KHS urban-xtreme?
 

Anyone own or rode one? I'm seriously considering it but my lbs doesn't stock it which means they'd have to order it for me and I'd have to commit to buying it without a test ride. I've been riding a cheap steel single speed road bike and looking at the khs it has a slanted top bar and the drop bars don't look standard. The specs all look good and the lbs is confident about the quality of parts for the price.

My other option is Surly cross check which would also be special ordered. I know that's a great bike and the lbs has sold a few so they are very confident on the sizing for me but of course it's about $500 more and $800 was the top of my budget.

Can you ride any other KHS bikes? That might be able to give you a feel for them. Not sure if one of their other models has similar geometry.

I ride a KHS Tempe (29er) and love it. I have swapped the tires from 700x54 Kenda Small Block 8 to 700x35 Schwalbe Marathon Tour for a seemingly faster commute.

They put me on a KHS Flight to test ride to check sizing. It felt good but it is more traditional road geometry and traditional drop bars. I am confident they will size me right but it the Urban Xtreme looks a little different especially the slope of the bars. There are not many reviews for the bike. Actually I could only find one but it was positive. I guess I just have to decide on price and how much I want to spend.

That indeed is a different looking bike that KHS has set up. It seems to me like you would be riding in the drops most of the time since the bars are not really designed to be on the hoods. Personally, I'm in the drops 90% of the time on my commutes, and that is with more traditional modern drop bars. It shouldn't be an issue with these bars though since the bike has a stem that you will be able to adjust to your liking height-wise.

The Proof is in the Puddin'..I'm afraid you're just gonna have to test ride the bike.

I'd have the LBS locate where this paricular bicycle is located within your state, that's in your size. I would then go to that LBS in order to test ride that specific bicycle.

The geometry seems kinda strange for a road bike with drop handlebars.

Looks a bit like the old Kona Dew Drop...

OP- What is the LBS return/exchange policy? And is there any other models that they have in stock that would also meet your needs? Would they allow you to exchange for a different model without charging you extra?

Yep! That's the Dew Drop, alright!

You've nailed it! :thumb:

Actually, the bar end shifters get it even closer to a Salsa Vaya 3. The stem/bar combo on the KHS is not particularly attractive IMO. Possibly functionally fine, just not attractive.

They pretty much said you order it, you bought it. They put me on a Raleigh Cadet and Misceo which both have similar geometry but with flat bars and neither was real comfortable for me.

Have you ridden the Kona and if so how was the ride with drops and the frame geometry?

Though my bike is a Kona, it is a '06 Smoke and not a Dew, nor did I have the chance to ride a Dew Drop.