well, I've got my first real complaint about my Kentfield...Right after we finished the Tour de Cure today I was moving my bike and I picked it up by the bars and the saddle. I ended up with the saddle in my hand attatched to half of the suspension seat post. I've got a bit over 400 miles on this bike and I am a bit heavy and hard on it.

53 MPH on a downhill on our multi-geared tandem . . . do that on a fixie?

Instead of dropbars get a trekking bar:

http://images.rei.com/media/629508Lrg.jpg

I love the one that came on my Safari. You'll be able to use your stock shifters/brake levers,you'll get more hand positions,and I find it much more comfortable to be 'in the drops' because my wrists are flat. At $20 plus the cost of bar tape it won't run you much more than just barends.

With all the bikes on the market, especially in the hybrid category, buying a bike with the intention of making a major change like this makes no sense.

There are plenty of bikes that will be comfortable right off the showroom floor, or at least with much cheaper tweaks.

I've owned a marin kentfield for over a year. I've ridden it on the bike paths and streets logging at least 1000 miles on it. I've never had a flat on that bike.... keep praying. I have the original kevlar tires that it comes with. I changed the hybrid handle bars to the traditional mtb flat bar and added bar ends. I have turned it into my commuter bike now with rack and paniers. I think it works just great. For the money and what you are doing you will be very satisfied with this bike. I had the need for speed and bought a rode bike for the weekends. On my third ride I got a flat. I did not mind the flat so much since it was a reacreational ride but if I was commuting that would suck. I was thinking man I rode my kentfield for over a year very hard I must say and this rode bike is super fast but the tires very fragile.

I've actually had a few flats on mine. All the rear. It took me a little while to realize that they were caused by the rim not being filed down properly where the 2 ends come together. My other 2 were actually caused by glass. It surprised me that glass would penetrate the Kevlar, but then again, there are many areas I've ridden this bike and not gotten a flat where I always have on other bikes. Gotta head to REI tomorrow about that seat post though...that I do have a problem with.

Well it's a good thing I stuck with the Kentfield. So far I've only logged about 40mi on it in the past 3 days. It's making me fallin love with biking. I'm just so damned paranoid about leaving it at my place of residence. Shady neighborhood, lots of bangers and crackheads.

I have a dawes lightning sport bike that I think is better than the denali (I own both...). I would suggest you get that from a seller named "chicabike" on ebay... it cost me 240.00 (which included shipping)...

I have over 600 miles on it (which doesn't compare to cigtech but he repacks bearings on hubs and bottom brackets, which I don't...) and it has been maintenance free so far...

I tried pushing the denali, and maybe its my age and weight but I can't push that denali as fast as my dawes...

I'm actually amazed that I have not gotten a flat. I take it on cobble stones by the river, dirt paths, streets, but mostly bike paths. I have a spare tube ready to go when it happens though. So far so good with the Kentfield. Since I bought my Kentfield I started getting into cycling and commuting. I'm having a great time. The only problem I've had with my bike is the front derailer screw on my bike is a little fragile. It stripped very easily so be careful if you have to tighten it. It was easily fixed with a larger screw.