Durability? That Redline will last longer than most people’s ability to stick with a frame. I dented and beat the crap out of mine as a race bike/commuter. It never let me down. It’s rolling around NYC now under a friend and still going strong after almost 7 years.
Ride quality? It’s a cross bike. Big ass 32s will make any bike smoove. I have a stiff as shit aluminum cross now and with cross tires its a plush ride.
Price? Same price.
As a complete bike we are talking at least a 10% reduction in weight. You WILL feel that every time you pick it up to shoulder it or carry it up the stairs.
That Pake frame is run-of-the-mill, a little heavy, but is functional for fixed-gear riding. Better than a conversion, good for street-fixed riding. I have a buddy who runs a Crosscheck with rear rack and Ortleib panniers, and he loves it. It’s holding up remarkably well, and he regularly puts 100+ miles on it four or five times a week, generally between 500-600 miles a week, with no issues at all. I cast my vote on the Crosscheck as well, but I think we’ve talked about both of these bikes previously together.
The bars are hideous, but they’re pretty comfy. They also look (slightly) less horrible in real life; I think the angle of the photo brings out more of the gross.
