Scott Bicycles is mostly known for their higher-end road and mountain bikes, due in a large part to the company's sponsorship of professional road racing, triathlon, and mountain bike athletes. But tucked away in the company's bike catalog are several "Urban/Hybrid" bikes that offer more practical solutions for everyday riders. Don't be fooled by the "hybrid" moniker. These bikes are built for speed and comfort.
Sometimes you just wanna tell people about something good without getting into a full review-test-deadline-drama scenario. I have been running Ergons GP1 grips on one of my mountain bikes, on a bike here and there, but I have not gone to the trouble of putting them on all my bikes for whatever reason. But when I reunited with my Karate Monkey after leaving it in the East Bay area, it had some new Ergons on it. I was immediately pleased and thankful for this. Not only do my hands feel comfy upon first grasp, but they feel great all day.
At first glance, the Torker Graduate is a nondescript, simple, even workaday bike. But its “ordinariness” is in fact one of its strengths. This is a basic, yet versatile machine that can take a lickin’ and be depended upon for transportation for many maintenance-free miles, one that won’t attract too much attention locked up outside, or need much of your attention once it’s back inside.
It was a beautiful, sunny July morning when I set off on my ride to work on a brand new Salsa Vaya test bike. The sun's rays picked up tiny gold flecks of color of the rich "Upside Brown" painted frame. I felt like I could ride all day, and I wished that I could.
Everyone's commute varies, from 40-mile epic rides to work to 10-block cruises down the bike path. As such, one's commuting bike needs vary, too, running the gamut from fast and sleek to beach cruiser. For those of us in the middle, Trek designed the Soho with commutes from 6 to 15 miles in mind, though you shouldn't necessarily rule out this bike for anything shorter or longer.
Nearly four years ago I tested and reviewed the SRAM Rival components for issue 127 of Dirt Rag. This first generation of SRAM road shifters gave the industry leader Shimano and old reliable Campagnolo their first real competition in that corner of the market. So after year-round commuting in sun, rain and snow, a few crashes, some off-road abuse, swapping them to a cyclocross bike, and days of sitting dirty in the basement, how have the components held up to real-life usage?
