The New Bike

After an arduous search across at four DC neighborhoods and six bike shops, I finally settled on one I liked. Since there is sometimes a dearth of bike reviews, I'll give mine for the models I tested. Ultimately, I was looking for something around $500 (so I can afford to have it stolen again), hybrid (but a rugged one), smooth gear components, and a more aggressive geometry--I didn't want to sit completely erect. I ended up buying a Gary Fisher Wingra.

Bike Reviews
Gary Fisher Wingra
Price: $465 (Capitol Hill Bikes)
Description: My previous bike was a Gary Fisher, too, and I was happy with the ratio of price:component quality. I also very much liked the Genesis frame line, which my Marlin was part of. No wonder I liked geometry of this bike--it was also a Genesis frame, meaning I had the same body position on this hybrid as I did on my mountain bike. Excellent. That was the most important selling point. The more forward position really allows ya to churn through those steep hill climbs--something very common in DC, especially in Adams Morgan, where I live. If you've ever gone up 15th St NW between U and Columbia, you know what I mean. The frame is also pretty light, an aluminum alloy. Surprisingly for aluminum, it doesn't ride that rough. The gears shifted very nicely, maybe even better than my older Marlin, though those components were considered an upgrade (Shimano Alivo vs Deore). We'll see in a few months how they last. The tires were also what I was looking for--not smooth, thin road tires, but instead puncture resistant with some actual tread to help out in wet weather. Good overall blend of quality, price, and ride. This is the bike I bought. I also slapped on some toe clips, bar ends with padded grip tape, a Pit-Bull U-Lock with additional rear tire chain, and head/tail lights.

Others Tested (in no particular order)
Jamis CodaSport
Price: $480 (City Bikes)
Description: This bike was silky smooth in its gearing, but I felt like I was straight out of The Muppet Movie, where Kermie and Piggie are biking down the road in their cruisers. It felt like I was sitting completely upright, which I did not like. Also, as a gay man, the paint job was something to be desired.

Giant FCR3
Price: $495 (The Bike Rack)
Description: Not bad, overall middle of the line. This one did not shift as well as the Jamis, and the geometry was somewhere in between the Fisher and Jamis, but still a little too erect. Tires were a little too much on the "road" side of the continuum. The weight was great on this, very easy to carry up the Metro escalators (or so I could tell).

Trek 7.3
Price: $480 (Revolution Cycles)
Description: Since Gary Fisher and Trek are owned by the same parent company, these two bikes were pretty similar. Good body position and components, for the money. The Fisher edged this one out because of the tires, I also did prefer the rugged powder black paint on the Fisher over the glossy blue of the Trek.

Marin Lucas Valley
Price: $799 (Big Wheel Bikes)
Description: Nice bike, just too much money. The frame was an aluminum and carbon fiber composite, making it very light, but able to dampen shock. Shifting was smooth and the geometry was great. Shame it wasn't $200 less. But that's the trade-off between money and performance.