Jeffbeerman2

Considering a new rig. I had an ideal rig but we parted ways a while back.

My past experience has taught me that a complete bike is much much (much) cheaper than a custom build. This is especially true of commuter bikes.

I've been browsing the forums and various manufacturer sites and haven't found the ideal.

Here is my wish list:

Hybrid riding position. I don't want a cruiser upright position, nor do I want an aggressive racing road bike geometry. I want an efficient comfortable riding position.

Bars: I prefer a wide "drop" bar so I can vary hand positions for longer rides. Not a deal-breaker if cycle doesn't have drops, just a preference.

Pant protection: I'm not kidding here. I hate shredding my trousers. I want a chain guard of some sort. I wear normal clothes. This is a must because there are no reliable aftermarket fixes to this. A chain with guard or a belt drive are both fine.

Gearing: No SS. I live in an occasionally-hilly area and need gears. I don't care if it is internally geared or derailleur. I actually prefer a derailleur but it isn't common to find one with a chain guard.

Lighting: Hub dyno with LED lighting included. This is a must because getting a wheel built with a dyno hub is prohibitively expensive.

Tires: 30mm or fatter. I want a smooth stable ride on these terrible roads.

Other: Included fenders and racks a plus. At minimum, I would want a bike designed to easily accept fenders and rear rack.

Brakes: prefer disc, but not a deal-breaker. Mechanical is fine.

Price: $1500 or less is ideal. Not more than $2000.

Basically I'm looking for a cross or touring bike with a chain guard and dyno lighting system. Does it exist?

bikejrff

SCOTT Sub Speed 10 Bike - SCOTT Sports

bikepedia.com shows four different levels of this bike. I saw this one in person and it has most of what you are looking for I think. As I recall the price was around $1300?

acidfast7

Tons of EU bikes have these specs ... willing to buy and ship from the EU?

fietsbob

you can add accessories,at point of sale to a bike not fully hitting all those marks ..

blakcloud

How about the Breezer Beltway. It hits most of your wants but not all. You have one tall order and I don't think you will fulfill it with off the shelf. Build your own to get everything you want.

Breezer Bikes - Beltway 8 - Bike Overview

Jeffbeerman2

Thanks for that one. I'll see if I can find one to test.

zeppinger

REI has a few Novara models that might fit the bill. Here is the faciest one. I think the 2013 version had a dyno front hub if you can find one. Novara Gotham Bike - 2014 at REI.com

jfowler85

I have found the opposite true. I'm building a long wheelbase Cannondale with 105+ level components and lightweight wheels. I'll be saving about 500-1000 with respsect to comparable complete bikes.

Jeffbeerman2

Thanks. I'll check the KC store the next time I'm in town.

DiegoFrogs

Adding your own dynamo hub and lighting may actually make financial sense, particularly if you're not firmly in the "must have disc brakes" camp. I added a low-end Sanyo and good German lights to my 1977 Centurion for less than $250. That was in the US, and I could do pretty good for probably half of that here in Sweden.

scoatw

If anything happens to my bike, I'd replace it with a Salsa Vaya.

WestMass

that breezer is dopppppeeeeee

JCNeumann

Have you looked at this?

Novara Gotham Bike - 2014 at REI.com

not the prettiest, but I tried on one at a local REI and was pretty impressed. I may actually buy it if my office will let me keep it inside.

The shifting is a little weird, but it might be perfect for traffic.

ret3

I was going to sing the praises of my checks-all-those-boxes Novara Fusion, but then I noticed that they're not making it anymore.

Leisesturm

That simply isn't possible. Define "comparable". You cannot with a straight face tell us that you can get a better price on a 105 gruppo than Cannondale can.

DiabloScott

Yeah - Cannondale's CAAD8 with 105 is only $1300 - can't imagine saving $500 to $1000 off of that even if buying slightly used eBay parts.

AngeloDolce

You have a good list for an American commute; my suspicion is that since these bikes aren't popular here you may have to make minor changes or give up a feature or two. The Dutch bikes I've seen have the racks,tires, dynamos, but are a bit more upright and you'd probably want to change the bars.

I'm a little surprised REI dropped the dynamo hub from the Gotham, since the selling point for these bikes was that they came with fenders, lights good racks, etc. I have the Transfer (V brakes) and got the Fusion (disk brakes) at their "garage sale". I find the posture is noticeably different from the English 3 speeds I prefer, but the REI bikes do have new (reliable) components and the chain guard is surprisingly effective.

The racks are also well designed. My experience is that buying a complete bike is faster and cheaper than than components. If you have lots of used parts, that can be cheaper, but more time consuming.

PennyTheDog

The Jamis Aurora seems pretty close. The base model lists just under $1000 with mechanical brakes, and the higher end model has disc brakes and goes for $1600. The bike shop would set it up with dynamo and light, and subtract some money for the stock front wheel. With the base model you'd come in well under $1500. The Specialized AWOL would be a good start too, but you'd have to add the cost of fenders and rack.

byrd48

Schwinn has two lines, the signature line sold through bike shops and the standard line sold in big box. The Coffee 2 is a lot of bike for the price, built in rack and chainguard Coffee 2 - Urban - Bikes | Schwinn Bicycles
The 411 is a unique bike with disc brakes and internal gears and front rack: 4ONEONE 1 - Urban - Bikes | Schwinn Bicycles

But maybe the most unique bike I've seen from them is the Vestige. It has a flax fiber frame and even comes with Schwalbe tires and a dynamo hub. It has lighting inside the frame which makes the frame itself glow. I saw one at a bike shop last year and almost bought it. 2012 Schwinn Vestige Mens Urban Bike

PennyTheDog

I just noticed someone else suggested Breezer. They appear to have several bikes with dynamo hubs. Here's another one:
Breezer Bikes - Greenway Elite - Bike Overview