Terrapax

Hello All,

I've been biking for a few years now, and went on a mostly independent tour across Wisconsin 2 summers ago to the day. Since then I've kept up with it until I took a break this year for the winter, then things got crazy and I put on a bit of weight. I'm getting back into it all again now, and getting ready for a tour around West Kentucky, which will be about 250 miles in 4-5 days.

I've been wanting to upgrade my bike for a while (Wal-Mart junker), especially since a family friend let me use his unused '90 Trek 920 mountain bike. The difference in components was amazing, and instantly I knew I had to be looking at a new bike if I was really going to continue this. The 920 is quite a bit small, and I know that for my purposes a mountain bike isn't going to be the best option.

My riding habits are mostly around my town of 16,000 and the surrounding county, the roads are decent, but some of the county roads are in need of repair. I plan on biking to school this year to save on gas and trips to pick me up afterwards. I also plan on biking during college, so I want something that will be able to deal with campus terrain (bricks, sidewalks, etc.). When I was "into" riding I did about 20 miles a day in the afternoon, no commuting. I also want my bike to be fairly capable of touring, as I've been bitten by the bug, and I'm itching to get back on the roads this fall and spring.

I'm on a budget of about $1150 with the accessories (headlight and tail lights, racks, new helmet, extra tubes, water bottle holders, frame-mounted pump, bike computer?, handlebar things?, etc.), so I'm budgeting about $800-$950 for the bike. I went to a bike shop and they reccomended a Trek FX hybrid, as it would allow me some decent components (Deore) for the price, have the ruggedness needed, and be able to take fenders, a rack, and larger wheels for the backroads and trails. I'm looking at 7.5 FX Disc now.

Is this the right direction for my purposes? I'm pretty sure I want disc brakes because of the ease of maintainence and good performance, but I'm not sure whether I want to ride upright or bent. My current bike is upright, and I like being able to sit up and take in the world as I pedal past, but I've noticed myself trying to bend over a little further during rides. I think this is largely a fit issue. (6'2", 225 lbs [back to 190-200 as soon as I get this bike though!])

The LBS is about an hour away and has Trek, Lemond, Cannondale, and Raleigh. I plan on going in about 2-3 weeks to pick her up, whomever she will be. Reccomendations and opinions are much appreciated.

Thanks.

Fixed Up North

Are you limiting your options to Trek, Lemond, Cannondale, and Raleigh? It sounds to me like the perfect bike for your needs is a Surly Cross Check. It's in your price range and is suitable for everything you describe: rough roads, college, touring, etc. Disc brakes in your price range are more for marketing than actual performance. Good cantilevers or V-brakes should suit your purposes just fine--but that's just my opinion.

In the end, ride everybike that you can and see what feels best to you. All the manufacturers you list make decent bikes.

hjeand

+1 on the Cross-check. You won't be disappointed -- it's a Tiagra build with a steel frame which will give you a smoother ride. The wheel base is long enough that you can mount a back rack and use saddle bags if you wish for your tours.

subigo

Let me tell you what I just did (after about 40+ hours of research). I went for the Windsor Tourist that Bikes Direct sells on ebay (got it for $600 total). It is the same thing as the Fuji Touring bike, which is around $900. It might have different stickers, but it is definitely the same frame/components.

Bikes Direct bought the bankrupt Windsor name and slaps it on the overstock Fuji frames. You won't have the same warranty as Fuji offers, but when is the last time you heard of a steel frame breaking in half?

In my opinion, it's insane to pay $1000+ for a bike that will do the exact same thing as the Windsor. Now that I hyped it up for you, let me tell you the pros/cons:

PROS:
It is a solid bike. Steel framed and Shimano mid-grade components are more than enough for touring. The geometry is perfect for touring and riding around town. The price is unbeatable. This bike would have cost me $900+ if I bought it from my LBS. The money you save will allow for your extras.

CONS:
You have to put this bike together for the most part. If you are not comfortable will installing breaks, handlebars, pedals, and adjusting derailleurs... get the fuji. However, I had never done any of these things before, and now I can. Which will help me on tour. Finally, I have heard that the fuji/windsor has problems with spoke breakage on the rear wheel after about 500 miles. I am not sure if this is a hit or miss kind of thing, or a problem with all of the bikes. Just to be safe I am getting a new rear wheel before leaving on tour. Factor in about $120 extra for a new wheel. (mavic A719)

Here is the ebay link: https://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-ROAD-TOURING...QQcmdZViewItem

vik 

For your budget I'd recommend a REI Novara Randonee. Steel touring bike. Sells for $999 and if you can wait they have 20% coupons several times a year which will drop it down to $799.

Great all around bike and you can tour on it.

tacomee

Yeah, I agree about internet bikes-- you have to know what you're doing. Got any cycling buddies who've built up a bike to help you?

But that Winsor is a really, really good deal. It's a whole bike for a little more than a Surly frame (same Cromoly steel even). I could buy that bike and another wheelset and get racks, panniers and lights for $1150. It would take somebody who knows bikes pretty wel to pull it offl, however.

Of course nobody will be all that impressed with your Winsor, unlike if you join the Cult of Surly Bikes. But your bike will be a quality ride that will last for years. PM if you have any questions.

Or play it safe and get a Trek 520-- can't go wrong with that!

mtnroads

The Trek hybrid is uncomfortable for anything over an hour, two max. Stiff frame, poor riding position for long hours in the saddle. I sold my 7500FX after a year, although it was a fairly good city and training bike. In comparison, the Trek 520 is an outstanding touring-commuting rig. Comfortable steel frame, great components, good, flexible riding position if setup properly. For heavy loaded touring in hilly terrain, most would recommend having the dealer swap the Shimano 105 crank (30-42-52) for an LX or similar "trekking" crank with 26-36-46 or similar gearing. This is usually done at no or minimal extra cost. If your use is primarily commuting and light touring the stock setup is fine. They go for around $1K new, sometimes see clean used ones for $6-800 on Craigslist, beware Ebay. Mine is 10 years old and it is my favorite bike by far because it does almost everything well (it is not a road racer).

wintermute

Check out the Bianchi Volpe for around $850. It has great commuting/touring gearing right out of the box, has decent, mid-range Shimano components, and it's steel. It's a great all-around bike, and the main thing that will drive any modifications is personal preference.

bikingshearer 

I posted this link on the Touring page earlier this afternoon, and it sounds like it's right up your alley and could save you some bucks.

https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

Bob Jackson 1978 touring model, complete bike, eclectic but entirely serviceable set of components including an 8-speed drivetrain, $400 reserve on eBay. As I said in my other post, I have nothing to do with this sale, and I don't know the bike or the seller. But it sounds like it is about the right size for you (62cm c-c) and is worth checking it out. (I'd check it out myself, but there is no way I can justify the purchase on top of the other bikes I have and the other bills that have to get paid. Man, this "responsible adult" thing really sucks sometimes.)

pHunbalanced

+1

Volpe is one of the few bikes under a grand that comes right out of the box with sensible gearing for touring, not to mention a sweet riding frame. The Novara Randonee @ ~$850 if I recall correctly does as well. For a bit more (~$1000) you could build up a Cross Check as you like it. Another good choice is the Jamis Aurora @ ~$800, but it's gearing is a bit more "road" an may be tough with a full load.

Cyclist0383

The last time I heard of a steel frame breaking was last autumn when my new Kona Sutra broke. Not quite in half, but enough that Kona gave me a new frame.....It does happen, just not very often.....

cyccommute 

The other issue with buying on-line is sizing. If you don't know what you are doing, you can end up with the wrong size and, with the cost of shipping the bike back, end up paying more for that 'deal' then if you bought the bike from a shop. I know what I am doing and how to put any bike together and I don't buy on-line. I've done it twice and wasn't comfortable with it either time.

On the disc brake issue: Discs are mostly hype! A rim brake is already a disc brake, it just has a really big rotor On a mountain bike that is being ridden on super fast downhill runs (50 to 60 lb bike), they are a necessity. If you ride a lot in the rain, they can be an improvement. But if you want to put racks and bags on the bike, they just get in the way! I just built up a bike that is disc ready and if I had used disc brakes I couldn't have put a rack on it at all. Avoid the discs and go with a good cantilever.

For bikes look at the Fuji Touring. It's inexpensive and has a pretty good component mix. You wouldn't go wrong with the Cannondale T800 or the Trek 520 either. They are more expensive but are great touring bikes. All three will last for decades.

flipped4bikes

Specialized Tricross.

bsyptak

I disagree with the Surly recommendation in this particular post. OP says he will use it to go to college. This bike will get stolen on the first day of class.

I'd vote for a non-brand name bike in this case (on campus). A bike of unknown value (except to it's owner) is unlikely to be stolen. The case for the Windsor does make some sense. Especially since it's value has been vouched for as above.

On the other hand, I picked up a used Waterford CX bike a few months back and it's probably as anonymous as a Windsor! Nobody seems to know what I have except an old fashioned lugged steel bike! Maybe I should put tape over all the DA parts though! So maybe picking up used a boutique bike is another option. Complete Gunnar bikes seem to go for cheap on Ebay for example. Gunnar? Who's that?

wintermute

Surly's just as much of a botique bike as a Gunnar. If you're enough into bikes to have heard of one, you've heard of the other. Plus there's no clearcoat on Surlys, so it's easy to pull the decals off.

JT52

+1 on the Cross-Check. Love mine.

I have a friend who has the Volpe and he's crazy about that bike.

Either one would be a great acquisition...

invisiblehand

Hmmmm, keeping the bike safe while at college might prove difficult with a $1000 touring bike. My strategy would be the following:

(1) Find a good shop for sizing and pick up a Trek 520 (might be out of your price range now), Bianchi Volpe ($900), Jamis Aurora ($830 at https://bicyclesource.us/itemdetails.cfm?ID=10742) or the Surly Crosscheck (already built version is still around $900). There are other suitable bikes --> someone mentioned a Fuji model; you can often find the Fuji models on sale at Performance Bikes. The aforementioned REI model is tauted by several in the Washington area as a great touring bike. I just don't know its price. Cannondale also makes a great touring bike ... again, I do not know its price. I ride a Jamis Nova but the 2006 model is around $1300. There are some differences between the models. Test ride as many as you can. My back of the envelope recommendation is the Volpe. A close second is the Aurora.

(2) Pick up a cheap bike off of Craigslist for the travel to and from school; even if you are only moderately handy with a bike. You should be able to get away with something suitable for less than $100. Any japanese bike from the late 80s or early 90s is a good buy and often undervalued.

Here is the math.

Your budget $1150.
(1) Volpe $900
(2) Craigslist commuter $100
(3) Accessories $150 --> trust me, you will need it

Good luck!

invisiblehand

One more thing ...

Part of my recommendation is some quick math. Given your budget of $1150, I would spend ...

(1) $900 on the tourer (Volpe)
(2) $100 on the commuter (Craigslist gold)
(3) $150 on the accessories you will need for touring, tires, helmet, and so on.

mikeyp.1

Subigo-can you tell where you heard abt. the wheel problem?I'm thinking of getting that bike also,and would like to know.

Terrapax

I'd like to thank everyone for their contributions to my search process thus far. It now looks like what I should really be looking at is the Surly Cross-Check, the Bianchi Volpe, and the Windsor/Fuji Touring. The Trek 520 is a tad out of my budget, but can potentially be negotiated. I looked up dealers and they are around, I'll have to travel farther, but that's not terribly much of a problem.

Few points of contention:

As of this moment, I am highly considering the Volpe as the final bike, mainly due to being able to get a fit at a bike shop, whereas the Cross-Check would not have that advantage because I would be building it up, and neither would the Windsor from online. I don't really have any objections to building my own, I'm sure I can figure it out, and I'd get potentially more satisfaction and experience out of it (built my computer, amid other things), but since this will be under a lot of use, and my primary mode of transportation, I'd feel safer on something prebuilt as my first actual bike. If the bug ever bites to get a second bike or to switch, I'll probably build then.

The points about campus and bike thefts is valid, but I'm not terribly worried. I will always leave it under lock, probably multiple ones at night. If it looks terribly inconvienient to take it, chances are they won't take it. A factor in my school selection is the ability to have a good cycling environment, but after academic merit, of course. I'm an out-of-stater, but I'm considering Indiana University in Bloomington, due to the wide variety of subjects offered, the number of events due to the music school, the scholarships I would be eligible for (and more than likely recieve), and the cycle-friendly town and events (Little 500, Hilly 100, etc.). There are other places as well that I am considering, I'll probably post a thread in General about bike-friendly campuses.

Thanks for the help.

dbuzi123

Perhaps things are different in the college you are going to, but I think you are underestimating the likelyhood of theft. I've had a bike and a front wheel stolen, the bike over night, but the front wheel was stolen in the middle of the afternoon on a school day. I would never leave a nice bike outside, regardless of how well locked it is. Try and find a place inside to store it, or maybe they have bike lockers?

wintermute

The university I went to (SUNY Buffalo) had bike lockers at all of the dorms that you could rent as an add-on to your boarding fee. These were fairly substantial and had rather beefy locks. This would take care of your bike overnight. You should see if your college provides something like this.

invisiblehand

A $1000 bike locked outside is as good as gone over the semester ...

ceridwen

Not every campus is the hotbed of theft you might expect.

I lock my Volpe up outside every day I go to class. It hasn't been taken yet, nor do I know a single person who has had their bike stolen on my campus unless they left the bike unlocked. Most people use crappy cables or chains (like 2 dollar bell chains from walmart) and the bikes go unstolen for weeks and even months at a time. One bike wasn't even attached to anything at all, just a crappy kiddie chain through the front wheel. It stayed there for over a month before the police dept took it. Not a single component was missing and the bike was in perfectly working condition (the chain was a little rusted, nothing else wrong with it).

Touring type bikes don't tend to have the bling effect that road and mtb's do. I think that helps them. Evaluate the situation at the school you are going to. Talk to students and the campus cops about how prevalent bike theft is there. Definately use a good lock and avoid locking the bike outside at night. I bring mine into the apartment and my roomate does the same with hers. In addition to the mini-U I have locking skewers so no one can run off with my wheels or seat without a good bit of effort.

I don't go to a tiny school either, it's one of the biggest in the US. I have two siblings attending different colleges that also do not have big theft problems, though the schools in those cases are smaller.

As for which bike you should get, the suggestions in this thread are good I think. I love my Volpe a lot. The best thing you can do is just ride each one, but that can be difficult to do depending what your LBS has in stock. I ended up test riding a Bianchi Castro Valley and making my decision to get the Volpe based on that because my LBS doesn't normally carry the Volpe. Both bikes use the same frame though, so I felt pretty solid about the decision. If you cannot find the bike you want to get locally, try to ride something with a similar frame before you buy.

invisiblehand

Maybe I should clarify ... A $1000 bike locked outside overnight is as good as gone over the semester. Of course, you can ride it to class and eat lunch with buddies while the bike is locked.

Do not compare your bike to a Wal-Mart Huffy, a 6-year-old beater bike, or even a $500 bike when considering crime statistics. CERIDWEN is correct in that the probability of theft varies considerably from one area to the next. But in the universe of bicycles, a $1000 bike is an expensive one that will be tempting (just think about how expensive those STI shifters are and how easy they are to remove).