Originally Posted by
FrozenBiker
You got that right. The factory store in Boston is the only place to see one in this area.
The local shops consider it a "niche bike", and won't stock it.
That's a tough one. What type of terrain/riding would you want it for?
I've been riding paved bikepaths for years on a Raleigh hibrid, and more recently,
found a new passion for unpaved paths. Some of those have trails into the woods.
This bike should handle it with ease. And it's very comfortable to ride. I test rode a
Trek FX 7.4, 7.3, 7.2, Sirrus Elite, Sirrus Sport, Canondale Quick4, Giant Escape 1,
Trek DS, and Specialized Crosstail. They were all fine in their own way, but the
Toughroad was the only one that called out to me. YRMV
They are all similar. The one that called out to me was a pristine mint condition 2006 Schwinn Super Sport GS, which is very much the same type of bike as those, with the key points being: flat bar and upright riding position, wide range gearing, canti brakes, clearance for wide tires and fenders, and a carbon fork, all in a 23.5 lb (medium size) bike.
Only difference was, that pristine, mint condition used Schwinn set me back $100 on Craigslist yesterday. And if I could have gotten a Specialized Sirrus Sport in similar shape for the same $100, it would have been that one that called out to me. Since it was actually a very pleasant experience renting a Sirrus on Maui last year that even made me aware of the benefits of this type of bike in the first place.