I come from the road cycling / MTB side of things but

Posted on: April 22, 2024 at 08:51:42 CT

I've for a while now dreamed of a 'drunk bike' I could just hop on and ride away into the sunset with, ride to the store with, ride to work with etc etc. A very basic utility bike, you know what I mean. So I ended up with two choices, the Kona dew plus and the Trek 7.3 FX. I chose the Trek because
1) it was more readily available
2) I like the geometry more
3) I've had a Dew series bike before and it was noodly as something very noodly so I wanted to try something a bit different
4) Rim brakes on the Trek VS discs on the Kona
Now I'm the first one to point out how much rim brakes suck when compared to hydro discs. The problem with hydro discs however is that they are a bit on the expensive side when comparing to rim brakes. Also, if the rim brakes and pads are good, they aren't that bad in everyday use. I don't want them on my road bike or MTB but on a day to day bike, ehh I don't really care that much. Also it allows for a bit more strength in the rear wheel especially as the frame rear spacing is 135mm.

So what do I like in the bike?
- Well firstly the frame is really, really nice! I was expecting something very different but I received a relatively moderate weight, hydroformed, very comfortable frame with all the necessary eyelets and also internal cable routing. It's also very stable at speed so it's really fun to blast down hills.
- the component set is also pretty nice. It's basic shimano low end which is very functional but not lightweight. In a bike like this, I really only care about the functionality and weight is a secondary consideration. The grips are some sort of ISO speed things pretty much in the Ergon GS-1 style with gel padding. I like this feature since I don't feel comfortable on fully round grips. Shifters are integrated with the brake levers, which is a bit of a bummer but meh.
- Riding position. It's a bit upright so you really feel it in the headwinds, but it's also relaxed which is perfect for drunk riding and other utility riding. I have so much fun when riding around anywhere.
- A kickstand! I haven't had one of these for a long time and I forgot how handy these things are! Not getting one on my sporty bikes however. They aren't meant to be handy. The kickstand wasn't included in the actual bike and was an LBS addon but the frame allows for one so yeah
- Fenders! The feeling of freedom you have when you can just ride anywhere without worrying about tire spray is amazing! I might actually start riding in the rain more with these.
- Heavy wheels. This is going to get even better when I put some marathon plusses on it. Have any of you ever noticed how much stabler a bike becomes with heavy wheels and tires? It kinda corrects itself from a turn and just rides along more straight. I live it in a utility bike
- Rack! I put on the Tubus Cargo rack I had lying around and now I can go shopping with actual panniers! I can finally stop using the car almost completely. The GF is a bit reserved about our bicycle shopping trips but she'll come around.

There's also some bad in it
- I've heard that the wheels are utter compost. This is not surprising since the rear wheel dish is really weird and just way too narrow. Luckily I have an extra set of self built wheels lying around so I think I'll sell this set and transfer the old set onto the bike. I'm a tall heavy dude so I'll need some good wheels on it.
- Brakes. With the original plastic pads I almost cried about how crappy the brakes where. The squeal would have caused permanent hearing damage had I kept it up. Also, the actual V-brake calipers are very low quality with extremely haphazard design and weak / hulk strong springs. It's fun to have a strong spring on one side and a weak one on the other. These will get replaced ASAP with some shimano Vees.
Getting some Kool Stop Dual compounds helped with braking power but it's still not stop on a dime / fly over the handlebar kind of power that I prefer. The caliper arms flex too much to get confident braking.
- Brake Cables. These things are a joke. Seriously, when have you ever had a cable get halfway cut from tightening the cable holding bolt in a brake? Exactly, never! It should not happen! Not with these cables, I'm afraid to adjust the brakes now as the cable starts to look very 'snappy'. I'll have to replace these pretty soon I think
- Brake housings. The smoothness I get from these housings is compareable to dragging a barbed wire through a dense fir forest.
- Internal cable routing. This routing system is going to be an issue. Usually good internal routing systems have these screw on tabs you can open and see inside the frame / pick up the cable with tweezers. Not with this one. There is no removeable tab, just a housing cap sized hole. Even magnets are not going to help here...
- Saddle is ok I guess. I'll probably put a brooks on it at some point.

All in all, I'm very pleased. I might convert it to a drop bar since I'm not that big of a fan of the straight bar but I'll cross that stream when it comes along. For now, I'll only replace the brakes with shimano and the cables/housings with jagwire (full length lubed inner housing baby yeah!) and use it as my general fun / utility rider. Doesn't nearly qualify for long distance yet but that's coming along nicely.