Originally Posted by Porten2
How do you like the Century? I've been considering moving up from a Diamondback comfort bike to the Century for better road performance on my commute to work. Tiagra derailers sound good for the price. My only concern is the aluminum fork. A lot of vibration?
I really, really am satisfied with the Century. I rode the Specialized Sirrus, a couple of Gary Fishers, a few Konas, and some others around the same price range before I ended up getting the Century. I feel like I really did my homework, speaking to people at local shops, talking to people who ride, and, more than anything, taking some good test rides on a lot of bikes. After a lot of time (and a lot of rides), it turned out that the Century felt the best and was the perfect fit. I'm loving it more and more every time I ride.
As for the aluminum forks, vibration honestly isn't an issue. I live in New York City, so I ride the hell out of the bike on graded pavement, over (and through) chips and small holes in roads, and I have no complaints at all. And when I ride in Central Park or on the river (where it's mostly very smooth), it's excellent. If you're really small, you might think twice about the aluminum forks, but in this average-sized guy's opinion, the bike's excellent.
Thanks for the pedal info, everyone! I'm still investigating, so any additional info is great!