Anyone know the weights for these bikes?:

Kona Dew Deluxe
Trek 7.3fx
Trek 7.3fx disc

Am debating between these and the Jamis Coda Sport. I really liked the Trek 7.3fx, but am intrigued by all the positive comments about the Jamis. I just wonder what the weight difference is (I know the Jamis is about 25lbs, but I cannot find the weight for the Treks), and whether it will make a real difference once loaded down for a commute? Same with the Kona? Is it much/if any lighter than the Jamis?

I am also really torn now about whether or not to pursue disc brakes. I've never had them on any of my bikes. My commute will be about 5 miles each way, mostly paved surfaces, though rather hilly. Ideally, I would like to ride year round, probably 2-3 days per week, though I always have the option of driving or taking the metro if the weather is really bad. I know people have really strong opinions about discs, particularly for commuting, but am interested in people who have used discs as well as other types of brakes. Where would you rank this in terms of importance on a commuter bike for a relatively short, but hilly, commute? I don't think the Jamis has a disc brake option, so that is one factor I need to consider.

Thanks! I really appreciate all the advice on this board.

I think the stock 7.2fx is 28-29lbs, so I wouldn't expect the 7.3fx to be any lighter than the Jamis.

Heavier bike = more exercise. Sorry, I'm rebelling against the "lighter is better" dogma that is perpetuated by the bike companies so they can sell more bikes. For commuting, better for me = fenders and reliable components.

Get whatever bike you're going to want to ride more, taking into account that you might ride a beater more since you have to worry less if you lock it up outside.

Similar on the brakes - get whatever you're comfortable adjusting, and then get used to how your brakes work in all seasons and ride accordingly. Keep 'em adjusted well.

Really, those are all great bikes. Pick whatever you like the best!

My carbon-tanium bike is so light I have a hard time staying on top of it. It was given to me by the bicycle gods, under the condition that I don't race it and I use its powers for good.

Sorry for the inane hi-jack. I guess I agree with gazer.

I've never ridden with discs before, but I still remember when V Brakes first came out. Everything being said about discs was being said about V brakes way back when.

Darn, I thought this thread was going to be about adding weights to the bike to get a better workout. I've seriously thought about it. I suppose just strapping some workout weights in the triangle with zip ties would work.

FWIW, I just built a new front wheel for my commuter, so that I could go to disc brakes. For me it was mainly because of the lousy braking I get in the winter, plus the fact that the rim brakes combined with the sand and gravel that I ride over daily had worn about 1/2 way through my rims and I was afraid I'd blow out soon, so a new wheel was in the cards anyway.

So far the disc is working well. I have an Avid BB7, front only. Only about 150 miles on it so far. The only real issue is they squeak. Well, that and it's $20 for a set of pads. I went to eBay and found metallic pads for it for $6 each plus $4 postage for as many as you want. I'm planning on micrometer-ing my pads every few hundred miles with the factory ones and with the aftermarket ones to see how they do.

I haven't really ridden in any adverse conditions so far, but the brakes DO feel nice. Basically they feel as good as good rim brakes with zero flex, with fresh pads and freshly adjusted, and I am thinking they'll continue to feel like that without much attention, whereas rim brakes would need more adjustment. Also the disc adjustment is 10 seconds, no tools.

A-Freakin'-men! I see my commute as a chance to get some good excercise in before my 'day' even starts. Now my day starts with excercise instead of coffee and cigarettes at work. My Giant Rainier (modified) weighs in excess of 33 lbs., plus I carry the laptop and about five pounds of stuff in my backpack. Go with the bike that fits you best and throw bike weight out the window

I agree that weight really doesn't matter. Once you strap everything onto the bike (rack, panniers, lights, water, etc) the bike will end up in the 40+ pound area.

The weight doesn't make that much of a difference on my commute - it takes me between 43 and 46 minutes each way, every day with about 4-5 minutes of that time sitting at traffic lights. That time remains constant regardless of bike (based on my 40+ lb commuter and my 22 lb road bike) because of the lights, but I get a better workout on the heavier bike.

As for disks: if you are going to be riding all year round, I highly recommend disks. Better/more consistent braking and less wear on your rims = all good.

One thing that rarely get's mentioned when talking about disc brakes is the fact that you need to learn to maintain a new type of brake.
If you are into this it may be a reason to go disc brakes. If you are like me and like to maintain you own bikes, but also like to keep it simple, you may want to stay with what you have already got. In my case, I have 6 bikes that I maintain. 5 of them have canti's or v-brakes and one has road brakes.
I won't be going to disc brakes anytime soon
Duppie

If I attach weights to my bike, will it get buff?

I haven't weighed my Dew Deluxe yet(it's on the inside of the storage rack),but I'd put it around 27-28lbs. The Treks will prolly be pretty close to that. I did weigh my Coda Elite,which has a carbon fork but also disc brakes,and I think it was like 25lbs(will have to check when I get home). My daily commuter is a 31lbs Novara Safari,and despite the wide tires and many hills,the gearing makes it so that the weight really isn't a problem.

Unless you're racing the TdF where weight is critical,or competing in cyclocross where the rules don't allow them,disc brakes are the only way to go. I started with V's and now every bike in my fleet is disc equipped,and I'll never go back. They work the same no matter what the weather is,don't wear rims,don't care how true your rims are,the pads last way longer,are easier to adjust/replace,don't dirty your wheels as much,and make wheel removal/installation simpler.

And?

Seriously,we're not talking rocket engineering. The cables adjust the same way. The pads are much easier to swap,have just one adjustment(in and out),and there's no toeing-in. Avid pads adjust without tools,and I can swap a set of Hayes MX-2 pads in like 5min. With V brakes you have to adjust the vertical height,the angle to the rim,toe the pads in,and sometimes adjust the brake arms. And don't forget to reconnect the front brake after servicing or every time you remove the front wheel to lock up.

Anyone who can handle rim brakes can handle discs.

Thought of one more thing:

Go with the bike shop that you like the best. The closer the better, the friendlier the better. (In this case, some who "gets" bike commuting is good too!)

My best experience has been with bikes from great shops, even though I do almost all of my own maintenance.

Also no matter what people say rain and road grime + rim brakes = harsh on the rims and poor performance.

Personally I'm holding out for either a dew Plus in the '08 or.. I'm not sure. Disc is pretty high on my list though because the weekly rainy commute here can be scary if I have to stop in a hurry.

Thanks for that, I read the original on that and I just switched to disc brakes; I was thinking "so what?" I bought Avid BB7s, have had them for about 2 weeks now, and they're WAY, WAY easier to install and adjust than rim brakes. I have never done more with disc brakes than kinda-sorta look at them in a bike shop, and it took me about 10 seconds to figure out how to install and adjust them (after I built the wheel). I only really looked at the installation manual to check for torque values when installing.

I'd say 30 seconds every 2 weeks should do it for maintenance, just to take a quick look and see if they need adjustment. If they do, click click, no tools, just turn the dials.

I *would* stay away from hydraulics, for commuting. From what I can tell, a drop of water in the line and freezing temps = no brakes. Also it's just too much to screw with for pretty much no gain that I can tell; my mechanicals seem very nice.

I did go to eBay for replacement pads; $6 each instead of $20. Got them yesterday, they look fine.

One of the major reasons I went to discs. I ride 4 miles of sand/clay/gravel mixed road twice a day, and when it's raining, putting on the brakes = applying sandpaper to the rims. When I swapped out the wheel for the one I built with a 6-bolt hub, the rim was about 1/2 gone (12000 miles). Not sure how much longer it would have held against the 80 PSI I run my 32s at. I didn't want to find out by having the rim blow out and the front wheel lock at speed.

The other reason is, I've had ice form on the rims before. That's REALLY poor performance.

The weight difference won't matter. Forget about weight and get a bike that rides well. Upgrade the tires to something faster if you feel you need to.

I am not disputing the fact that you can. I just have no need for yet another thing I need to learn.
It may come naturally to you, but for me it doesn't. It means reading up on it, try it out, invariably fail to do it correctly the first time, try again....
No thanks
Duppie

You'll also have initial cable stretch to deal with. But once the cables bed in,yeah really not much to it.

Have used hydros on my motorcycles for years,zero probs. Bike systems are primarily made for off-road,so I wouldn't worry about water getting in. I just don't commute on hydros because my commuter bike didn't come with them. The only real prob I can see with bike hydros is that they don't have the reservoirs that moto systems have,so bleeding will prolly be a little tricky. Hydros do have their pluses;they have really good feel and very little maintenance. You just check the pads occationally,and bleed 'em about once every two years. But mechanicals are much cheaper,so it makes sense for most manufacturers to spec them on their low and middle end bikes.

I mountain bike through the winter until the temps get below 10F or the snow is too deep. My hydraulics (2 sets) have never given me problems.

I guess. You need to "learn" to turn blinkies on and off too. Those pushbuttons can be tough to master.

Seriously, adjusting the discs is: there's a red knob on it. When they're loose, you turn the knob tighter. If you turn it too far they make a scraping noise, so you back it off a bit. It's a LITTLE harder than turning on a light switch, but not much. The 30 seconds it takes to learn this skill will be made up the first time you actually adjust it and don't have to reach for a tool to do it.