General Cycling Discussion - Fitness/Hybrid bike in $600 range

Hi,

I am an avid runner but with age have to cut back on running and do more cross training. I am looking at hybrid/fitness bike under $600 that I will use 1-2 times a week for 10-15 mile bike ride. My previous bike was bought X-Mart so this will be my first REAL bike. I live in San Francisco, so we do have some steep hills.

I narrowed down to:

Jamis Coda Sports
Giant FCR3
Specialized Adventuer 400
Trek 7300


So far Giant has the best fit for me and it seems like a grat bike. I got lot of good recommendations for Jamism bit I have not been able to test ride Jamis since my local LBS doens't have it in stock. Trek and Specialzied were OK.

I know Jamis has a steel frame and Giant has Aluminim frame. Any recommendations? Till yesterday i had never heard of Giant.

Subhash

I used to ride a Specialized Sirrus Comp before selling it to get my roadbike. The comp may be out of your price range but I think the base model would be below 600USD. Overall the Sirrus is designed more like a flat-bar roadbike than a real hybrid but unless you're looking to use it on unpathed tracks then it's a great option, I'd even go so far as to say it's the best urban/road hybrid available.

Trek 7.3fx

Giant is the largest bike manufacturer for almost thirty years, noone heard of them untill less than twenty years ago, they hadn't sold bikes here under their own name untill the mid-late '80s. They have and still make bikes for others. I have a Giant Hybrid, steel, I like it. I'm very,very much more of a fan of steel. Jamis is quite a bike. I'd buy one sight -unseen and will in a month or so,to add to all I have. I'm NOT saying you ought to. My LBS that has Jamis, only has the cruisers. I do understand your position and concern. I'll add; Giant has a "tighter fit" than most others,which I don't prefer. Specialized I've tried, the better model is better than your's listed. Flatbars are better on pavement,more like a road than mountain frame. I'm a roadie though so...Again,nothing wrong with aluminum; Giant ,Trek, Specialized and others just don't make steel.

Here is what I test rode:Trek 7.3, Trek 7.5 w/ Disc, Trek 7.6, Giant FCR 2, Giant FCR1, Kona Dew and the Schwinn Super Sport GS. Absolute hands down winner was the Giant FCR1 which I got for $750 at my LBS.

I highly recommend to go with what feels best and so far in your case it is the Giant FCR 3 which is well within your budget as well leaving room for accessories!

San Francisco? Consider your gearing carefully. Some hybrids use more road components and some more MTB components. MTB gearing will make hill climbing more tolerable. As a runner, you're probably in good shape, but cycling works different muscles.

Kona Dew and Dew Deluxe are great bikes for the buck. I rode my Dew Deluxe with front and back panniers around France last year and it performed like a champ. I find the gearing very amenable to climbing. Go test ride one!

I have put over a thousand miles on my FCR3 with out one single issue.

This really is a good bike for under $600.