Help needed : Witch to choose for a new winter commute?

[TIF]

Looking for a new winter commute, and a retro bike is of course my first choose. Even that the bike have to cope with lots of road salt during these winter months.

Have search for a wail and basically drilled down to these two options...

1997 Kona Fire Mountain
1994/5? Marine Nail Trail

And I cant make up my mind for which one to choose. As I and have no more storage room I cant buy them booth...

Any advice is much appreciated ...

Thanks

 

[legrandefromage]

Kona - if its gonna be anything like last winter, the Marin may get bad corrosion from all the salt.

Rigid forks too.

A work colleague watched his Judys all but evaporate during one winters commute

 

[tintin40]

Marin

 

[sam_white]

The Marin looks a nicer bike, so it'd be a shame to grind it down commuting over the winter. All that bad weather does terrible things to a daily rider. I reckon the Kona would handle it better.

 

[RobMac]

I'm a Kona lover but reluctantly I voted Kona :?

.

 

[Anthony]

The Nail Trail looks a bit bigger than the Fire Mountain, maybe size 19 vs 18, but Marins were bigger and longer than Konas anyway. So we have to assume they both fit you?

Aside from fit, I would say the Nail Trail is better for commuting.

It's a higher quality bike - it cost $725 in the US in 1995, whereas the 1998 (not 97) Fire Mountain was $549, even with the extra cost of that Indy S fork (which is crummy).

It's a faster bike for the road - significantly lighter, stiffer frame, better quality (double-butted 7005 frame, butted cromoly fork, better components).

It's less likely to get stolen because it has a higher stealth factor than the Fire Mountain, which looks more attractive.

 

[BerthaPog]

Voted for the Kona, whilst the Marin might be a "better" bike for a lot of reasons, it almost looks too nice to sacrifice to winter commuting. I'd stick rigid forks on the Kona - should be able to find some P2's for not a great deal - as that will reduce it's desirability to the "ne'r do well" world.

I picked up a '95/'96 AA which has been slicked tyred and mudgaurded for duties similar to commuting, only down side is no rear rack mounts. Picture before the mudgaurds went on...

 

[TIF]

Thanks for the advice, but the poll ended 50/50. And since I did decided to buy the bike that won the poll, I am did not get any closer to any decision.

To settled this matter I ran a poll at the office...

The office poll ended with all the guys liked the Kona, but all the girls loved the Marin....

So as a hardcore Konaholic, I ended up with the Marin. As I want to impress the girls, not the guys

The great thing is that the bike looks amazingly. It been used mostly on gravel and asphalt. All the mechanic look like new. The frame looks great, but has lots of scratches on the top tube, as a result of a trip with a plane once.

But for £ 100 its a great deal ... little less as they wanted for the Kona (£ 150)

The Marin dude told me that it is an 17,5”, but it can´t relay be that. Must be a 19”, little big for my taste. But, as it gonna be used on asphalt and snow a 19” gonna be fine.

I´ll post some picture soon...

 

[TIF]

By the way, the AA looks good ...

 

[Pickle]

A little late to the poll, and I was going to say Kona based on the weather possibly killing the Marin's finish.

So.....as you've plumped for the Marin, remember to clean it regularly to get all the salt off.