General Cycling Discussion - c'dale adventure 400 vs. trek 7300 vs. sp'zed crossroads deluxe

hello bike forumers. i am a bikeless newbie that's been abusing the crap out of my girlfriend's entry level hybrid that the LBS suggested she get to learn how to ride. anyway, it's time for me to get my own. i'm primarily going to be using it on nyc streets and bridges, and occasionally for longer trips and excursions outside the city.

anyway, i've ruled out getting a real road bike for now for various reasons.

been to a few local bike shops, looking to spend in the 400-700 dollar range, and a few bikes i have seen that could work are

SPECIALIZED CROSSROADS DELUXE ($440)

http://togabikes.com/site/itemdetails.cfm?ID=1029&Catalog=39&sort=Price

Frame A1 Premium aluminum
Fork TCR-D suspension
Headset Specialized
Rear Shock
Rims/Wheels Alex
Hubs Front: aluminum; Rear: Shimano Parallax
Spokes 14g stainless-steel
Tires Nimbus EX w/Armadillo, 700 x 28c
Crankset Specialized Fivearm
Chainwheel 28/38/48
Bottom Bracket TH Sport
Chain Shimano
Front Derailleur Shimano Acera
Rear Derailleur Shimano Deore
Rear Cogs Shimano MegaRange, 8-speed: 11-32
Shifters Shimano Alivio
Handlebars Aluminum, 80-mm rise
Tape/Grips Body Geometry triple-density gel
Stem Adjustable
Brake Levers Shimano Alivio
Brakes Linear-pull
Pedals Platform
Saddle Super Comfort Plush, w/web springs
Seat Post Aluminum suspension
Seat Binder Aluminum quick release
Accessories & Extras
Color(s) Dream Silver/Black
Sizes 13.5-, 16-, 18.5-, 21.5-inch
Weight

CANNONDALE ADVENTURE 400 ($480)
http://togabikes.com/site/itemdetails.cfm?ID=1107&Catalog=39&sort=Price
Frame Adventure aluminum
Fork Manitou Luxe
Headset Steel
Rear Shock
Rims/Wheels Aluminum, double-wall
Hubs Shimano
Spokes DT Champion, stainless-steel
Tires IRC Advantage Pro, 700 x 38c
Crankset Sugino X150
Chainwheel 48/38/28
Bottom Bracket Shimano
Chain Shimano
Front Derailleur Shimano Alivio
Rear Derailleur Shimano Deore
Rear Cogs 8-speed
Shifters SRAM MRX Pro
Handlebars Riser
Tape/Grips
Stem Adjustable-rise
Brake Levers 4-finger comfort w/Kraton inserts
Brakes Expert w/cartridge pads and modulators
Pedals Wellgo aluminum cage
Saddle Selle Royal gel w/springs
Seat Post PM-780 suspension
Seat Binder
Accessories & Extras
Color(s) Conifer Green (gloss), Super Black w/Blue Pearl HyperHighlight
Sizes Small, Medium, Large, X-Large, Jumbo
Weight

TREK 7300 ($500)
Frame: aluminum
Fork: Cozy ST, 1.6"" travel
Component Group: Hybrid Mix
Geometry: 70.5/74.0
Top Tube: 21.6""
Chainstay: 17.5""
BB Shell Width: Unspecified
Seatpost Diameter: Unspecified
Handlebar: steel, rise
Pedals: platform, resin
Saddle: Trek Webspring Comfort
Seatpost: aluminum, suspension
Tires: Bontrager Select
Weight: Unspecified

i'm leaning towards the trek because it's carried at the LBS that is only a few blocks from me.

i'd appreciate any comments. sorry for taking up so much space on the board.

Kindbud, I would go for the cannondale, it's the best component list than the other two.

Welcome to the forums as well.:)

I'd vote for the Cannondale also, for the same reasons.

FWIW

good luck in NYC

Not making fun....

I would buy the cheapest hybrid I could get! Because you are either not going to ride it and have wasted your money, or you are going to ride and will want a road bike about a month after you buy the hybrid.

All roadie have been there and have the hybrid hanging in the garage to prove it.

10ldroadie -

i'm well aware of the arguments/ history of people getting road bikes after their hybrid. ever since my interest in biking was reactivated, i've spent almost as much time on the forums reading posts as i have riding borrowed bikes. and it seems as though lots of people have been down this road before.

however, i will be commuting to work up and down manhattan in new york city. often stop and go traffic where i need to be really mobile and able to look around. also the streets are not all smooth tar, and there are always those cobblestone streets and curbs. i'm well aware that if my interest in biking continues at this accelerated pace that i will want to bike farther and further and a lot more efficiently. i have no problems with getting a road bike in addition to the hybrid i'm looking to get right now. i understand that no bike does it all. and if it ever does get to the point where i find my hybrid totally useless, i'll do the environment a favor and give it to somebody else to get them hooked as well.

to the other responses that suggested the cannondale, are the components that much better to justify buying the bike from the almost local bike shop, as opposed to the trek that is sitting in the bike shop 4 blocks away from me?

thanks for everyone's help. sorry to burden the board with yet another newbie bike buying thread.

Originally posted by kindbud

to the other responses that suggested the cannondale, are the components that much better to justify buying the bike from the almost local bike shop, as opposed to the trek that is sitting in the bike shop 4 blocks away from me?


I don't think so. In this price range, in this category, the bikes are quite equivalent to one another. It's the shop you buy from that's going to make the biggest difference -- and not because it's close to where you live.

How well do they assemble a $500 bike? Is it done by a trainee or an experienced mechanic? Do they tension (with a tensionmeter), stress-relieve, re-true the wheels? Do they disassemble and lube all the metal-to-metal contact points? How many free tune-ups do they offer? How much time do they spend with you on fitting you to the bike? Do they make you feel like a valued customer or like a dweeb because you're buying "just a hybrid?"

Pick the shop first, then pick the bike. My advice might be different in a different product category, but not with $500 hybrids.

RichC

I'd go a contrarian route--look to see which bike company sells a drop-handlebar touring bike at close to that price; Fuji and Raleigh are worth a look. Reason is if you like cycling and develop road bike lust a good tourer is functionally 90% of what many racing bikes are and will be a good dirt road and wet weather alternative if you start riding many fast miles and can't avoid thinking you need a racing bike. An even better route would be to buy a USED road bike from the 1975 to 1990 era; look for one without sewup tires and with the longest wheelbase and most generous tire clearance you can find. Bikes like this can be much more comfortable and versatile and lower maintainance than currently fashionable road machines as well as being in that "too old to be cool and too new to be collectible" range that puts them in a buyer's market pricewise. If I was rich and had a barn I'd own about fifty bikes, so many bargains are out there.

I commute up to 28 miles round trip on both smooth and rough road surfaces. I've used both hybrid and road bikes. In the final analysis, if I could do it all over, I'd buy a touring bike.

A touring bike offers you the ability to add proper fenders, rack and panniers, and clearance for wider tires (up to 32 x 700.) Also, in an urban environment, flat handlebars are not always user-friendly: they have less clearance in a "squeeze" situation.

I'm not arguing with the choice of a hybrid bike at all. I just think that in the end, a touring bike will make you happiest.

Take a lesson from me: spend the extra $200 or so. It's better than spending several times that amount on another new bike, when you decide you really want it, like I did!

Nevertheless, be happy. :)

I didn't say anything because Kindbud seemed so adamant that he didn't want a road bike, but FWIW I totally agree that touring bikes are often the optimal choice for an only bike, particularly one that will be used for commuting.

People scared off by drop handlebars may not realize that there's no reason (aside from inept setup by the bike shop) that these bars can't be set up high, saddle height or even higher, and yield a seating position (with the hands on the tops) nearly as upright as a hybrid. But a touring bike can take you further and faster as your cycling skills and love of the sport grow.

I do my 26-mile RT daily commute on touring bikes, too. For my money, they're the most versatile design there is.

RichC

Yep. Another vote for what Pete Clark said. I don't know if they're available from a dealer nearby, but here're two good examples that can be had for under $1K.
Jamis Nova (http://www.jamisbikes.com/bikes/03_2nova.html)
and
Jamis Aurora (http://www.jamisbikes.com/bikes/03_2aurora.html)

These aren't really tourers, and they aren't fly-weights, but they're lighter than the hybrids you're contemplating. The cantilever brakes leave room for wider tires. The MA3 rims on the Nova will easily carry a pair of 700x35s with nary a problem, even though Mavic won't say so. I'd guess the same is true of the wheels on the Aurora.

I'm not saying "buy these." Just that these are two examples that would make better commuters than the hybrids, be good for recreational use, and even if you do get a bonafide road bike, something like this will work for mixed and light duty trail/fire road excursions.

Happy hunting :thumbup: (and quit worrying about board bandwidth... we don't ;) )!

For your purposes, I'd suggest a used mountain bike with slicks. You can add a rack, bar ends (to vary hand position), a suspension seatpost saddle, etc. to jazz up the ride. Save your money now!

Later you can upgrade to a road bike and then outfit your MTB for trail with some rough knobbies, if you want to ride a little dirt.

Hybrids are a waste of money. They are a "gateway drug" to road bike riding. Been there, done that! Listen to the masses!

Jamis is another good brand for value-for-dollar road bikes; and the Aurora is damn near perfect as far as versatile design. The Performance bike store in my region has been blowing Jamis product out at ridiculously low prices; maybe buy the bike from them and pay a real bike store to correct the assembly.

I've been riding a Specialized Crossroads for several years. On road, off road, trails, 10 mile rides to 100 mile rides. Love the bike. Its all about the rider, you can ride anywhere you want on anything.

Well folks... I have to state that everyone who posted here was dead wrong. Yes dead wrong. To the individual who posted this thread, please DO NOT under any circumstances listen to the advice on this thread. I have been commuting in New York City for six years and have seen dozens of new bicycles stolen from bike racks. Even the best locks by Kryptonite have been broken in a matter of seconds.

The other day, I watched a commuter chain a high level MTB in broad view of thousands who worked on Madison Avenue. At the end of the day as I was leaving the building, every component on the bike was stolen except for the frame and chain. He left that shell of a bike there for several days in disgust.

I can only imagine how long a new touring bike would last on the streets of New York City. They don't name the "New York" Kryptonite lock after our city for nothing. A high end road bike would get hit within 12 hours tops on the street if just for the components. The "cobblestone" section of Manhattan is the downtown area which you should never leave any good bike worth stealing.

First Option. Get yourself a good junk bike. Have it tuned by a bike shop so it's safe to ride but not worth a lot of money. Scratch it up real good and put black tape over the name of the bike or just remove the sticker. DO NOT under any circumstance leave a Cannondale on the streets.

If you cannot bring the bike inside the building, get a junk bike PLEASE!

Second Option. Get yourself a Brompton bicycle. It's a folding bike that you can carry into the office since it folds to nothing. You won't need locks anymore since the bike goes with you everywhere.

Best of luck.

got the trek 7300 hybrid from the local bike shop, the one i can walk to easily. it's the place where i wanted to get the bike, and i suppose at the 500 dollar hybrid range, comparing components isn't a priority. thanks rich c. sometimes when i hit a nice stretch of road i regret not having bought the 7500fx, which is basically a road bike with flat handlebars, but then i do a few blocks up 1st avenue in manhattan and rattle my whole body, thinking a bike with thinner tires would just not make it, for half a mile, and i convince myself again that i got the perfect starter bike.

thanks again to everyone for helping with lots of needed input.

Wait until u can get the sequoia-expert,$999.