aguerra.1993

Hello everyone, I am new to the forums and I'd like some advice on purchasing my first decent bike, something I've put off for around 3 years now. I am 5'10" and weigh around 155 lbs. I want a bike that I can use for commuting on a daily basis but can also ride some singletrack with. I'd also like to mount bags on it for bikepacking/touring but my camp kit is very light weight so not too worries about needing the burliest bike. I was first tempted by the Specialized Diverge A1 and I rode it at a LBS and it felt nice. They have it for $900 but said they can give me a deal on it since it's not the newest model, but I'm unsure how much they will take off. Other bikes I found are the Raleigh Willard 2 for $775 but with a different setup than the website says, it has a SRAM 1x drivetrain with 11-42t cassette, another bike is the Raleigh Stuntman for $1050, the Jamis Renegade Expat for $1000, the REI CO-OP ADV 1.1 for $780, the Salsa Vaya Claris for $900 and lastly the one I've been drooling over is the Specialized AWOL but I think it is just too far out of my price range. I would love to keep the bike under $900 so I could have extra money for my helmet and other accessories. Anyways, thanks for any help, I know I mentioned a lot of bikes.

Planemaker

I won't give you advice on a particular bike. The only thing I would suggest is look for a bike that will give you plenty of tire clearance so you can run at least a 40 tire and ideally 45.

mstateglfr 

The REI 1.1 is a touring bike with bar end shifters. I mention this not because its bad, but because its very different from the other bikes you mention in geometry and shifting. It will more than capably handle the commuting and touring side of things.

None of the bikes will be great on singletrack, at least compared to mountain bikes. Wide flat bars, shock fork, and high bottom bracket differentiate MTBs from gravel/adventure bikes and all 3 of those things help make singletrack easier/more fun to ride.

I dont really dig 1x, mostly because I dont see a need for it, but if you like that route the two Raleigh bikes are neat options. The Stuntman is basically an old school rigid MTB with 50mm tires and long chainstays. It would be capable of loaded touring, gravel, commuting, and some singletrack for sure. The gearing isnt great(for me) to use during loaded touring, but I am larger than you.
Jamis Renegade would most likely feel the most like a road bike. It would be fine for commuting, gravel, light touring, etc. Its a lot of quality at the price as the shifting is solid Tiagra, carbon fork(with mounts!), and quality mechanical brakes.

The Salsa is...underwhelming for the price. As usual.

Thats a fun group of bikes and they are all different in meaningful ways- but itd be tough to say you went wrong with whatever you get.

thehammerdog

Dude the Raleigh stuntman is a cool bike go with what fits you best comfy = key

birru

Lots of interesting choices there. Some thoughts:

-Those Raleighs you mentioned are slick. The Stuntman might be overkill, but it's pretty badass.
-Also check out the Raleigh Tamland. Basically a steel Willard, which might be better for your needs.
-The Renegade Expat at $1000 is a really solid value. Great bike and very versatile.
-That Vaya Claris build is insultingly priced. The higher end Vayas are lovely but not necessarily great values either.

If you have a Breezer dealer near you check out the Doppler Pro. The build kit looks fantastic and I think Breezer's steel adventure bikes are overlooked. Retails for a very reasonable $1100 and I've seen them on sale periodically for less.

jairpeb

I have been looking for a similar bike. I've narrowed it down to these two finalist:
1) Jamis Renegade Expat - $1200
2) Specialized Sequoia - $1350

A bit beyond your range. But pretty good value for money.

Btw, you listed Jamis Renegade expat at $1000. Where did you find that price?

Derekve

I plan on checking out the Jamis Renegade Expat. Looks to be very versatile and a lot more value for what you pay when comparing it to similar bikes. I like the Surly Straggler and All City Space Horse/Cosmic Stallion, but all those are out of my price range.

I was considering the Diverge from my LBS, but all I've ever owned (not including dept store bikes as a kid) have been Specialized bikes so I want to give other brands a try.

aguerra.1993

I ended up with a Stuntman and it's a great bike for me. Very comfortable to ride and a lot of fun as well! The Renegade expat deal was at one of the LBS in town. I'm happy with my choice and at $1090 after tax, brand new, I think I got a great deal on the stuntman.

mstateglfr 

Fantastic deal for sure. Where are you located? That price is a couple hundred less than the corp discount, so others near you may benefit from going to the dealer you used.

rumrunn6

1st bike? new? that's a lot of pressure. might want to experiment first to see what you like. maybe try some rentals?

aguerra.1993

The Raleigh wasn't actually bought locally, I got it from Amazon but the price has drastically gone up since after I purchased it. I'm glad I bought it when I did because a day later it went up $400 and now it's up to around $2000 or so.

birru

Right? Raleigh pricing on Amazon can be bananas. Before the holidays a couple of friends were looking for cheap recreational/commuting bikes. They ended up getting his and hers Carlton 8s for about $125ea. I mentioned this to my LBS with an apology and one of the owners basically said, "Damn! At that price they can just thrown them away if they don't like them!"*

*Don't throw bikes away!