[PB2K]

hi, i am orienting about buying another bike for home<->work and it surprises me that there have come so many new brands that seem to sell quite excellent quality bicycles.

i want to buy a koga miyata streetliner but all the components can also be found on brandless bikes. a koga is about twice as expensive as a brandless bike with the same components like gears and brakes.

is it a just assumption to compare bicyclebrands to computerbrands?
big computerbrands also offer the same quality for a price thats twice as high

[euphras]

Koga Miyata is known for superior craftsmanship regarding the frame and the assembly of the components* (one bike is assembled by one technician, at least it was the case when i was in search of a serious bike). The components are today only a matter of how much money you have on your hands (sadly spoken it´s Shimano all the way, SUN TOUR was a little bit like Apple, the only difference: SUN TOUR (the real one) failed).

*that´s why Koga is soo expensive

BTW i went with one of those: http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...%3AIT&amp;rd=1

[ghporter]

I'd look at a number of things before investing a wad of cash in what sounds like it's going to be a commuter bicycle.

First, how much crap and hassle are you going to have to go through on the back and forth trip? If you're looking at decent streets with managable traffic, then a nicer bike may be more reasonable. If it's pothole city and dodging maniac motorists the whole way, go with a less expensive bike that won't be enormously expensive to replace.

I'd also look very hard at the security of storage at both ends. I had a bike stolen out of my garage in broad daylight in a very nice neighborhood because I'd left the garage door open and unobserved for 15 minutes. And work may not be particularly helpful in securing your bike or helping out when and if it disappears there. High security at both ends is a positive indicator for a nicer bike; buy a Goodwill special if you don't expect to always see it where you left it. (I hate to be that cynical, but that's what life does to you.)

And finally I'd look at what sort of bicycling I'd be doing on this trip back and forth to work. Terrain and topography should be taken into account from the begining. Around where I live, there's easily a 100 foot elevation difference between my driveway and the next major intersection to the north-and that ain't too far away. So I'd be very interested in a bike that was fairly light and well-geared if I were planing to commute with it.

My wife and I were discussing this very subject last night. A new medical complex is being built about three miles from where we live (on that same very hilly road), so we're thinking about how nice it would be to bike back and forth instead of her 25-minute each way commute from home to San Antonio's Medical Center area. While three miles each way is not fabulous for fitness, it certainly wouldn't hurt, and the distance is doable in most weather around here. My Huffy Striker DS would be fine for the job, considering the quality of roads and traffic (traffic is the main issue-most drivers here are apparently living in their own little universes).

[PB2K]

well I have my eyes on this one , it has a nexus 7 gear and seems like a solid bike that won't require as much maintenance as a "derailleur" geared bicycle. All i need is a very light and a very heavy gear, and some in between.
the roads i travel are all just straight and asphalted, I live in the netherlands so i am not dealing with steep hills, unfortunately.. but what i want to do is make it a trekkingbike in the holidays, and drive thru the alps in summer.

this bike is to be sold for 600 euro's, it's 2 years old and supposedly in mint condition

[OB1]

I'd give the same advice I always give - If it's something you're going to use everyday, something that's going to play a large part in your life, then get what you really want. Get the one that makes you smile a little bit every time you use it. Don't give yourself another reason to frown.

Cars, phones, computers, furniture, bikes...

Spend a while thinking about your purchase, then buy on instinct.

[OB1]

Originally Posted by euphras

The components are today only a matter of how much money you have on your hands (sadly spoken it´s Shimano all the way, SUN TOUR was a little bit like Apple, the only difference: SUN TOUR (the real one) failed).

There is another... SRAM

[PB2K]

Originally Posted by OB1

Spend a while thinking about your purchase, then buy on instinct.

I second that

You easely forget what you spent on a excellent product, but when the product is poor because you cheaped out, you will regret that purchase.

[OB1]

Originally Posted by PB2K

I second that

You easely forget what you spent on a excellent product.

So true.