waynew

Been idly reading and loving this site!

Now I'd love to get some input on.

WHERE I'M AT
Age: 44
Condition: Average shape, trying to get better. Some low back-pain.
How I'll use bike: Live in Seattle. Been commuting 9 miles each way to work. Good, paved path. Some very gradual inclines.
Current bike: 10-year-old Fuji mountain bike with knobby tires

WHERE I'M GOING
More speed: With summer ending, I want to pick up my speed a lot. The mountain bike has been a good workout but I really want to go faster. But still want to get a good workout.
Weather-proof: Want clearance for fenders.
Carrying my stuff: I have a nice waterproof bag I wear on my back. I like it. I don't think I want a rack or pannier bags. I carry work clothes -- slack, shirt, dress shoes -- and feel fine about amount of weight.
Bike style: Want a flatbar. Like the comfort (feels better on low back) and visibility.
Specific bikes I'm looking at: Cannondale Road Warrior; Marin Lucas Valley, Fairfax; Specialized Sirrus; Novara Express, Forza. I road the Novara Transfer at REI and found it too clunky, too heavy. And didn't like having only 8 gears. The Cannondale RW looks very nice but I did not ride it.

I'm in northeast Seattle and want to stay on this side of Lake Washington.

I see 2006 models are clearing out -- possible sale? -- and 2007s are coming in.

So ... thoughts on bikes to look at and where to look?

marqueemoon

My suggestion is to religiously watch Seattle Craigslist. I've seen a lot of commuter-friendly machines on there lately.

Having drop bars on a bike does not automatically mean a hunched over riding position. With the right stem and setup you can still have the bars above the saddle. The multiple hand positions drop bars offer are nice, especially if you eventually plan to do longer recreational rides in the future. Also (as I have said a million times on this board) "flat bar road bikes" are a hassle and expensive to convert to drop bars later.

CliftonGK1

marqueemoon pretty much nailed it: Seattle CL is a great resource for some nice lookin' rides. There's a lot of people around here that have the money, drop it on a really nice bike, and decide they don't like it two months later.
If you're looking for shops over there, the only one I'm really familiar with is Montlake Cycle at the bottom of the hill on 24th Ave E. I hear the fixie crowd talk about Counterbalance, Velo, and Recycled Cycles, but I know nothing about any of them and if they deal much with geared bikes.

Banzai

marqueemoon beat me to the punch on the drop bars. I'll wager that it's not necessarily the drop bars you dislike, but the fact that a great many of the bikes out there with drop bars are built with a geometry placing the bars about 4" below the saddle height. If the drops are level with the saddle, you won't be hunched over, you'll have multiple hand and body positions (good for hands, arms, and back), and you'll have an ergonomic refuge from the wind.

Recommend scouting in your list the Specialized Sequoia, Trek Pilot, and Fuji Newest.

fordfasterr

its hard to get a fast / light bike with fenders.

fenders slow you down quite a bit because of increased drag.

There are many types of fenders out there, like the bolt-on ones ... but to get them on a regular light weight road bike is a mission.. =(

I have only been able to get a rear fender on my road bike because it clamps to the seat post and thats the best I can do ... no front fender == nasty wet road shoes...... =(

I picked up a bad weather bike with knobby fat tires & full aluminum fenders ... it is great for bad weather, but not so good for speed...

Good luck on your search for the perfect balance... I know I am still searching for it.....

Juilin

True, but I think speed is relative in his case. Get fenders with skinnier tires, 28's or 30's. Add clipless pedals and a decent steel frame and the bike will feel fast compared to hybrids, mountain bikes, etc. etc.
I commute in Seattle as well, maybe I'll see you around.

Juilin

And I second craigslist Seattle, I bought an old Scwhinn there a while back for $100. It's still in pieces, but will be a good commuter in a few months. Of course, it would have been a good commuter right then and there but I tore it up and couldnt resist tinkering.

Mariner Fan

Oh man, I wish I were there. Have fun!

waynew

Indeed, speed is relative ... I think most things will be faster than my old mountian bike. I just want to make sure is a solid increase in speed (doesn't have to a radical increase).

Thanks all for the tips on tires and handle bars, etc.

Any more thoughts still appreciated ...

ollo_ollo

Definitely check out Recycled cycles on Boat Street near UW. They once had lots of good used bikes at great prices but the last time I was there it was slim pickins. Still worth a visit for the parts bins which they still have. If you look for an older road bike, many of them had eyelets for fenders as well as the necessary clearance. A used touring bike would also work as it will have all the eyelets, clearance & is built to carry a load. Craigs list is good but will take some patience.

jrxl

Craigslist is hit or miss. I love browsing looking for my next project, but I would hate to be in a situation where I really needed a bike soon... you could find something good that day or have to wait a few weeks.

Recycled Cycles is a shell of the store it used to be in my opinion. They are much more focused on selling new bikes and gear than when they first opened. Oh well. Still a good shop, but don't expect a super deal on a good used bike.

As far as bikes on your list, have you checked out any Jamis bikes? The Coda line may be something you would be interested in. I test rode a Coda Sport (before buying a Jamis Aurora touring bike) and think would make a great flat bar commuter. Gotta love the steel frame in that price range.

https://jamisbikes.com/usa/bikes/06_codasport.html

It also helps that there are two pretty good shops that sell Jamis bikes, Free Range Cycles in Fremont and Pedal Dynamics in Greenwood.

Seems to be a few Seattle commuters here on BF... maybe we should organize a BF commute day. We could take back the Burke from the headphone wearing, i-pod listening, cell phone talking, 3 foot wide stroller pushing, rollerblader moms. Though I am sure they will retire for the season when the leaves start changing...

markw

LHT or other cyclecross bike. Check my sig, the LHT is the ultimate upright commuter, spec it how you like it, mine cost about 1200 to build. If you aren't afraid to go recumbent, the Bacchetta is my fastest commuter by far, but won't take fenders. I may splurge for the Bacchetta Giro which is steel about 2lbs heavier, but can run 28's with fenders and still be a fast commuter. If bents scare you, get something like the LHT in my sig, that works great too, and notice the bar to seat relationship, that's what a proper frame sizing does. Go here on the Rivendell site. Good luck on your quest.

Patriot

If you don't need/want fenders, Trek makes some nice flat bar road bikes for around $600-$700.

However, with the Seattle rain, I would suggest some fenders. Trust me, you'll be thankful. I added Freddy fenders to my Centurion, and they haven't slowed me down at all. I still cruise a good 20mph on the flats.

Another option, is to build up your own flat bar roadie with a 10s Campy Veloce group. Veloce is what I installed on my commuter, and the stuff is unbelievably beautiful, and reliable. The Campy Veloce line has Flat bar controls available for use with their standard 10s road group. Works perfectly.

Oh, and welcome to commuting in the Great Northwest.

thekorn

I commute to/from NE seattle too. If you want to commute year-round I strongly suggest fenders. The right type really don't weigh much or slow you down. I'm really a fan of a touring bike for commuting. I have an old bianchi volpe that works well. The surly long haul trucker is cool. And I'll echo that properly fitted drop bars are way more comfortable than flat bars.
Hope to see you out there on your bike. Maybe its just me but lately there seems to be a lot of ignorant motorists out there. I always wish more people were riding so that people wouldn't drive as if they've never seen a bicycle before.

pmseattle

I commute to my job near the Mariners stadium from the Maple Leaf neighborhood in N. Seattle. My preferred ride is my 2003 Novara Big Buzz, but I can't recommend the newer versions. I like the look of the Kona Dr. Dew.
I consider fenders a necessity in Seattle. I wouldn't commute on any bike lacking disc brakes in this weather, although many people will violently disagree with this.

waynew

OK, after some research and input from folks on this great board and a few other places, here's what I did:

Bought a Trek FX 7.3 -- flatbar road bike. I liked the more upright position -- and wider position, i.e., arms seemed more spread out b/c handlebars seemed wider -- afforded by the long head tube. Feels safer (more visibility) and better on my back. This position will cut down on speed but I'll be going faster than I was on my clunky mountain bike. But with more narrow tires, improved components and 27-inch wheels, I'll be going faster and smoother.

I compared the Trek it to the Specialized Sirrus Sport with carbon forks, which was a bit smoother but had my body coiled up a bit more.

ALSO
Got two (full) fenders getting me ready for the wet weather

water bottle rack

Already have an Ortleib waterproof bag that will go on my back.

Got an all-in-one tool. a patch kit.

Got a coil type bike lock (which I'll just leave at work on the bike rack in our parking garage).

TOTAL bill -- $602

already recently got blinking lights for front and back.

I bought from Gregg's in Green Lake. They in my neighborhood (on the way to work). I didn't have time to visit tons of shops. Screened ahead via phone and chose a place that seemed like it would have good customer service and a wide range of bikes in my class. They will tune up the bike for free in 90 days after things get broken in.

Thanks for all the input -- wish me luck. I start commuting on this new bike tomorrow a.m. (Wednesday). Can't wait.

CliftonGK1

Rock on! I hope things go really well for you tomorrow morning. There's a sticky at the top of the forum where you can post "How was the commute today?"

jyossarian

Looks like a solid bike and should be a bit faster than a mtb w/ knobbies. I was gonna suggest you switch out the knobbies for slicks and switch to a rigid fork on your mtb if it didn't have one to gain some speed, but I can't fault a new bike purchase.

Regarding tools, I'd suggest keeping a spare tube w/ you and an adjustable wrench for flats and any work you might need to do. Also, if it gets really cold in Seattle, you might want to pick up some metal tire levers cuz plastic ones may snap when it gets below freezing. And for snow and ice, some Nokian Hakkapelitta studded tires.

As for the cable lock, you know best the area you're parking your bike in, but I'd use a Krypto or Abus chain lock plus a U-lock to secure the other wheel to the frame. I'd also use some old bike chain and innertube to lock the saddle rails to the rear triangle to make sure that doesn't walk. Good luck and let us know how the new bike is!

[e] Oh yeah, don't forget the pics! You can post them here or in the Commuter Pics thread.

CliftonGK1

Snow? Freezing? Not in Seattle.
If it snows in Seattle, nobody commutes anywhere because the city shuts down. I think it's hilarious when I hear people in their cars zipping up the East Side suburban streets for their daily 3 mile commute, studded tires clicking on the pavement, just in case they want to brave one of the east-bound passes sometime.

I grew up near Boston, then moved to Cleveland. They'd sooner put a plow on the front of the school bus than call a snow-day.

marqueemoon

I agree. Lock the heavier lock(s) to the rack if you don't want to carry them back and forth.