# New bike help / K2 Astral Bikes



## rjlnyc (Nov 11, 2008)

Hi all. I have been riding recreationally for about 2 years on a real beater bike. I like riding enough to upgrade to something better. I live in an area which has intense hills and will be using the bike mostly for short rides in heavy traffic and an occasional long ride.

Climbing hills and riding in traffic are the priorities.

I came across ads for a K2 Astral 3.0, and 4.0 at clearance prices. I can't seem to find any reviews or opinions on these bikes. They would be mail-order from Performance for $319 and $429 respectively. (I am handy with bikes, having had to repair the beater a few times, but would likely take the bike to an LBS for fine-tuning.)

Here are the specs on the Astral 3.0: ($319.00)

Headset: 1 1/8” Threadless
Frame: 6061 Aluminum Flat Bar Road w/ Reflex Road Tubing
Handlebar: Aluminum Flat Bar w/ Ergo Aluminum Bar Ends
Fork: Aluminum Unicrown and Chromoly steerer
Stem: Aluminum, Threadless
Grips/Tape: Comfort Design, Dual Density
Saddle: K2 Fitness/Road w/ Reflective rear panels
Tires: Kenda Kwest, 700c x 28
Chain: KMC Z7 w/ Reusable link
Pedals: Resin body w/ Steel cage, Toe Clip ready
Wheelset: Rims: Alex DA-16 Double Wall; Hubs: Alloy w/ QR and rear cassette
Bottom Bracket: Sealed Cartridge
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Alivio
Cassette: Shimano HG, 11/30T, 8-speed
Shifters: Shimano MC40 RapidFire Plus
Front Derailleur: Shimano Nexave T301
Seatpost: Spinner SP-200 Alloy Suspension w/ Micro-Adjust
Crankset: SR Suntour NCX, 48/38/28T w/ Chainguard
Levers: Tektro Alloy w/ Reach Adjust
Brakes: Tektro RX-1 Mini Linear-Pull
Rack Mounts: Yes

And specs for the Astral 4.0: ($429.00)

Headset: 1 1/8” Threadless
Seatpost: 6061-T6 Aluminum, 2D Forged Head w/ Micro-Adjust
Handlebar: Aluminum Flat Bar w/ Ergo Aluminum Bar Ends
Fork: Aluminum Taper-Gauge Bladed Unicrown w/ Chromoly steerer
Stem: Aluminum Threadless
Frame: Butted 7005 Aluminum Flat Bar w/ Reflex Road Tubing
Grips/Tape: Ergonomic Design, Triple Density
Saddle: K2 Fitness Road w/ Gel padding and Reflective rear panels
Tires: Kenda Kwick Roller Sport, 700c x 28
Chain: KMC Z72 w/ Reusable link
Pedals: Resin body w/ Aluminum rear cage and toe
Wheelset: Rims: Alex DA-16 Double Wall; Hubs: Alloy w/ QR and rear cassette
Bottom Bracket: Sealed Cartridge
Shifters: Shimano R-440 RapidFire Plus
Front Derailleur: Shimano R443
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Sora
Cassette: SRAM PG-850, 12/26T, 8-speed
Levers: Tektro Alloy w/ Reach Adjust
Brakes: Tektro RX-1 Mini Linear-Pull
Crankset: TruVativ Isoflow Road 3.0, 52/42/30T
Rack Mounts: Yes

Any opinions, experiences, comments would be greatly appreciated, including other bikes that would be good for these intense hills. Thank you all.


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## bolandjd (Sep 12, 2008)

I don't have any experience with these bikes, but since no one else has chimed in in the past 3 hours, I might as well. I assume that you've already got the fit issues figured out, so ordering on-line won't be a problem there. I don't think you'll find much of anything cheaper. Maybe Bikesdirect.com. But all bikes in this price range are pretty comparible. Of these two bikes, I recommend going with the 3.0 since the gearing is much lower and that'll help you big time on the hills. And I think in this price range, the very slightly better components on the 4.0 aren't going to make any noticable difference in the overall performance of the bike. But lower gears definitely will. The other big factor in hill climbing (strength of the motor, excepting) is weight. In this price range, everything will be relatively heavy compared to more expensive bikes. But you might still want to call Performance and see if they can give you a weight estimate just to ensure the bike is not a _complete_ boat anchor. At least, I think, it ought to be the same weight or lighter than the bike you're riding now, or you should keep saving for something better.


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