Shatunoff

Good day! I am the owner of a Jamis coda s2 bike, I really like this bike. I switched to it from mtb and I was impressed with the ride on it. I wanted something even lighter and faster with a drop bar. Now there is an option to purchase Renegade exile or Ventura A2. Plus the renegade is wide tires, cross-country ability, and the ventura has a lighter frame and internal cable routing. I am interested in your opinion, friends, thanks!

shelbyfv

The Ventura will complement your Coda with less overlap. The Renegade would be a good choice if you plan to keep only one.

Jeff Neese

Be aware that those two other bikes you're looking at have aluminum frames. It's very likely that one of the things you love about the Coda is it's a DB full chromoly frame, and the way that feels. You may not like riding an aluminum bike, after you've experienced a good steel frame. I know that whenever I travel and have to rent a bike somewhere, the rentals are always aluminum and I don't really like any of them. You get spoiled riding steel.

Shatunoff

Thanks guys for the answers! Yes, I have experienced riding on aluminum frames, they are tougher. I really like Coda, it is springy. I really want a road bike and I started to respect Jamis. At the moment I can get one of these models for a good discount.

shelbyfv

Jamis bikes are good value. I've had a couple and even had a good experience with their warranty service.

Shatunoff

Yes, jamis is great! There is also a carbon fork in the venture, how will this affect the ride? Is it harder than aluminum or softer?

veganbikes

Jamis makes some good stuff here and there but the low end stuff isn't really worth the time, Claris is something I would get if I was using the bike extremely infrequently and was fine with mushy shifting.

Get a Renegade S3 and be really happy. It has a decent enough entry level groupset, Reynolds 520 steel tubing and a carbon fork. It is a good ride and if you are already enjoying steel don't go to aluminum, yes wider tires and carbon forks will help but with Jamis a lot of their lower end stuff is aluminum so it is not like you get with other brands who might make something a little higher end in alumnium.

Steel is real, Ti is fly, Wood is good, Bamboo is OK for you, but aluminum and carbon don't rhyme so don't waste your time.

Speedway2

My favourite frame material is steel.
Currently, my only steel frame bike is a Single Speed. I plan most of my rides around the SS (even with it's limitations) because it's so comfortable.
I sometimes regret not buying the Coda Comp I test rode a few years ago. Op....get the S3

Shatunoff

Reynolds 520 is too expensive for me, Expat is not in my city and it is expensive. I really want to try a road bike, and these are the models I can afford. However, of course, I don't want to beat my spine with an allu frame))) In general, the choice between Exile and Ventura. Thank you guys for your answers, your experience is important to me!

Shatunoff

I also really liked the Fuji feather bike, but the price of almost $ 1000 for a single speed is too much for me. I also worry that in my rather hilly city this bike will limit me.

Trakhak

There's nothing wrong with steel bikes. But aluminum bikes ride better in my experience, which is why, after 40 years of riding high-end steel bikes, I switched to riding aluminum bikes. That was 15 years ago, and I doubt that I've ridden more than a couple of hundred miles on any of my steel bikes since.

Speedway2

^^^I concur but I never had high-end steel bikes and my first aluminum road bike was 20+ yrs ago.
During the aluminum bike phase I kept a '95 Marin rigid mountain bike(I bought BNIB) and rode it with ThickSliks in the City. A couple of years ago I gifted the Marin(in VG condition) to my son and I soon realized missed the ride of steel. My son liked the ride of the steel Marin over his alumininum hybrid so it was clear I wasn't getting it back
So....I found a lightly used steel-framed Single Speed (Globe roll2) to fill the void and it's been my Go To bike every since. It's smoother and less harsh than my aluminum bikes and at my age that makes a difference.....

veganbikes

520 is nothing special it is fine quality tubing but it is their cheaper stuff made in Taiwan.

It never hurts to save a little extra money and get the one you are going to enjoy more. Also a lot of shops offer financing as well. You can have fun on the current Coda and save up for the new bike I have done that.

Don't get the Feather, I rode that bike, it was terrible, looked cool but was not comfortable on it. Love single speeds though and it is certainly a little nicer tubing than the Declaration but not one I would recommend. Wabi makes some decent single speed stuff at reasonable enough prices nothing super special but certainly a notch above a lot of bigger name single speeds out there.

Shatunoff

Yes thank you. Feather really looks great. Such a minimalistic retro style!

Speedway2

I agree with vegenbikes.
My Roll2 is 520 and doesn't feel like anything specail for a steel bike. However, it certaintly feels smoother and less harsh then my aluminum Langster. I'm going to try some new tires and play with the tire pressure to get the Langster to ride more like the Roll2 but I don't think it going to happen.
I considered the Feather for its retro looks but never got the chance to test one.....

Bulette

Lots of focus on the frame material in this discussion, but not the whole picture. Steel is nice, but aluminum can be too; my road bike is aluminum and it's comfortable over 100 mile days. Entry-level aluminum is probably lighter than entry-level steel, too.

A drop bar bike will almost certainly be faster than a flat-bar, whether it's the racy Ventura or the rugged Renegade. I'd consider the brakes -- many bikes (racers included) are headed towards discs, and the Renegade is more future proof. You can always put narrow and lighter wheels and tires on the Renegade, but the Ventura will reach it's limits much sooner in that regard. If your intentions include some serious racing though, the Ventura may be worth accepting the tire-width limitations. Three bottle cage mounts on the Renegade, but two on the Ventura; both bikes have rack/fender mounts.

Think about your potential future uses, don't get hung up on frame material.

Shatunoff

Thanks for the answer! Yesterday I bought a Ventura, 28 tires. Yes, it is tough and this is my first experience with a drop bar. The brakes are very unusual. I drove it home, did not test it much. As I can, I will immediately write off the impressions and post the photo.

Shatunoff

I can't wait to try it out in driving))) it is very inspiring.

shelbyfv

Congrats!

Shatunoff

Thanks))

Trakhak

Well, there you go. I bought a Langster the year Specialized introduced it, and it's been my favorite bike ever since. I had been riding my last two steel bikes until then (both Reynolds, one 531 and the other 853), but I stopped riding those as soon as i got the Langster and then an aluminum road bike. Steel is fine, I simply prefer the way my aluminum bikes ride.

veganbikes

No worries but Yes while the feather looks fine (we had a pink one back in the day which looked cool) it is not a comfortable bike as I said and I would have required a lot to make it work.

Speedway2

My '09 Langster is still my favourite bike when I go solo riding which includes clipless shoes/pedals, padded shorts & gloves, etc. I find I can ride the Langster longer/further with the proper gear on. Usually, I never get off the bike until I'm home.
However, when I'm in mood for rides wearing just cargo shorts and shoes for toe-clips or just booting around the hardtop with my son the Roll2 always gets the nod. Usually, these rides have us stopping for food and wobbly pops .....but I digress.

Shatunoff

Hello everyone! Yesterday I got to ride the Ventura for the first time. Super impressions! As promised I'm attaching a photo!

Shatunoff