Hey there CM!

Looks like the bikes in your neighborhood aren't dealing out too many discounts. Anyhow, I found your bike!

Here Check This Out:

www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_534115_-1_203072_10000_202383
The GT Tachyon 4.0 ~ $400

This is a Hybrid, which according to your terrain description, is exactly right up your alley!

- Slim :)

Thanks for all the suggestions!

I'm going to make my second commute to work tomorrow and the LBS is about 2 miles down the road so I'll see about stopping in again to see what they can do for me.

I notice some small twigs, pebbles and other assorted debris on my commute. I've never ridden a road bike but the smaller tires scare me a bit. I have no fear going over these obstacles with my current crappy mountain bike. I'm not doing any jumping or anything.

Are my fears real or not? Will the road bike be OK going over these things if I can't avoid them?

Alright CM!

Here's the deal. For the most part, your fears are unwarranted. Any width of tire over 32mm can easily handle twigs, pebbles, etc..
The Nashbar bike that I suggested initially would be just fine for you terrain. However, I get the feeling that you would feel more comfortable buying from your own neck of the woods. Therefore, allow me to suggest that you purchase either the Raleigh Detour 4.0 or the Raleigh Detour 4.5 at the Rocky Point Cycles LBS for $480. That appears to be the best deal there for the money. Besides Raleigh makes excellent bikes anyway!

Good Luck! :thumb:

- Slim :)

I'm usually not opposed to buying online, but Rocky Point Cycle is highly recommended by the local mountain bike club. Not only that, but it's a stones throw away from what is supposed to be one of the best trails around. When I went there a few weeks ago and told them my situation I they also suggested a Raleigh, though I'm not sure what model. The price sounds like what they quoted me though so perhaps that's it!

So let's say I get the hybrid Raleigh for around $480. That would fit my purposes but I assume it would not perform well in all categories. I assume it can do just about everything, but not everything well.

What price point would I be looking at if I wanted a respectable road bike and a respectable mountain bike? Just a ballpark figure. Nothing too cheap or too expensive. I'd like to hit the local trails but I'd also like the possibility of doing some road riding. I'm a mailman and see one of my customers on a road bike all the time. I haven't seen him since I got into cycling a few weeks ago but OI did talk to his wife yesterday and she said he'd love to take me out and show me the ropes. She said he just completed a century.

I'm not looking to break any speed records but the thought of cycling to a distant area is appealing to me. We have some nice rural roads east of here that would probably be great to cycle on. I'm assuming a hybrid wouldn't fit the bill, but then what do I know? I just started. lol

Alright CM!

I wish that I would have known that before...

The type of bike that you've just described would be a touring bike. Eventhough, you can just about tour on anything. The best bike to ride long distances without being that concerned about speed is a touring bike. A bike like the Trek 520, or the Jamis Aurora, or perhaps, the Surly Long Haul Trucker. There's also the Raleigh Sojourn that perhaps your LBS might even have.

Most touring bikes look like ordinary road bikes, except for the fact that they have a longer wheel base, the capacity to have racks and fenders attached. They also have wider tires, which make them more resistant to road or "trail" hazards. I mean that's really the main difference between a road bike and a MTN bike is the width of the tires, aside from the more aggressive geometry of a road bike.

The very first bike that I suggested to you at the outset would also fit the description what you've stated here, because the Jamis Coda is capable of housing tires with a 38mm width, which is just great for the trails. As, long as your not taking the bicycle over a bunch of roots, rocks, and crevices, you'll be just fine with any of the bikes that I've already mentioned. However, if you seriously want to cover really large distances, you'll need a touring bike. I would Not call a century, a really long distance. A long distance would be like 300 miles. People ride regular road bikes when they do centuries. Some people ride hybrids on centuries.

The main thing when riding a century or more is comfort. Having the right fit and a variety of hand positions on your handlebars give you greater comfort on longer rides.

For what you've described so far, I'd say, your need either a touring bike or some type of Jamis Coda with wide tires, and perhaps, drop handlebars. Since your LBS sells Raleigh, you might want to look into the Sojourn.

Auf Weidersehen!

- Slim :)

I just plow right through this stuff on my road bike's old ultrasport skinny 23's, so I think anything larger with flat protection will do. You might want to concentrate more on avoiding much larger serious road hazards instead and try to just enjoy the ride even though it's a commute.

Hey there CM!

Raleigh makes the perfect bicycle that would suit your needs. It's called the Clubman. It's the only bicycle that you will ever need, provided that you're not going to fly down a mountain trail over roots, stumps, rocks, and such. The Clubman can be ridden for long periods of time and traverse the many diverse paths encountered in life. While, it's not a mountain bike, the wooded trails will be no challenge. It's sleek, fast, and quite capable of passing any unsuspecting roadie by surprise! I say that because, it's a beautiful blend of both road and touring characteristics. Though the Clubman is not a cheap boxed bike, it is also not an expensive bike. You will find that in time, it will more than pay for itself by the extra savings in fuel, comfort, and enjoyment. The Raleigh Clubman is made of the finest of 520 chromoly steel and will last forever, if kept dry. It has tiagra componentry, which is quite compatible with the aspects of touring.

The Clubman is not the type of bike that you would enter into a racing contest, because it has a more mature character than that of, racing. Likewise, it would never really fit into the average road bike club either, with its fenders and all. However, the Clubman would enjoy meeting its two-wheeled roadie cousins down the road as it leisurely passes them and detours to the right.

The Clubman would also delight in the pleasure of keeping the genuine touring bike company, as well. Just like the tourer can be loaded, the Clubman can be loaded in a similar fashion. However, the Clubman is still aware of its limitations as it is not a truly bonafide and exclusive tourer. Alternatively, it is quite capable of light touring, credit card touring, and the two-day trek.

- Slim :)

The cost of the 2012 Clubman ~ $1,100