Has anyone tried the Globe San Francisco 3?
https://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkM...=40052&eid=178
It's new this year, and I have not seen one in person. It's pricey, but looks like one great bike.
Paul.

For about the same price,the Swobo Dixon has a 9sp,easier rear tire change,and will take a rear rack and fenders easier. I love mine.

edit: Also,they had them last year,they just changed the name. They also come in a much cheaper SS model. You could get one of these,rebuild the rear wheel with a SRAM or Shimano gear hub,and save a couple hundred bucks off the price of the 3.

Yeah, the San Francisco looks good, but I think I like this Marin "Point Reyes" better. I like the lines of the frame better, and it's got a carbon fork, which might take some of the road buzz out of your hands.

I've got an '04 Pt Reyes with alloy fork,as well as an Otis and a Dixon. 1.5" tires do a good job of soaking up road imperfections. Skinny + high psi + alloy fork = carpel tunnel pain,but I've had good luck with wide,low psi tires.

Also,I wince every time I see one of the new Pt Reyes. Mine's LX/XT with Mavic/Formula wheels and hydro discs. New ones are Deore/Alex/mid-range mechanical. At the same price point.

Honestly I think the 1 is the best deal of the series, if you're looking for a singlespeed. That's a pretty low MSRP, especially for Specialized. I'd also rather have the BB5s than those low end tektro hydraulics, having worked in a shop that sold bikes with lots of both.

This seems to be a trend amongst manufacturers; holding prices, but lowering features and/or component levels. Luckily for many of us, the average lifespan of a basement or garage dust collecting bicycle is about 2-3 years, so Craigslist should remain an important shopping spot.

Not trying to dig up an old thread but I have this bike and I love it. I was looking at road bikes and then out of the blue I saw the silver SF I and asked to try it out. The layout felt really nice. I then found out they had an 8 speed so I ordered it. I got it at Bicycle Garage. At first the neck was too low for me so I had them install a riser. I changed out the the pedals and the seat too. It rides so smooth now. When I'm on it I average 9-11 mph easy and if I push it I can hit 20mph on flat ground. My buddy hit 31 mph on it. I'm thinking of changing out the rear cog so I can go a bit faster. You can find me cruising around Lake Elizabeth.

I think that is a sweet looking bike. I rode the single speed when it first came out, decided t go with a geared bike instead. I say go for it.

I dig the globe more than the swobo. The Globe has braze-ons for front rack while the swobo doesn't.

I know this is an older thread, but I believe the San Francisco line has been discontinued for 2010. Pity - I think those frames are a work of art. One could argue that the Swobo is a better bike, but the Specialized is much prettier.

Maybe, but the bike itself didn't make any sense. It had fast handling, a handlebar position like a mountain bike, and 650 wheels (for the fast handling part). It was trying to be a fast, twitchy, trick bike.

At the same time, it was a heavy commuter bike with it's disc brakes and an internal hub (they're all relatively heavy).

So it didn't really appeal to anyone - as a trick bike it's way to heavy, as a commuter it's to twitchy and uncomfortable to ride (I rode one for a while - it put way to much of my weight on the handlebars). It was billed as a bike that would snake in and out of traffic, but that's not particularly realistic (at least, the part where the additional responsiveness compared to a traditional bike coming in handy isn't realistic).