2011 Specialized Sirrus
 

Okay, this is gonna be my next bike (99.95% sure). I'm leaning towards the Sport over the base. I will be adding fenders, probably a rack, and a kickstand.

What I would like to know is what all I need to be watching the sales for in order to convert to a disc brake up front. This won't be an immediate conversion, but will acquire the parts as finances allow.

A disk brake conversion on that bike would be a good bit of work. You would need a brand new fork with the appropriate mounting tabs, a brand new wheel with a disk hub, and the disk brake itself.

I'm pretty sure it would be cheaper to just upgrade to the Elite Disk than pick up the parts piecemeal.

Well, looking at the website for the Elite Disc, I'm a bit puzzled. The "Features" tab states that the fork is FACT carbon/aluminum, but the "technical specs" doesn't mention carbon at all...

In any case, the MSRP is just a tad over my budget.

Then hold off until you can afford the Elite Disc. You'll save money doing and have front and rear discs.

A disc caliper (with lever / as kit, if doing hydraulic), rotor, replacement wheel, replacement fork, and if you're not doing the installations yourself then a fairly decent labour charge to go with it. That's a fair bit of labour for a shop to completely remove and replace these components.

This is also presuming that you can find a fork with the appropriate dimensions to replace the original or provide the ride you like, otherwise the bicycle's riding characteristics can be severely changed and you might not enjoy the end result (important!)

I second the notion that jumping early and ending up having to chase parts for upgrades won't be economical. The Elite Disc does have better parts in other areas of the bike as well (better rear derailleur, adjustable stem with o/s bars, higher end crankset), and it offers more value for your money.

If you want disk then buy it disk to start with. The alternative is to keep you eyes peeled for an '04 Sirrus disk in your size on the used market. Of course the '04 has a back a$$wards rear brake mount compared to the '11 but the geometry is more road bike than the current incarnation.

It looks like the consensus is that if I want the Sirrus and disc brakes, I should just pony up the extra $$ for the Elite Disc. That's not gonna happen until my wife starts working again :(. Time to take a hard look at the wants/needs checklist...

Here ya go.
http://www.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=dew_plus

Yeah, that has popped up on my radar before. The main reasons why I haven't considered this one seriously are a) the LBS doesn't have any in stock, b) he would require more of a deposit for a special order, c) would probably try to sell me the Giant Seek 2 he has on the floor, and d) I get this feeling that Kona's production runs in general are somewhat limited in number.

The last two Kona models that I was seriously thinking about buying (Smoke 29 and Dew Drop) were sold out iny size by the time I had the cash in hand to fully purchase.

Or just wait. Do you really need a new bike now, especially when your wife is unemployed?

Sorry for the reality check... :P

Do I really need another bike? No. But we are also car light, and I get rather cranky if I don't get to ride (read- I don't want to have to rely on public transit full time). Ideally, I should just wait and get one of the mini-velo's that BD will be offering in the not too distant future. One of those would fit into my multi-modal and budget better. But the kid in me doesn't think like that; he just wants the candy right now. :)

Like others said: wait, save up for the Elite Disc version. To convert the cheaper model to discs will cost $150-200, doesn't make any sense. And if you have disc brakes you get an aluminum fork. I don't think carbon forks can handle discs or at least I would not trust a carbon fork with disc brakes.

shimano mechanical disc brakes suck

I am right there with you on wanting the candy right now and I have too much candy already.

I haven't ridden my BD mini-velo alot, but if I had a mutli-modal commute that would be what I would be buying if I were you. For the $300 for the bike from BD and you would still have some cash to upgrade what you didn't like about it. I think its worth the wait.

Well, I'm off the bike for roughly a week and a half. My primary LBS is running a special on tune-ups, and so I dropped my bike off... and didn't even ask about the availability of any of the Dew line (and he's the only Kona dealer in the state). I guess that's primarily due to the fact if for some reason I didn't like the Dew, then I'd feel obligated to at least purchase something else from his shop.

That. ^ ^

There's nothing wrong with a carbon fork and disc brakes. I have been running that combo for over 5 years now and many commercial bikes offer that combination. Granted the carbon forks that allow for disc brakes are not the dainty types you usually find on lightweight road bikes. The one I have is designed for cyclocross/off-road use. It also has an aluminum steerer tube as opposed to carbon.

My question is does anyone actually pay the 2 grand for a Carbon Sirrus? Why?

The Schwinn Super Sport DBX has Avid BB7 disc brakes. Its a good value in a commuter bike. Smooth and stable on the road.

There was someone in the Hybrid forum that paid 2 grand for a carbon Trek FX... I guess some people do. Too much money, not enough, well, you know.