interesting experience bike shopping

[meaculpa]

So to follow up from yesterday, I visited 4 bike shops and tried on 4 bikes looking for the ultimate commuting /touring bike.
3 were cyclocross : Surly Cross,  Specialized Tri-x, Kona Jake, and . + 1 touring bike, the Jamis Aurora. The Aurora has a steel frame and a pivotable (piviti? pivoti?) head so that the bars could be dropped forward. Plus it can take cross tires. So...Voila...a switch- hitting cyclo/tourer for $100-300 less. But my ideal commuter could be just that, an ideal.
Is this asking too much from one bike? What do you think?

[pmspirito]

Sounds good to Judy and me.  And if you're happy then you will ride a whole lot more. Have at it. We are recumbent riders so we are used to pedaling to the beat of a difference cadence.

best wishes from the back of the pack,  Peter & Judy Spirito

[bkrbll]

I have an older Jamis Aurora and have used it as an all around bike.  Only able to fit 700x30c tires with fenders, but I travel light so it works for me.  When I need to go heavy I have a Burley trailer.
Have racks and used to have a generator light set-up but the lights didn't work as I hoped so I am back to the clip on blinky and a clamp on front light. I don't ride in the dark as much as I used to so it works.

The Jamis has a nice ride and handles well loaded or pulling the trailer.

[TheDaltonBoys]

Meaculpa - you might try an REI Novara Randonee. All steel, comes with rear rack, three H20 brazeons, decent drive train, Fizik seat, and stock tires are 700 X 32c but can accomodate larger tires if desired. I purchased a Jandd front rack which went on without much difficulty as the fork is rack-ready. I put a BoB trailer skewer in the rear hub and it pulls the trailer just fine. Depending on what publication you read, the notion is that the Randonee is a very good entry level touring bike at about $900 (but currently on sale for $745). It is a "portly" tourer at 27 lbs/54 kgs "naked", but I prefer my cross-country bike to be a "truck", and it is. I use mine for both commuting (I own no car), as well as touring, but, if drivers had better memories of traffic laws and rules, and if cycling avenues were a little wider.....I'd ride my Tadpole Trike Recumbent all the time. Enjoy the Voyage..Mark of the Dalton Boys

[peterbro@hotmai]

I checked out the Surly Crosscheck and Jamis Aurora.   Settled on  a different option: the Jamis Satelitte.

It is not a touring bike and has caliper brakes, but I wanted a communter bike that didn't weigh 27 pounds! I can still put 28c tires on it.  I had the bike shop swap out the road bike cassette and put on a 11-30 tooth rear cassette and Deore mountain bike rear D.  This helps on those hills.  Both the REI Randonee and the Jamis Aurora are quite "portly" in this measurement.  I can tow a trailer on the Satelitte (steel frame) and it has rear mounts for fender or rack.  It seems that there are many options to buy racks that can accomodate fenders into them and would seem to be a non-issue.

Good luck!

[mike_khad1]

I purchased my dream touring/commuter bike - a Burley Hudson. Steel frame. I added fenders and a low-rider front rack and its good to go. However, I just heard that there was some sort of shake-up at Burley and that they are not going to make bicycle any more. I'm not sure if that affects the price of their existing bikes.

Burley Hudson

This message was edited by mike_khad1 on 10-5-06 @ 2:34 PM

[Sailariel]

You heard correctly--Burly is under new ownership and will only make their very sucessful trailers. They will build the bikes that people have ordered but will stop making bikes after they have filled their orders. Our local dealer tried to order a Tandem and thet politely turned him down. Have no idea how that will affect prices--am currently considering a Burley recumbent.    Alex

[alfonso]

This is sad news about Burley.

Peterbro: Satellite sounds like a splendid choice. Let us know how it
goes. I seriously considered one but couldn't find one in stock down
this end of the Globe, and wasn't prepared to order a bike I couldn't
test-ride. Hope it's a huge success.