Originally Posted by Chester

Got mine last week and took it out for a couple rides this past weekend. A few notes, much of which will just be echoing previous data points:

- Y'all Are Paranoid: I rode about 35 miles on SF City streets and started feeling really self-satisfied about not falling prey to all the puncture alarmism in this thread. And then I flatted.
- No, Actually, You're Not: You must put in proper rim tape. People are totally right when they say the stupid rubber strip just shifts around, exposing the tube to spokes.
- Get Some STRONG Levers: The tires are the hardest tires I've ever had the displeasure to remove. Someone recommended shelling out for the Lezyne alloy levers. I'm ordering a pair, myself, because I broke two levers removing just one of these Kenda Kwests.
- Upgrades Imminent: Have a pair of Schwalbe Kojaks and a couple rolls of Velox rim tape waiting at home for when I'm feeling like punishing myself by trying to remove two of these absurdly-tight Kwests.
- Switch to Schrader: Dion made the suggestion that one open up the rims' valve holes to take Schrader tubes. I'll second this as it is pretty much impossible to find 20" Presta tubes in stock in even good bike shops...unless they happen to pay attention to folding bikes/recumbents. I'm going to try to file them wider instead of drilling, but...same difference.
- Everything Else is Fine: Maybe I'll change my mind when I switch out to the Kojaks, but the Kwests didn't feel particular sluggish. And the brakes -- levers and calipers -- seem fine to me. Had no problem with braking while hitting descents at like ~35MPH or responding to general urban chaos.
- Don't know if it's a hardware or adjustment issue but the rear derailleur often has a hard time settling on gears in between the extremes of the cassette. Shifting on the front chainring is fine, though I did pop the chain off once when going from small to big chainring.
- Handling-wise, it's a fun, nimble bike. I don't feel any real compromises riding it aside from some squirrellyness when climbing...probably unavoidable due to the height of the stem but probably also not helped by the narrowness of the handlebars. I was even riding it with a right-side pannier on a rear rack and I think the lower center of gravity actually makes it more comfortable carrying a load on this bike than on a 700c rig.

Pretty much everything on the bike is crap, but I think the only mandatory change is adding proper rim tape. And, since you have to battle with the almost indomitable bead of those Kenda Kwests, you might as well swap them out for something that won't leave you crying on the side of the road with a handful of snapped tire levers.

Through last night, I'd only switched saddles and put a rear rack on. But I have a bag of stuff to throw on: the aforementioned rim tape and Kojak tires, MKS GR-9 pedals, MKS half-clips, a moustache handlebar...and whenever I get around to ordering and receiving 'em, bar-end shifters, and probably new brake levers and calipers, and maybe even a new crankset.

So, basically...I'll end up having spent $300 on the frame and wheels.

Totally don't regret it.