Hi guys,

It's been about 5 years since I last seriously biked. I used to commute to work, but my old but trusty Nishiki mountain bike got stolen out of our garage. It was giving me some back pain and having just got married and bought a house I soon got wrapped up in other things and 5 years passed.

Well, I've finally decided to get back into it. I've got a 10 mile commute each way now and am looking for something a little more appropriate for the ride than a mountain bike. I figured since I'm going to be going and testing out bikes I'd write down some of my thoughts and tests in this thread.

Last night I tried out my first two bikes. I'll post a short review of the first one below and follow up with more as I try them.

Bike: Torker Graduate
Transmission: Sturmey Archer 5-speed gear hub
Brakes: Sturmey Archer drum brakes
frame: "tri-moly" (ie part steel part chro-moly)
tires: 700x32
Bikeshop Price: $495

Notes: I *really* wanted to like this bike. There was only one dealer in the city that actually had one I could test out. I still might decide to go with it. Overall the bike is basic but nice looking. Shifting is alright but not as smooth as the Nexus. The gripshifters felt cheap and muddy compared to the gripshift 500s on my old Nishiki. It can be hard to shift if you don't stop peddling, especially uphill. 3rd gear sometimes jumped. I'm hoping that was just a calibration issue. The gearing was fairly nice. Not a whole lot of range but sufficient for most purposes. The brakes were fantastic. The rear brakes were strong enough to perform a skid stop but the fronts had a bit less stopping power. They were *very* smooth and overall I far preferred them to rim brakes. Given their reputation for longevity and all-season performance I'd say this is probably the best selling point for this bike. The geometry isn't very aggressive so it'll probably be better for my back but definitely doesn't feel like a fast bike. Otherwise the only other thing I noticed is that the included fenders are really cheap and the front one constantly rattled.

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Mark

What is your price point? I found myself mountain bike free a few weeks ago after some dirty little thief stole my bike out of my back yard. Thankfully, my renters insurance is covering the cost of replacement.

I am thinking about a cyclocross bike since its faster than a mountain bike, more upright and comfy than a road bike with a little more beef to the frame.

Hi msujack,

Unfortunately my price range tops out somewhere around $600. Possibly higher for a great deal but preferably closer to $500 so I have less explaining to do to the Mrs.

Ok, on to the second mini-review:

Bike: Nirve Brookhurst Commuter (with modifications)
Transmission: Shimano Nexus 7 speed gear hub
Brakes: Rim brakes (didn't check brand)
frame: 4130 chro-moly
tires: 700x32c (custom bikeshop addition)
Bikeshop Price: $950 ($750 stock)

The brookhurst is a pretty bike. The paintjob on it is really nice and it feels like a higher quality bike than the graduate (with one exception). Immediately I could tell that the brookhurst is faster than the graduate (even with the 32s instead of the stock 25s). That's not to say that it is necessarily better, but I definitely felt like I could ride at a good clip for a longer time on it. The nexus 7 is smoother than the Sturmey Archer 5 speed gear hub. I still had to slow down (or stop) my peddling at times, but over all it was more forgiving. The grip shifters worked better too. I did have a little bit of trouble in one of the gears but overall it worked pretty well. The brakes felt terrible after using the drum brakes on the graduate. They had great stopping power (at least when dry) but even compared to the rim brakes on my old bike they seemed rough. Compared to the drum brakes on the graduate there was no contest. Over all the bike was very nice and if it was in the $500-600 price range I would be seriously considering it. At $750+ it's not enough of a leap over the graduate for me to keep it in the running.

mark, here's what would help us recommend something for you, in addition to your price range and distance.

- what sort of terrain do you ride, flat or are there hills? how are you on the hills (i.e., do you need a granny gear)
- are you riding through the city with lots of stops at intersections?
- does it rain where you live and do you plan to ride through the rain?
- how import is speed vs. comfort? (i.e, would you rather have a cushy ride even if it's slower, or would you put up with more jarring bumps to go faster)

Hi mtailnm,

It'll be mostly flat with a couple of hills. Granny gear isn't a strict necessity. I'll be riding through the city but taking bike paths where possible to reduce the number of stops. It does rain here and I will be biking through the rain. I probably won't winter commute through the snow though (did that one season and am not inclined to do it again). Speed vs Comfort is kind of subjective. My last bike had a pretty aggressive geometry and my back started hurting, but I don't know if I would have the same problem on a new bike. I'm kind of looking all over right now to see what feels good.

Mark

From my experience I would say that for a 10 mile each way commute, and at your price point you might want to also consider a good quality used touring or Cyclocross bike. I've found that more upright flat bar bikes are great for short distances, but wind resistances becomes a real issue for longer commutes. Obviously it may be harder to source one, but you could probably pick up something like a used Novara Randonee, Jamis Aurora or Bianchi Volpe in your price range.

Also, if you are really interested in getting an internally geared bike, bikesdirect have this:

https://bikesdirect.com/products/mercier/kilott_wt5.htm

not sure what I think of buying a bike without first test riding it, but some people have mentioned it's a pretty good ride.

if you want to buy new, a Trek 7.1 or 7.2 would probably work well for you. just throw a set of fenders on that and you'll be fine in the rain. it's a hybrid, a reasonable blend of speed & comfort (i.e. geometry is relaxed enough that it won't hurt your back).

I commute on a Trek Soho, and it's basically the same as the 7.2 except that I have the fancy/expensive internal gears, brakes, and belt drive.

I think hauk is right that it'll be tricky to get an IGH for $500, at least not a 7 or 8 speed. I would never buy a bike without riding it but that's just me. Craigslist is another possibility (I got my road bike there, amazing deals to be had!)

good luck!

Hi guys,

Thanks for the responses! I didn't know about the wt5 and it looks very tempting based on some of the reviews around here. I'm fairly handy so I wouldn't be too worried about putting it together. The 7.1 and 7.2 look a lot like the bike I'm reviewing below (and both appear to have aluminum frames). Not sure if they would be right (seem my comments below).

I had the chance to try another bike today over my lunch break:

Bike: Schwinn Searcher NX8
Transmission: Shimano Nexus 8 speed gear hub
Brakes: Rim brakes (didn't check brand)
frame: double butted aluminum
tires: Continental Double Fighter 700x37c
Bikeshop Price: $550

I wanted to check this bike out since it seems like the price was pretty good vs retail (ie $649 retail, though the bike shop tried to claim $800). The bike looks nice enough though fairly generic. It actually feels extremely similar to my old mountain bike which I assume is due to the aluminium frame, straight handlebar, and kinda chunky tires. The seat was rather uncomfortable and the aluminum frame made the ride somewhat harsh. I could feel the old problem spot in my shoulder acting up after only 5 minutes which didn't happen on either the graduate or the brookhurst. Having said that, the components on the bike are nice. The nexus 8 works fairly well although shifting was a bit hard (though nicely distinct). I didn't notice any real problem shifting while peddling but I didn't have any hills to try it on. The brakes are typical rim brakes but felt much better than the ones on the brookhurst (though I still like th drums on the graduate better). Despite being aluminum the bike didn't really feel any lighter than the steel bikes I was looking at last night. The bike shop guy said 25lbs but I think he was just guessing. It seemed like a nice enough bike for the price, but I think it probably wasn't quite right for commuting without some modifications.

Side Note: Bike shop employees seem nearly as opinionated about bikes as system administrators are about computers. I've had several tell me Sturmey-Archer sucks while others tell me they are fine and support their products better than Shimano. Some of them just make up information on the spot or tell half truths (especially when it comes to prices). Not all of them have been this way, but more than I would have suspected. Buyer beware.

Mark

If you know your size for sure and can do some fine adjusting bikesdirect is a good source for reasonable priced bikes. I bought the Windsor Tourist, now I know its a 27 speed bike and all that but it is very comfortable and will give you a lot of versatility its a touring frame with pretty slack geometry but gets right down the road and I like the fact that its cromoly steel. Its $599.00 USD and free shipping in the USA. I did a few changes after I rode it for a week or so. different pedals and Koolstop brake pads. If you aren't comfortable doing the adjustments your LBS will for a fee of course. Any bike I would buy again from BD I would make sure the wheel bearing don't have too much preload as with the headset, mine came with enough grease but just too tight after I backed them off a bit the thing rolls like like butter. Just another suggestion you may have something completely different in mind but I just don't see the attraction of an IGH.

mark, you do sound like a good candidate for Bikes Direct.

Hi guys,

An almost thread-necro update/rant:

So after a lot of deliberation I decided to go with the Torker graduate at the LBS. I went to the shop yesterday to give it a final test drive and after some trouble with 3rd gear and a quick adjustment I decided to take it home...

Well, most of the way home. After about a mile and a half the rear brake cable suddenly goes taught, yanks the handlebar to the side and applies the rear drum brake all at once. I wasn't going too fast at the time so I avoided biffing it. No damage done to me, but the bike was another story. The rear brake assembly had twisted in place (turning with the wheel/hub) and stretched the brake line around the hub. Part of the assembly had bent, and the brake line had pulled most of the way out of and striped the lever housing. The rear wheel would barely turn if I sat on the bike so I had to walk it the mile and a half back to the shop.

I'm not sure at this point if a bolt might have sheered off or if the assembly was never properly attached to the frame. I looked around but didn't see any bolt remnants around where I stopped. The owner did the right thing and gave me a refund after I asked (he wanted to fix it at first). Now I'm trying to decide if I want to stick with the graduate and if I want to go back to that shop. I'm still not sure if it was an install problem or a part defect. Either way I really don't want to drop another 5 bills on something that might fail within 20 minutes.

The bikesdirect wt5 (fully disassembled and reassembled by yours truly) is starting to look more appealing. I gave up going to the auto mechanic for most car work because it always seemed like it came back more broken than it went in. Now I'm paranoid about bike shops too!

Mark

Hey Mark,

I might be willing to give the LBS another try since they refunded your purchase on the spot (as well they should have), providing they didn't give you any grief about it, of course. What other brands does your LBS carry?

If there are any Raleigh dealers in your area you might want to check out the 2010 Detour Deluxe. It retails for $799 at REI, which is above your price range, but the 2011 models are already coming out so you might be able to source it cheaper. The bike has an aluminum frame with a cromo fork to smooth out the ride, an Alfine hub, and disc brakes. It also features a dynamo hub with front & rear lights, fenders, and a rack so it's already "commuterized". This bike was a front runner for me when I chose my most recent bike. It's a lot sexier in person than it looks on the website, and a very comfortable ride. BTW the 2011 model upgrades (IMO) to a cromo frame, but downgrades (again, IMO) to a Nexus hub and roller brakes.

Hi Irclean,

Thanks for the info on that bike! It looks really nice. Sadly it appears that for some reason REI doesn't sell it here and won't even ship it. I guess their Minnesota stores aren't authorized Raleigh dealers? I'm looking around to see if any other shops in the area carry it. I'm definitely interested in it if I can find a 09 or 10 closeout.

Mark

I hope you find it; the Detour Deluxe is only equipped as described above for the 2010 model. The 2009 is a 24-speed bike with a triple up front and a Deore-shifted 8-speed cassette in the rear and, as I already mentioned, the 2011 model is downgraded (IMHO). My LBS can still get the 2010 model, so the factory must still have some in stock.

BTW - which part of Minnesota do you live in? Eric's Bike Shop in Minneapolis has this 2009 Superbe Roadster in stock for $799, marked down from $1224. It's higher-end than the Detour Deluxe with its Brooks saddle, Shimano brakes, cromo frame, and other upgraded components.

My LBS quoted me $849 CAD for the Deluxe so a Raleigh dealer like Eric's might be able to get you a great deal since bikes are always cheaper in the States than in Canada. Check Raleigh's website for a dealer in your area.

Hi Guys,

I found my new bike! It's a Globe Vienna 4. I went to the store and love how it rides. I'm waiting for them to get it setup now. Here's the link:

https://www.eriksbikeshop.com/ride/pr...ffset=2&s_id=0

Sadly it has a couple of scratches and the manager would only give me a free water bottle holder since the bike is already price reduced so low. One of the employees was really pulling for me and tried to get me a discount but no go. He's going to talk to the guys in back about trying to find some touch up paint that matches.

Mark

Congrats on the new bike! I've always like the looks of the Vienna; I'm glad to hear it rides as good as it looks! Post some pics when you pick it up.