Ready to swap out of my SS and get something more durable and versatile. I rode a higher end BB and loved it. It is heavy, but I am a Clyde 6'3" 280 so it does not bother me. I need something robust.

I ride the streets of Boston 80% of the time but id like to mix in more light trail riding.

Anyone have any experience with these? Pro's, con's?

Anyone have any experiences, insights or opinions on this bike?

well I just pcked up a bad boy 1 ..... and love it. But I wanted the shock lefty fork.

I owned a Bad Boy at one time and it was my second favorite bike. I rode that thing into the ground. If the front fork hadn't completely rusted out, I would have kept it. I use it everyday all year.

As for the bike you are looking at, there doesn't have to be a vs. If you like it, then buy it, you won't be disappointed. It seems to fit the niche you want. I have seen that bike at the bike shops and I think it looks great.

Since you posted this in the commuting forum, I will assume you will commute on it. That front fork may be a little heavy but maybe that is the price you pay to have a dual purpose bike. Second if you ever want fenders, what do you do for the front? Then again maybe you will never need or want fenders.

I still think it is a great bike.

[QUOTE=blakcloud;15578607
That front fork may be a little heavy but maybe that is the price you pay to have a dual purpose bike. Second if you ever want fenders, what do you do for the front? Then again maybe you will never need or want fenders.
.[/QUOTE]

I do not notice the weight when I am riding it...... but the front fender is a quandary.

Disc Brake , Hybrid , triple and , 'X-speed' gear cassette , most brands have one..

that one is theirs.

So why would you consider a BB 5 'versatile'? Front fender, rack and wheel options are extremely limited. A BB 9 would be more versatile. Personally I picked up last year's Giant Seek 1 because I felt it was better equipped but thats just me.

+1

I cast my vote for the Bad Boy 9 too!

What a great thread! I love the Giant line, but I seemed to notice the front shock's presence on their bikes where the comparable Cannondale seemed to fly! The Lefty Shock might be out of my league, but the other front shock equipped C' Dales ride great! The Escape 3 I have now is very nice, rolls great. Maybe I will take another look at the Seek.

Their right.... the BB9 would probably be better just for the fender options alone.

Thanks all.

Good points about versatility. After riding more bikes I am realizing that I want a city/commuting bike that I can take on the road occasionally and enter beginners cyclocross races in the fall.

I posted here https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...28or-can-be%29

When I was shopping for a commuter the BB5 was high on my list but the lack of fenders killed it. I went with a Trek 7.4fx and it has been great. I use it for daily commuting to work and also long rides. I completed a metric century on it and a few rides of >20 miles with some fast groups on carbon road bikes. It's quite versatile.

However, now that I find my self doing long/fast road rides quite often I want to get a second carbon road bike for that and just use my trek for commuting duties.

No one bike will be perfect for everything but the trek does everything at least decently.

I can't see the BB5 being great at any particular type of riding other than pleasure rides. It can't handle fenders for commuting and too heavy for long/fast rides. It does look great though.

I think it was the looks and idea of it that initially drew me in. After riding one that was best for my size I realized the fit was off too.

Too heavy for long fast rides? I think you're kidding yourself. TT bikes generally weigh more than road racing bikes and that certainly doesn't stop them from going fast for fairly long distances.