about to buy a San Jose
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The Samurai code says that you should make decisions in the space of three breaths. Which is to say, "Stop thinking. Start riding (that spanky new San Jose)."Krafcik said:
Have Fun,
- FBB
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In that case, refer to the phrase "Getting there is half the fun."Krafcik said:
Keep shopping until you are tired of shopping. Then buy the bike that moves your soul most effectively. You won't go wrong with any of the bikes you mention. I don't think there is such a thing as a "better bike" in this case. I'd be inclined to say that one of the bikes might meet your performance and/or financial needs better than the others, but you can probably judge those criteria for yourself better than I could. I like the San Jose, mostly because I read a cool interview between Grant Peterson and the woman who designed the bike for Bianchi (see the most recent Rivendell Reader for the article).
BTW, if money is no object, this is a very cool bike:
http://www.rivbike.com/html/bikes_quickbeam.html
but you probably knew that already.
Have fun,
FBB
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Buy the san jose.
Better steel available? Yes. But how does this apply to commuting and grocery-getting?
You'll be supporting a nice trend: the affordable, functional single-speed. Real world geometry and clearance for real people. And it's a nice color.
Better steel available? Yes. But how does this apply to commuting and grocery-getting?
You'll be supporting a nice trend: the affordable, functional single-speed. Real world geometry and clearance for real people. And it's a nice color.
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Filmore is Twice the Price
It looks like the Filmore is a better frame with better parts spec. That said, it's almost twice the price of the San Jose. You gotta go with what floats your boat - I bought a San Jose because it was a such a great deal on a built SS 'cross bike - I wasn't even in the market for another bike when I bought it. In addition to handling the commute and grocery chores, it's great for riding on or off the road with my kids.
It looks like the Filmore is a better frame with better parts spec. That said, it's almost twice the price of the San Jose. You gotta go with what floats your boat - I bought a San Jose because it was a such a great deal on a built SS 'cross bike - I wasn't even in the market for another bike when I bought it. In addition to handling the commute and grocery chores, it's great for riding on or off the road with my kids.
Other than being a single speed, the fillmore is quite a bit different than the san jose. If you want the OX of the fillmore, also check out the gunnar streetdog. I'm not sure why you would want to go that route to get groceries though. I'd rather do that task with a nice rack and set of panniers - something you can actually mount on the san jose.
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Amen!fastfullback said:
Also, the pain you feel if the bike gets ripped off, dropped, doored, etc. might be roughly proportional to the price you paid for it. Real world bikes need to meet real world criteria, which generally have very little to do with race bike criteria.
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get it and ROCK. the only other one to consider is the bianchi castro valley. in my mind the best commuter stock bike available. 1x9 speed, fenders and a hub generator light STOCK. it rocks like bon jovi's epileptic long lost twin on bad acid.Krafcik said:
or get the san jose and consider upgrading some day to the san jos8...
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/bianchi-sanjos8/index.html
sounds like you dont have enough experience to tell the difference between any of those bikes, so just get one and ride. i think the deal maker is that it's in stock at a bike shop with a good attitude and service.
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BTW: Some might say that 1018 "High Tensile" steel (aka "gaspipe") is far superior to ultra-light, heat-treated, alloy steel given the criteria for a grocery getter, for the following reasons:fastfullback said:
1. Thicker walled tubing is less likely to get "dinged" when the bike falls over.
2. Increased ductility of the mild steel makes it less brittle so it is more likely to bend instead of cracking. Most of the "supersteels" are stronger, but more brittle, so if they fail, the failure is more likely to be catastrophic.
3. Heavier steel will give rider a (mildly) better workout during the relatively short periods of time he/she is on the bike. The better workout will increase the health benefits derived from cycling.
4. Thieves could be less likely to steel an inexpensive bike.
5. Etc.
The old-fashion cro-moly frame on the San Jose will only be slightly worse than the 1018 when judged by these criteria. Supersteels pale in comparison to eith 1018 or standard 4130, when these criteria are applied.
Yours,
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Looks like the Giant is basically a track bike - the picture I saw had no brakes or eyelets. The San Jose is set up with cantilever brakes, lots of eyelets and braze-ons, road bike geometry (vs. track geometry), etc. The San Jose is designed from the ground up as a bike for the roads, specifically for getting around town with groceries, etc. if necessary.velodev said:
The Giant looks like it is designed for the track, but it looks like a screamin' deal if that is what you are looking for. You could probably make a great town bike out of it, but I'd be inclined to stick with the Bianchi if that's what you wanted to do.
Can someone who knows more about the Giant check my guesswork on it? Thanks.
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