Getting new bike, couple of questions
 

Alright, so like....I need a new bike. My old one is trashed. I originally got hit about a year ago, and since then i've been wasting a lot of money to keep it together, but now it's too far gone. I originally made a post about it here: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=90724 but nobody replied. I ended up just fixing my bike up instead of buying a new one. But now, it's finally time for a new bike.

My top picks are the Kona Dew Deluxe, the Cannondale Bad Boy, and the Specialized Sirrus. It'd be cool if people who owned those bikes posted what they liked/disliked about them.


I also have a question. I've been reading here on these forums that disc brakes, and racks/fenders don't work out too well. Is this true? Are there any racks specifically designed to work around the disc brakes? If so, where can I get one?

Also, i'd like to get some panniers.Anyone got any suggestions for some? If not, know any threads on this forum with suggestions?

Other bikes to consider are:
Cannondale T2000 touring
Cannondale Cyclocross Disc
Cannondale Sport road 1000
Trek 520 touring
Trek 1200 or x500
and go to roadbikereview.com and check out the touring models.


No problem. Even standard alum performance rack fits. LBS installed in for me for no minimal charge. I made it a condition of the purchase. For SKS fenders just a slight bend of support on one side to avoid the adjustment mechanism, and fits fine. I didn't have to go to Old Man Mountain racks to get a rack to fit. I've heard from others that planet bike fenders work well also and they have a bottom rain flap.

Appreciated the disc brakes on the ride yesterday with a bit of rain. No braking fall off.

Old Man Mountain makes racks for disc brakes. I had one on my Kona Dew Deluxe.
I also fitted freddy fenders but i did have to bend the fender supports around the brakes a little bit. But it worked out fine.

I think the Kona would be better with thinner tires (28 or 32 mm). The bottom gear on the Kona and the Cannondale may be lower than you need - if the shop can switch to a closer ratio casette you would get slicker shifting. The smaller wheels on the Bad Boy will also make the effective gearing lower. There are more choices of tires suitable for road riding with the 700c wheels. They are all decent bikes so take test rides and buy whichever one turns you on.

The Radical Explorack is a low cost one that I really like.

You also might give the Dr Dew a ride. The hydraulic brakes might be nice. I would second putting thinner tires on for commuting. I use 28mm in front and 32 in back and it gives a great ride. A little less weight up front for steering and more cushioning and road grabbing in the rear.

I purchased a Sirrus for my girlfriend, who recently began her graduate program. This is her first nice bike, and she is really happy with it.

I mostly ride flat-bar road bikes and bought her the Sirrus because it is one of the few real flat-bar's at that price point. After a few test rides on it, I think it compares well to my current ride, a Giant FCR 1. The weight difference isn't that great between the two, and I really liked the way it road. The crank is nice and stiff, and the geometry is aggressive (which is my qualm with a lot of bikes in this price range). I wish they had included a nicer rear derailler, but that not withstanding it is a really nice scoot.

My qualm with bikes in this price range is that they are usually designed to be comfortable, not fast. The Sirrus is designed to do to move. For $500, I would say you are getting 90% the performance of my FCR 1. That's my two cents.

I ride a Fuji Absolute for my commute...never tried the Specialized Sirrus, but they look like the same bike, pretty much. I'd see what you can get the better deal on. Many road bikes do not have attach points for discs...what's the point? They're heavier, and on a road you are unlikely to thrash your rims, or be slogging through mud puddles.
If you do get discs, who says you need them on both tires? Just put discs on the front...which is your most important brake for stopping anyway, thus spake Sheldon Brown. Then you can mount a conventional rear rack on the back of the bike.
There are racks made to work around discs (never tried 'em...I "mixed up" the brakes on my MTB, and my Absolute has standard rim brakes.) I've been told they don't hold as much weight, and tend to be less stable.

So hey, I went to a few bike shops today, and tested out a few bikes. The only cannondale carrier in the entire city (Hutch's) refuses to carry the Bad Boy until the '06 model comes out, and won't special order it. Tried out the Sirrus, and it was a great ride. Tried out a couple of Trek's, but they didn't seem right for me. Tomorrow i'm going to another shop to try out the Kona Dew Deluxe, and if I can, the Gary Fisher Nirvana (the other gary fisher carrier didn't have any in). I'll just keep checking out shops until I get my money on tuesday, which is when i'll probably make my purchase.

2 of the 3 shops I went to today carried racks that were built specifically for disc brakes, so i'm not worried about that anymore.

I got myself a Kona Dew Deluxe. The frame is 58CM. I'd have probably been better off with a 56CM one but this one fits me really well if I keep the seat post pretty low, which is how I prefer to have it. It was this, a 52 CM or a Dr. Dew, OR waiting a few weeks to special order. But I figured that even though it's a bit big, I can ride it perfectly, and it feels great, so I got it anyways.

Here's a picture:

http://yvgs.com/bike/New%20Bike%20002.jpg

On tuesday, when I actually get money*, i'll be getting some lights, a rack, a couple of panniers, and some fenders. Until then, I get to enjoy my brand new bike. Although this one goes tons faster, it actually feels like it's giving me more of a workout. I think it's because the frame is so much bigger than my old one. The specialized I have is definately too small for me. I have to ride with the seat entirely too high. I'll be turning it into a fix-er-up project now, and will be giving it to my friend Terra in the end, after I get it rebuilt. Here's a picture of my old one.

http://yvgs.com/bike/bike%20001.jpg


*Tuesday is when I was PLANNING on getting the bike. But I couldn't wait. Now I get to eat ramen for a week!

Should've PM'd me. I own all three. ;)

You did good. I would've suggested the Kona. :D


With a little MacGuyvering,you can get a set of Freddy Fenders to mount. I saw one on eBay that had them. The guy bent the struts to go around the disc calipers. I haven't installed it,but I have an Axiom rack(http://www.rei.com/online/store/Prod...cat=REI_SEARCH) that will fit fine with the disc brakes. Don't know if the fenders and rack can be mounted together,but the rack would take care of most of the rear spray on it's own. You might just need to add a small extension on the back and a mudguard to the seattube to catch the spray off the front of the tire.

I tested the C'dale Bad Boy and Sirrus Elite, and went for the Sirrus. Adjustable neck is nice, and the ride felt more to my liking.

I didn't think much of the components on the Bad Boy. I've noticed in these forums from previous threads that people don't like the tires that come with it either. Cool paint job though.

So I spent just about the entire day on my bike.

First I took my bike to the shop that I purchased it at, because I was feeling some movement in the crank (not the arms, but the center). The shop mechanic that was working there said nothing was loose but tightened the crank arms/chain rings up anyways.

About 10 minutes later, the problem was still there while I was on my way downtown, so I decided to stop at another shop in the same chain (Pauls). They took a look at my bike for me, jumped on my crank a few times, and told me one of the cups on the chainring side was loose. He promptly disassembled my crank and tightened it up for me, free of charge! I've decided that aside from getting my free tuneup in a couple of months, I won't be going back to that particular installment of Pauls for work any time soon, even if it IS closer.

Then I had him put a rack on for me. It's an Axiom Disk rack (like the one dynaryder suggested). The guy had a bit of trouble with it. They just got the disc racks in for the first time. But after about 10 minutes of fiddling around, he got it, and it works great.

Then came panniers. They had some nice Jandd ones, but the way they were designed, they wouldn't work with my rack (because of the disc). So I went to a couple of other shops, to look at my options. Some other pack that looked really nice (started with an O) had the same issue. In the end, I found some decent looking ones called "Sakaroo's" that I was able to get on without any troubles. Purchased those, along with a pump that attaches to my water bottle mounts, a water bottle holder, a water bottle and a new lock (NY u-lock).


Now all I need are some lights. THe selectoin seemed kinda limited in all of the shops that I saw. Anyone have any suggestions? I don't ride at night a whole lot (almost never, actually) so i'd like to cheap out and get just some decent ones that will work on the rare occasion that I AM out at night.


EDIT: PICS!

http://yvgs.com/bike/Bikey%20003.jpg
My cat is such an attention *****! She saw I was getting the camera out, and jumped out of the hamper to get in that shot.

http://yvgs.com/bike/Bikey%20004.jpg
Closeup on the panniers. They seem pretty good. After my shopping trip tonight, i'll make a post saying how well they hold up under extreme stress from my tortilla chips and salsa.



Question: For those of you who go grocery shopping with panniers, do you take them off when you go inside? Or do you just leave them on, and trust that nobody will steal them?

Take them with you and pack the groceries in them yourself. You can get alot more in the bag if you don't have to deal with grocery sacks.
Craig