gear

I have an Airborne Carpe Diem with the Airborne carbon (with disc tabs) fork. I would not want an all weather commuter that did not have disc brakes. When its wet it still stops on a dime and it doesn't leave half the brake pad smeared on the rim when it does it. I was able to mount fenders and a rack on this frame. It's aluminum but with a carbon fork, carbon seat post and carbon bars it soaks up vibration pretty well.

CBBaron

All of the bikes you list are also ones I would consider. Because I would probably go fixed right from the start my first choice would be the CrossCheck. It seems to be a very versitile frame with plenty of clearance for nearly any tire youd want to run plus all of the brazons. It is a little heavier than some but unless you go with a high end CF frame you probably won't save more than a pound given the same components. For a commuter 1lb is not going to make a huge difference.
Some of the new cross bikes are not designed for fenders and racks and are less suited to commuting but the one you have listed are all considered cross/light touring frames. These are all ideal commuters.
Craig

linds

I got my Bianchi Volpe about a month ago, and I am in love.

It's not very heavy (don't know the weight, but I'm a girl [:shock:!] and I carry it up and down a few flights of stairs a few times a day with no problem), has all the brazeons for fenders and racks and such, cantilever brakes, good gearing. Overall - A+.

Stock it comes with semi-knobby tires, 700x30/32. I think I might get slicks for around the city, and keep the semi-knobbies for potential fire-road touring kind of stuff).

It's marketed as their "light touring/cyclocross" bike; I think it's ideal for long rides and for commuting.

pmseattle

I have the titanium Carpe Diem, but it definately wasn't cheap. I run disc brakes on mine, also.

Unfortunately, Airborne bicycles are no longer available in the United States.

linux_author

+1

- the Volpe is an excellent choice, and one which i seriously considered... good price, nice components, great frame and features ... unfortunately, i ran across my Serotta Fierte Cross (see sig linky) at a LBS and fell in love... but i would NOT recommend the Serotta cross for the OP's needs... it wasn't as inexpensive at the Volpe and doesn't have the fender/rack eyelets... (i like it though, and it's perfect for my needs in my area)...

rivertrail

I know you clarified you're looking for a frameset. But, for whatever it's worth, I've been commuting very happily on my Poprad. It's turned out to be my favorite bike! This weekend I'm taking it to Big Bear for a little mountain riding! The new model even gives you a disc option.

FraAngelico

I'm shopping for a Volpe myself. It's the only bike with a flattened top tube for shouldering. Love that

caloso

Anybody know if it's possible to get just the Volpe or Poprad frame? (I suppose I could hunt around a bit on eBay and craigslist....)

EricDJ

I showed him the Flyte cross bike. I have a Hybrid Ti Airborne from while they were shortly available.

pmseattle

I thought that was a very unique, cool bike ( the ti hybrid ). Kind of expensive for that type of bike. I'm pretty sure that they didn't sell very many. I would love to see pictures of yours.

Chuckie J.

I have a Volpe and am amazed with it. I use it for daily commuting and have lugged quite a bit of weight on it with no problems at all. I use the bike for road rides with friends (it's my only "roadish" bike so it makes the most sense).

This week I actually took it into the mountains and it did just fine. I was a little nervous because the lowest gear I have on it is 30/32 and the tires are 35 in the front and 32 in the rear. I slipped around a bit in the sandy areas but other than that it was great. It really got me thinking about the imagined necessity of my other bikes, particularly my mountain bike (Kona Caldera). Fantastic, versatile frame. I'm now thinking that two cyclocross bikes could handle ALL of ones biking needs. (Come on, you can't have just one bike..... )

Chuckie

ho hum

I'm riding a Jamis Coda Comp. I love it. Steel frame, 24 lbs. might be a little heavy but it has eylets everywhere for racks and stuff. Can't go wrong with the Jamis.

never

Another vote for the Kona Jake series....I'm riding a Kona Major Jake that I spec'd the parts on and put together myself, specifically for the purpose of being a commuter and full rigid trail bike. I use it for commuting and I take it off-road on the same trails I ride the mountain bike...and I have a lot of fun with it, both on and off-road.

rivertrail

I found this in a quick Google search. So, I guess all you need to do is check with your LBS that carries Lemond. I'm not sure about Capitol Hill Bike's prices. So, find out from your LBS. Best of luck . . . and . . . enjoy the ride . . . whichever cool CX bike you end up with!! If you want to check with my LBS call Two Wheeler Dealer in Brea (714) 671-1730.

https://capitolhillbikes.com/site/ite...sort=BrandName

EricDJ

Apparently there will be more than I had expected. There is another BF member with one that changed to road bars. A Ti lover friend was impressed with my review and ordered one. But www.backroads.com had ordered these for their tours to use. I am glad they did because what was sold was leftovers. And it came by at a perfect time too. The bike I had wanted was a Trek 7700fx but at $1500 was too much. Then I found out they were all out. Had I found one, they would have been small just to spite me. Luckily a friend that I was doing some work for told me that since I worked for them I could get a deal on bikes through an affiliate program. A few of the brands were not really special. The only bike that was a hybrid that I could get a deal on was an Iron Horse Adventure GLX. So it looked like i'd have to settle. However I saw the Airborne bikes and looked up all the info on them and was impressed, however it was all priced out of the cash on hand. I kept searching and happened back across the Airborne site and saw the Upright listed at $1200. I started trying to see if I could swing it, but it was out of sight. Luckily when I checked back it was $800 and I kicked down and ordered it via PayPal. Now you see that for what I got compared to Trek, its actually cheap for the type.

I was impressed when I got it. I was more impressed with the service. Jason and Dan have been the coolest, most helpful each time I have needed something. I had a minor issue and it was taken care of, Dan spotted the issue via a photo and even got me the tool to fix the issue. I wouldn't hesitate to order my next bike from them. I am riding harder than I should, but no pain, no gain. I will ride from SF to LA in june, and if cash permits, will order a new bike by then to do the aidslifecycle.org ride with. A big thumbs up for their quality -vs- price.

Frame: 2005 Airborne 3AL / 2.5V Titanium Road Frame, (59cm)
Crankset: Shimano 2005 Deore LX FC-M580 Crankset with Bottom Bracket, 44-32-22T, (170, 175mm)
Bottom Bracket: Shimano 2005 Deore LX Bottom Bracket - INC. with LX FC-M580 Cranks
Chain: Shimano 2005 105 / LX CN-HG-73 9 Speed Chain
Rear Derailleur: Shimano 2005 Deore LX RD-M580 SGS Rear Derailleur
Front Derailleur: Shimano 2005 Deore LX RD-M580 Front Derailleur
Integrated Levers: SRAM 2005 Rocket Twist Shifter, Rear, 9 speed, Front Micro-Index
Brakes: Shimano 2005 A550 Road Caliper Brake Set (Long Reach)
Cable Set :Shimano
Cassette: Shimano 2005 (11-32) 9 Speed Cassette
Wheel Set: Bontrager Select 700c Wheelset, 20/24, 835g/1020g
Tires: Kenda Kontender 700 x 26c, Kevlar Bead, Black
Headset: FSA Orbit MX, Threadless Sealed Bearing Headset, Black 1 1/8''
Handlebar: Easton EA50
Handlebar: Alloy, 23' Length, 6° Bend, Black
Grips: Bontrager Race Dual Compound MTB Grip Set, Black/Grey
Seat Post: Flyte, 27.2mm, 400mm Length, Black
Seat Collar: Airborne AIRLOCK 6061 Aluminum Seat Collar
Saddle: Bontrager Select Saddle
Fork: Airborne AILERON Carbon Fork, 1 1/8 Steerer

The trek was aluminum with carbon seatstays and XT derailers, Avid brakes. But most of the Bontrager parts are the same parts that I have since Airborne/Flyte are Bontrager authorized. It was a deal too good to pass up.

Need any specific pics more, or wanna take it for a spin (if you're tall enough) let me know.