Originally Posted by
|3iker
Have you considered the Norco VFR1?
Since you are considering the Kona, why not look into the Kona Dr. Dew or Dew Deluxe? They have disc brakes.
I hadn't considered the Norco VFR1, but looking at it, it fails my big iron-clad requirement: Must have disc brakes. I commute in the winter through the snow. That's not "oh, snow has fallen but my route is clear". This has been a mild winter so far, and it's still not that uncommon for me to be riding through varying amounts of snow, ice, slush, and car-churned mush. Rim brakes don't cut it.
Aside from that, the closest Norco dealer is Brooklyn, and the bike would have to have a feature set to compete with the bikes in my original post for me to consider ordering it online.
The Dr. Dew and Dew Deluxe are ok, but they lack an internally geared hub, any kind of special amenities, and the only local-ish shop that sells Kona is a pain to get to. I want an IGH if possible. It's not a requirement per se, but I'd probably have to ride a bike with an IGH and not like it for me to decide against it.