Originally Posted by
AIRchrist
Thanks for the input. I'm thinking I might either just upgrade a little and the the Dawes SST or save up a little more and rock the Kilo. Biggest thing is, I just wanna ride again. I'll worry about comps and the aesthetic later. I just didn't want to get duped if I bought from bikesdirect. But from what I've read around the intertubes today, they seem fairly legit. Not the best bikes, but a decent starter bike.
I appreciate the help.
I've got a 2008 Motobecane Fantom CX from BD. It's got over 8000 commuter miles on it w/just routine maintenance. I swapped out the stock cx tires for some Schwalbe Marathon Plus. It's my main commuter and has been a workhorse w/entry level comps. I paid 500.00 for it delivered in May/08. Will get a MB Messenger when I go to get a fixie. If you have any bike mechanic skills and tools I'd highly recommend going this route. If you decide against going w/the Dawes that is.
And the suggestion to try an mtb based ss is a good one, too. In commuting urban for about 5 years I used a 94 Fuji Discovery I found at a pawnshop(50.00) and it was a phenomenal all-weather urban assault vehicle. Very little maintenance and just recently gave it to a friend of mine who rebuilds bikes as a church ministry. He gives them to kids. The mtb frame w/smaller wheels gave me a nimbleness in heavy traffic a cx or road bike simply don't have. So, that's an option, too.