dartfrogger

Turns out it may not be the wrong bike, just the wrong fit. I went in and had a real fit done, and it's made a world of difference. Ends up that the seat was way too low, the handlebars way too high, the cleats way off...you get the picture. And all these were originally set by the people in the bike shop themselves! But when the fitter got out the protractor and plumb bob and looked at my posture and flexibility (non-existent), etc., he turned the bike into something far, far more exciting. Best $100 I ever spent. I also got bar end grips, which help a lot as well.

I've only had time for a half-hour cruise, but it was a revelatory experience. I'm now a firm believer in getting a proper fit. Oh, and I do plan on replacing the tires.

Thanks all for your great suggestions.

Gravity Aided

Hit pawn shops and garage sales, and get that trekking bar, they make life great on a hybrid, and the Jamis is a great hybrid . You need that for the biking you use the hybrid for, but get a roadbike too for the longer distances , but going cheap to try out the idea is a goodway to go . You see a lot of 90's Schwinns and Centurions and Bridgestones and Panasonics out there , look to the Classic and Vintage forum for advice on what you may find . Good to hear things are looking up with the Jamis .

spiralcity

Love the Jamis! We have a dealer near us, I looked at the X Comp and X elite series, those Allegro's are sweet, I loved them!

Problem was I bought a Cannondale Quick recently before checking out the Jamis line. I love my Cannondale, but my choice may have been different if I looked into Jamis first.

dartfrogger

A lot can change in two months. Back in July I was in a quandary about my hybrid (see above posts), which wasn't completely satisfactory. But then things fell into place, as they say, and I decided to retire. No more 9-5 for me!

As a reward, I decided to buy the bike I really wanted but didn't know it. I just brought home a 2013 Bianchi Vigorelli, and I'm beyond thrilled with it. I'm not putting down the Coda, or hybrids in general, but, for me at least, this bike is so much more exciting to ride. I sold the Jamis to a friend, who will use it for transportation and will love it as much as I love my Bianchi.

Finally, I wanted to thank all of you who offered some great suggestions in my search for getting the most out of my bike. Happy trails.

kaliayev

+1 on the older road bike. Look for a sport tourer from the early to late 80's with a nice a steel tubeset and components. The sport tourers have more relaxed geometries than road race bikes making them ideal for city riding and long distance rides. They also usually have brazeons for fenders and racks. Depending on your area it should not be a big problem finding a nice one in the $125-275 range.