thanks for all the input, everybody. your advice is helping me so much.
so i just went and rode the bikes back to back.
the giant is light and responsive, but had some REALLY bad toe overlap on turns. i almost ate it twice in the parking lot. i also took it on a hill - my house is at the top of a murderous hill - and the canti brakes scared me a little becasue they locked up quickly - also the compact frame seemed to push me up over the bars whenever i slowed down. i think this is a factor of the shorter frame putting me WAY upright.
the novarra is heavier, but the discs are nice. the front d erailleur needs some tweaking, and it needs a new seat and pedals, but the ride is pretty good, i'm upright enough but not too far. it's not as quick as the giant but i'm not sure i want real quick on a commuter.
the only thing that is keeping me from pulling the trigger is the maintenance. how often am i going to take advantage of this?
thanks again for all the great advice. this forum is the best.
Originally Posted by Shimpiphany
it's down to two bikes, both are great rides, one is a better deal component-wise, the other comes from a great LBS that offers lifetime maintenance. they are about 20 bucks apart in price (the novarra is on sale).
Novara Big Buzz
http://tinyurl.com/4e2hh
this bike is a step up, component-wise, has disc brakes and is a more responsive ride. i only get one free shake down tune up here.
giant fcr3
http://tinyurl.com/cknoh
a good ride, LBS that will provide lifetime maintenance - which i've verified to be true. they've been there for 15 years, did a great job overhauling my S.O.'s bike and seem really oriented towards repair versus sales.
i have to admit, i think i like the buzz better, but only marginally so, and mostly because i think i'm getting more bike for the money. i'm going to use these to commute 10-12 mi rt. and for fitness.
HELP! i'm stuck and really want to pull the trigger on a new bike. i'm in your hands, folks!
(PS - rode the trek 7500FX, specialized sirrus, can't get anywhere near a jamis coda to ride it, and eliminated internally geared hubs. it really is down to these two - so give me your opinions, please!)