How Did You Choose a Hybrid?
Many of you walked into a bike-shop looking for a new bike, and rolled out on a hybrid. How did you come to choose your bike?
With me - I wanted something that would work well on the paved roads here, which can turn to gravel & dirt very quickly. I didn't want a mountain-bike as they are cumbersome to roll on pavement (at least I think so), and I already had/have a fantastic road-bike. So the hybrids grabbed me. Then the research began...
Armed with a general idea of what I wanted, and a computer, I read every review and spec-sheet I could find. Figured which ones would lend themselves to customizing. And what cost differentials I would encounter. After several days, I decided on a Trek 7.5.
Knowing my propensity to customize any bike that found it's way into my domain, the 7.5 seemed the best candidate. The LBS that had Treks had a few 7.5's on sale as they were last years stock and the new ones were rolling in. They had one left of exactly what I wanted. I placed a down-payment over the phone. And the next day - it was mine.
My regret: I should have gone with the 7.3 as the frame is the same. And that's about all that's left of my former 7.5 - the frame/fork, headset, and the handlebars.
Now to find another frame, used, to build-up to sell with the stock-parts from the 7.5.