G-Unit

I'm interested in getting this too -- I have a feeling it'll be a popular seller this year.

outofthesaddle

Looks like fun. Can't beat the price. More functional (for me) than a Pista. I have one on order. Mostly a commuter/ride with the kids bike. I think I'll have to wait a couple of weeks for the shop to get it.

joshr

I'm in the process of getting one too, I think (still have to 'make room', i.e. sell a bike). Can't wait. My LBS has one in my size (or did as of a day or two ago).

I, too, am planning on it being a tool around/have fun in the dirt bike. My son who is 5 recently discovered that his bike can go in mud ... what kind of father would I be if I wasn't right there with him?

daveF

I've had mine for almost 6 weeks now & have not been on any of my other bikes since. I've had great fun on this bike. I've been riding it off road, easy rides, hard rides with the pack doing high 20's to low 30mph+, & off road intervals beside the pack. I haven't changed anything on the bike with the exception of adding some tire liners. I don't care how heavy the wheels are, I don't want flats on my training rides.

marqueemoon

Low 30's with 42x17 gearing and 700x32 tires? You must be able to spin like a madman. My hat is off to you sir.

Glad to hear you're digging the bike. I'm looking forward to picking one up now.

daveF

Thank you, I can't pull at low 30's for very long. That's over 150 cadence. I can draft in a good pack in the high 20's for a while. My son rode it on Saturday & won one of the sprints. He thought it was faster than our IRO with 700x28 road tires!

phillybill

I'm not sure I could hit the 30's with the gearing the way it is set up (Except down hill). maybe low 20's......but the cadance is not over 100 either

outofthesaddle

Still waiting on my San Jose. ETA is mid Feb. It's killing me.

IchbinJay

nice, I'm glad to hear that it's getting such good reviews.

What's the longest distance any of you have gone on it?

daveF

So far my longest ride on it is 63 miles. It was very nice for that particular ride. This Sunday I'll be covering over twice that distance, close to 140. At least that is the plan. Too many activites planned this weekend to guarantee that I can get out the door at 5am to accomplish that! I'll let you know how it goes. It is nice having 3 water bottle cages. There is one mounted on the forward side of the downtube as in many touring bikes.

phillybill

I did 35 on mine yesterday riding to and from work.....it was a nice workout.

grolby

No.

Anyone seen what Harris Cyclerly has done with the San Jose? www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/bianchi-sanjos8

I'm having problems with the website, so I'll just tell you: Harris has switched the stock wheelset for one built up around the Shimano Nexus 8-speed internal-gear hub. Cool stuff!

outofthesaddle

I saw and it seems pretty cool it and pretty functional but it really increased the price. I can't the site to come up either but I recall it was around $800. Kind of takes away from some of the appeal of the San Jose for me - namely that is is so inexpensive and so simple. I'd probably go with a cross check or the Castro Valley is I was going to spend the extra $$.

phillybill

I thought about that......but would have just gotten a frame and built it up or maybe a Volpe. If I just had the San Jose to ride.... and did cycle in the city anymore.....maybe.

jonnyeye

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the forum, new to the US (San Francisco) and new to cycling - apart from an old Grifter in London way back in my teens...

Anyway, I've decided to buy a bike and spent today test riding - it's so much fun being back on two wheels....but now I'm confused...and I'd like to see what you guys think..

The first bikes I tested were bouncy, upright 'comfort bikes'. Horrible. Then I rode the Bianchi Boardwalk (quite good fun) and Specialized Sirrus (a bit quicker) and was about to buy the Sirrus when the shopowner suggested I take the San Jose for a spin...'to try something different' which was also really good fun...

But I just don't GET this bike - it's got one gear, drop handle bars, off road tires and a racing seat?! I just didn't know anyone made bikes like this...

Anyway, for reasons I don't understand, my head is saying 'get the hybrid' and my heart is saying get the 'San Jose'...

Some questions:

1. The Sirrus felt quicker...maybe because of the slick tires. If I put slicks on the San Jose, would it still be a good commuting bike?
2. If I DO go for the San Jose, is there anything I should ask the shop to change out for me? They're really great at the American Cyclery in San Francisco and said I could change 'a few bits around'. Different saddle?!
3. I live in San Francisco....HILLS!.....a single speed is gonna kill me right?!
4. I know nothing about mending bikes and just want something reliable...do the gears on something like the Sirrus need a lot of care and attention?

I guess I'm just curious to know which way you guys would jump and why. I love the simplicity of the San Jose but i wonder if it's impractical? I want something I can commute on, but also take for a decent ride when the sun starts shining.

Any thoughts?!

phillybill

This bike is not for you. Of you have lots of hills....get gears. Most of Phla where I ride my San Jose is pretty flat so the single speed does not kill me. But when I cycle out side of the city I atleast ride with 9 gears on my othe cross bike. The San Jose is meant for people that like croiss bikes and might even want to race a single speed cross bike or just have something else that is a nice workout bike (Like me ) or to ride it on cinder paths.......ect.

The Sirrus (Flat Bar Road Bike) is a real nice bike for what you are looking for in SF and the maint will probably not be an issue. Also you have room to put on larger tires if you so wish. IT makes a ggreat commuting bike and fitness bike and they are priced well with solid components. Anothe bike to look at in that category is a Trek 7500FX.

Go over to the commuting forum.........those guys have this down to a science about what you looking for.

Ken Wind

I don't know if this is necessarily true. There are a lot of people in the Singlespeed/ Fixed Gear Forum that live in San Francisco, but most of them ride fixed. 42x17 is not in any way crazy for big hills especially when you can coast down the other side. You will have to put in a lot more work a good portion of the time though.

Jonnyeye, can you tell us what your intended purpose is for the bike? Will it be ridden on the streets with a little off-road, or just the streets?

I think the San Jose is a great bike and I doubt American Cyclery would try to steer you wrong, they're just giving you more options.

1. Since the Sirrus frame is made out of aluminum it might be lighter, and it has slicks so this is probably making it seem quicker. The wheels on the San Jose are also the weakest part of the bike, and wheels make a big difference.

2. If you do go for the San Jose ask about exchanging for a different wheelset depending on your application. The beauty of this bike is that it is so cheap though, so I wouldn't pay much extra for anything. If you're riding primarily on the road, then you'll want slicks on the bike (or at least something with less rolling resistance). Anything that doesn't feel "right" to you is worth changing out, especially at the contact points (handlebar, seat, pedals).

3. I think it all depends on the person. It might be a little hard at first, but that is a relatively low gear so I think only the steepest hills would give you trouble. This is a question that only you can really answer.

4. One of the main attractions of a singlespeed/fixed gear bike for me is the lack of things to maintain and/or replace. A yearly tune-up at your local bike shop should be more than sufficient for either bike though.

Specialized and Bianchi make some great bikes. If you get one of these I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Phillybill is right if you are primarily commuting on this, then you should ask in the commuting forum.

jonnyeye

thanks guys...

I'll head over to the commuting forum!

phillybill

IT's not that you cannot commute on a 42/17 on hills..........I do 30 mile round trip to work on mine sometimes. But there are days when the wind really kicks up and at the end of the day, I'm glat to have the gears.

daveF

Although the wheels are probably the weakest link on the San Jose, I have not had any problems with mine. I've put about 1100 miles on mine. Some of that at high speed off road. I didn't ride as far as I wanted to yesterday, only about 73 miles (I wanted to do about twice that). But it was a very nice ride, lots of wind & rolling hills.

Jonnyeye, If you like the San Jose, but want multiple gears, get the Volpe or have a rear wheel built with an internal hub. I find the stock tires to be very fast on the road. I wouldn't switch them out.

joshr

I just took a test ride. My LBS has one in my size but someone had called in and put it on hold. They called the holder back yesterday but hadn't heard back, so they told me to call this evening and see what the deal is.

I liked it a lot. I probably only rode about .5 miles but it felt great. I've been riding fixed exclusively for the past few months so it took a block or two to get used to not having to pedal all the time, as well as remembering to brake instead of just backpedaling. Otherwise, though, the ride felt great. I'm hoping this guy doesn't call in because waiting any longer isn't fun.

IchbinJay

That would be a sweet deal joshr. What kind of bike did you have while riding fixed? Also, do you do a lot of off road riding?

joshr

I actually just talked to them a little while ago, and the other guy never called back so my name is on it now! How will I possibly finish the rest of the day at work?

I have a Pista, actually. I like it a lot but I think I want something with a little more versatility. At the moment I do no off road riding, but I want that to change, hence ....

I'll probably just deal with a freewheel for a while and maybe look into a fixed/free setup after a few months.

My older son has discovered riding in the dirt and through puddles, so I'm hoping to keep up with him.

outofthesaddle

I've been waiting soooooo looooong - and still waiting. Glad to hear that you found one joshr. If mine ever arrives, I'm planning on switching out the SS for a flip/flop wheel that I've got hanging in the garage from my last fixed gear. You'll have to post longer term impressions after you've had it for awhile.

joshr

Blargh, wasn't able to get over to the shop before they closed (6pm). Gonna have to a) figure out a way to get over there tomorrow, or b) take my chances and let my 24hour hold expire and pop in Saturday.