My Salsa Vaya in one of it's many different configurations.

http://www.watsonfx.com/vaya1.jpg

Potentially hot on the right bike. Does it *need* a smart phone to work? At $700, it's not a bad deal but unfortunately my wallet isn't equally as hot and I prefer not to have my pedaling assisted for now.

Hot!

I would love the Vaya so much more if it had a straight top tube. it would be such a sharp bike, but the sloping tube kills me.
other than that, the way yours is set up is definitely a hot.

There's really not much you can do to keep a Vaya from being hot. The biggest thing you have going against you here is the angle of the picture. That's a big negative, but I know that bike is hot so I can't vote otherwise.

Copenhagen wheel? Target red, app-centered. Not hot.

3-10 times my normal pedaling power? Can I put one of those on my cross bike?

This. It's a very nice bike.

When you only have 2/3 the legs of a normal human a sloped top tube is a thing of beauty. It turns your seatnub into a seatpost.

Definitely hot!

3 times only if you're not very strong. 10? Hard to imagine. I understand it has a 325-350 watt motor, like many e-bike motors. Plenty of recreational riders can put out over 200w from what I've read, and pros can put out around 400w. You're in PDX, right? Maybe call Clever Cycles.

Thanks for all the comments on my Salsa. It is by far, my favorite bike. I wasn't sure about the top tube when I got it. I had a CrossCheck before. Not sure why, but the Surly never felt quite right, but the Salsa feels like it was made for me. I know...everyone has an opinion.

I think the hotness of the Vaya is how it can be pretty much anything you want it to be. In the summer, I'll strip it down and run WTB Slicks, I'll add the fenders and commuter tires in the spring/fall and I even take it on weekend tours/bike packing. Here is it last year, fully loaded with 70X37 All Terrain tires. Even at 70+ pounds fully loaded, it is still an awesome and stable ride.

http://www.watsonfx.com/gap40.jpg

^ The geometry is not to my taste, but the do-all functionality of this bike makes it hot.

Here's the latest version of my foul weather commuter.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5486/1...2be35826_z.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5501/1...02357d5b_z.jpg

Spare parts build

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2851/1...b3073f83_z.jpg

Fair weather commuter
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8411/1...533ded6d_z.jpg

Simpleton, I'm envious of your puffy cloud tires.

Tough to judge from these pictures.

I think I see:
-Old GT MTB frame
-Brooks B15
-XT shadow rear derailleur
-bar end shifters with Paul Thumbies
-Schwalbe Fat Franks
-Sugino crankset
-Planet Bike hardcore fenders

The frame is definitely hot, and the lighting in the top picture suits it. I don't like the look of the saddle. The Fat Franks are hot, but the fenders seem too small and are definitely too close to the tire. I like the crank. The rear derailleur is clearly overkill, but a little bling is nice sometimes. The shifters are nicely functional, but I prefer trigger shifters. I also prefer V-brakes whenever they are a possibility.

Overall...hot.


Again, points deducted for the picture. Foliage is nice, but the lighting makes the bike fade into the trees.

Nice frame. I don't like the bars. The crank arms are too fat. (I can say that about crank arms, right?) I can't make out much of anything else.

Overall...meh.


And again, the picture hides the bike. Congrats on the hat trick.

Black bar tape with a honey saddle = missed opportunity. Maybe try the Salsa tan cork tape.

The fenders here are better (Cascadias?). I don't like the white tail lights. The frame bag is hideous. I'm undecided on the bars. At the very least, I don't think they look good with that stem.

Overall...very warm with the potential to be hot just by removing things and taking a better picture.

Love the frame, wish the tires had a cream sidewall instead of being all cream. On the whole - very nice!

Tres hot. The tires complete the yummy-and-eminently-rideable look.

Thank you all for the kind words!

Not Hot

Hot

*fender line see everyone it has a real fender line nothing pulled janky*

No love for the Trek Eh? That bike is such a blast to ride and it's a beast! I plan on repainting it at some point so I'll have to repost and see what happens.

Mine:
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=355314

Paint won't do a thing for it, it has ugly cranks, no fenders, and quick release seat post binder, cantilevers with the stop mounted high for the extra special feeling in the jimmi's from fork shudders, and a brown saddle and black grips.

I really think you have a better place for that SRAM driveline.

It's a Kona, so that's a plus. ;)

Maybe it's the camera angle but your fork looks very vertical. The stem angle doesn't help with that appearance. It looks like you've got a light on the seatpost that's entirely blocked by the trunk bag. The saddle is really far back.

I can't quite make out what's going on with the bag in the front. Looks like a small front rack? In any event, it also looks like that huge bag is right on the tire. I don't like it.

Knobby tires are usually a deduction, but it looks like they've got some dirt on them so that could be a plus in this case.

I'm not a fan of the bars, but they kind of work with this setup.

Overall, warm.