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Bicycle shopping
Jan. 23rd, 2010 08:21 pmI finally wrote to Bar Harbor Bike about the bicycle I rented from them in Acadia this summer, which fit between me and the road like a slippery red shadow. I was terribly happy with it, and since I need to replace Hoss I think it makes sense to start with what I know I like.
They fired back a reply within a couple of hours — it was an off-the-rack Gary Fisher Tarpon, which retails for under $450. Innnteresting. Now, I'm sure I could walk away happy with a Tarpon, and the price does not make my eyes bug out comically like a Tex Avery character's, but 1) the Tarpon is recommended for more off-roading than I'll be doing, and 2) I am intrigued by the concept of disc brakes, since I was constantly having trouble with the squeeze brakes on Hoss. Are there any gearheads out there who know enough to point at something else and say, "This is everything you like about the Tarpon, but it's better-suited to asphalt, and has disc brakes"? There doesn't seem to be a "Tarpon Disc" on the site; the closest thing is this "Advance Disc", which is $110 more.
Hoss was an off-road kind of bike (a Trek 800 Mountain Track), and I rode him all over Boston. I liked not having to worry about bad roads; I liked being able to duck down woodsy paths as the opportunity arose. I'm not convinced I need a "road bike," but I'm not a gearhead; perhaps I'm missing something obvious.
So, I guess what I'm saying is: Halp?
They fired back a reply within a couple of hours — it was an off-the-rack Gary Fisher Tarpon, which retails for under $450. Innnteresting. Now, I'm sure I could walk away happy with a Tarpon, and the price does not make my eyes bug out comically like a Tex Avery character's, but 1) the Tarpon is recommended for more off-roading than I'll be doing, and 2) I am intrigued by the concept of disc brakes, since I was constantly having trouble with the squeeze brakes on Hoss. Are there any gearheads out there who know enough to point at something else and say, "This is everything you like about the Tarpon, but it's better-suited to asphalt, and has disc brakes"? There doesn't seem to be a "Tarpon Disc" on the site; the closest thing is this "Advance Disc", which is $110 more.
Hoss was an off-road kind of bike (a Trek 800 Mountain Track), and I rode him all over Boston. I liked not having to worry about bad roads; I liked being able to duck down woodsy paths as the opportunity arose. I'm not convinced I need a "road bike," but I'm not a gearhead; perhaps I'm missing something obvious.
So, I guess what I'm saying is: Halp?
