Bike Forums - View Single Post - Budget bike advice for midget Athena? Build vs buy, etc...

10-27-10, 12:33 PM

#3

bautieri

Downtown Spanky Brown

Join Date: May 2007

Location: Enola, Pennsyltucky

Posts: 2,108

Bikes: Motobecane Phantom Cross Pro Kona Lana'I

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Quote:

Originally Posted by jyossarian

Go to bikesdirect, buy whatever bike w/ the right component mix, swap everything over to whatever frame she chooses and sell the BD frame. Or go the used route since she has plenty of time before next summer.

Sorta

Lets see...the most applicable BD donor bike would be the Windsor Tourist to get your friend STI shifting and tour appropriate gearing. This bike has many followers in the touring forum including a couple that toured across the US on them straight out of the box. It retails for 600 with free shipping to your door. If price is a factor...this is going to be hard to beat. I wouldn't bother swapping the parts over to the Surley frame. First, you're going to need tools which you may not have. You'll have to buy them or pay someone else to do it which will add to the cost. The next issue is that it doesn't have 26'' wheels in the small size like the LHT does so that will add to the cost too.

If 26'' tires are a must, I'd keep an eye out for an old Trek 520. If she can live with the 700 wheels and tires, go for the Windsor. I really doubt she would be disappointed with it. Buy it now and have a competent mechanic go over it, give it a good lube, and re-tention the wheels straight out of the box. Ride the bike all winter before the tour so she can get used to it/get any kinks worked out.

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