Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.IFLUX23
10-14-11, 09:36 PM
Yes, the ****** is me.
I am thinking of getting Cyclocross Bike for several uses including Commuting (well actually going to school), simple cycling, and 1 to 2 weeks touring. I found that Cyclocross Bikes are very good for people who has many ways to use the bike. I was initially thinking about getting Cross Bike or Road Bike, but I personally wanted more Road Bike feel (not to mention they look cooler), but Road Bike has such thin tires and I do not think it can handle the sometimes a bit harsh road in the place I live. On the other hand, Cyclocross Bikes could handle these jobs rather easily. Besides, you can't convert Road Bikes to Cyclocross, but the other way around is possible by changing tires (and maybe brakes) because of the clearance problem.
However, there are so much problem I have right now:
First, I am a college student and although my family is rich, I kinda chose not to rely too much on them. They pay for the school fees and for the place I live, but basically, everything else is just me. Since I have to study and can't work 24/7, I don't really have the bucks to get a really expensive bicycle. However, I do at least want Shimano Tiagra 4600 for upgrade reasons because I do think I would some day like to upgrade parts when I get to know the bike more. However, if I buy something like Sora or 2300 then since they are 9 speed, if I want to upgrade I have to change all of the parts.
Second, I have never truly rode a sport bicycle before. I have tried riding friends' road bikes, but I haven't really rode them before. But personally, that's not the point of the problem. The main problem is that my parents denies me of buying something so expensive and tells me to buy a bicycle much cheaper because I lack experience with sport bikes both as consumer and as a cycle rider. I have to say, however, I will have to get experience somewhere and if I don't get the right bike, then I have to buy them again and would cost me much more than just buying one right bike. Yes, I admit it is hard to find the one absolute ultimate answer, but it's better than buying something I don't want. Besides, it's me who's gonna buy the bike and it's me who's gonna ride it. Not my parents.
Third, looks really matters to me. While it is true that performance > looks, but you know, to be honest, it's much easier to be attached to the bike when it looks the way you want it to be than not (not saying that you can't love your bicycle unless you like the way how it looks, but relatively...).
And did a lot of research on bicycles. I went online, read bicycle and touring magazines, went to a lot of bicycle shops and stuff like that for the past two months. I also asked several bicycle riders who goes to touring sometimes. I first thought of getting LGS-CX2 from GARNEAU (Only sold in Japan), but I later reconsidered due to Shimano Sora being incapable for upgrade unless you change the entire thing. Then I also understood that LGS-CX2 did not have eyelets for racks. That's not good.
I thought about Giant TCX2, but Right Dealer is the only Tiagra parts used. The rest was Sora.
So my only remaining candidate is KONA's Jake (2012 model). They are a bit pricey compared to what I used to want, but Shimano upgraded their Tiagra series and it's like 2010 version of 105. It looks like this:
http://www.konaworld.com/images/bikes/med/jake.jpg
I personally liked the color design of 2011 Jake the Snake (black, white, blue), but this one isn't bad neither.
Do you think this bike is good for me to buy? Or is it too good or too bad? Does anyone have other suggestions? Please help...
I am thinking of getting Cyclocross Bike for several uses including Commuting (well actually going to school), simple cycling, and 1 to 2 weeks touring. I found that Cyclocross Bikes are very good for people who has many ways to use the bike. I was initially thinking about getting Cross Bike or Road Bike, but I personally wanted more Road Bike feel (not to mention they look cooler), but Road Bike has such thin tires and I do not think it can handle the sometimes a bit harsh road in the place I live. On the other hand, Cyclocross Bikes could handle these jobs rather easily. Besides, you can't convert Road Bikes to Cyclocross, but the other way around is possible by changing tires (and maybe brakes) because of the clearance problem.
However, there are so much problem I have right now:
First, I am a college student and although my family is rich, I kinda chose not to rely too much on them. They pay for the school fees and for the place I live, but basically, everything else is just me. Since I have to study and can't work 24/7, I don't really have the bucks to get a really expensive bicycle. However, I do at least want Shimano Tiagra 4600 for upgrade reasons because I do think I would some day like to upgrade parts when I get to know the bike more. However, if I buy something like Sora or 2300 then since they are 9 speed, if I want to upgrade I have to change all of the parts.
Second, I have never truly rode a sport bicycle before. I have tried riding friends' road bikes, but I haven't really rode them before. But personally, that's not the point of the problem. The main problem is that my parents denies me of buying something so expensive and tells me to buy a bicycle much cheaper because I lack experience with sport bikes both as consumer and as a cycle rider. I have to say, however, I will have to get experience somewhere and if I don't get the right bike, then I have to buy them again and would cost me much more than just buying one right bike. Yes, I admit it is hard to find the one absolute ultimate answer, but it's better than buying something I don't want. Besides, it's me who's gonna buy the bike and it's me who's gonna ride it. Not my parents.
Third, looks really matters to me. While it is true that performance > looks, but you know, to be honest, it's much easier to be attached to the bike when it looks the way you want it to be than not (not saying that you can't love your bicycle unless you like the way how it looks, but relatively...).
And did a lot of research on bicycles. I went online, read bicycle and touring magazines, went to a lot of bicycle shops and stuff like that for the past two months. I also asked several bicycle riders who goes to touring sometimes. I first thought of getting LGS-CX2 from GARNEAU (Only sold in Japan), but I later reconsidered due to Shimano Sora being incapable for upgrade unless you change the entire thing. Then I also understood that LGS-CX2 did not have eyelets for racks. That's not good.
I thought about Giant TCX2, but Right Dealer is the only Tiagra parts used. The rest was Sora.
So my only remaining candidate is KONA's Jake (2012 model). They are a bit pricey compared to what I used to want, but Shimano upgraded their Tiagra series and it's like 2010 version of 105. It looks like this:
http://www.konaworld.com/images/bikes/med/jake.jpg
I personally liked the color design of 2011 Jake the Snake (black, white, blue), but this one isn't bad neither.
Do you think this bike is good for me to buy? Or is it too good or too bad? Does anyone have other suggestions? Please help...