Hi. I live in Chennai, India. We are just now seeing bikes from brand names such as Schwinn, Trek, Canondale, Bianchi, etc being sold locally here in the country. So, this is a new market for such bikes.
I would like to get a bike to satisfy these needs: I intend to ride mostly in the city, and about 2 hr rides on the road every weekend to start with. I am pretty sure I will do the long rides; I am not so sure if commuting to work will be practical. Anyways, I need some advise on which bike to buy.
I have narrowed down to Schwinn Sporterra (Rs. 12750 or US $ 260) and Schwinn Sporterra Comp (Rs. 21250 or US $ 433). The big differences as far as I can judge (I am fairly inexperienced in the world of bicycling and bicycle comparisons) are that the Comp has aluminum forks, different handle bar, "Shadow LX Dereilleurs", "rapidfire shifters" and disc brakes.
For the kind of riding I intend to make, which one should I get? Since this is a new market, spares and other parts if I want to upgrade may not be readily available. If you suggest other bikes, I will consider that too. The site Track & Trail lists all the bikes sold in the country.
Thanks!