Originally Posted by
jeffpoulin
You mentioned Trek and Cannondale, what other brands can you buy there?
well, I can get Specialized, Bianchi, Kona, Everest, Scott and probably many others. Cycling is popular in Norway and I haven't visited all the bike stores in Bergen yet, so I guess availability shouldn't be a big problem.
I have 2 main commuting bikes. A 2008 Trek 7.7FX and a 1999 Cannondale T700 (touring) which has had most of its parts replaced by Shimano XT. The 7.7 is an Al frame with carbon fork and stays (the 7.9 is the fully carbon model). I thought about getting disc brakes for it, but it would cost about 250 euros for the conversion, whereas I can get 4 new v-brake pads for 10 euros. So, I'm sticking with the v-brakes. They work well enough in the rain and snow, and it only takes a minute to wipe the rims after a wet ride. They're very easy to adjust too.
great! if you're able to use rim brakes in the alps, then I should be able to use them here, too. This makes choosing a bike much easier.
If you're going more than 15km each way, I would not recommend a flat-bar bike. I wish I had known that before I bought the Trek. Aside from that, it's been a great bike for commuting.
My commute is less than 10km one way, but I'd still prefer having a drop-bar bike, just because of my habits. I find upright position annoying.
Thanks for all the advices! Cheers!