Hi,
I’m looking to get back into cycling after about a ten year break. I used to cycle everywhere but travel, injury and moving to the suburbs basically stopped me.
The main rides I’ll be doing:
36km (22mi) between my place and my girlfriends - little bit of road, mostly bike path, a little bit of gravel.
8km (5mi) to JiuJitsu class - road/pavement/path.
With at least one loaded pannier, possibly two.
I’m 110kg (~242lb) with a fairly solid build, the steel frames are appealing.
I may do a little touring, I haven’t done it before but Australia has some great off road tour options. It might just be a nice idea that I never get around to. I like camping and being alone which is what appeals about touring.
Being in Australia, I’m pretty limited on what bikes are actually available.
I was recommended the Kona Sutra LTD ($4k) (by a sales guy) but I feel that the wide tires aren’t a great choice for the commuting and it’s a bit more than I was planning to spend. I don’t mind spending more on getting the right bike for me but I’m also pretty frugal so would prefer to spend less if I can find the right bike for less.
I’ve also been considering the Marin Nicasio plus ($1.3K), Nicasio 2 ($2.2k), Surly Preamble ($2.9k), Salsa Cutthroat ($4.9k) or maybe a Bombtrack Hook ($3.6k).
Plus about $1000 for fenders, racks and a big fat lock to lock it up.
Thanks for any input.
First off, all these brands and model names! If you’re frugal (I certainly am) then you should be very wary of spending over the odds in order to fund a marketing budget. Another problem with showy brands is that they make you a target for thieves.
A bike is a bike. It’s mostly a bunch of mix-and-match spare parts made of metal (or else by Shimano). This is why (IMO!) the case is weak for spending $$$ on a big-brand bike, unlike for example a high-tech gadget which is essentially a black box. Unless, of course, what you’re looking for is the label itself.
Anyway. Go electric. Seriously. I say that a former serious cyclist who has done lots of touring. It makes cycling less of a PITA and so more likely that your new toy won’t be abandoned in a closet in a few months time. If you were in Europe I’d recommend secondhand or something from Decathlon. If those are out then you could do worse than ordering direct from one of the new Chinese marques. Like mine, an electric fat bike which I’ve posted several pics of here. I’ve done 3000 km on it since last year, all touring. It’s extremely reliable and I didn’t pay hundreds of bucks for a fancy label.