# Gunnar, worth the money?



## ArcticCat500 (Feb 22, 2012)

Im looking at building a commuter bike, roughly 20 mile round trip, a few gravel roads thrown in but mostly asphalt. I was seriously considering the Salsa Vaya simply because I own their Mariarchi and love it. I've had my eye on one in the shop, and after talking to owner and talking about swapping out parts for upgrades, he suggested a frame up build, and introduced me to the Gunnars. They built my Mariarchi to fit, and its perfect, I have road bike that too was fitted, so I trust my LBS and value his opinion.
I guess what Im looking to know is the Gunnar worth the extra its going to cost me over the Salsa. Plus I do love the fact the Gunnar is American Made.


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## drmayer (Mar 24, 2009)

I own a Gunnar roadie for racing, training, club/group rides. It's a sweet frame/bike. I also own a Surly Cross Check for commuting/gravel trails/casual riding and while i would love to have built that bike with another Gunnar frame, i couldn't justify the cost increase.


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## wooglin (Feb 22, 2002)

Gunnar = Waterford. Definitely worth the money.


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## petraa (Apr 13, 2012)

Lemme see how many Gunnars we have in the house....I have 1, a Gunnar Sport. My bf has 2 Roadies and 2 Rockhounds (one for mtb, one for commuting). These bikes have great rides. The paint jobs don't tend to be so great, they chip and flake. My Sport and one of the Roadies have been powdercoated already.

I see plenty of Gunnars on ebay, they go for a lot less than retail there.

I just got a Vaya Ti too. But it only arrived yesterday so I've only had a 10 minute ride around the block on it yet.


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## acckids (Jan 2, 2003)

Other than being made in America by hard working men/women like you, Gunnars cost more because they use airhardened steel in the headtube, downtube, top tube, seattube, chainstays, and seatstays. No 4130 cromo in it. I have seen Gunnars next to top tier makers at the handbuilt show and I walked away asking why someone would pay extra for the top tier steel frame makers. 

The other thing about Gunnar is that you do get some choices in colors and decal options. 

I have bought/sold Gunnars over the years and have enjoyed everyone except the custom Gunnar my bike fitter screwed up. Gunnar has the Fastlane and Crosshairs HyperX for disc options.

At the front end of the purchase, it is hard to justify the purchase but in the long run I don't think you will 2nd guess yourself.

I like this one and the best thing is that Gunnar got rid of the stupid bike name on the top tube. Never understood why they were so hard headed and took so long to put the model name on the seattube.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

Yes, I believe Gunnars are worth the extra money. Gunnars are essentially TIG-welded versions of Waterfords with standard (non-custom) geometry. I own a Gunnar Sport and Waterford RST-22, both of which I bought used. They are about the same size and similar geometry, but the Waterford has lugs.

Some of the advantages you get with a Gunnar compared to lower-cost alternatives (eg, Soma, Salsa and Surley) are:
-- You can get a Gunnar painted in a wide range of colors, and pay extra for an even wider range.
-- Welds are incredibly clean on Gunnars, some of the nicest I have ever seen.
-- The geometry allows for a more upright position, if you prefer that (taller headtubes).
-- High quality steel tubing used throughout the frame and fork.
-- Stainless steel Waterford dropouts.
-- Custom geometry is available for an extra fee.

My only complaint about Gunnar is that their decals are overly bold and garish for my tastes. They do offer different decal choices but most are not very subtle. My Sport is black with black decals outlined in silver, and that is the most subtle choice they offer.


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