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Old 11-21-13, 10:29 AM
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CoastalBiking
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Originally Posted by spivonious
1) The Elite has an aluminum fork. This will be lighter, but won't absorb bumps as well as steel. It also has upgraded components and a different crankset (48/36/26 vs 48/38/28). Fewer teeth up front means you'll be able to tackle some bigger hills, but to put things in perspective, I'm running a 48/38/28 and have never needed to drop to the lowest gear, even on the bigger hills in my area. Finally, the tires are upgraded to "Armadillo" which I assume means it has some sort of puncture protection. Depending on the level of broken glass and gravel on your routes, this may or may not be worth it.
2) More gears means you're more likely to find one to match your situation. I'm running a 7 speed cassette right now, and there are times when I wish I had gears in between.
3) Maybe something in Trek's DS line or Giant's Roam line? Most bicycle manufacturers have lines that will fit your usage and budget. At that level, they're pretty much all equal, so pick the one you like the best.
Thanks! It sounds like there isn't too much to look forward to after paying $140 more.
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