Looking for first commuter bike.
 

Hello and thanks for the add!
My work is giving me the chance to purchase a bike at a great price and I was wondering what everyone thought. I will be using it manly for a 10 mile one way commute to work which has a few dirt paths along the way. Please compare price and quality and let me know what you think.

2014 D606 | Redline Bicycles $399

2015 D600 | Redline Bicycles $269

Trace Comp (City) $480

Raleigh Bicycles - Tekoa $325

Thanks to everyone that gives me an input.

Hmmm, 6 of 1, half a dozen of the other.

For those 4 bikes, a few key differences.
The Trace has mechanical brakes. I think all the rest have Hydraulic brakes.
The Trace and the 2014 D606 are 9 spd.
The 2015 D600 and Raleigh are 8 spd.

All the prices seem reasonable.

Personally I prefer commuting on skinny tire road bikes. 10 miles is a moderate commute. You might also consider drop bar cyclocross bikes, for a bit more rugged/off-road-ish, but designed to crank out the miles.

Good luck with your choice.

Do You Like the dealer selling That brand? they will help maintain your purchase.

Redline and Raleigh are shipped to Seattle Bike supply for distribution Nation Wide ..

Bikes without a suspension for will weigh less and not Bob Up and Down as you ride

Like sus forks in low price points will .

Like Trek's FX or redline's Conquest cross http://redlinebicycles.com/bikes/2015-conquest/

Awesome thanks for the start helping me out. I feel like I would like the hyd disc brakes. I would like to keep as a mountain bike so I can ride it on more of that casual up and down hill trails in San Diego

That's an excellent discount! Wish my employer helped me buy my bike :-D

For road commuting you don't need a suspension fork... for offroad you'd like one that has some damping. The Redlines that you link have oil damping forks with lockouts for smooth roads, while the others just have springs in them and no lockout. The first Redline is 9-speed and the second is 8-speed which explains the price difference. 9-speed stuff is generally a little higher quality just because that's what the manufacturers do to us, the jerks. But it's not a super important difference. I can't really see why the D'back costs more than the Redlines, it's a lower spec bike. The only advantage it has for commuting is the smoother tires, which a dealer might swap out for you at a discount.

Be sure to budget for lights, a way to carry your stuff, and tools or a backup plan in case of weather or breakdowns.

Thanks everyone! Well I am starting to lean towards the Redlines I like the D606 but I cant tell if the upgrades are worth the extra $130 bucks. I would think that the 9 speed would be the best for more top speed.

Top gear is the same on either bike. The 8-speed actually has a very slightly lower granny gear. The 9-speed gives you more ratios in between. And also like I said, more speeds tends to be higher quality, and the other components on the bike will be slightly better to match. My opinion, it's not a huge difference, and I'd pick the cheaper one. For commuting on roads and level foot paths, it wouldn't make a difference for many years and thousands of miles and maybe never. If I were going to take a step up to higher quality for MTB purposes, it would be a bigger step.

Are you ordering the bikes, or are they in stock in a store that you can go down and look at. There may well be a lot of little differences between the D600 and D606 that would be easier to pick out in person.

A 2014 model may well be in short supply by now. It also may be carrying greater discounts (but it may also have more obsolete parts).

You can look at $130 difference between D600, or D606, or consider that the latter one costs 50% more which is substantial. But, that could be good and bad. It may have a bunch of subtle upgrades which would all add up to a nicer bike.

Yes I will be ordering. I was also think that the price of the D600 is $130 off from the D606 and the d606 is one year older. I would like to add that the d600 is at a 60% off retail and the d606 is 50%. I am right on the edge about my order and I cant really tell if the 606 is $130 worth while hmmmm still thinking.

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None of us can tell you what you like or don't like. You need to get on these bikes, or bikes with similar geometries/componetry and ride yourself, mentally noting what you do and do not like about the ride quality of each. If you don't know enough to know that you don't know, then just buy something comfortable and cheap...if the bug bites you you can always upgrade or uptrade later.

I started out with a $100 ebay cromo road bike and moved up from there. Now I'm on a frame-up cross bike build and a Devinci roadie. You might go the other way, keep your first bike for 20 years, or decide after a month of commuting that you're really not into it. Just buy something.

I understand the riding each one would be the best but I am going for a dollar for dollar best price and quality of parts. That is what I am looking for I don't know the quality levels of these parts nor the cost of them sooo getting the dollar for dollar comparison is what I was trying to get.

I have No clue as to Your needs ... Get a Bike and commute on it.. Its that simple..

Looking at things like the SR Suntour XCM fork from the D600 on the internet, the XCM is listed as a low-end fork (with the XCR (D606) slightly better). But, that would be expected on a $269 bike which really is scratching the bottom of the barrel.

You should take a discount off of a MSRP with a grain of salt. For you, the bottom line is you're buying a $269 bicycle. Keep in mind, this time of year, companies are clearing out their old stock and bringing in new, and there are good deals to be found on last years models.

For those people that have done a scratch build of any bicycle, it is very hard to keep one's build cost below $269. There are several reasons for this. First of all, it is difficult to match manufacture costs on parts. But, perhaps bigger, there is always the temptation to add little insignificant upgrades.

So, rather than buying $15 ea ($30 pr) CST Critter tires, you might be tempted by $30 ea ($60 pr) Schwalbe Big Apple tires. Maybe double walled rims. A few upgrades on components here and there, and suddenly your budget goes through the roof.

As parts wear out, or time passes, you can upgrade many things. For example, a 9 speed or 10 speed upgrade would be easy enough, but would require shifter, and maybe derailleur upgrades. But, never plan on piling $1000 worth of upgrades on a $269 bike.

There are lots of good deals on used bikes that would be appropriate as commuters, especially if you can invest a little in repairs and upgrades.

I don't commute on a MTB. So, I'd much prefer putting $269 into a nice road bike, or perhaps cyclocross bike. But, there are MTB commuters too. So, don't let your eyes gloss over with the offer of a big discount. Buy the bike you really want, and will meet your goals.

Consider the class of bikes. All the above bikes would make good entry level MTBs. If that is what you desire. If you desire something else, then buy what you want, not a boat anchor.

There are plenty of advantages of buying new. I curse every time I encounter bent axles, pitted cones, or perhaps mismatched parts that just don't work quite right together.

Again, this is up to you to decide. Some people will tell you cf or Ultegra have the highest $:value ratio, others will argue for steel and Tiagra. My argument is for building something yourself from ebay parts, and the style/geometry of the bike would depend on what weather/style you be riding.

Just get on some bikes, or do like I did and just buy something cheap that fits and upgrade/change as you learn more about your riding style and preferences.

Looking at all of those bikes, the all look pretty close to equivalent, and the discount you're getting from your employer means a great deal for any!

If you're narrowed in on Redline, I don't see significant differences between them, I would focus my research on the forks. If what you read about the XCR 32 fork sounds better to you, then I would go for the more expensive bike, otherwise just save the $130.

What kind of place in San Diego is giving you a bike-buying benefit like this? I wish my employer had some kind incentive that would give me $$ for bike commuting (which I'm doing anyways)

What is your commuting route like?