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Gear Talk / Re: Impressions on the Jamis Aurora Elite (2009 Model)

« on: September 14, 2009, 06:53:40 am »

did you do your tour on the aurora elite?  what are your impressions of the bike?

I bought Aurora Elite four months ago and I think its a great bike. I usually ride about 60 to 70 miles with a fair amount of weight in my panniers. I weigh about 195 pounds and I don't baby the bike at all.
 I have not yet gone on any tours with it, but I usually ride 3-4 days a week. No problems at all yet. I haven't changed anything on the bike, the rims and tires are whatever came stock when I bought it, again - no issues yet.
 I occasionally read these posts to check on whatever bike accessory I'm obsessing about buying at the moment , and generally speaking , it all comes down to personal preference. I went with the Jamis because it felt
 comfortable and I figured I wanted a bike that I would enjoy in touring and non touring conditions. There are a few things I may replace (rims perhaps) , but so far that bike has been kick ass. I could care less about gear ratios or any other host of upgrades or adjustments one could do to make this bike perfect. I go up some steep climbs and down some steep descents, the gears seem to accommodate whatever nature throws my way. Once again, I haven't toured with this beast yet, but I do at least 250 miles a week with at least 25 pounds ( plus the 195 pounds of Italian on the saddle) and its been a joy. Before I leave for my tour next year from Austin to Cleveland, I plan on getting better rims, but even that is only after reading that I should do so on some post somewhere. If spending a few hundred bucks on better suited rims saves me from repairing my wheels on the tour, I figure it's a worthwhile investment.  Most of the bikes in this price range (under $1,500 ) have similar pros and cons. I will post on this board if the Jamis fails me, but so far its been a blast.
Cheers, Joey