Bikes: off the mountain and on to the road
The skinny-tire cycles once known as 10-speeds, largely ignored during the ‘90s mountain-bike craze, are up to 27 speeds now -- and sales are red-hot. Why? People miss going fast. The bikes are also the best workout on two wheels, and bike makers have raised the comfort quotient: New models have higher handlebars, hill-eating “granny gear” and sloped aluminum frames that make it easier to get on and off your cycle. Here are four good ones:
Fully loaded for comfort
Specialized Sequoia Sport: Best of the breed. Every imaginable feel-good feature except a post-ride massage.
Likes: Suspension seat post, carbon-fiber fork and thick gel handlebar tape soak up road vibration. Adjustable stem lets you raise or lower the handlebars up to three inches. Sexy raw-aluminum clear-coat finish. Rack mounts. Safe, convenient extension brake levers accessible at the top of the handlebars, where most of us hold on.
Dislikes: The wheel rims and 24-speed Shimano Sora drive train have an economy-car feel, but still not bad considering the bike’s price.
Price: $820. (800) 245-3462. www.specialized.com.
The mountain-bike hybrid
Marin Bear Valley: Hopped-up hybrid with mountain-bike handlebars and fast, narrow road-bike wheels.
Likes: Off-road bars, brakes and gearshifters feel comfy and solid on asphalt. Bar-ends (small extensions on the handlebar ends) allow hand-position changes. Mounts for racks. Hot looks.
Dislikes: Flat bars no match for a road bar’s down-in-the-drops aero tuck or efficiency in high speeds, headwinds or hills. Aluminum fork can be harsh. No adjustable stem.
Price: $599. (800) 222-7557; www.marinbikes.com.
For the cross-country ride
Giant OCR Touring: Terrific. High-end cross-country hauler with superb all-purpose comfort and safety features.
Likes: Stretch-limo wheelbase smooths road, gives pannier clearance and fits an air pump behind the seat tube. Disc brakes handle heavy downhill loads and panic stops in traffic.
Also, nifty hidden cables, adjustable-height stem, front and rear rack mounts, three water-bottle cage mounts, clip-in pedals, 27-speed Shimano 105 drive train. And it’s beautiful.
Dislikes: No suspension seat post or Sequoia-style brake extension levers.
Price: $1,300. (800) 874-4268. www.giantbicycle.com.
The radical treatment
Kona Kona: Road bike by renowned maker of radical mountain bikes.
Likes: Vibration-eating carbon fork, stealthy all-black graphics. Taut, fast feel.
Dislikes: No rack eyelets, adjustable stem, extension brake levers. For the price, I want clip-in pedals and more than a 24-speed Shimano Sora drive train.
Price: $900 (360) 366-0951; www.konaworld.com.
