| Re: Flat bar road bike opinions?
"Slider2699" <juuiiniy@kuim.com> wrote in message
news:rMneb.45898$Ci5.1415257@twister.tampabay.rr.c om...
> I'm thinking of buying one of the flat bar road bikes on the market. Plan
to
> use it for errands and occasional commuting ( my main commuter is a road
> bike). I'd like the bike to have rack bosses, and fender bosses if
possible.
> I can always use clip on fenders, but need a rack mount. I can spend $1000
> but would prefer to pay less. I use a slick tired hardtail MTB now, but
I'd
> like to convert that back to dirt use. I read a writeup on the Kona Dr.
Dew
> in Bike Mag but it's kind of pricey. Anybody have a cheaper alternative?
Mike,
I was in the market for one as well, but I was shooting for something with
discs and possibly suspension. I compiled a list of almost everything I
could find. Here's the list from roughly the most expensive to the least:
Cannondale Bad Boy Ulta
Gary Fisher Fast City
Kona Dr. Dew (and its little brothers dew deluxe and dew)
Giant OCR Touring (a touring road frame with discs, drop handlebars)
Cannondale Road Warrior
Specialized Sirrus
K2 Mach S
Fuji Forza
Rocky Mountain Metro
Jamis Coda Comp
Novarra Big Buzz
Giant Cypress SX
Motobecane Cafe Latte / Noir
Of this list, I think the Specialized Sirrus is probably the best bets. I
know it has eyelets, v-brakes, and rides well. Heck, the Sirrus Sport even
has discs for $800.
I thought I really wanted one of these, but I have since changed my mind. I
built up a flat bar road bike from an old schwinn and found that going any
kind of distance caused pain in my hands and wrists, despite trying several
stems and bars and using bar-ends. It was the combination of the aggressive
position and long distances with the flat bar that did it. I don't have
these problems with either my road bike or mountain bike. You might evaluate
the distances you plan on riding and see if you can rent one for a long test
ride before you buy. You could have the same problems I did.
Good luck!
-Buck
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