Since I was a kid, bikes have always been important to me. I feel so much more connected to places on a bike than in a car and have been fortunate to have decent bike commutes much of my life. I also love riding rural roads with my wife on our trusty tandem and taking my current commuter on gravel and semi-paved trails in the city. I no longer do long tours but I still like the "minivan practicality" of a strong bike. Weather permitting, my bike is also my grocery getter, maxing out two huge rear panniers and a front rack with a box.
I don't buy bikes often (I've probably put close to 100k miles on the three bikes shown) and tend to percolate for a long time before making decisions.
I'm in my 60s now and may only get one or two more bikes in my life so I want to be thoughtful about it. I've been toying with the idea of a Priority Gemini just to try something different but am a bit unsure of owning something I can't wrench 100% myself and hear that the rear hub is noisy. I've never bought a bike without test riding which makes me nervous in terms of fit.
I'm also considering a Kona Sutra or something like that.
I want it to be comfortable for commuting (I fortunately have a safe place to lock up), able to carry groceries without squirrely handling, and be fun to take on quick 20-30 mile weekend gravel rides. Budget is flexible but the Gemini was on the higher end.
I've learned so much from others' experiences and appreciate your thoughts.
note: photos of cannondale and trek are not oc
by Critical_Garbage_119
3 Comments
Acoustic cargo bike or minivelo
I’m pretty happy with my Pelago Hanko Outback (got it around 2 years ago). My reasoning at the time was that it is an adaptable bike, with standard components, focused on commuting, but that I can take on long journeys if I want to.
https://pelagobicycles.com/hanko-outback/
They also have nice accessories such as the front rack (or rasket):
https://pelagobicycles.com/rasket/.
And a sturdy rear cargo rack: https://pelagobicycles.com/cargo-rear-rack/ (I didn’t get this one because I have a cargo bike).
I was also looking at these options: https://www.fahrradmanufaktur.de/en/bike/trekking-bike.php
A couple thoughts:
I use to be an acoustic bike snob, but am now a strong advocate for e-bikes for commuting. If your town/city is fairly bikeable, having an e-bike makes biking an easy decision when otherwise you would drive.
You could get a frame from Sklar, Surly, Soma, etc, and utilize as many Jamis parts as possible to build up the new frame.