bigbenaugust 

Yeah, you might want gears. I ride a SS here in Chapel Hill and sometimes regret it. Only sometimes, though, as the thing is bulletproof year-round.

But +1 for the hardtail MTB.

Also, go Pack!
(I went to an engineering school on the west coast and have known some awesome people from NCSU)

NCSUMike

WOW, Thank you all for the awesome breadth of responses!!!!! This has been a HUGE help in getting my thought process on track for finding a hardcore commuter/urban assault bike. Sorry for not responding back to this sooner... grad school is insane!



YES, that's exactly it. As an AKM owner, I appreciate that kind of reliability. If given the choice, I would select one again without hesitation, even if it meant sacrificing the type of performance only achievable with extreme-precision manufacturing tolerances.

Marin seems to have dropped off the face of the planet, which is sad =(. The Muirwoods 29er could've been a nice option. The Novara Safari, or Novara Gotham (how about that belted variable transmission??)look like epic options... but way too expensive.

So, I've done a bunch of searching over the past 3 weeks, and have come up with a few interesting options. As one member mentioned here, it's off-season when it comes to finding a bike near a college campus, so the "decent" steel 26" MTB's just aren't out there right now. There've been a few on craigslist, but they're either too overpriced, or too far gone to even consider.

There've been a few interesting deals on bikes that might be slightly less reliable, but seem like viable options.

The first is REI's Novara Tupelo... it's on sale for ~$500 right now with the member's discount (yay for dividends), and looks like a pretty sick build for the price. Unfortunately, it's got an error-prone 27 speed SRAM drivetrain... nice to have the gears, but seems like it's going to be a pain to keep adjusted as time goes on. Also, the brakes are hydraulic discs, BUT they're Tektro Gemini's... how are those as far as cylinder leaks are concerned? Anyway... it IS over my original budget, but if it will mean that I can get a higher return in about 3 to 5 years, and would be less of a project than a custom 80's/90's hardtail build... I'll consider it.

Novara Tupelo 29er Bike - 2015 - REI.com


Also, I found what could be a rare deal on Craigslist. It's a 2014 Gravity 29FS, (link to the current model year). Now... it IS a Gravity (which from what I've seen, is a CRAP bikes direct house brand... assembled by idiots). However, this one was owned by a respectable professional gentleman, assembled by one of his PRO mechanic bike friends, and has been sitting on a rack for the past year. I checked it out... it's a SOLID bike. I loved absolutely everything but the gear ratio, and the Tektro mechanical disks. It has a Suntour lockout fork... very nice feel, but I'm not sure about its reliability in the long haul either. $200. I may even be able to talk him down a bit, but it's a fair price I'd say... and practically new. Much like my beloved AK, it has some fair to middling parts, but was assembled extremely well.

So, the gear ratio is a bit low for traffic... more suited for rolling hills. How much would it cost to trade front or rear cogs? Also, would it be possible to upgrade to a 3 speed hub? That might actually make it a PERFECT option.

Well, perfect, except for the Tektro Novela disc brakes. A quick search revealed to me that they have had some SERIOUS issues in the past. Apparently, they'd LOCK OPEN. Now, I've only seen 2012 bikes with this problem... so there's hope. Has the issue been fixed??? Perhaps it was just one bad production run... or a design flaw from that year. The brakes seemed just fine on the test drive... The front brake was a little weak though, but mechanically, it operated without a hitch.

The last hangup I had, was that it was a bit on the smaller side for me... but not by much. I'm 5'11" on a good day, and it was a 17.5" frame. The bars were a bit close, and my leg extension was a little off, but the size did seem to make it easier to come out of the saddle, and it seemed to handle just fine.

If the brakes turn out to be safe, then I'm going to pull the trigger on the Gravity... I'm planning on throwing on: Schwable Big Apples, Planet Bike Cascadia 29er fenders, a kickstand, and some quality lighting. Add-in a ~$50 helmet and a Kryptonite U-lock, and I'll probably be sitting around $450-$500 all-in... just a hair over my original budget for everything. I'll take it. Maybe I'll upgrade the rear hub at a later date. I can live on the sidewalks for a while... may be safer anyhow.

So... what's the verdict? Should I buy either bike, or look for something else?

-Mike

HardyWeinberg

I imagine the Raleigh 20 is the one you're most likely to dig out of the ground packed in 50 yrs of grease and ready to go once you strip it down.

NCSUMike

Awesome! What field are you in?

Yeah... even the 2 moderate hills on my test drive got pretty old, pretty fast. Chapel Hill is definitely a good biking town nonetheless... I've heard many stories from my parents (both CH grads) about their days of dodging cars and racing to class.

Haha! True, that looks like one tough cycle... even though it's not Soviet-Bloc surplus.

ph0rk

I have spent a long chunk of time in both places, and I think CH is worse, in terms of elevation changes. Especially if you are unlucky enough to live at the bottom of MLK/Hillsborough - living in Carrboro is different. Raleigh can be reasonably flat depending on where you live - Avent Ferry is an ugly hill to climb, especially if you are going to sit around in your clothes after, but if you can live off Clark/Peace st. hills on the way to campus are pretty minor.

Will you be able to take your bike inside to your office?

steve0257

Bomb proof? From Sheldon Brown's page on Chicago Schwinns. "The Chicago Schwinns were among the most bomb-resistant bikes ever built"

Get a newer bike that is something like the old Schwinn Typhoon. Speaking from experience, those old cruisers were bomb proof. Mine took everything a paperboy, who in his spare time, liked to ride cross country through the woods, could throw at it.

funbikerchick

I have read from multiple posts on this site that if you can't afford hydraulic discs don't go with disc brakes. I have no idea why since it never seems to be explained. I have Tektro Auriga, hydraulic disc, resin/metallic pads, tooled reach adjust brakes on my bike and love them, but I have only had the bike for a few months so I can't speak to long term reliability. I do know that the LBS people tell me that disc brakes are better than pads when riding in wet and dirty areas so might be worth consideration.

You might be very well-served by a low end brand name hybrid that is a few years old. Maybe a Sirrus Disc or maybe even a Sirrus Sport Disc, but used. I am sure other big name brands would also have suitable options. The Sirrus Disc lists for $600 new. One that is a few years old should be in your price range. You might even find one that already has fenders and a rack affixed to it. I ride a Sirrus Sport Disc. It lists for $700 and I got it for $650 new. We got my daughter a new Sirrus (not sport and no disc brakes) for $480 new so used they should be well in your range, but that doesn't include racks and fenders.

BIGDCYCLES

Another vote for rigid MTB, pretty bomb proof as is but convert to an internal geared rear hub and you have a winner. Clapped out paint, remove brand identifying marks to deter thieves. Throw on some good tires and roll.

MichaelW

Kona Africa bike is a utility 3-speed with luggae capacity, ideal for campus use, but 40lbs is maybe too heavy for your needs.
Also Breezer Downtown 3

Personally, I would look for an aluminium frame, steel fork, Shimano or Sturmey Archer 3 speed, dynamo lighting, rack, fenders.

bigbenaugust 

I studied metallurgy and ended up in IT.

NCSUMike

Wow, that's a jump! How'd you end up there? What a great area to be in any CS-related field.

bigbenaugust 

Same as a lot of college students in the '90's... messing with Unix machines on my spare time.

Artkansas 

You also might consider an old 10 speed of decent heritage. A women's model or mixte frame will make it almost undesireable to most people.

SloButWide 

It's an addiction, but at least it pays well. My system administrator coworkers have included Chemists, Aero Engineers, Statisticians, and several liberal arts majors. What was I thinking getting degrees in computer engineering?

bigbenaugust 

*shrug* Got me, man. Of course, what was I thinking studying materials science (but mostly metals) for four years when I could have been breaking Suns full-time?

Oh, right, cycling.