Specialized adds commute bike to line, 2004 "Globe"

Wow, first Trek, now Specialized. The Specialized model even has an integral hub generator. There
are even shops that are actually stocking the Specialized model. I haven't found any shops except
the Bike Gallery in Oregon that is stocking the Treks.

http://commutebike.com

"Steven M. Scharf" <scharf.steven@linkearth.net> wrote in message
news:XDNsb.11443$6c3.5377@newsread1.....earthlink.net...

> Wow, first Trek, now Specialized. The Specialized model even has an integral hub generator. There
> are even shops that are actually stocking the Specialized model. I haven't found any shops except
> the Bike Gallery in Oregon that is stocking the Treks.
>
> http://commutebike.com

Wow, very nice web page! Is it yours? I don't see any credits...

A few things --

One, I really like the Profile bottle cage too. It's the only one that holds my heavy battery
without extra tie-downs. And it doesn't wear out and crack, or mark bottles.

Two, I wish they'd put a *full* chaincase on hub gear bikes. Those half-chainguard things might help
keep your pants clean, but won't do much for the chain -- all the crud sprays up from underneath.

Finally, a $300 entry-level MTB/hybrid serves most people well. For that matter, so does a $100
Walgoose. It doesn't have all the neat fenders and stuff, but you can buy those. Most Americans
using bikes for transportation don't have enough money for these fancier ones -- or at least it's a
tough sell. All the great fortunes have been made by offering something "good enough" but really
cheap -- like the Walgoose. It's not always the best value, but it's most consumers' default choice.
However, if the industry can sell $800 wheels, they could sell bikes with fenders to commuters -- if
they cared to. It looks like they're starting to care.

Matt O.

On Thu, 13 Nov 2003 20:51:26 GMT, "Matt O'Toole" <matt@deltanet.com> wrote:

>"Steven M. Scharf" <scharf.steven@linkearth.net> wrote:
>
>> Wow, first Trek, now Specialized. The Specialized model even has an integral hub generator. There
>> are even shops that are actually stocking the Specialized model.

Too bad it still has a derailleur instead of an internal hub.

> I haven't found any shops except the Bike Gallery in
>> Oregon that is stocking the Treks.
>>
>> http://commutebike.com

>Two, I wish they'd put a *full* chaincase on hub gear bikes. Those half-chainguard things might
>help keep your pants clean, but won't do much for the chain -- all the crud sprays up from
>underneath.

I got one. But then I had to bring my Batavus Dutch city bike back from Holland. I did phone and
ask the dealer whether he would sell and ship one to the US. He said yes. I would presume that
in addition to their 14% discount the 19% VAT would come off up front. Then add on shipping
charges. See http://batavus.com/ for bikes. (Which comes up blank and useless if you have
ActiveX turned off.)

Don <donwiss at panix.com>.

Don Wiss <donwiss@no_spam.com> wrote:
> I got one. But then I had to bring my Batavus Dutch city bike back from Holland. I did phone and
> ask the dealer whether he would sell and ship one to the US. He said yes. I would presume that
> in addition to their 14% discount the 19% VAT would come off up front. Then add on shipping
> charges. See http://batavus.com/ for bikes. (Which comes up blank and useless if you have
> ActiveX turned off.)

Looks fine on Mozilla under Linux (by definition, no CaptiveX). You do need a Flash plugin, though.
(cue rant about idiot web designers who think that people want the Web to be television)

English is not an option, though. If you don't know Dutch, Flemish(?), Danish, or German, you're out
of luck. I'm surprised that the .be site doesn't offer French, either.

--
Russ Price--sprocketwabbit@fubegra.no-ip.org--kill the wabbit to despam "The solution is simple: all
spammers, if convicted of spamming, should be drowned in cow diarrhoea in televised public
ceremonies. Start with Ralsky." -Guy Chapman

On Thu, 13 Nov 2003 20:33:23 -0500, Don Wiss <donwiss@no_spam.com> wrote:

(Mostly snipped)

>Too bad it still has a derailleur instead of an internal hub.

Some years ago, the Specialized Globe did have an internally geared hub. My Mom has the 3 speed
version from some time in the early to mid 90s. It's an excellent city bike or short distance
commuter, at least in the relatively flat area where she lives. Didn't come with a lot of extras,
just fenders, kickstand, and a bell, but an inexpensive battery light is okay for city riding, and
decent racks aren't that expensive.

IIRC, there was also a 7 speed internally hub version.

Maybe Specialized just wasn't selling enough of these. There are good arguments to be made for
internally geared hubs for commuting bikes, but you still have to convince people to buy them.

MP

"MP" <Schlabotnik@DELETESPAMmail.com> wrote in message
news:bb2arv8psson1th3sdfnso2vg850plc80o@4ax.com...

<snipped>

>Maybe Specialized just wasn't selling enough of these. There are good arguments to be made for
>internally geared hubs for commuting bikes, but you still have to convince people to buy them.

If your commute doesn't involve any steep inclines then I guess this is true.

If I go the "safer" route on my commute, it involves a relatively unknown unpaved underpass, under a
major freeway, which has quite a steep incline, and where I'd have trouble with an internally geared
bike (if you try to get up enough speed before the incline to avoid the need for lower gears then
you'll likely end up in a creek). This is why I decided against a Breezer. For now I'm still on an
older road bike. I'm hoping that Fuji sells the Hokkaido in the U.S. since it's chomolly, rather
than aluminum.

The Kettler Traveller is very cool. I was about to buy one of the 2002 closeouts but they ran
out of them.

On 15 Nov 2003, "Steven M. Scharf" <scharf.steven@linkearth.net> wrote:

>"MP" <Schlabotnik@DELETESPAMmail.com> wrote in message
>
>>Maybe Specialized just wasn't selling enough of these. There are good arguments to be made for
>>internally geared hubs for commuting bikes, but you still have to convince people to buy them.
>
>If your commute doesn't involve any steep inclines then I guess this is true.
>
>If I go the "safer" route on my commute, it involves a relatively unknown unpaved underpass, under
>a major freeway, which has quite a steep incline, and where I'd have trouble with an internally
>geared bike (if you try to get up enough speed before the incline to avoid the need for lower gears
>then you'll likely end up in a creek). This is why I decided against a Breezer.

But you can change the rear cog wheel to give you a lower low. Yes, you lose your highest gear. But
you don't need it, and most likely rarely use
it. That is what I did with my Batavus. I changed the rear from 17 teeth to 20 teeth. That shifted
the gears exactly one number lower.

Don <donwiss at panix.com>.

"Don Wiss" <donwiss@no_spam.com> wrote in message news:461crvkjk2q34g5dnjsq4s06u33v1bhqi8@4ax.com...

> On 15 Nov 2003, "Steven M. Scharf" <scharf.steven@linkearth.net> wrote:
>
> >"MP" <Schlabotnik@DELETESPAMmail.com> wrote in message
> >
> >>Maybe Specialized just wasn't selling enough of these. There are good arguments to be made for
> >>internally geared hubs for commuting bikes, but you still have to convince people to buy them.
> >
> >If your commute doesn't involve any steep inclines then I guess this is true.
> >
> >If I go the "safer" route on my commute, it involves a relatively unknown unpaved underpass,
> >under a major freeway, which has quite a steep incline, and where I'd have trouble with an
> >internally geared bike (if you try to get up enough speed before the incline to avoid the need
> >for lower gears then you'll likely end up in a creek). This is why I decided against a Breezer.
>
> But you can change the rear cog wheel to give you a lower low. Yes, you lose your highest gear.
> But you don't need it, and most likely rarely use
> it. That is what I did with my Batavus. I changed the rear from 17 teeth to 20 teeth. That shifted
> the gears exactly one number lower.

Do you know the particular gearing this bike has? Newer 5, 7, and 8 speed hubs have enough range
that dealing with something like a freeway underpass shouldn't pose a problem. Find out what the
gearing and tire sizes are for this bike, and plug them into Sheldon's gear calculator:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/gears/

Compare with the gears you think you'd use with a typical road bike. I bet it will work.

Matt O.

On Sat, 15 Nov 2003 21:36:33 GMT, "Matt O'Toole" <matt@deltanet.com> wrote:

>Don Wiss wrote:

>> But you can change the rear cog wheel to give you a lower low. Yes, you lose your highest gear.
>> But you don't need it, and most likely rarely use
>> it. That is what I did with my Batavus. I changed the rear from 17 teeth to 20 teeth. That
>> shifted the gears exactly one number lower.
>
>Do you know the particular gearing this bike has?

Yes, that is why I wrote "shifted the gears exactly one number lower."

> Newer 5, 7, and 8 speed hubs have enough range that dealing with something like a freeway
> underpass shouldn't pose a problem.

I don't know what a freeway underpass is. I live on a terminal moraine in Brooklyn. Some pretty
steep hills around here, plus the East River Bridges. The range of the gearing is fine. The problem
is the bike manufacturers center the range around a one-speed bike. So you have high gears you don't
need, and not low enough lows. As I pointed out this can easily be fixed. And a new cog wheel was
only 7.50 Euros.

Don <donwiss at panix.com>.

I agree the Globe is a cool bike. I'm not sure what Trek(s) you were referring to. If you like bikes with these disign parameters, check out the Breezer bikes (http://www.breezerbikes.com/).