Dhook

I've narrowed it down to the Cannondale Cyclocross, Trek XO1 & Jake the Snake. Unfortunately none of the local dealers keep them in stock so riding one is not an option. They are all around the same $. Mainly will be used for fitness, urban riding and some cross. Any input is mucho appreciated.

SAB

I personally think Aluminum is for beer cans. Go with steel, Ti, or carbon.

climbo

which one fits you better? They can't all have the same geometry. What about the Lemond Poprad? It's steel as opposed to Alu. Which colour do you like better? They are all good bikes. ANy of them will do what you ask, it's abuot what you like really. Personally I prefer the Lemond to all of those.

amahana1

I ride a CDALE cyclocross bike that I built up myself. The ride is verrrry nice. Some on here will argue that AL is a stiffer ride...maybee, not much though. Also they will say that AL is more prone to failure as compared to other material...if it was, AL wouldnt dominate the bike market. Bascially it comes down to what you like and what is comfortable and what fits you the best. I have ridden steel and carbon and liked them both...but I have owned three Cannondales and I wont ride any other bike now.

P.S.
Please dont give me the whole scientifc spill about the properties of AL compared to other materials....this post is for the cycle world and not the construction of a skyscraper!

AlanK

Have you considered the Surly Cross-check? Good bike, good value, check it out.

If you're using the bike primarily for fitness and urban riding, you want something with a wide range of gears.

.Z.

I've never liked Al before when i rode MTB and where using steel and Ti. For a couple of month's ago i bought a 2005 Jake the snake and i just love it! For your use i dont' think you have to be afraid of the alu bike to failure, if you would race it's different but even steel frames get old and Ti are sooo expensive...

I can't tell you wich one of the bikes you should buy, can only tell you what i think about my Kona. It's very well speced and have a light stiff frame that's surprisingly comfortable, i have changed the seat and seatpost and shaved 300 grams.

Here in Sweden the Kona is much cheaper than the Canondale and more well speced, therefore the choice for me was simple. If the Canondale is cheaper in your area it mabybe is worth a look, i looked at it but wasn't impressed.

KleinRider

Well, scientifically speaking.... J/K

I own an old steel Trek (see the sig) and 2, not-as-old Al bikes. While I love my "newer" Klein's, they are definitely stiffer than the steel - no question about it. In regards to longevity; yes, Al is more prone to failure, but I'd bet you'll not see that failure for as long as you own the bike. Al dominates the market b/c it's "cheap" and "light". The vast majority of the population likes those two qualities, especially when spoken in the same sentence.

Bottom line: As amahana said, get what you like. Check out the other models in your LBS that are at least as close to the model you want and see how they feel (you can compare the geometry of the frames, at least close).

chunt

I agree...buy what you like and what fits you the best. My fair weather road ride is a Trek 5000 carbon bike / Shimano Integra components. I just bought an '05 XO1 to ride lite trails, winter roads / wet weather and on the trainer in the winter. I won't be competing in cyclocross. I've got ~150 miles on the XO1 now and I like it much better than I anticipated in comparision to my 5000. I've kept it stock except for fenders. It's a very comfortable ride and the Shimano 105 components are excellent. It's not as quick or fast as my 5000, but it's a great bike. I also got the Shimano Flight Deck computer with the start/stop/mode buttons integrated into the brake hoods...really nice to change the view on the computer with a thumb press from the brake hoods. Plus, I really like the look of the black anodized frame and the gloss black fenders. I found the same thing when I was looking for a hybrid bike...no local shop carried them. Hope this helps. Good luck.