Quote Originally Posted by firenze11 View Post
I can put a vote in for cyclocross bikes, though. I really wanted a road bike, but living in a rural area like I do means there are a lot of cruddy roads and dirt roads. I opted for a Kona Jake and have found a lot of freedom on the rides I have been on. I even found and explored some trails in the woods that a road bike wouldn't dare go on. There's a lot of versatility, you can always add on skinnier tires. I have one on the back now while I ride the trainer. That being said, I still want a road bike someday. There's an allure about them.
A quick update to this thread - I finally test-rode a Jake yesterday and I think I'm in love. I went into a shop on Saturday because a friend had recommended it. The guy there spents lots of time asking me about what I wanted, what sort of riding I do now, what I want to do, what kind of bike I have now. Then he pulled out a Jake and had me just stand over it. It was a 52 cm and the bar was right up to me, so he got a 49 cm, had me stand over it again, then lift it up so he could see how much room there was. Then he had me sit on it, then get off while he adjusted the seat, then get back on, and then he talked about the stem length. Then he suggested a test-ride. I said no because my husband was in the car and I wasn't dressed for it. He told me to come back when I had some time.

On Sunday I went back. I rode my current bike (which is junk and doesn't fit me) over to the shop. About 10 k into the ride my back and left shoulder were hurting. That's pretty standard for me. It was 15 K total to the shop and by the time I got there I was fairly sore. I started thinking that riding over there was a bad idea because since I already hurt I wouldn't be able to judge the new bike. Even standing hurt. When I got on the Jake everything stopped hurting. It felt really, really good. I rode around a bit, went back and asked some questions, then rode around a bit more. The roads were basically covered in slush and ice and the knobby tires did as good as my mountain bike. Normally hills are trouble for me. I have to get into the granny gears and usually end up walking. I found a hill and went right up without struggling and still had gears to spare. When I finally went back to the shop I couldn't stop grinning. The guy told me that once I get the bike I should plan on coming back every week or so at first so they can keep adjusting the fit while I get used to riding something that isn't a mountain bike. He also said he wants to get me clipped in and put me in a trainer and work on technique stuff.

So, bring me back to reality for a second and let me know if there's anything I should be thinking about that I haven't. I'm planning to do a lot of short (3 day, maybe 1 week) tours this summer but staying in hostels so not carrying too much gear. I do believe this bike will do that. Next summer I'm hoping to do a 2 or 3 week tour, either to the Yukon or north of Winnipeg. If I get into much more than that I'll start looking at steel frame touring bikes, but for now are there any others under $1000 that I should be looking at?

Also what other questions should a newbie be asking the staff in the shop?