# Looking for a Urban Bike



## dRyk (Mar 10, 2013)

Hello everyone, I am looking to buy a light, stylish and highly spec'ed urban bike. Any suggestions? Try and keep it under $1000 CAD and easily available in Canada

Thanks


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## jseko (Jan 25, 2011)

Do you have some idea of what you want? People here ride all kinds for bikes for urban transit. My bike is basically a rigid 29er with 42mm tires, but some people prefer cross bikes, and others like something more flat-handle road bike.

In San Francisco, pretty much anything goes...

That said though, the only recommendation I have is don't get suspension.

Internal gears are nicer because of less maintenance but more expensive. For hilly places like SF, the 8 speed Shimano is a bit narrow and the 11 speed is double the cost. 

If you are in a flat area, you could get away with a single speed, or maybe a 3 speed internal gears for small hills.

Brakes...disc brakes are awesome in the wet, but I don't like how there are a million different pad styles unlike rim brakes. Disc brake in the front and rim brake will do a lot of people well, but this isn't a popular setup off the shelf because people might not like the asymmetry. I use my front brakes significantly more and they are able to stop the bike faster than the rear. Rim brakes will still stop a bike perfectly fine. 

My bike came with discs, so I didn't have a choice in that. The only thing I was really wanted was a Deore level bike. The stock brakes worked ok, but the front brake was the first thing I upgraded.


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## rodar y rodar (Jul 21, 2006)

jseko said:


> Do you have some idea of what you want? People here ride all kinds for bikes for urban transit.


This is the big question- "urban bike" can mean just about anything.

What conditions will you be using it in? Are you looking for a certain frame material? Preference for wheel sizes? Flat bars? Drops? Willing to look at used bikes? You want the whole bike all at once, or will asemble it from parts?


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## Cayenne_Pepa (Dec 18, 2007)

Cannondale Bad Boy. Comes in many flavors. Guard it viciously, with double U-locks. Mine is a 2001, but I still love it like a brand-new bike - it's light(19 pounds), fast and I get tons of compliments on it even today:



Bad Boy


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## dRyk (Mar 10, 2013)

I'd want a 29er with Rigid, I like that Cannondale but again I can't find them around my area! Flat bars are a preferred but I can always change that, used bikes are my friends! and lastly If I can assemble a bike cheaper then buying it whole maybe.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

For what you want to spend pick up a cheap rigid 29er and throw some slicks (touring tires, slick mtb tires, or hybrid tires) on it.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

If there aren't any significant climbs around you, singlespeed can be a lot of fun.


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## dRyk (Mar 10, 2013)

I've been looking at the 29er Rigid SS and I think thats the way I want to go. Any suggestions on a 29er Rigid?


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## rodar y rodar (Jul 21, 2006)

Redline Monocog?


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## gumby. (Mar 11, 2013)

jseko said:


> don't get suspension.


About 1/3 of my commute a trail bike makes most sense and there's no dirt.


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## jseko (Jan 25, 2011)

rodar y rodar said:


> Redline Monocog?


Kona Unit, Surly Karate Monkey?


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## aBicycle (Jun 13, 2012)

At that price it's hard. How much crap are you going to be dragging with you in panniers or a trailer?


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## KentheKona (Jul 6, 2013)

If you're going to commute in anything besides good weather get the disc brakes. I commute on a Trek FX, cheaped out and bought the one with vbrakes instead of disk, big mistake. Love the bike, hate the brakes. Most of the time spent on upkeep is on the vbrakes and you can feel the decrease in braking as the rims get wet.


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## dRyk (Mar 10, 2013)

Disk brakes are something I want!

Fisher Cobia 29er Single Speed Mountain Bike - City of Toronto Bikes For Sale - Kijiji City of Toronto Canada.

Thoughts?


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

Sounds good.

I don't have a great sense of the price. It doesn't sound ridiculous in either direction, at least.

Is XL your size?


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## dRyk (Mar 10, 2013)

AndrwSwitch said:


> Sounds good.
> 
> I don't have a great sense of the price. It doesn't sound ridiculous in either direction, at least.
> 
> Is XL your size?


I saw the size after I posted, its to big! I'm only 5'9 5'10 on a good day.


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## dRyk (Mar 10, 2013)

Specialized Bicycle Components

I love that bike, but its over my price point!

This is perfect...
2013 Giant Escape RX Disc (2013) - Bikes | Giant Bicycles | UK / Ireland Not sure if its available in Canada though?


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

Hybrids are the antithesis of style.

I liked the Redline Monocog as a retail option.

I think part of "stylish" is a bike that's either good at something or reaches the level of commitment to form of a cruiser. Hybrids occupy an unfortunate middle ground of unstable handling off-road and slow handling on the road, and they look dowdy. That's my opinion, but you're the one asking the Internet what to buy. ;-)


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## jseko (Jan 25, 2011)

AndrwSwitch said:


> Hybrids are the antithesis of style.
> 
> I liked the Redline Monocog as a retail option.
> 
> I think part of "stylish" is a bike that's either good at something or reaches the level of commitment to form of a cruiser. Hybrids occupy an unfortunate middle ground of unstable handling off-road and slow handling on the road, and they look dowdy. That's my opinion, but you're the one asking the Internet what to buy. ;-)


Hybrids come in all shapes and styles. For example mine has same geometry as a hard tail 29er with 80mm fork but has a rigid carbon fork and less tire clearance -- probably can fit up to 50mm, maybe 55mm Big Apples.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

jseko said:


> Hybrids come in all shapes and styles. For example mine has same geometry as a hard tail 29er with 80mm fork but has a rigid carbon fork and less tire clearance -- probably can fit up to 50mm, maybe 55mm Big Apples.


I agree with this. Mine would probably count as a hybrid by a lot of definitions, but it does everything I ask of it.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

I'm happy you guys are happy with your hybrids. I rode one for all of high school myself. I can't say "same geometry as a 29er hardtail but won't clear my favorite tires" would be a selling point for me, though. jseko, I'm sure there's something yours does better than my Trek Portland did. Or, something it does better than my little red Hardrock would if I used it around town. In other words, there's got to be a positive reason you like your bike. Or, I hope there is.


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## rodar y rodar (Jul 21, 2006)

jseko said:


> Hybrids come in all shapes and styles.





NateHawk said:


> Mine would probably count as a hybrid by a lot of definitions, but it does everything I ask of it.


Does "hybrid" mean the same as "flatbar road bike", or is there a difference there? Or does it depend on who answers the question?


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## jseko (Jan 25, 2011)

AndrwSwitch said:


> I'm happy you guys are happy with your hybrids. I rode one for all of high school myself. I can't say "same geometry as a 29er hardtail but won't clear my favorite tires" would be a selling point for me, though. jseko, I'm sure there's something yours does better than my Trek Portland did. Or, something it does better than my little red Hardrock would if I used it around town. In other words, there's got to be a positive reason you like your bike. Or, I hope there is.


When I was looking for bike, I wanted an urban bike like OP. I really had no idea what I was getting into or what I was looking for. What I knew was that I did not want suspension and what I did want was multiple gears be it internal gears or 3x8 or 3x9, and Deore component level. I also didn't want something upright like a Dutch bike.

At the time, the only road bike I had been on was some kind of Cannondale CAAD that was used for racing and as a bike newb, the ride was damn stiff and harsh so that basically turned me away from anything with drop bars and I had no idea there was such a thing as cross bikes or softer road bikes bikes like Cannondale Synapse or Specialized Secteur.

I only was able to try a few bikes. One was a hybrid with 700x32 tires and I rode it probably on the roughest and most dilapidated street in SF, Market Street, and I felt like my teeth were going to get rattled out because that frame was so stiff. Even at 50PSI that bike rode pretty rough -- I notice now that the manufacturer specs 35mm tires for that bike. Anyways, that experience led me to want bigger tires thinking that was the only way to soften the ride, and that's how I ended up with my hybrid 29er which came with 42mm tires. I had no intention to go off-road with the bike so tire clearance wasn't a concern, but I didn't know I was buying what is basically a mountain bike with less tire clearance either. The only thing I was sure of was that I liked the way the bike rode over dilapidated pavement.

Knowing what I know now...I might not have gone the same route and maybe would go with a cross bike instead like Kona Jake.


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## jseko (Jan 25, 2011)

rodar y rodar said:


> Does "hybrid" mean the same as "flatbar road bike", or is there a difference there? Or does it depend on who answers the question?


It's not a road bike, so I'd probably lump it in with hybrid. These are bikes like Trek FX or Specialized Sirrus?


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

rodar y rodar said:


> Does "hybrid" mean the same as "flatbar road bike", or is there a difference there? Or does it depend on who answers the question?


I think in large part it depends who answers the question. A flat bar is a common hybrid feature, but I wouldn't say it's required necessarily. Just not traditional drops. Capacity for fatter tires would be another biggie. Not necessarily mtb tire capacity, but possibly so.

My commute bike is something of a category-buster. It's a road frame with road geometry, however it is offered as a complete bike with flat bar or traditional drops. I have mustache bars on it. It has capacity for up to a 38c tire, which puts you into the hybrid and narrow CX tire range. I put 29er mtb wheels on it and a road crankset. I don't call it a hybrid because it's too athletic for that IMO. But people get confused if I call it a road bike.


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

AndrwSwitch said:


> Hybrids are the antithesis of style.


There are all the sport/lifestyle hybrids that companies have been making for a decade, and that look like an identity crisis on two wheels.

But most companies also now have urban hybrids, and realize that those need to be stylish~ish.

But there are also some exceptions:








(this bike amuses me so much)


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## rodar y rodar (Jul 21, 2006)

NateHawk said:


> My commute bike is something of a category-buster.


Yeah, I don`t know where mine falls either. Since it was unmistakenly a mountain bike at birth, I guess that`s what its DNA would say. But in now has cyclocross bars, road levers, and BMX pedals defying that DNA. That makes it a grafted hybrid, doesn`t it? Non bike-minded coworkers have called it a road bike, which it is not. I think "touring bike" is the closest fit now.



newfangled said:


> (this bike amuses me so much)


Good- you can have my share of it!


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## jseko (Jan 25, 2011)

newfangled said:


> There are all the sport/lifestyle hybrids that companies have been making for a decade, and that look like an identity crisis on two wheels.
> 
> But most companies also now have urban hybrids, and realize that those need to be stylish~ish.
> 
> ...


That Cannondale Delta-V frame has been around since the 1990s.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

What goes around comes around...
Old Bicycle with dropped handlebars | Shorpy Historical Photo Archive


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## gumby. (Mar 11, 2013)

The rides in this pic of Herbert Bell & Joe Garso have some different strokes.


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## gumby. (Mar 11, 2013)

I'm eagerly awaiting the return of dropped apes


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## gumby. (Mar 11, 2013)

and windscreens


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

I've always liked the look of the English roadster style. Handling takes a little getting used to...


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## rodar y rodar (Jul 21, 2006)

...and the old Jack In The Box ordering stations.
"I said LARGE. ORANGE. DRINK."

Loving these pics 

EDIT: I wonder how long it`ll be until the K-Mart sign gives the same nostalgia thoughts.


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## BrianMc (Jan 5, 2010)

^^ Forget the signs! What about a $.27 cent hamburger!


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## corwin1968 (Oct 8, 2011)

NateHawk said:


> I think in large part it depends who answers the question. A flat bar is a common hybrid feature, but I wouldn't say it's required necessarily. Just not traditional drops. Capacity for fatter tires would be another biggie. Not necessarily mtb tire capacity, but possibly so.
> 
> My commute bike is something of a category-buster. It's a road frame with road geometry, however it is offered as a complete bike with flat bar or traditional drops. I have mustache bars on it. It has capacity for up to a 38c tire, which puts you into the hybrid and narrow CX tire range. I put 29er mtb wheels on it and a road crankset. I don't call it a hybrid because it's too athletic for that IMO. But people get confused if I call it a road bike.


How would this bike be classified? That's actually a rhetorical question. It has parallel 73 degree head and seat tube angles, 70mm of bottom bracket drop, a fork with 45mm of rake and a top-tube that is 55.5 cm long on a 55cm frame. Pretty road-bike'ish but it also has clearance for 45mm tires and the way it's set-up right now, 44.5cm chainstays.

Is it a flat-bar road bike? A "sport tourer"? A hybrid? The guys who designed it and sell it classify it as a commuter/tourer/cyclocross bike although I think the commuter label fits it best. I think if I put drop bars on it then it would basically be a comfort-oriented road bike. I think the hybrid category has evolved to the point of being almost meaningless. When I started riding it basically referred to a mountain bike with 700c wheels and now it seems to be more commonly used for comfort, suspension bikes. This is neither but I still consider it to be a hybrid.


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## Cayenne_Pepa (Dec 18, 2007)

corwin1968 said:


> How would this bike be classified? That's actually a rhetorical question. It has parallel 73 degree head and seat tube angles, 70mm of bottom bracket drop, a fork with 45mm of rake and a top-tube that is 55.5 cm long on a 55cm frame. Pretty road-bike'ish but it also has clearance for 45mm tires and the way it's set-up right now, 44.5cm chainstays.
> 
> Is it a flat-bar road bike? A "sport tourer"? A hybrid? The guys who designed it and sell it classify it as a commuter/tourer/cyclocross bike although I think the commuter label fits it best. I think if I put drop bars on it then it would basically be a comfort-oriented road bike. I think the hybrid category has evolved to the point of being almost meaningless. When I started riding it basically referred to a mountain bike with 700c wheels and now it seems to be more commonly used for comfort, suspension bikes. This is neither but I still consider it to be a hybrid.
> 
> View attachment 814916


Looks like a comfort commuter to me.


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## gumby. (Mar 11, 2013)

Perfectly good distinctions get rendered useless all the time through misuse but I think hybrid is still useful.
To me it's a street bike as opposed to a road (race or drop bar) bike and a hybrid street bike would have mtb gears or brakes if you're pedantic .


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## gumby. (Mar 11, 2013)

More on Paul Jaray


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## gumby. (Mar 11, 2013)

...


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## dRyk (Mar 10, 2013)

How this bike? 
wiggle.com | Boardman Hybrid Team | Hybrid / City Bikes

Anything you'd remember that is like it? (around the same specs and weight)


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Cannondale has some high spec Quicks...there is a full carbon one


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## gumby. (Mar 11, 2013)

Quicks? A road bike with torquey bars and v-brakes? I'd want more tire for durability and I like MTB gears for go anywhere do anythingness.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

gumby. said:


> Quicks? A road bike with torquey bars and v-brakes? I'd want more tire for durability and I like MTB gears for go anywhere do anythingness.


the post before mine was asking about something similar to the bike in the link. minus the disc brakes, a higher spec Quick is an option. for something with more tire clearance and discs, a Quick CX might be closer, however it sounds like you wouldn't be happy with anything short of a mtb with slicks.


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## Cayenne_Pepa (Dec 18, 2007)

OP - just get a 2013 Trek District Carbon, and be DONE with it. You'll NEVER complain it weighs only 15 pounds, with belt drive.

PS: You will need 15 pounds of U-Locks, just to KEEP it....:eekster:


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## gumby. (Mar 11, 2013)

NateHawk said:


> the post before mine was asking about something similar to the bike in the link. minus the disc brakes, a higher spec Quick is an option. for something with more tire clearance and discs, a Quick CX might be closer, however it sounds like you wouldn't be happy with anything short of a mtb with slicks.


aha! I thought a Quick might be a generic name for a type but I see it's a particular model.


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## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

gumby. said:


> ...


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Hahaha:lol:


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## joeinchi (Jun 19, 2010)

Here you go (from your local CL):

NEW JAMIS NOVA CYCLOCROSS ROAD BIKES Bicycle - $906









Kona bikes seem to have good availability, as well, and might offer what you're looking for.


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## gumby. (Mar 11, 2013)

car bone in Japan rats have an unnatural enemy in Doraemon, a blue robotic cat from the future whose ears they chewed off and he's widely used to deter rats from chewing carbon bikes.
The problem is rats will still attack when you're taking a piss thinking Doraemon is sleeping so Shimano came up with this ingenious pheromone spraying device.


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## Tripped1 (Jun 29, 2013)

Specialized Bicycle Components

A guy at work has one of these. I'd rock it.......I'd break the **** out of it, but its a sweet ride.


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## Cayenne_Pepa (Dec 18, 2007)

Tripped1 said:


> Specialized Bicycle Components
> 
> A guy at work has one of these. I'd rock it.......I'd break the **** out of it, but its a sweet ride.


Specialized is smoking meth...to charge $5000 for an Urban Commuter. Does it include a Death-Ray anti theft deterrent and guaranteed job, as a bike messenger???


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## Tripped1 (Jun 29, 2013)

Yeah, I saw it parked and then looked it up and about choked when I saw the price.


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## car bone (Apr 15, 2011)

the trek looks a lot nicer imo.


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## Cayenne_Pepa (Dec 18, 2007)

gumby. said:


> car bone in Japan rats have an unnatural enemy in Doraemon, a blue robotic cat from the future whose ears they chewed off and he's widely used to deter rats from chewing carbon bikes.
> The problem is rats will still attack when you're taking a piss thinking Doraemon is sleeping so Shimano came up with this ingenious pheromone spraying device.


I LIKE the LED pencil-beam light.....but that fan assist is cheating!


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## GTscoob (Apr 27, 2009)

We've got a forum all about Urban bikes here on MTBR:
Urban/DJ/Park

I like to ride the bike paths at my local park so I looked around there to find a nice park bike. My buddy is a DJ as well and found a nice DJ bike reading in there too. Maybe you'll be able to find a nice urban bike?


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

GTscoob said:


> We've got a forum all about Urban bikes here on MTBR:
> Urban/DJ/Park
> 
> I like to ride the bike paths at my local park so I looked around there to find a nice park bike. My buddy is a DJ as well and found a nice DJ bike reading in there too. Maybe you'll be able to find a nice urban bike?


You obviously didn't read the OP's responses to followup questions...unless he's planning on hucking hybrids off loading docks, you just scored a big whiff


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