General Cycling Discussion - What type of hybrid to buy???

I need some advise. I have been riding off and on for the past 2 years but more regularly of late. I don't go very fast or very far but sure do enjoy the ride. I now ride 15 miles a day, 5 days a week. My route has mild hills. It takes me 1hr. I want to do more (25-50) who knows maybe more. I want to be realistic. I've been riding a clunky cruising bike (I bought it in 89). I was talked into a trek 7200 hybrid (even though I told the sales gent my speed racer fantasies!). Rode it a few times and it is a nice smooth ride, it feels too tame. I'm now looking at the trek 7200FX and the trek 7500FX. Any recommendations for a rider like me????

I still own my old trek 750, which is the old generation of the hybred you're looking at, and I still love it. I use it to commute with. Fantastic. I vote for the 7500.

Jamis Coda.

http://www.jamisbikes.com/bikes/05_codasport.html

I need some advise. I have been riding off and on for the past 2 years but more regularly of late. I don't go very fast or very far but sure do enjoy the ride. I now ride 15 miles a day, 5 days a week. My route has mild hills. It takes me 1hr. I want to do more (25-50) who knows maybe more. I want to be realistic. I've been riding a clunky cruising bike (I bought it in 89). I was talked into a trek 7200 hybrid (even though I told the sales gent my speed racer fantasies!). Rode it a few times and it is a nice smooth ride, it feels too tame. I'm now looking at the trek 7200FX and the trek 7500FX. Any recommendations for a rider like me????The FX series has a little more muscle so it shouldn't be too difficult to start racking up the miles on either of those bikes. Although the 7500FX is more expensive, it also has a better component group on it. Well worth the extra long green! At $660 MSRP that looks like a very nice bike. You'd probably have to spend quite a bit more to get a nicer bike than that for your purposes.

If going for the long distances is what your striving for you may want to ask the LBS what the narrowest tire is that you can put on the bike you buy. Although a 700x32 will offer you a plush ride, if your wanting to bring up that average speed and log the miles something like a 700x25 will make that easier as it will have less rolling resistance and less rotational weight. You may at some point consider a second wheelset so you can have one for training and one for special events, such as doing a century.

Jamis Coda.

http://www.jamisbikes.com/bikes/05_codasport.html

I go for the Coda.

That Reynolds 520 frame is so smoooth.

I want to do more (25-50) who knows maybe more.

I was in a similar situation. I started off with a comfort bike, then wanted to do more and bought a hybrid. After a few months I felt the need for speed and I started trying to make my hybrid more roadbike like. I raised the saddle, lowered the handlebars, put on narrower tires, and added bar ends. But, after a few months it wasn't enough. So, I tested a few roadbikes and immediately knew that was the ticket! If you think you're going to do 25-50 miles or more, I'd seriously consider skipping the hybrid and going for a roadbike. At least test out some roadbikes to see what you think. Some are more comfort oriented so you might want to start off looking at those. Roadbikes can take some time to get used to but once you do, you'll never to back to a hybrid!

If you have no particular need for a hybrid's ability to do pretty well on light off-road situations, I would also suggest you look at a road bike. I started out with a Bianchi Boardwalk (hybrid) and quickly moved to a comfortable, high performance road bike (Trek Pilot 5.2). I am also riding a couple of other, more typical road bikes now (Specialized Allez Comp Cro-Moly and Airborne Thunderbolt). The change from hybrid to road was amazing: less effort, more fun, more scenery!

If you have no particular need for a hybrid's ability to do pretty well on light off-road situations, I would also suggest you look at a road bike. I started out with a Bianchi Boardwalk (hybrid) and quickly moved to a comfortable, high performance road bike (Trek Pilot 5.2). I am also riding a couple of other, more typical road bikes now (Specialized Allez Comp Cro-Moly and Airborne Thunderbolt). The change from hybrid to road was amazing: less effort, more fun, more scenery!

I'm wanting to go from a comfort to either a hybrid or road bike, so this thread was of interest. I looked at the Trek 7500FX and the 1000C. I'm leaning toward the hybrid (7500FX) because it has a wider gear range to match what I'm used to in my current bike for hill climbing (I live among hills). My riding is confined to paved surfaces.

my comfort bike: 42/34/24_11-34
7500FX: 48/36/26_11-34
1000C: 52/42/30_12-26

advice?

I think you're talking me into a road bike. Part of my dilemma is that I'm cheap. I don't WANT to buy a hybrid this year and a road bike next year, even if that seems to be the conventional wisdom.

Kona Dew series. Excellent hybrids with good modification potential if you want to go either "more dirt" or "more road."

If your fantasy is speed racer, and you have hills try a road bike. You can have it set up like a hybrid and just adjust your riding style to road when you're ready for it.

For a real joy, while you're shopping, go take a litespeed for a 10 minute joy ride. Then compare that to the ride of a hybrid. You'll never go hybrid, but you might go touring if you start really enjoying biking. You don't have to buy the litespeed, just ride it to know what a good bike can feel like. Even if you would buy a litespeed, it would be like buying both a good hybrid and a good road bike.

my comfort bike: 42/34/24_11-34
7500FX: 48/36/26_11-34
1000C: 52/42/30_12-26

advice?

whatever bike: 52/42/26_12-27 or 52/42/26_12-26. My current is now 54/42/28_12-27 and it is so much more ridable than the 52/42/30_12-23. Since you have a comfort bike with low gearing, find out what the highest combination of gears you can use to deal with your hills. Then use that set your lowest gear. Use either the 34 or the 24 and see how many rings higher you can go. If you say Middle front chainring and read cassette cog 2nd biggest, or 3rd or whatever. I can give you better recommendations.

I was also looking at the 7500FX

Truthfully, I'm used to a road bike. As I get older though, I'm a lot more wary of falling. Also, I ride the road bike on the top bar; so the bar on the 7500fx fits well.

So what I did was ride an old beat up 10 speed on the roads where I'd be riding the new bike - some bike path, some urban streets, some country roads. The country roads have no paved shoulders, and some things never change. Just as when I was a kid, I had to constantly hit the loose stones to get out of the way of cars that didn't yield.

So I'm thinking that the wider tires on the 7500fx might give me more stability. Of course, slowing down will give me more stability if I have to hit the shoulder, but unfortunately, you can't ever predict when a car will come too close.

Does this make sense?

I'm also looking at a 7700fx - no carbon fork for $900. I'm not sure it's worth the extra $300 over the 7500fx.

Finally, since I'm used to a road bike, and since I can't really ride the fx bikes for hours as I'm testing them, I can't really tell what size I need. They all feel good on short rides (I ride about 15 miles a day) I'm 5'11" 33" inseam. I';ve tried a 17.5 and the larger size. I'm thinking of going for the larger size.

Any advice on all of this?

Thanks

I currently ride a 7200fx.
Its great...but...its comfort level for me is about the 90 min mark.

After that ive been sitting upright too long (too much weight on butt and not enough on shoulders) and the lack of hand positions really gets me after 90-120 min. I have bar ends, but they dont quit do it.

My bike is only 3 months old and i'm already ordering a steel sport touring bike. Goes faster, more hand positions, takes a fender and rear rack. I also considered a cyclocross bike but decided if i really really needed to do trails occasionaly, i could pick up a cheap used mtn bike for that.

The hybrid i bought was the least expensive, it served its purpose and got me hooked. Now that im going full road bike, i glad i didnt spend the extra for an expensive hybrid.

Id really suggest analyzing what you like, what you want to do, and how long of rides you plan on doing. If you plan on 2 hours or so a day, id suggest road over hybrid.

I go for the Coda.

That Reynolds 520 frame is so smoooth.

yep.

hearty greetings everyone,
umm....im new here and im glad i found this website in hopes that i can finally get the advice that ive been craving for and been futile in receiving thus far. i am in the process of buying a bike and am consent in finalizing my purchase for a marin muirwoods ($400). i chose this bike because i want it for road riding;and chose not a "road bike" because its just that the roads here in houston are terrible i tells ya-terrible-and not only that but i must be able to suddenly change my avenue of direction when hauling ass down the road seeing that people here would not stop for me and in turn i dont wanna be stopping for them, so. this might require me to very often go over curves, cracked sidewalks, unfinished pavement, dirt roads with rocks, etc...oh, yeah and sometimes i wanna be caught in the rain......ok, even though this is partly true its really an excuse. i just wanna have the adventure and do such things sometimes! i dont want my bike to have such limitations as i belive the road bikes to have with such skinny tires. i've never road one but according to my rough riding habits i dont think such a bike is ideal for me. unless the marin fairfax alps/road ($640)-www.marinbikes.com-fits such description? does any one think so or know? see according to yas comments i have read relating to this hybrid vs. road my mind is kinda wanting a road bike now simply because i do wanna tour and haul ass in it all over houston even though is congested. but then again like i said it must be tough so i need a medium. does this fairfax fit this medium, anyone? or is there any other bikes out there that might fit this my specific needs with the max price of $700 (but i prefer $400 or so). i would liken all comments from everyone if possible? i would greatly appreciate it and be excited to get any feedback, thanks.

I need some advise. I have been riding off and on for the past 2 years but more regularly of late. I don't go very fast or very far but sure do enjoy the ride. I now ride 15 miles a day, 5 days a week. My route has mild hills. It takes me 1hr. I want to do more (25-50) who knows maybe more. I want to be realistic. I've been riding a clunky cruising bike (I bought it in 89). I was talked into a trek 7200 hybrid (even though I told the sales gent my speed racer fantasies!). Rode it a few times and it is a nice smooth ride, it feels too tame. I'm now looking at the trek 7200FX and the trek 7500FX. Any recommendations for a rider like me????

how rough are your roads? how much stuff do you want to carry? are you a heavy person?