Hey everyone!
I've been riding bicycles for the majority of my life, but never really got too serious with it. By that I mean I'd buy $150-$200 terrible bikes without really knowing any better and burn them out in a couple years and just buy a new one. That was all fine and good as I was only a young high school kid with a budget that was to be expected of someone of that age. However, now that I am a bit older (graduating college as a mechanical engineer) with a solid job lined up with a good amount of money coming in from tax returns/graduation presents/signing bonuses, I decided to step up to the (bigger) leagues. This comes coupled with the fact that my former sporting interest, mixed martial arts, was taking a toll on my body that I no longer wished to pay. I was really looking for a new sport that gave huge fitness benefits while at the same time gave me the adrenaline rush that martial arts provided.
With that thought in mind I began to do some research into the type of bike I wanted. I wanted something that could be fairly fast on roads (faster than a mountain bike) so that I could at least keep up with a few of my friends who ride road bikes. This will also allow me to use the bike for some good transportation (if I wake up one morning and its just a great day outside, I would love nothing more than to ride my bike to work, about 6.5 miles each way). This originally brought me to road bikes; however, I soon realized that they really wouldn't do so well on mountain trails, which is where I hoped to experience most of the more adventurous aspects of cycling. I really don't have any intention of going over massive jumps, climbing super grueling mud hills, or anything like that. I can definitely see myself getting a bit of air time after hitting a small bump on a dirt path, plowing through a small stream, and so forth, though. So I definitely wanted something a bit more durable than a road bike and possibly even a hybrid, but faster and more road worthy than a straight up mountain bike. This brought me to the cyclocross category.
I've seen quite a few videos now of people handling exactly the same off road terrain that I will be experiencing but still hitting very respectable speeds on road. This is precisely what I was looking for and I spent a few days now doing some research and talking to other cyclists about quality brands, parts, etc. I've pretty much narrowed my choice down to two bikes. Usually by this point I can make a decision fairly easily... However, I really am struggling to choose. The two choices are the Kona Jake and the Jamis Nova Race.
I've heard people rave about both of them; obviously the Kona has made a huge name for itself in the cyclocross world and I personally know someone who owned the (older model) Jamis and has said it was his favorite bike to use off road (now races roadies only). I was looking at the 2012 models and both have some things I really like that the other doesn't have.
For example, the Kona has better gearing/drive train, tires, and has more sizing options to enable a better fit. The Jamis has disc brakes, is slightly lighter, and has a carbon composite front fork. I realize I can always change parts out, but I want to avoid that as much as possible in the beginning. Both are essentially the same price varying only really by the dealer (about $1100 or so). I will definitely take both for a test ride before buying, but I'd like to have some idea of what I want before doing so.
So can anyone possibly offer any advice between the two? Or if you don't like either, possibly suggest another option? I would really appreciate the help if anyone can provide it! Thanks!
Kona Jake
konaworld.comcx.cfmOpen ↗
Jamis Nova Race
jamisbikes.com12 novarace.htmlOpen ↗