Too many bikes from which to choose

Looks like the whole functional bike thing is really catching on. I am
looking for a road bike to use as a townie, and I have three really good
choices, but there are many more. I like the idea of a single, and the
Bianchi San Jose looks sweet. But, the Bianchi Castro Valley has a rear
derailleur, fenders, and a generator light on basically the same frame. The
Volpe has a triple on the same frame, for not much more money. Then there's
the Surly Cross Check, Soma Double Cross, Planet X Kaffenback, and I'm sure
I'm missed some . Ten years ago steel bikes with eyelets and fat tire
clearance were pretty rare and/or expensive. Now they're everywhere. :-)

I checked out the Novara Fusion at REI a week ago. I covet it now.
Yeah, it's aluminum, but it's got a Nexus 8 for clean lines and a
dynohub and stand light. Burgundy brown and light yellow frame--very
'40s. It's an upright bar, but with a bit of curve so it feels nice and
ergo compared to a flat bar. My only criticism is the twist shifter,
but afaik, Shimano has yet to release a rapidfire 8spd Nexus shifter.

http://www.rei.com/online/store/Prod...ory_rn=4500775

It looks much better in person, than on the web.

This is what the Dalai-lama says in today's Daily Telegraph, about the
problems in our rich and developed countries. Too many choices, that don't
add real freedom.

Turtle

"landotter" wrote in message
oups.com...
I checked out the Novara Fusion at REI a week ago.

That seems to be a well thought out bicycle. I ride an Ibex which is set up
pretty similiarly.

Gooserider wrote:
Looks like the whole functional bike thing is really catching on. I am
looking for a road bike to use as a townie, and I have three really good
choices, but there are many more. I like the idea of a single, and the
Bianchi San Jose looks sweet. But, the Bianchi Castro Valley has a rear
derailleur, fenders, and a generator light on basically the same frame. The
Volpe has a triple on the same frame, for not much more money. Then there's
the Surly Cross Check, Soma Double Cross, Planet X Kaffenback, and I'm sure
I'm missed some . Ten years ago steel bikes with eyelets and fat tire
clearance were pretty rare and/or expensive. Now they're everywhere. :-)




Seems like all bikees' have a G.P. bike. Mine is my stupid Raleigh. It's
not steel. And no one will steal it. But it's pretty close to a perfect
G.P bike. The only thing it is missing is a set of full fenders and a
dyno-hub. Its' upright positioning and comfy padded saddle make it good
for riding in jeans or whatever.

Ken
But of course it puts the rider like a sail in the wind!


--
A bicycle does get you there and more.... And there is always the thin
edge of danger to keep you alert and comfortably apprehensive. Dogs
become dogs again and snap at your raincoat; potholes become personal.
And getting there is all the fun. ~Bill Emerson, "On Bicycling,"
Saturday Evening Post, 29 July 1967

Homepage: http://www.bikesandmoreonline.com/

Gooserider wrote:
Looks like the whole functional bike thing is really catching on. I am
looking for a road bike to use as a townie, and I have three really good
choices, but there are many more. I like the idea of a single, and the
Bianchi San Jose looks sweet. But, the Bianchi Castro Valley has a rear
derailleur, fenders, and a generator light on basically the same frame. The
Volpe has a triple on the same frame, for not much more money. Then there's
the Surly Cross Check, Soma Double Cross, Planet X Kaffenback, and I'm sure
I'm missed some . Ten years ago steel bikes with eyelets and fat tire
clearance were pretty rare and/or expensive. Now they're everywhere. :-)

Yeah, but ten years before that they were everywhere, too.

"Peter Cole" wrote in message
...
Gooserider wrote:
Looks like the whole functional bike thing is really catching on. I am
looking for a road bike to use as a townie, and I have three really good
choices, but there are many more. I like the idea of a single, and the
Bianchi San Jose looks sweet. But, the Bianchi Castro Valley has a rear
derailleur, fenders, and a generator light on basically the same frame.
The Volpe has a triple on the same frame, for not much more money. Then
there's the Surly Cross Check, Soma Double Cross, Planet X Kaffenback,
and I'm sure I'm missed some . Ten years ago steel bikes with eyelets and
fat tire clearance were pretty rare and/or expensive. Now they're
everywhere. :-)

Yeah, but ten years before that they were everywhere, too.

Really? I must have missed them. All I remember is MTBs and aluminum framed
racers with no eyelets and no clearance. Except for the venerable Trek 520,
that is.

In article ,
"Gooserider" writes:

"Peter Cole" wrote in message
...
Gooserider wrote:

.....

Ten years ago steel bikes with eyelets and
fat tire clearance were pretty rare and/or expensive. Now they're
everywhere. :-)

Yeah, but ten years before that they were everywhere, too.

Really? I must have missed them. All I remember is MTBs and aluminum framed
racers with no eyelets and no clearance. Except for the venerable Trek 520,
that is.

My '80s-vintage, rigid-forked MTB is one such bike. Two pairs
of eyelets fore & aft. Old style canti brakes, through which
full fenders actually fit.

I expect its original owner discarded it because it was "obsolete".
Well, to be honest, the chromoly frame is pretty heavy, too.


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

Gooserider wrote:
"Peter Cole" wrote in message
...
Gooserider wrote:
Looks like the whole functional bike thing is really catching on. I am
looking for a road bike to use as a townie, and I have three really good
choices, but there are many more. I like the idea of a single, and the
Bianchi San Jose looks sweet. But, the Bianchi Castro Valley has a rear
derailleur, fenders, and a generator light on basically the same frame.
The Volpe has a triple on the same frame, for not much more money. Then
there's the Surly Cross Check, Soma Double Cross, Planet X Kaffenback,
and I'm sure I'm missed some . Ten years ago steel bikes with eyelets and
fat tire clearance were pretty rare and/or expensive. Now they're
everywhere. :-)
Yeah, but ten years before that they were everywhere, too.

Really? I must have missed them. All I remember is MTBs and aluminum framed
racers with no eyelets and no clearance. Except for the venerable Trek 520,
that is.



In the mid-80's? Plenty of "sports-tourers" around then, very few
aluminum bikes or MTB's.

"Gooserider" wrote in message
. ..
Looks like the whole functional bike thing is really catching on. I am
looking for a road bike to use as a townie, and I have three really good
choices, but there are many more. I like the idea of a single, and the
Bianchi San Jose looks sweet. But, the Bianchi Castro Valley has a rear
derailleur, fenders, and a generator light on basically the same frame.
The Volpe has a triple on the same frame, for not much more money. Then
there's the Surly Cross Check, Soma Double Cross, Planet X Kaffenback, and
I'm sure I'm missed some . Ten years ago steel bikes with eyelets and fat
tire clearance were pretty rare and/or expensive. Now they're everywhere.
:-)

True, there are more now. But there were plenty then -- even more if you
count aluminum bikes.

For one thing, ten years ago hybrids were commonly set up much like flat-bar
touring bikes; I had a Trek 7300 with eyelets that I easily set up with
fenders and a rack, and is still in service as a commuter today (by the
co-worker I sold it to).

Besides the Trek 520, Fuji, REI, and Raleigh made touring bikes with drop
bars, fat tires, eyelets and braze-ons, and reasonable prices. I believe the
Volpe was around ten years ago as well, but I'm not certain.

And as someone pointed out, the Great Bike Scare of the 70's produced any
number of sport-tourers that are the archetype of the bikes we're talking
about.

Still, I agree that the proliferation of utility bikes is a Good Thing.

RichC