DarkStarr

Howdy.

So I am looking at getting into a bicycle to use for my event medical standby service for 5k's and triathlons. Basically, I'll be hauling some medical gear on a bike while chasing the racers on these endurance runs.

Stopped at a local shop, and he was trying to sell me on some $1600 Trek cyclocross bike. REI suggested either their Novara Safari or the Novara Mazama. I test rode both and really liked the Mazama, but I wanted to see if anyone here had experience with this bike or suggestions for others.

Bike in question: https://www.rei.com/product/875003/n...zama-bike-2016

Spanks.

Zackk

I'm a bike nerd, but admittedly never really got into the cyclocross stuff.

I've had mixed experiences with REI, check out a local bike shop that's not a big chain if you have one. Actually, check out 2 or 3; each one will probably only carry a few different brands of bikes. There's not really too much of a difference from brand to brand, and a lot of them are the exact same frame with different paint and stickers on them.

I'm also not familiar with steel frames, because in that price point a road bike will be full or near full carbon fiber. This probably isn't best for your purposes as you're not looking for speed, you need to haul a few things around. Just realize that steel rusts.

I'd also suggest you take a look at hybrid bikes. They're a hybrid between mountain bikes and road bikes. Depending on how you set them up, you can really almost have the best of both worlds. Before my felt I had a really nice Trek hybrid that some spoiled brat left to rot at my university. I had a set of mountain bike tires and a set of road slicks for it, and it handled (louisiana) trails decently and really performed well on the road. You can also get a decent hybrid for about half of what you're looking at in a cyclocross. Cyclocross bikes are meant for racing.

Let me know if you want any more information or have any other questions.

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/city-bikes/fitness-bikes/fx/7-2-fx/p/1323010-2016 - this was the trek I had back in college. Absolutely loved it. I've seen police officers in New Orleans riding around with them hauling pretty sturdy loads too. I could get it up to and maintain 21-23mph relatively easily with the road slicks(I ride 25-26 on my road bike).

redgoober4life

Steel is real. But I tour, so no way could I put up with aluminum's rough ride. Counterintuitive, modern steel bikes cost more to get into than aluminum. Used might be a way to go.

My favorite sub $1500 steel bikes

All-City Space Horse. light and whippy, mounts front and rear, somewhat limited carrying capacity but better than aluminum. Electrocoated tubes mean less concerns about rust. And, uh, I own one!

Bianchi Lupo or Volpe. Not quite as fun as the Space Horse, but marginally higher carrying capacity. The Lupo is pretty affordable.

Surly Cross Check - heavy beast, lots of carrying capacity. Not much fun, but bar end shifters offer a lot of durability/reliability. I see these used on Craigslist pretty frequently.

Salsa Vaya - similar to the Cross Check in ride, but a little more upright.

Specialized AWOL. I haven't ridden one, so not comments. They look great!

Nashbar Steel Cyclocross. Shimano 105 (whatever...). No front fork mounts, but there are ways around that... I haven't ridden one, but people seem to like them. You'll have to order this from Nashbar and do a little assemble (not hard). Make sure you order when they're having their sales (seems almost weekly).

Charge Plug line is a good low cost option if you can find a retailer. No front mounts tough, if I recall correctly.


Now... Aluminun...That shop is wacky. The Trek Cross Rip for $1100 is a great bike that would probably fit your needs.

In general a steel or aluminum Cyclocross bike should fit your needs pretty well. Just switch out the tires for some slicks and you'll be good to go.

redgoober4life

That bike from REI looks like a good deal.

I'd cross shop with the Bianchi Lupo or Trek Cross Rip. You might find one of the three feels the best for you.

DarkStarr

Thanks to both of you for your replies.

There is one more shop I want to check out, and I actually checked out a place yesterday that custom builds patrol bikes (more at end of reply).

I was really impressed with how LIGHT the REI bike was, given it was a steel frame. I could lift it very easily with one hand. I could see no problem carrying that bike for a short distance if need be. I actually was looking at hybrid bikes, Ghost Panamao X4 @ REI and I found a super cheap Diamondback Axis XE @ Dick's.. it was on sale this past Sunday for $300.. and now it's not (:rage. Those ones were a bit heavier, but I'm not sure how much that really means to me.

Zackk, that Trek bike you posted looks really nice.

What's your guys' take on brake pads vs disc brakes?

I think that Cross Rip was the first bike I had looked at. Really nice, was just super pricey!

Now here is what I found and looked at yesterday (in person): iForce Patrol Bikes - These are hand built about 35 minutes from my house, and apparently used all over the US. I saw anywhere from here in Pittsburgh, to Chicago, San Bernardino, Atlanta, and Miami, and even Guam. I don't care as much about the light kit and siren or paint options as much as I do about the frame and components. The rear rack is welded on, rated for 100 lbs of gear, and the bike is hand built from the ground up. Really great operation. Built in the same facility that does police vehicle upfitting and there were some military vehicles and command-type vehicles as well. Here are the components available when putting together a build. Thoughts on brakes? Drive train? SRAM and Avid seem to be their brand of choice. I am not too knowledgeable, so I don't know about those vs Shimano.

Basically just trying to get the best value, keeping in mind what I need now, vs what I may need in the future if my business gets larger and evolves into something more.

Zackk

Sram makes good stuff. I've personally never owned a bike with Sram components but know numerous people and shops that swear by them. They trade blows with shimano for sure.

Unless there's been a big leap in disc brake engineering, the general rule used to be that brake pads offer more stout stopping power, but disc brakes offer more versatility. For example, on a dry day brake pads will perform better than discs. If things get a little wet or muddy the discs are the better option. Discs are heavier, and that's why you rarely see them on road bikes, but they're almost always on cyclocross rides due to the wet and soggy terrain. I've never owned a bike with discs either, but have ridden and my experience was the same. It was a dry day and they did pretty well but seemed a little weak compared to the high end pads I have on my Felt.

DarkStarr

Ah thanks for the explanation. I did notice on my test rides that it seemed to take a few more seconds to slow, but it was smoother whereas the brake pads were more of a "stab."

I stopped at another store that carried a lot of the Specialized bikes, and I was really getting into the Rockhopper. Good price point. I am looking for value, mainly. I can't see spending $1500 on a bike right now.

redgoober4life

Just buy a bike! I commuted on a crappy bike in college and it became the least important component to the fun I had.