It's been over 5 years since I last bought a new bike, and the time has finally arrived to scratch that itch. Would love to get some views from CP's cyclists (and share some bike pron) before I make any decisions.
The task: replacing my 2010 Masi Speciale CX commuter bike (that's not it, but it's the same model/colour as the one pictured).
What I'm looking for: something a bit smaller (moving from a 56 to a 54), a bit more upright, a bit lighter, a bit (but not a lot) pricier, with disc brakes and the capacity for fatter wheels (currently running 700x35s) to go with fenders and a rack. I'm even contemplating something that can run 700c and 650b wheels so it can be like two bikes in one).
Candidate bikes:
First, the utterly gorgeous and therefore very thievable
Kona NRB ($2300):
Bike is pretty light (AL), pretty fun to ride, looks a lot like my current bike in dark cherry, and has most of the other features I'm looking for. It's pretty pricey though, and I'm not so sure about the 1x system for hilly commuting.
Next up, a steel Kona with similar features, the
Rove ST:
Heavier, purple (which I'm not so sure about), but likely tough and comes in a variety of packages ranging from about $1000 to the model above which is $2000. There also seems to be more potential to have a shop build this one up special for under $2K.
Next, the
MEC Provincial trail bike. It's a lot like the Kona NRB above, and priced almost identically. But it comes with a 2x11 105 groupset, which is kind of my gold standard for a do-everything sort of bike.
2020 model of that one is green and looks a bit nicer for it IMO.
Next option is a bit of an oddball and hard to find any reviews of, the Brodie Tiber. This is another road+ style bike that takes bigger tires. It retails for $3000 for some reason, but can be had used for a bit less than $2k if one can find it.
I like the look of this steel bike, but it's a bit of an enigma as no one seems to have one.
Another candidate that I've test ridden and liked is the Cannondale Topstone. The Sora model comes in at $1400, which may leave room to upgrade shifters and derailleurs. The older model is pictured below, but the current year is similarly green (though not quite as pretty). It's not the most upright geometry though.
There are also a pair of Giant bikes I'm considering: the Revolt and the Anyroad. They're much more modestly priced ($1000 to $1500) depending on groupset. They're both a bit ugly, but the Anyroad I've tested and found it pretty fun (it's so upright it almost feels like you're running).
Anyone have any thoughts on or experience with these bikes? Any other suggestions for bikes I should be considering?
I should add that snow isn't a factor for me here in Vancouver, but rain and hills sure are.