tommilano1987

I recently asked a question about investing in a better lock up/commuter bike and got some great results. Thank you to everyone, as I am new here!

I have decided that I am going to buy a bike that is not a full on beater/lockup bike, but is not a full on super nice bike either. My budget is pretty much about $1000 dollars.

I'm deciding between a Wabi Classic single speed, and a Trek 1.2 9 speed endurance bike. I know, single speed vs road bike debate, but I'm not sure where I should post this to get an unbiased opinion. These bikes are nice enough that I could probably spend a few hours in the saddle once the fit is sorted out, but they're not too nice that I would baby them, which is what I currently do to my Felt road bike. Here are the pros and cons of each:

Wabi Classic (Now called Wabi Road):
Pros: Lightweight, Steel more comfy, super simple, no derailler hangers to snap, no STI levers to tempt would be thieves from taking handlebars, and supposedly they ride nicer than a lot of other bikes out there, not to mention exceptional customer service. Riding it fixed gear means if the rim brakes get funny in bad weather, I can still slow the bike down with the pedals.
Cons: really only one, is that it is a single speed. This might limit the versatility of the bike, as I might not be able to ride as long off of the same energy levels. This is really the only thing that's holding me back, since I can get a sora bike for the same price.

Trek Domane AL3 - previously called 1.2
Pros: similiar to my Felt VR30, but with simpler rim brakes, instead of Hydro-disc, meaning I can do just about all of the maintenance myself. Pretty much a simpler version of my Felt, comes in black paint job, but still is just about as capabable as it when it comes to going fast. Kind of the Goldilocks of all bikes I've been looking at. If I had no bikes, this one seems to be the jack of all trades. Not so expensive that I would baby it, not so cheap that it rides like crap.
Cons: Kind of redundant to my Felt as it's just a watered down version of it. Why buy a cheaper version of a bike I already have? and a road bike with brifters isn't as good of a lock up bike as a simple single speed.

So, i writing all of this, I'm realizing that I would prefer the wabi, but I don't want the single speed/fixed gear to hold me back. After all, the road bike is more versatile. I appreciate both fixed gear bikes and road bikes, and I don't think one is necessarily better than the other. If anything, I'll probably end up buying both in a year or twos time, so this is more of a what should I get now type of question. Thoughts?

Skipjacks

If you've got a $1000 budget on a "it might get stolen" bike you could do very well with Craigslist.

You might find something that's scratched up and in need of a little TLC, with plenty of room in the budget for replacement parts to make it something that looks beat up but is very ridable. That's a good mix between something that you enjoy riding that looks like it wouldn't be enjoyable to ride to a would be thief.

Buddha2499

tommilano1987

That's ultimately what is holding me back from the single speed. I've ridden SS/Fixed up small hills, it's not as bad as it sounds. I think once I get used to it, it won't really be a problem, although a geared bike will always be easer to ride, same as comparing it to an E bike, where that is even easier to ride. Thanks for you input.

BobbyG

If you have the room, buy both...pre-owned.

RidingMatthew

yeah I agree.
Thread starter you did not say where you were riding. I am not sure I could do a SS on my commute especially carrying clothes and such. There are too many hills, wind, days I might be tired, etc.

Smirksalot

I commute on a ss. I've done it for roughly 5 years now, however my commute is rather flat. I chose the single speed route after having some derailleur issues, and realizing that I wasn't using much more than one gear. It isn't for everyone but I haven't had any issues. Finding your ideal gearing is key.

Khb

perhaps an IGH would be a suitable compromise. For $1K you can get an older one with some upgrades, or even a brand new 8 speed (rather than an older 3-5speed).

wphamilton

Single speed: I set mine up to carry cargo, leaving my road bike unencumbered, so when I want to carry a laptop, extra clothes, or stop at a store is when I choose the fixed gear bike! We do have hills in this area, but it's not as limiting as I thought it might be.

The versatility is a downside IMO, because I generally don't take it out for the weekend rides, for anything more than about 25 miles really. But as a second bike and for commuting, sure. It can be perfectly suited for that. Provided that you actually enjoy riding SS or fixed gear - some people find out that it's just not their thing.