I've told myself to never start a thread like this...

QBP is my LBS's main distributor, and Salsa and Jamis are two of their brands. I'm looking to get an everyday bike with drop bars, disc brakes, fenders, and a rack, and adding a dynohub to it.

Aurora Elite:
http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebik...lite_spec.html

Vaya:
http://salsacycles.com/bikes/vaya/

Both have steel frames, use drops n' discs, and have multiple mounting tabs and eyelets.

I might get studded tires before next season, but I probably should use a POS bike for the ice, slush and salt instead. I don't need to ride long distances in the winter anyway.

The Jamis likely uses a nicer Reynolds steel for its frame. While they list it as having double eyelets, I only see one set in the back in the pic. I would probably change out the fenders anyway (not a fan of the flat aluminum strips), and I've got some Topeak MTX stuff that won't work on the stock rack. I don't know about its crank, either -- if it shifts well and lasts a long time, that'll be fine, but I've got a Shimano compact sitting around that can replace it if needed. It's also got that trick stem/steerer tube that lets you adjust the bar height without using spacers or even undoing the top cap -- but you'd need to stick with Jamis stems, too.

The Vaya, apparently one of Salsa's new bikes, uses an unknown steel ("Salsa Classico Cromoly", but that should be good enough anyway) and comes with a straight fork. The brakes are one step down, the drivetrain is close enough to the Aurora's (a lower-spec RD, but the same Shimano crank that I have in a bag), and the wheels appear comparable. It's pictured with double eyelets for the rear, and the rear brake bracket is located within the rear triangle, keeping it out of the way of a fender and rack. I'll also be able to get the fenders and rack that I want without tossing perfectly good factory parts.

So, as-equipped, they've each got their good points over the other. Whaddya think?