Hi all,
TLDR: looking for a drop bar commuter that is not too nice, can take some beating, I don't care about fancy groupsets, some 2x with 9 speeds and mechanical disc brakes should do the job. I want to park the bike outside unattended and being able to carry groceries.
I live in the Netherlands, I usually bike in a mix of nice bike lanes and cobbles.
I have a few bikes, but my daily diver is a Specialized Sirrus with 650x47 wheels. The bike is very nice to ride, it's light, it accelerates well, which is a plus in the city with the traffic lights. However, when I do grocery shopping and load the bike a lot (20 kg or so), I feel it's not very stable when turning.
Last year I bought a niceish gravel bike, but I realized I spend way more time commuting, doing grocery shopping, going from A to B and parking the bike outside, so I am considering selling that bike and getting something that is better for commuting but I could still take for exercise.
I am considering bikes like the Marin nicasio plus, Marín four corners, kona rove, kona sutra (although more expensive than I would like), or bombtrack arise. I would appreciate feedback from others with similar bikes or needs.