I would like to get a new commuter, a flat bar road bike. I like the Trek FX 7.3 and the Specialized FCR(I think its called a Dash now). Is the Kona Dew and Jamis Coda also in this catagory?
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I would like to get a new commuter, a flat bar road bike. I like the Trek FX 7.3 and the Specialized FCR(I think its called a Dash now). Is the Kona Dew and Jamis Coda also in this catagory?
The Kona Dew is in that category. I liked the Dews because they had disc brakes, a good idea if commuting in sketchy weather.
"Are the Kona Dew and Jamis Coda also in this category?"
I had a Dew. (with regular brakes)
I loved it. Sometimes I still miss it.
The road buzz from the aluminum drove me nuts. Some folks can feel it, some can't. YMMV. I love my steel Surly Cross Check with a burning passion. I love my steel Kona Smoke with a softer passion of a different sort.
Try a Kona Smoke while you're at it (similar price range) and don't forget the difference you can get from changing the tires...
http://www.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=smoke She's sexy, she comes with fenders, she's easy to upgrade, she's sturdy and willing and under $400 and you know you want her... :p
I have a Coda, which is used for "around town" riding, though I have ridden it 50 miles on a rail trail. I bought it because it comes in a ws version and has the low gearing I need to get up my driveway. Most commuting bikes I looked at did not have this particular combination of things. Plus, it was cheap!
I love riding this bike, but as I have said before, it is very heavy. This makes it pretty stable for carrying loads from the farmer's market or other places, but let's just say I never look at my average speed when I ride it. My road bike is extraordinarily lights at 15 lbs. and I am small, so the difference feels pretty big to me. Still, I wouldn't trade my Coda for the world.
I commute daily on my Dew Deluxe. I love it! YMMV. It didn't feel as upright as most hybrids. I have been grateful for the disc brakes on more than one occasion.
Deb
I love my Jamis Coda. It was my commuting bike in Washington DC for years. It is very smooth and supple. I will soon be changing out the bars to drop bars since I have injured my wrist and the flat bars are not comfortable for me. I'm excited to have this work done because it will allow me to ride the bike again. I plan on taking it on a multi-day C&O canal tour later this year. I will put knobby 'cross tires on for that ride.
I also love my Coda. If you want to spend the $$ they have a model with disk brakes.
Go steel. Aluminum buzz sucks.
Codas are steel...
Smokes are steel...
Steel is real .... ;) :p