But it’s not as twitchy, in terms of handling, as an actual drop-bar road bike would be, and, given that you’ll be sitting up rather than hunched over, it’ll be a lot more comfortable to ride. A bike like this will be agile enough to maneuver around the potholes you see, tough enough to weather the ones you don’t, and speedy enough that you can roll it out on the weekend to get some exercise with the family, or even join a charity ride. That term gets you what is basically a road bike with flat, mountain-bike-style handlebars. If you’d like to start regularly riding to work or school, and your ride will last half an hour or more, you’ll probably want what’s often called a fitness hybrid bike, or a performance hybrid. In 2018, the Coda Sport (as it used to be called) cost $530 now, the Coda S2, which has very similar components, costs $770. (This bike is also available in a women's version, which essentially means smaller sizing and a women’s-specific saddle.) The main drawbacks with this model are maneuverability-it’s not quite as nimble as the other bikes we tested, which could be a function of its geometry (more on that in How we picked and tested)-and price. The Coda S2 comes with well-rated Vittoria Randonneur tires-that is, tires from a “real” tire company that you can buy in a bike shop, and now in a wider and cushier size-and steel-wrapped resin pedals. (Such frames are often made with heavier high-tensile steel, rather than the chrome-moly that the Coda S2 has in both its frame and fork.) That means an easy time carrying this bike up stairs and lifting it onto bus- or car-mounted bike racks. The Jamis Coda S2 is a very good option if you’re looking for the comfort of a steel frame (steel does a much better job than aluminum at dampening the vibrations caused by rough pavement) without the weight penalty that lower-priced steel frames often impose. (The Fairfax 1 is available in a step-through option at the same price.) However, given the growing price difference between the Fairfax 1 (it’s $500, the same as it’s been for the past couple of years) and similarly equipped bikes from other companies, we believe it’s still the best option, despite any possible downsides to the redesign. Marin has since revamped the frame to make the bike more stable and possibly less sprightly (we couldn’t detect a difference when we rode it). When we first tested this bike, it earned extra credit for its well-designed aluminum frame, which provided more-agile handling and zippier acceleration than the competition. Our top pick, the Marin Fairfax 1, ticks most of the boxes on our hybrid-bike checklist: durable-enough components, a chrome-moly steel fork that’s forgiving on potholes and rough city streets (and of higher quality than the high-tensile steel forks used on many other, pricier bikes), rack and fender mounts, and hill-friendly gearing (including a rear cassette, rather than a cheaper and outdated freewheel cogset). ( Bike Index, a nationwide nonprofit registry, maintains a list of stolen bikes.) Don’t help bike thieves profit from their misdeeds. One point that we’d like to underline: No matter where you end up buying a used bike, ask the seller for the bike’s serial number so that you can see if the bike has been reported stolen. (The Pro’s Closet specializes in higher-end bikes-that is, those costing at least $1,500 when new-and gives the bikes an inspection and a tune-up before selling them.) Sites such as BicycleBlueBook and The Pro’s Closet sell used bikes both require sellers to provide serial numbers for the bikes. Or consider getting a used bike-we have advice on how to buy secondhand gear, including bikes, online without being scammed. We are seeing discounts on bikes this summer, so it’s worth shopping around for a deal. However, the list prices that rose during that time generally haven’t come down, at least not permanently. These days, global supply chains have mostly recovered from their pandemic-related problems, and many bike companies are now facing inventory gluts rather than shortages.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |