I boiled it down to a '02 MJ ($1,999) or a Co-Motion Espresso Co-Pilot ($1,799) with S&S conectors. More on that later).
MJ pro's: Great frame, Dura Ace double (absolutely precise, smooth and quiet--no question which gear I'm in), Bont X-lite race wheels, price ($1,999, brand new, mint, less a few test rides-- mostly by me), decent paint, 853 steel. I feel at one with this bike when I'm riding it. It is so quiet it is eery! I've never ridden a quieter bike. The precision of the Dura Ace is unbelievable from anything I've ever experienced before.
MJ negatives: The only negative is that it is a double chanset. Paint job is nice but nowhere near the quality of the Co-Motion. While I'm saving some weight (double vs. triple), I live in some winery-type hills and am 51 (good, but older knees!). If the slope isn't too bad the double will be great, but a triple would sure come in handy where I live. I love to run hills in my training for tri's but riding a double up a steep hill is hard on the knees sometimes for us mere mortals. I don't plan to race (except to do well in age group tri's), but plan club riding.
Co-motion pro's: Great ride, good acceleration, best paint job I've ever seen on a bike except a 20th anniversary Torelli, Ultegra triple, S&S connectors. (Note: Now to you purists, you might gag with the connectors, and so did I when I first saw it, but the paint and lug work is excellent and the travel possibilities with the connectors are very inviting. Side note: I'm an airline pilot and this makes a lot of sense if I want to pack the bike on a trip. Question is: would I want to drag it along with security being what it is today!!!?). Visited factory (an hour away) and they are true craftsmen. If I have a problem or need new paint job I can deliver it to them in person! Good handling bike. Beautiful to look at. King headset. Triple Ultegra chainset.
Co-motion neg's: 725 steel, Ultegra not as crisp, smooth, precise or quiet as Dura Ace. Threaded headset. Wire spoke wheels (Mavic Open Pro')
They are both good bikes with different strenghts. I gotta say that Dura Ace made the MJ a pleasure to ride, but the Co-motion was more fun up the hills and had good acceleration. Dura Ace brakes seemed stronger and quieter on the MJ.
I want the bike for fitness, triathlons, club rides. What do you say? I'm leaning on the MJ, but feel like I'm betraying the Co-Motion if I don't buy her! Anyway will be riding tommorrow with one of the two. Opinions welcome!
MJ pro's: Great frame, Dura Ace double (absolutely precise, smooth and quiet--no question which gear I'm in), Bont X-lite race wheels, price ($1,999, brand new, mint, less a few test rides-- mostly by me), decent paint, 853 steel. I feel at one with this bike when I'm riding it. It is so quiet it is eery! I've never ridden a quieter bike. The precision of the Dura Ace is unbelievable from anything I've ever experienced before.
MJ negatives: The only negative is that it is a double chanset. Paint job is nice but nowhere near the quality of the Co-Motion. While I'm saving some weight (double vs. triple), I live in some winery-type hills and am 51 (good, but older knees!). If the slope isn't too bad the double will be great, but a triple would sure come in handy where I live. I love to run hills in my training for tri's but riding a double up a steep hill is hard on the knees sometimes for us mere mortals. I don't plan to race (except to do well in age group tri's), but plan club riding.
Co-motion pro's: Great ride, good acceleration, best paint job I've ever seen on a bike except a 20th anniversary Torelli, Ultegra triple, S&S connectors. (Note: Now to you purists, you might gag with the connectors, and so did I when I first saw it, but the paint and lug work is excellent and the travel possibilities with the connectors are very inviting. Side note: I'm an airline pilot and this makes a lot of sense if I want to pack the bike on a trip. Question is: would I want to drag it along with security being what it is today!!!?). Visited factory (an hour away) and they are true craftsmen. If I have a problem or need new paint job I can deliver it to them in person! Good handling bike. Beautiful to look at. King headset. Triple Ultegra chainset.
Co-motion neg's: 725 steel, Ultegra not as crisp, smooth, precise or quiet as Dura Ace. Threaded headset. Wire spoke wheels (Mavic Open Pro')
They are both good bikes with different strenghts. I gotta say that Dura Ace made the MJ a pleasure to ride, but the Co-motion was more fun up the hills and had good acceleration. Dura Ace brakes seemed stronger and quieter on the MJ.
I want the bike for fitness, triathlons, club rides. What do you say? I'm leaning on the MJ, but feel like I'm betraying the Co-Motion if I don't buy her! Anyway will be riding tommorrow with one of the two. Opinions welcome!