Originally Posted by Tom Bombadil

I've found out that a number of companies are making similar bikes to the GF Mendota. This type of bike is referred to as a high performance "Urban" bike - designed for commuting over a rougher surface than one might on a road bike. They have a lot of similar features, such as using mountain bike frames, flat handlebars, rigid forks (many of them using carbon forks), 700x28 to 700x32 tires (although some use up to 700x42) that usually have a kevlar belt, the gearing can be all mountain-bike, or a mixture of mountain & road, and several have disc brakes. There are several in the $800-$1000 range with pretty good components. And they usually come in black or gray/silver colors.

Bikes having most or some of these features include the Gary Fisher Mendota, Cannondale Bad Boy, Marin Point Reyes, Trek Soho, and Specialized - which plays at the edges with their Crosstrail Pro & Globe Expert models.

Compare this pics of the Cannondale Bad Boy Disc and Marin Point Reyes with the Mendota above:

http://www.marinbikes.com/bicycles_2...int_reyes.html

Cannondale below