Urban Bike Comparison
 

I'm looking to get a quick commuter bike and my budget is around $600. I was looking for some advice on quality/components/advantages/disadvantages between these three bikes...or any others you may suggest. Thanks!

Cannondale Quick 4 - $629 - http://www.rei.com/product/827791/ca...ck-4-bike-2012http://www.rei.com/media/ss/bb0399a9...213db8c56a.jpg

Raleigh Misceo - $500 - http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/hybrid/misceo-12/
http://www.dbmastertool.com/images/b...jpg?1310674534

Trek PDX - $600 - http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...lity/pdx/pdx/#
http://s7d4.scene7.com/is/image/Trek...0,0&iccEmbed=0

Also. We just moved to Portland, so I will be riding in a lot of rain. I'm guessing disc brakes would be a better option.

you could go with one of these but if I were you, I'd save just a little more and buy something you really like. Bike commuting pays for itself remarkably fast.

Year 'round? Lotsa rain? Rack and waterproof bags? I'm thinking aluminum frameset w/an IGH may be a better fit depending on your terrain. http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...e_express8.htm Alot of folks recoil at the prospect of a BD bike, but I've been riding one as a commuter/utility bike w/over 17,000 miles for better than 3 years w/no major problems. Replaced the stock tires and have kept up w/routine maintenance.

At the lower price point you'll be able to get a rack and a waterproof set of Ortliebs for the difference. Fenders and anything else can be had at http://www.bikeisland.com w/no shipping as well. Would recommend Planet Bike fenders for ease of mounting and adjustment and the Topeak Road Morph w/Gauge frame pump as it operates like a small floor pump. Way less aggravating than a hand held, believe me. :notamused: Either way enjoy whatever you settle on and stay upright! :thumb:

Thanks for the comments. @Surly, thats the problem...I don't really know a whole lot about bikes and what i really would want/need. The Trek 9th District looks pretty awesome to me, but so does the MASI CX UNO and the Jamis Aurora. I'm just not sure if it's worth spending the extra money until I actually know the difference besides looks.
On top of that it's already been hard enough explaining the value of these bikes ($500-$600) to my wife when she sees the $200 ones at Costco.

@Nash. Thanks for all the info. I'm not sure if I like the look of the Cafe Express...my uncle actually sent me to that same bike. So you think the IGH would be better here? What about the Trek Waubesa? Those are on sale at the shop for $640...kind of pushing my budget though since I still would need fenders/helmet/lock.

Disc brakes are ideal in Portland... my wife has lived there for over a decade and although she rides less than I do goes through rims far more quickly due to the wet climate.

You can ride year round in Portland and fenders are almost mandatory as are really decent lights as Portland is a darker city then most and does not suffer from as much light pollution.

The low spoke wheels on the Cannondale are a deal killer for me... a commuter should have a decently made conventional wheel set that will handle the use you subject the bicycle to.

I started commuting to work (11 mi each way) this year on a Trek 7.2FX. It's been a terrific commuter bike. I added a rack, grocery bag pannier and a pannier for the laptop. Works great. The ability to mount racks, fenders, etc are must haves in my opinion. All in all, the PDX looks like it would be an even better than my FX. I especially like the disc brakes. Good luck, have fun.

I lived in Portland for 14 years. It's a great place to commute by bike, as long as you're on the east or west sides. South of the Sellwood bridge, or north of the 405 bridge, things get a bit dicier.

A few things I'd look for in a commuting bike:

1. Disc brakes
2. Room for wider tires (at least up to 40mm)
3. Eyelets for rear rack and fenders (front and back)
4. Avoid low spoke wheels (under 28 per wheel) if you can
5. Wide range of gears

Some accessories I would look into are:

1. Fenders
2. Rear rack
3. Bike bag or backpack
4. Front and rear lights
5. Reflective vest or jacket
6. Good rain gear

General advice about bike buying:

1. Don't buy something cheap just to fit a price point. Otherwise, you'll find yourself wanting to upgrade it later. Avoid upgraditis by buying what you want the first time.

+1, they also look seem to be paired-spoke wheels, which is even worse.

+1 32 spokes at least for commuting/utility purposes. Checked out the Trek Waubesa and compared to the Motobecane they're essentially the same bike. Except the Trek is geared a little more stout than the Motobecane. W/t Trek one gets better tires, shifters and 'namebrand' handlebars, etc. They're all made in China, though. Bikesdirect is just more up front about it. Those upgrades account for the 200.00 price difference.

And Price point, Schmice point. :rolleyes: If one can get a more than comparable bike for less money that dynamic allows one to invest in quality accessories which are sorely needed for commuting year 'round.

Out of them all though the Trek PDX w/disc brakes looks to be your best bet considering it's not IGH, but has everything else w/a decent price as well. Just read where you're not a DIY cyclist. Better to go w/a lbs purchase then as one can get a service deal and discounts on accessories as well. To go the BD route one, sort of has to know what they're doing.

Thus far, your aluminum choices in frames are great. However, I would add just one more to consider and that would be the Giant - City Escape.

Insofar as 4130 chromoly steel frames are concerned, I would suggest the Jamis Coda Sport, the Comp, or the Bosanova. All of the Codas and the Bosanova, come complete with eyelets for fenders (both front and back). Of course, they also have rack capacity, as well. Their tire widths can go up to 38mm. They all come stock with 32's.

You might also consider an economical route to chromoly frames (considering your wife's ambivalence):

Giant features both the Sedona and the Cypress in chromoly steel tubing. They are called the Sedona ST and the Cypress ST. Each model costs $350. However, you would have to add fenders and a rack. You could upgrade later.

*Personally, I would change the shifters and derailleurs too, but that's probably just me.

- Slim :)

The Novara ETA is a good choice too.

http://www.rei.com/product/808767/novara-eta-bike-2011

Yes!

+1 ^ Ditto ^

This one is your best bet yet in chromoly!

- Slim :)

PS.

Great job DVC45!

J A Espo beat me to it. If you're looking at flat bar road bikes, give the Trek FX series a try. Many trek shops have them in stock, as they're very popular fitness bikes. I have a 7.5 & love it.

Yup, at $550, its a steal of a deal steel! :)

When I started living (mostly) car free I bought a 7.5FX to complement the specialized mtb with skinnies. Although it's more expensive (~$900 retail) this is definitely a better choice than the typical hybrid which has slow cruddy mountain bike components. Especially since the new TREK 7.5FX comes with r440 road shifters, road cranks, and road FD. The r440 is a great part because you can purchase the r770 right shifter (~$70) and upgrade to 10-speed at a later date. I road this 7.5FX to death and Trek kindly replaced it with a 7.9FX frame for free. Its now 105/ultegra, bb7 front disc, and not a single piece of the original 7.5FX left!

IMO, the only reason to run larger tires is comfort and off road compatibility. I live in PDX and run 23 mm in the summer and 25 in the rainy winter.

I really appreciate all of the comments. I'm going to hit up several bike shops today and try some of these out. I will let you know what I end up with. Thanks!

Comfort is a big one though, so is avoiding pinch flats. Wider tires don't get caught in tracks, drain grates, expansion joints, etc. as easily as narrow tires.

For everyday bikes being able to cut through a park or take an unpaved road/trail without worry is useful as well.

Narrow tires really don't have any advantage in rolling resistance, that is more a function of tire construction.

The Raleigh and the Trek look great... another thing I would check is to see what size tyres you can run as in the PDX winter you may want to run a CX tyre or pick up a second front wheel at some point and mount a studded tyre for those rare days when Portland does get ice and snow.

Skinny tyres are not automatically faster and when you are commuting a wider tyre will improve the ride, reduce flats, and allow you to cross urban obstacles like the trolley tracks.

Portland streets are as bad as ours and when I am there I bomb around on a Raleigh 20 with 20 by 1.5 Marathons while my wife rides a Breezer with 26 inch Marathon tyres and on this bike you can forget about the roads.

Up here I prefer a 26 inch wheel for commuting and touring... with this I can run tyres in the 2.1 - 2-3 width on some bikes but can also run very fast rolling 26 inch slicks and everything in between.

My XC / monstercross / urban assault vehicle runs 26 by 2.0 semi slicks and will go through nearly anything and do it at some really great speeds... have not flatted once in over 10,000 km of using these tyres.

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...uldenfall2.JPG

So I tried several of the bikes out today and here is the recap.

Took the Cannondale off the list because of the wheels.

Of the shops that carry Raleigh, only one place had the Misceo and they said the Medium size has been sold out from the manufacturer for several months.

The PDX was definitely what caught my eye the most, seems really nimble, the disc brakes are great, and a bunch of room for larger tires.

Tried the Jamis Coda Sport. Seems like a solid quality build but I just a bit less attractive than the PDX. And no disc brakes.

The Giant City Escape was pretty nice. Includes the fenders/rack/stand, but seemed a little clunky. Nice shifters though.

Wasn't a big fan of the style on the Novara ETA. I think it was those handlebars that I couldn't get over.

I'm going to try out the Trek Waubesa tomorrow, but right now the PDX is the leader.

Handle bars are cheap and easy to replace, though.

Have fun and good luck on your search.

I personally wouldn't pay 600 dollars for any of those bikes. Components are cheap. I personally prefer drop bars- flat bars arent very comfy. Bikesdirect has cyclocross bikes with much better components in the same price range. That's what I use for my commuter.

[QUOTE=matimeo;13306611]I personally wouldn't pay 600 dollars for any of those bikes. Components are cheap. I personally prefer drop bars- flat bars arent very comfy. Bikesdirect has cyclocross bikes with much better components in the same price range. That's what I use for my commuter.[/QUOTE]

Shill!

Just kidding. :)

So what are you recommending? I don't really know the difference between all the components. Something like this? http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/..._cross_cx2.htm

Also, are they hard to build? How much would it cost for a shop to put it together?

That was my point. I didn't know anything about bikes when I bought my Surly but I've changed some things out slowly. Buying a first bike is definitely a learning experience and because building a bike is generally 50% more expensive than buying the same complete bike, (that is $1,500 to build it using the same components vs. buying it complete), I feel that buying a fairly expensive bike is always more rewarding. It means less upgrading down the road. Even if you feel you don't ride often enough to justify spending more money now, you probably will always want a better bike later. Upgrading never ends, not in a bad way, though. It kind of becomes a hobby and starting off with decent components makes it a little less frustrating.


FWIW, the Surly LHT now comes with disc brakes. The Ogre is worth a look, too. Also, they're still which is worth a lot to some people.