Bicycles
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Looking for recommendations…
I'm in the US, looking for a hybrid / urban bike. I have never been a serious cyclist, and I only know the bare minimum. I have no idea what's good. I visited my local REI and they have Cannondale and Co-op brands. The Cannondale Bad Boy 1 looks very cool but I don't want the internal gear / belt transmission (because I may want to also buy a Wahoo Kickr trainer on which to set up the bike).
I'm willing to pay premium prices for premium quality, within limits. I've read good things about Surly...?
@endo - That Bottcher bike is lovely.
A lot of my friends have Surly frames, @JDelage. They like them a lot however it's worth noting that the frames are rather heavy. Are you looking for more of a road frame with aggressive (forward leaning) geometry? Or for a more upright, relaxed geometry (think: Dutch bike)?
I would also suggest a wheel off trainer (my buds all have Kickrs and Wahoo bike computers) otherwise you need to have a scrap tire at home to get run bald on the rollers.
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If I get a trainer, it will be one of the Wahoo Kikr smart trainers (wheel off), but we're not there yet.
I'm not going to carry the bike up stairs, so the weight is not critical.
I'm looking for a hybrid position. The bike will mostly be used for urban commuting & week end rides, though I might want to do some longer relaxed rides at some point. I probably wouldn't go for drop bars, but I would have no problem putting a flat bar on a bike that is originally sold with a drop bar. E.g., I've seen some examples of Surly Stragglers with flat bars.
@sabergirl - I agree the 1 prong fork looks weird. The more I'm reading and the more I think the Bad Boy might not be the best bike for me.
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Personally, I would suggest going to your LBS ("Local Bike Shop") rather than a big box shop like REI. Your LBS can do a bike fit and build a bike up for you using the frameset of your choosing (such as a Straggler). That way you get a say on the tires and wheels, etc., rather than needing to replace each item on a bike pre-built.
I would recommend a bike meant for long miles, around town, and overall comfort. If price isn't an issue (while still staying within reason), I would recommend Rivendell. Based in the Bay Area, Riv makes some lovely frames and will even build out a bike to your specs. See more here: https://www.rivbike.com/
Also, some Rive frames can be had on the secondary market in near-new/almost new condition. See here: https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/bik/d/oakland-rivendell-homer-hilsen/7369538498.html
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One thing I will say is that I don’t like the design of the cannondale bad boy. That’s the one that has a single sided fork, right? I’m sure it works fine, but it feels unstable to me
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I have a Cannondale 29er,with what's called the Lefty frame. While it's appearance might be a little unsettling,it's a great really well balanced bicycle. Also have the OG Bad Boy,which came out in 2000,and still enjoy riding it.
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All these bikes sound like great options. My response though is that I'm a little surprised about putting a hybrid on a kickr. What about two bikes, one for road rides that are exercise as well as on the trainer and another for trips around town? Hybrids are great for that, and I also wonder if you've considered e-bikes, which have come a long way and are really cool. The other thing to consider is whether you need to lock up or not. No matter what kind of lock you have, bikes can be stolen.
I've got a great Scott carbon road bike that is worth more than my car that I use for real rides and on the trainer (wahoo kickr core) and then a super cheap fixed gear for riding around town and locking up places, and then a Brompton folding bike which I used to use when my commute involved bike and trains.
Before considering specific brands then, I wonder why a hybrid? -
@Nkwkfld:
All these bikes sound like great options. My response though is that I'm a little surprised about putting a hybrid on a kickr. What about two bikes, one for road rides that are exercise as well as on the trainer and another for trips around town? Hybrids are great for that, and I also wonder if you've considered e-bikes, which have come a long way and are really cool. The other thing to consider is whether you need to lock up or not. No matter what kind of lock you have, bikes can be stolen.
I've got a great Scott carbon road bike that is worth more than my car that I use for real rides and on the trainer (wahoo kickr core) and then a super cheap fixed gear for riding around town and locking up places, and then a Brompton folding bike which I used to use when my commute involved bike and trains.
Before considering specific brands then, I wonder why a hybrid?This is very sensible, @Nkwkfld. I myself ride one bike for all: a Ritchey Swiss Cross canti on some 700x38s. I have a hip pack/saddle bag combo for fun rides (long rides off the beaten path) and don a waterproof rolltop Ortlieb for errands around town that I can carry a couple of locks in. Most people I know have a quiver with a few options for varied sorts of riding like you do.
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@Nkwkfld - Hybrid seems like a good compromise for someone like me who will (1) mostly use a bike for short-ish urban commutes, (2) go on relaxed rides from time to time, and (3) not do any serious road biking. If I get a Wahoo Kickr trainer, it will be for general fitness / aerobic training (zone 2, max lactate clearing), not to train for any type of bike sport per se. In other word, it's an alternative to a stationary bike.
I think I would prefer hydraulic disk brakes and also would rather get a complete bike than a frame. If I were knowledgeable, I'd love to research and decide each component one by one, but I'm not there.
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I think I would prefer hydraulic disk brakes and also would rather get a complete bike than a frame. If I were knowledgeable, I'd love to research and decide each component one by one, but I'm not there.
With that in mind, either Surly or its sister brand, All City, would be serviceable.
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It sounds to me like you’re potentially throwing money at a habit that may not stick. I’d say go down to your LBS and let them put you on a mid-range trek or specialized or jamis, and beat the heck out of it commuting for a while. If you love riding, and it’s working, the you could upgrade. Also, fwiw I have used a cycle ops mag trainer as a glorified exercise bike for years. I swap out the rear wheel for a single speed one with a trainer tire on it. Not sure you need to invest in the kickr for this purpose, either.
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Sounds really sensible, and there's lots of great advice here. Most important thing is that I bet you'll have a lot of fun on whatever you get, biking is great!
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For what it's worth a buddy of mine has a Surly Straggler and loves it. If weight isn't a concern then this is a great option. It's got plenty of tire clearance for running a larger tire and with the stem run at the very top of your steerer tube you can get into a very relaxed position if that's the goal. There are plenty of fancier steel bikes out there but there is really no need to bother. If you end up falling in love with cycling then that's when upgrading becomes something to consider.
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Also, fwiw I have used a cycle ops mag trainer as a glorified exercise bike for years. I swap out the rear wheel for a single speed one with a trainer tire on it. Not sure you need to invest in the kickr for this purpose, either.
I rocked one of those myself! Yup – had a trainer wheel and tire on hand, too.
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I think @sabergirl is wise about not making a huge investment up front, @JDelage but I also think you're gonna love riding.
I think one move to consider is to get a "fitness bike" like this Specialized at a trusted LBS. You can add fenders and saddlebag racks if you want, get a clip-on U-lock (but don't leave it out overnight), and use it as a commuter bike that is a bit more playful and quicker than more of a cruiserly style commuter, and not a lower-back-killing forward-leaning street racing design. It's enough bike to get around town and work out on, and if you ever need more you can either sell it or upgrade the components. And if you have dirtbags stealing bikes where you live, it's not the end of the world if it gets stolen (though you'd definitely want to register the serial number in all the right places and lock it up).
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Well, in the last few days I spent a lot of time researching various options. Once I had narrowed my options it proved nearly impossible to find exactly what I wanted. I was thinking about getting a naked frame and building the bike (but the frame sets and components are also hard to find). Finally I was able to find my top choice in a shop in Bend, OR (I'm in Seattle). It's a shop-built Surly Disc Trucker, and they agreed to ship it to me. It should arrive to me early next week. I'm super excited.
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WTB tires are rad and the handlebars look great! Good call, @JDelage
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Gorgeous bike and good pickup @JDelage !
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Looks like a sweet setup, especially for Seattle! I used to ride between Capitol Hill and Magnolia everyday, and that big chainring would have been useful. That'll also be a sound bike for throwing on a trainer and playing around on Zwift, which is more fun than I thought it would be. Nice choice on the bike, enjoy!
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Plus, you can hit some fire roads/trails with that, too, and not only have more fun, but also avoid cars.
