The Co-op Cycles ADV 3.1

I took a trip to Bozeman yesterday with the intention of climbing at Spire Climbing Center.  First, however, I decided that I would find this mysterious “REI” store that my outdoor friends keep talking about.  I’m familiar with http://www.rei.com, but there’s an actual store in Bozeman and I wanted to explore it thoroughly.  My main reason for seeking out REI was to get more information on the bike of my dreams – or the bike I thought was the one I dreamt of.  It turns out that it was a different frame, but in the same series and the same brand as I had been researching.  It turned out being a different size than the chart suggested as well, having some different features, and all pleasant surprises in terms of price and function.  I met Steve, and he asked what I was looking for in terms of a bike.  I told him I was looking at the Co-op ADV series of bikes.  Steve helped me through the process of finding out what I needed in terms of the bike of my dreams and what would be best to suit those needs, as well as finding my measurements for a bike that would fit me just right.  He was extremely knowledgeable about the bikes we were looking at and how to find the right size for me, as well as what kind of bike would best suit what type of activities (ie. what I’m going to use it for).  I learned a lot from Steve, and I wish someone had told me years ago about all of these things because I’ve wasted a lot of time, effort, and money on bikes that just weren’t the right one for me for one reason or another, mostly based on the fit and style of bikes that I’ve been accustomed to purchasing.  With the right bike comes a price, and Steve discussed the options that would work best for me, which all ended up being the cheaper option, thank goodness, like mechanical disc brakes instead of hydraulic disc brakes so that a spare cable can be rigged instead of being stuck and unable to bleed and replace a broken brake oil hose while on an adventure, a steel frame that can be welded in the third-world countries where aluminum can’t be, tires and hardware that can handle the scenic route, a pothole or two, and lots of miles…things like that.  The biggest thing was the size of the frame, though.  The chart suggested an extra small frame for my height.  Steve got a small-framed bike out (the next size up) and got me on it with the seat in the lowest position, showing me how to properly assess the height through full extension, but not hyperextension, of my legs with my heels on the pedals.  The small frame was not too big for me.  The extra small frame definitely would’ve been too small.  The reach on the small frame was good, too.  I’m so glad Steve was the person helping me choose my bike!  He was very patient and explained the science and the logic behind all of the components that we discussed as he asked questions to find out more about how to find the right bike for me.  We discussed pedals, commuting, adventuring, accessory bags, fenders, racks, you name it!  He even told me what the numbers meant when we were talking about frames!  After all of that, Steve said, “Well, you’re on the right track with the ADV.”  The ADV has a little longer frame because it’s a touring bike and it’s engineered for a lot of miles, as evident by the width of the frame between the bushings of the pedal levers.  We decided on the Co-op ADV 3.1 Adventure Touring Bike, which comes in chocolate plum – a very rich, earthy color of brown.  These bikes are unisex, thank God, so there’s none of that silliness to worry about!  Taking that factor out of the equation makes things a whole lot simpler, and I was relieved when Steve said that the Co-op ADV bikes were unisex!!!  I had already made up my mind, but that really was a relief because I hadn’t even thought about it when we were looking at them.  Below is the information from the website:

The nitty gritty