jburri

Hi fellow commuters,

I have used a bike as my primary form of transportation my entire adult life. I have gradually upgraded my bike (all MTBs) over the years from a K-Mart special (Murray) up to the '03 Marin Rocky Ridge I ride now. I have a daily round trip commute of 14-15 miles and like to do 15-20 mile rides on the weekends (time permitting). All of my riding is done on the tranquil streets of Los Angeles and have added areobars, bar ends, hybrid tires and rack to my bike to make it more commuter friendly. I want to stick with a flat bar bike but want something more appropriate for the riding I do. A few requirements I have is that it has to accommodate a rack and have disc brakes. Although I probably don't need disc brakes I like them a lot more than side-pull/v-brakes and don't really want to go back. However, having the disc brakes makes mounting a rack a lot more difficult. When I bought my current bike I couldn't find a rack that fit and had to settle for one that mounts on my seat post which I hate but have lived with for the last 3+ years. Also, I realize now that having front suspension is pretty useless for me and I don't want to waste money on it.

With all of this in mind, here are the bikes I am interested in:

Scott sub 10

my thoughts: Seems like good bang-for-the-buck and has the back disc brake mounted so that installing a rack will be a lot easier. Much more on the MTB side of the hybrid scale (I would prefer to be on the road bike side of the scale).

Marin Pt. Reyes

my thoughts: Pretty much the bike I have now but with a carbon fork. Best bang-for-the-buck of the lot. Also more on the MTB side of the hybrid scale. Will have same rack mounting problem I have now.

Cannondale Bad Boy Disc

my thoughts: Before I got the Marin I had a Cannondale F400 and loved it (was stolen - damn L.A.). Worst bang-for-the-buck of the lot. Will have same rack mounting problem I have now. Also more on the MTB side of the hybrid scale.

Specialized Sirrus Pro

my thoughts: Based on the specs it is my dream bike. Rack mounting won't be a problem. More on the road bike side of the hybrid scale. The problem is that it is very expensive (for me to justify to my wife) and I have read a lot of people trashing Specialized on the forums. Also, all of the carbon seems like overkill for me. I would like a carbon fork but can do without the rest.

I haven't tried any of them out yet because no one has any in stock. I was told by several LBS that they are waiting for the '07 to arrive in the next month or two.

I would really appreciate your (expert) thoughts on the bikes I have listed or any suggestion you would have for other bikes.

Thanks for the help.
-Jeremy