Quote Originally Posted by janedmo View Post
Bar end shifters on the Raleigh, integrated on the Jamis. I guess it is a preference, and since I have never used either I don't know which I'd like better. It is sooooo hard to tell on a test ride!
I think they call the ones on the Jamis "brifters" -- brakes & shifters. I haven't used the bar end shifters either, but I remember trying these brifter things for the first time and being pleasantly impressed with the intuitiveness of them -- push on the big one for a big gear, the small one for a small gear.

Quote Originally Posted by janedmo View Post
I think the disc brakes on the Raleigh are a pro since I ride in the rain a lot, but a lot of reviews from others say they don’t like them, they’re difficult to fix, etc. I think they add to the weight of the bike...
I bet you could get those on the Jamis if some day you decide they'd be a good idea!


I can understand wanting to get the rack, at minimum, right away -- I don't know what kind of climate you live in, but the rack may do most of the job of the rear fender for you, and aside from the TOTALLY strange weather we're having here in Boise this week, if I were buying a bike today for commuting, I wouldn't worry about fenders for at least the next month. You can also TRY the stock saddle -- you never know, there's always the chance it could work out for you, even though we keep reading here that "stock saddles never work out for anyone." So, even though you'd be buying stuff for your Jamis, potentially a bunch more, you may be able to space out the purchases, making it easier to do -- unless the bike shop is negotiating bunches right now, just to get sales of any sort in this economy, or has a great financing offer you're comfortable taking advantage of!

Oh -- those extra brake levers -- I understand they can be added for not much money, and I was thinking about them when I bought my road bike, but the shop suggested I give it a try without them first, to see if I really "needed" them. I'd had them on my "high school ten speed" too, but I find I don't much like having my hands where those would be on this bike, so I'm just as glad they talked me into trying the original set up out first! (I think it's cuz the bike fits better than that other bike years ago!)

Karen in Boise