yay

yay yay

yay yay yay

I couldn't ask for a better commuter. It is surprisingly lightweight. I can take it up and down stairs with ease. (I've never weighed it but if I had to guess I would guess it to be in the mid 20s range) It is also surprisingly fast, my boyfriend has a fuji newest roadbike and the two bikes are comparable on speed. The ride is nice and pretty smooth (keep in mind there is no suspension). It is a great commuter. I have a planet earth bike rack, and I always overfill it with groceries and books. I used to lug my 20+lb bookbag to and from school (3 mile ride) everyday last year and no damage was done to either the bike nor the bikerack, so I give a thumbs up for that. The gearing is good and its top speed is pretty fast. The tires handle a variety of track without degrading speed, which is good. They are still relatively small so it still has a roady feel and is fast, but their slightly larger diameter and their tread allows this bike to handle comfortably on pavement, trail and grass. (my boyfriends roadbike doesn't handle trail as well, and can't handle grass).

The only cons, and these are more personal cons are: The 24 speed gearing. Personally I would rather lose the gearing since so many gears are likely to need more tune-ups, and this bike is no exception. I usually take my bike in every couple of months (depending on the season) to tune up my gears, as they start to rub on gears I need after a month or so. Also, the flat top handlebars. These are GREAT if you are doing city biking and need to weave around pedestrians etc, or like a slightly upright feel, but I don't. I often feel the positioning is too upright and after long rides (20 miles) my hands get sore. However, bear in mind I use this for training and did a triathlon on this bike. Basically, if you are looking for a commuter, go no further, this bike is everything I could have wanted. If you are looking for a trainer, I would still consider this bike but I would do so with caution, as it is not necessarily designed for that. It can do it, but its more designed to be an awesome commuter in my opinion. If you are looking for a cross-breed of a trainer and commuter, I would say this is a pretty good option. So long as you aren't going over 25-30 miles on it.

I got my DiamondBack Clarity 2 roughly two years ago, and I couldn't ask for a better commuter. It is surprisingly lightweight. I can take it up and down stairs with ease. (I've never weighed it but if I had to guess I would guess it to be in the mid 20s range) It is also surprisingly fast, my boyfriend has a fuji newest roadbike and the two bikes are comparable on speed. The ride is nice and pretty smooth (keep in mind there is no suspension). It is a great commuter. I have a planet earth bike rack, and I always overfill it with groceries and books. I used to lug my 20+lb bookbag to and from school (3 mile ride) everyday last year and no damage was done to either the bike nor the bikerack, so I give a thumbs up for that. The gearing is good and its top speed is pretty fast. The tires handle a variety of track without degrading speed, which is good. They are still relatively small so it still has a roady feel and is fast, but their slightly larger diameter and their tread allows this bike to handle comfortably on pavement, trail and grass. (my boyfriends roadbike doesn't handle trail as well, and can't handle grass).

The only cons, and these are more personal cons are: The 24 speed gearing. Personally I would rather lose the gearing since so many gears are likely to need more tune-ups, and this bike is no exception. I usually take my bike in every couple of months (depending on the season) to tune up my gears, as they start to rub on gears I need after a month or so. Also, the flat top handlebars. These are GREAT if you are doing city biking and need to weave around pedestrians etc, or like a slightly upright feel, but I don't. I often feel the positioning is too upright and after long rides (20 miles) my hands get sore. However, bear in mind I use this for training and did a triathlon on this bike. Basically, if you are looking for a commuter, go no further, this bike is everything I could have wanted. If you are looking for a trainer, I would still consider this bike but I would do so with caution, as it is not necessarily designed for that. It can do it, but its more designed to be an awesome commuter in my opinion. If you are looking for a cross-breed of a trainer and commuter, I would say this is a pretty good option. So long as you aren't going over 25-30 miles on it.