back in the saddle, soon, i hope. upgrade?
 

current bike: 2008 Giant Elwood, 19", with 700x32 Schwalbe reflective/kevlar "marathon" tires.

this is the elwood without suspension, and for riding around the city i'd prefer to not have suspension.

i was doing daily commutes with that bike, but i've been off the bike for a year following a concussion (not cycle related) and hoping to get back on a bike soon.

overall i've been happy with the elwood, but i'd been thinking about upgrading to something with disk brakes; this area is wet and i don't like the idea of rims being a wear item. i'm not a weight weenie, but of course lighter is better than heavier. i'm not racing and i often carry heavy panniers so fat road tires (32-38) should work for me; some of the bikes i've seen look like they can't handle tires that fat. i also like the upright posture that the elwood allows.

locally available brands (wellington NZ) seem to be giant, avanti, kona, marin, apollo, UMF, merida & strada, but that doesn't mean that any particular models are in stock locally. it might make sense to buy from wiggle...?

i'm thinking it would be nice to get something that i can swap tires with, then sell the elwood with brand new tires from the new bike, but i guess that's not critical.

so, any suggestions for what my next bike should be?

Now that UCI, and the US racing organizations have let Disc Brakes appear on Cyclocross bikes , Expect there to be many more models made for disc brakes .. Shop the Component Group rather than the brand name painted on the frame.

The German Tout Terrain company makes touring /trekking bike framesets ..
made for disc brakes, well thought thru..
Like Forks that use a different left blade than the right for the disc Brake forces
and they have a rear rack that is part of the frame rather than bolted on..

derailleur , http://www.tout-terrain.de/2/product...nue/index.html

or for IG hub
http://www.tout-terrain.de/2/product...eto/index.html

i could pick up a 2010 giant "Transend 1" for $800NZ if i'm quick. sticker price is $1000NZ.

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-au/....1/5338/39111/

in windy wellington i'm not sure if the fenders are an asset or a liability, but i'm sure they come off easy enough.

does anyone know if that comes with a sealed bottom bracket? i wore out the unsealed BB on the elwood from riding in all-weather. if it's not sealed on the transend, maybe i'll try to get the bike shop to throw in an upgrade ;)

the reviews i've found seem just about unanimously positive. it seems kind of like an upgraded elwood with disk brakes, rack and fenders. any thoughts? thanks!

i got the 2010 Transend-1. i rode it home from the shop, my first time on a bike since "the accident". i can't tell if it's a super-sweet bike, or if it's just super-sweet to be back on a bike. i've got the fenders off, schwalbe marathon reflective & kevlar tires on, and a bunch of blinky lights. i'm really looking forward to being back on a bike on a regular basis... hopefully soon.