Thursday, 10 March 2011
Need a fixed-gear 'rain-bike'
I only have my road bike in Tokyo, but it rains all of June, and more often through the rest of the year than in Toronto, so I need a fixed-gear 'rain-bike' for commuting.
These are the only two appropriate bikes sold in my size in Japan:
Specialized Langster Steel
Fuji Feather
Or I can order one of these from the states and have it sent here, but it requires using a mail-forwarding company, and paying something like $200:
Iro Angus
Windsor Timeline
The order I introduced them is the order of pretty, I think, and the Langster has slightly better/lighter components. On the other hand, the Timeline has space for fenders... and the others really don't but I can fudge something unsatisfactory. And only the Timeline and Angus have bottle-cage brazes, but the one on the Angus is on the wrong tube.
Then there's the money (bike, shipping and necessary modifications):
Specialized Langster Steel: $950
Fuji Feather: $850
Iro Angus: $650
Windsor Timeline: $600
Yes, the Timeline is much cheaper, and the right rain ride... but it's not pretty! The ideal is the 2010 Surly Steamroller.
No more bikes!
ReplyDeleteYou want me to ruin an $1800 bike in the wet, or a $600 bike? Using the road bike for both is a false economy.
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