jmchiejr

First, thanks in advance for any advice or information anyone is able to provide.

I am a pretty casual rider whose daughter has outgrown her current bike and is borrowing mine any chance she gets. So I am taking the opportunity of my upcoming birthday to get a new bike, an entry-level hybrid, and let her have my current one. I went in thinking my price point was up to $500, this is my first time getting a bike from an LBS. My current bike, that I like ok, is a Schwinn Avenue.

I did a fair bit of online research, visited a couple of LBSs to test ride some bikes in my price range, and decided that I rather liked best the base 21" 2017 Jamis Coda ($369). However, after some more digging after that I thought I would try to stretch my budget just a little and see about test riding and maybe buying a Jamis Coda Sport ($529). However (and there's a bunch more to this story in this space I'm cutting out for size) my LBS says they don't have one and their computer says there aren't any in stock/orderable and there is no listed ETA (which the guy said the system displays that information when available). He said they might be waiting on the 2018 models to be coming out and that might be 6 weeks although he couldn't say for sure.

So, I'm not quite sure where to go from this point. Most of the posts on here for riders in this price range recommend you go with what you like riding which I suppose I could get the base Coda but I also like the idea of getting something that is as good a quality as I can within my price point so the idea of trying the Sport (which I understand has a slightly more aggressive riding posture which would almost certainly be fine) really appealed to me. I would rather not wait until August or later.

Do I just test other bikes until I find one I like ok? Are there specific ones that people with experience might be able to say would be similar in ride? (I know these Codas use a steel frame which seems to not be as common as far as what I've looked at?) Should I just go with the base Coda?

Thanks much for any advice/information.

hokiefyd 

Welcome to Bike Forums!

The $369 Coda is the base model, and comes with everything you need to get riding. However, I think a serious factor to consider is the rear wheel -- it uses a freewheel instead of a much more robust freehub-and-cassette. For more information on the differences, see this page. In short, a freehub-and-cassette is a stronger and more desirable design. The Coda Sport, the next step up in the Coda line, has a freehub-and-cassette rear wheel. It also uses a Shimano Acera drivetrain, whereas the base Coda uses Shimano Tourney. The Sport also comes with nicer Vittoria touring tires (vs. Kenda on the base model). I think the Sport is very much worth the extra $160.

If you like the base Coda and the base Coda fits you well, you should also like the Coda Sport -- it will be very nearly the same fit. The Coda Sport could have a slightly more aggressive riding position, but it should still very much feel like a Coda.

The steel frame will be fine. Many people like steel for various reasons. The primary drawback to steel is its weight -- the base Coda weighs just over 30 pounds, which isn't light. Here's another plug for the Coda Sport -- it comes in at 27 pounds, 10% lighter than the base Coda! Both claim to use double-butted chromoly steel frames, so I'm not sure where the weight difference comes from. Maybe it's a number of small weight savings here and there added together. The threadless stem of the Coda Sport is likely lighter than the quill stem of the base Coda.

If you like the Coda, I would strongly suggest waiting for the 2018 models to come out if they're fresh out of 2017s, and see if you can't test-drive a Coda Sport. If you like the Coda better, then at least you know you didn't miss something you might have rather had. Of course, it never hurts to try other bikes, but Jamis makes a fine bike, and they're sort of unique in this market in terms of producing a nice chromoly steel frame still (while most others have gone to aluminum).

jmchiejr

Thanks much for the advice, and especially the information about what pieces are upgraded. I'm not versed enough to recognize why some of the better components matter. I was able to find a 21" Coda Sport at a bike shop about 15 miles away (unfortunately a longer drive due to city conditions). I enjoyed my test ride of the Sport and even though it was a stretch of what I had to spend I am hopeful that if I take good care of it, it will be a good bike for me for a long time.

hokiefyd 

So you bought the Sport? Congratulations -- and take and post pictures!

BigLdet

Oh no. I hope my lbs has a coda sport when i go next week. Maybe that is why he was pushing me to the coda comp or a renegade. He knew the sports where getting to back order status.

jmchiejr

I took pictures! But I can't link to where they're posted until I have 10 posts, and I don't think the size I could upload them directly in would do justice. So, seven posts to go