Kona Asphalt bikes or similar?

[Jake]

My low-end hybrid is getting long in the tooth and I have been looking at what is on the market now. I may end up doing a refit if the price is right. Rims, tires, fork, and maybe the casette, chain ring, derailers, chain. If it is compatible with replacement parts.

In the meantime the Kona Asphalt is an interesting category for me. In particular the Dr. Fine. http://www.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=drfine

I like the idea of an internally geared hub for those spring and late fall commutes. I rode an 8 speed in Europe and rather enjoyed it.

I am definitly looking to keep the street price under 1G. I've tried a few bikes with drop bars and did not like it.

Any other suggestions?

[57]

What do I look for in a hybrid?

- something inexpensive, so that it's less likely to attract attention and be the target of thieves. I currently have an older (1999) Raleigh that was about $200 all in. It doesn't say "steal me".

- fenders - yes real fenders to keep the dirt off the bike and off me, for days when the streets are wet, even if it's not raining hard at the time.

- My next bike will probably have a shock absorbing seatpost and perhaps front suspension - perhaps something like the least expensive Trek Hybrid, perhaps even used. I'll add fenders if they're not on it.

- non-quick-release wheels or seat post (wrenches required), so I can just leave the entire bike locked up.

- I also don't like drop bars on a hybrid - just the regular bars, but not too wide, I like the bike to be compact.

Good Luck Jake.

All of the above are for a "commuter or shopper's" bike. I have a good road bike for "exercise" (Trek carbon fibre from 1992-3)

[Jake]

Yeah I load my hybrid up like a mule some days. Front and rear metal fenders (plastic never seems to last the occational drop or freezing temps), my pack weights in at about 15-20 lbs plus I ride with a seatpost rack that has my repair kit, spare tubes and a pump.

Now that I think about it front suspension might be necessary for me. I encounter too many lateral cracks and potholes to ignore. Hartail is fine. It is looking like a refit is going to be in the works.

But I agree some bikes scream "steal-me"! Even I have found myself staring at a new shiny bike as I unlock and re-assemble my own.

I have never invested more than $300 in a bike so this new territory for me. And a carbon frame bike? I will just pretend I didn't hear that. I suppse you drove a Mercedes too ... oh never mind.

[JohnnyCanuck]

Eek ... ouch ... you're killing me. I am from the dedicated purpose bike club with my Rocky Mountain Epic X-Country and a Trek road bike (with carbon fiber forks, drop bars, etc). So ... I can't give you any comment as to hybrids because I think they're a blight

But, Kona make excellent bikes (as do Specialized, Trek, Rocky Mountain) and when you get to the price range you're talking about wanting a good product and I would stick to those four manufacturers (might consider Cannondale as well ... but they're use of completely proprietary parts can be problematic). The one thing to watch is frame fit. A Kona doesn't fit like a Specialized, which doesn't fit like a Trek, etc. The best thing to do is test ride for comfort of frame fit (everything else can be adjusted). I find Specialized very uncomfortable in terms of frame fit whereas others would find them just the opposite.

[apn]

If "low-end" means steel (or perhaps chromoly?) frame, then I'd have to question the value of sinking $$ into component/drivetrain upgrades simply because;

1. You can squeeze a V8 into a Chevy Cavalier, but you still have a crappy car.

2. The bike manufacturers do a VERY good job of packaging frames and components to meet almost every price point.

Chances are, you'd spend 60% of more of your budget upgrading to decent components, when for a few bucks more you could have a whole new and better bike.

I use a Rocky Mountain Whistler bike for commuting. It's a great bike and I've seen the top-end #50 model on sale for $999, but you need to line up a suite of bikes near your price point and try them for size/fit, since the frame geometry varies significantly by manufacturer.

Specialized also makes great bikes, I used to have a StumpJumper before upgrading my XC ride to a (XT/XTR) Santa Cruz Heckler. I also used to like Cannondale, but haven't seen much of them since they were bought out by a Quebec company (iirc).

[Tanta]

Cannondale was bought by Dorel Industries, Rocky Mountain is owned by Procycle. DeVinci and Procycle also have some nice hybrids.