Fifty Plus (50+) - Which bike?

Just turned 50 and I drive 1.8 miles to work. With the gas prices, I though of just riding to work and get some exercise. Here are some thought for bikes:

Trek--7000,7100,7200----30 miles away Dealer--Syracuse
Giant Cypress DX---------30 miles away Dealer--Syracuse
Fuji Crosstown 3.0 or Absolute.-----2 miles away Dealer

I would appreciate ANY comments on the bikes.

PS---I am 6'1 and 170lbs.

THANKS!!

Stashu

If the nearby dealer is a good one, I would work with them to find the best bike for you in your price range. Good bike shops matter more than which brand of bike. Fuji makes many good bikes. Try everything you can and choose one and ride the wheels off of it.

All of those except for the Fuji Absolute are standard hybrid bikes. The Absolute has a more aggressive, more forward-leaning riding position that is more of a flat-bar road bike. It also lacks a suspension fork, which the others all have. It is lighter and would normally yield a faster ride. It would be more similar to a Trek 7.2 FX than the 7200.

The others are all similar and if all were set up in the same way, the rides would not differ much. The higher price you pay - the better the component parts, as in shifters, brakes, wheels, etc, you get. These are comfortable and very popular bikes that would be good for a short commute. Whether or not they are the best option for you is impossible for any of us to know. There are dozens and dozens of bikes that would work perfectly well for a 2 mile commute.

Have you ridden any of them yet?

Thanks for your replies------I am/was leaning towards the Fuji Crosstown 3.0. My brother just let me borrow a 20 year old Supra bike. I have not ridden a bike in say 30 plus years but it's like I never forgot, it was fun. It was a little scary in the first few minutes though, and I did not like taking my hand off the bars to shift. The Fuji has handlebar shift, I am glad-----

I hope to test ride the Fuji in a few days.

Thanks again

Stashu

PS---I am 6'1 and 170lbs.


Too skinny. Have some pie.

Then, you can gain some weight...lose it by riding your first bike....then buy another bike to celebrate the weight loss.

You have a lot to learn about 50+.

Yes I guess I am just only a few of the lucky ones who is normal in weight. Never been on a diet, no double butt, double chin etc.Too many obese people I feel sorry for----Just kidding of course as I'm sure you are-----:-)

Take care and thanks for the info

Stashu

The Fuji looks like a good bike for the use you are proposing. I would suggest making sure you can get fenders for it and I would get them. You will inevitably end up riding on a wet road and it would be a shame to stripe the back of a nice work shirt with road guk. Lightweight plastic fenders won't change the ride characteristics. I have a Trek Navigator, which is pretty similar. I rode it pretty hard for a couple of years before graduating to a road bike. Rode it to the grocery store today, still a great bike.

If you can find an '06 or '07 Fuji Crosstown 1.0 on sale, then snap it up. Those are very nice hybrids. Deore components, 36 spoke wheels, fenders as standard equipment. My LBS still has some '06's that he sells in the mid-$400's. One of the best deals going on a hybrid. I've ridden them a couple of times and liked them a lot.

When I lived within two miles of work, I commuted on foot. Driving that piddling distance is absolute murder on your car. I concur that it would be ideal to support your local dealership, if they have the right bike at roughly the right price.

Just about read to buy the Fuji Crosstown "local dealer 2 miles away", tonight or tommorrow. One final question , does anybody know of any known problems with the Fuji Crosstown?-----I have read about some bikes, bad pedals "plastic", some have slime in the tires, etc. I just would like to know if there are any known issues with the Fuji Crosstown 3.0 or 2.0, 1.0 "not sure which model yet, I must ride them" that one should know BEFORE buying.

thanks for all your help in helping me select a bike!!

stashu

Pedals on most bikes do not last very long so get ready for "Club Tombay" And as to the slime in the tyres- Some have been lucky with it and some not. Cheaper not to have it as there are better ways of going puncture resistant if you think they are going to be a problem.

Any bike to get you riding will be good- unless anyone can post a bad report- but a couple of extras to get when you buy the bike. Most here will recommend a helmet - me included. But a small puncture kit of Spare tube- Patch kit- tyre levers- Multi tool and a "Wedge" to hang it all from the saddle. AND a pump that works so you can pump the tyre up again.

Good luck on the bike and remember- Butt ache only lasts till the saddle and butt get attuned- Or it will always be there.

Fuji or Trek dollar for dollar quality?

I went to my LBS and rode a Fuji Crosstown 3.0 and 2.0. so far I like the 2.0 for comfort and shifting. I wanted to ride a 1.0 but it was not in stock. I would of bought the 2.0 but it was a color "blue" I did not care for. I am thinking of ordering the 1.0 2008 model for 490.00.
I called another bike shop "Syracuse" just to see if they carry Fuji, they do not have them in stock but can order. They said they sell more of their Trek(s) 7100/7200 series than Fuji. Strange that every dealer has they own thoughts on a best bike. Anyway IF anybody has any comments on a FUJI Crosstown 1.0/2.0 and a TREK 7100/7200 I would appreciate some input. I know you cannot say which is best for me BUT maybe you can answer dollar for dollar which is of a better quality?---Fuji or Trek?

Thanks

I know all of those bikes quite well. When I was shopping for a hybrid I rode all of these (and many more). In the end I narrowed my choice (at that time) down to the Fuji Crosstown 1.0 vs the Trek 7500. The Trek cost about $100 more. I thought dollar for dollar value they were about the same and were the two best I found.

If you can get the '08 Crosstown 1.0 for $490, that's a good price. I like it better than the Trek 7200, the component set is better or equal across the board. Although the '08 Crosstown 1.0 is slightly downgraded from the '06 and '07 - this is true for many bikes as manufacturers struggle to hold prices down vs the declining value.

Thanks for your valuable input.

stashu

Around here, pretty decent hybrids show up on Craigs List all the time. I think these are common bikes for people that are thinking about getting into riding (the upright position looks appealing). Then they end up not using the bikes and sell them.

I picked up a pair of Giant Cypresses at the Salvation Army that looked like they had spent their life hanging in a garage.

If at some point, you start taking longer rides, you would be happier with a traditional road bike. But given what you have described, any style bike: road, hybrid or a mountain bike would work fine. The road bike would normally be lighter weight with narrower/higher pressure tires.

I just went down 6/7 to get a final price for the Cross-town 1.0. I know he quoted me 490.00, BUT he was unsure of the exact price. IF it’s higher than 490.00 I just might hold him to it , his order place was closed on Saturday.. I rode the Cross-town 2.0 as I mentioned in an earlier post, BUT hated the color 2007 blue”. The dealer does not have any 2008 model in stock 2.0 or 1.0. I am going down Monday to order. One final question I hope you do not mind answering.

2008 models—My selections:

Cross-town 2.0 Burgundy colors------$369.00
Cross-town 1.0 Gun Blue-$490.00.

Between the 2 bikes it’s about a $121.00 difference. Is it really worth the extra $$ for the 1.0 model?---Better equipment/shifters?-----I do like the color of the 1.0 better BUT if it's not much of a difference "equipment wise" I might order the 2.0, 2008 burgundy color. I did ride the 2.0 and liked it, so I assume the 1.0 is the same.
Some might say color is a low priority but I use it as a factor in my selections.


Thanks as always for the help!

Stashu

Picking up bike today---6/12. Curious as to what you means as downgraded for 08--Crosstown 1.0?

thanks!!

Stashu

Picking up bike today---6/12. Curious as to what you means as downgraded for 08--Crosstown 1.0?

thanks!!

Stashu

Prices go up year on year for components so rather than raise the price to cater for the increased price of the components- Manufacturers will sometimes cut the quality of the components to stay competitive.

1.8 miles? Not worth gettin' on a bike for!
WALK!

Prices go up year on year for components so rather than raise the price to cater for the increased price of the components- Manufacturers will sometimes cut the quality of the components to stay competitive.

What he said.

Sorry, I missed your post on 6/8 and didn't respond to the differences between the 3.0 vs the 1.0.

The '08 1.0 lost its nice fenders and they downgraded the suspension fork and the cassette from the '07 Crosstown 1.0. Looks like they were trying to stay under $500 and given that the dollar is weaker, they had to cut some corners to do that.

It is still a lot of bike for $490 in 2008. Just not quite as nice as it was in '06 or '07.

As compared to the 1.0, the '08 3.0 has lower grade derailleurs, fork, cassette, chain, and more.

These things won't make a huge difference if you are only going to ride it on 2 mile trips. But if you ever get to riding it more often or for longer differences, they could come into play.

1.8 miles? Not worth gettin' on a bike for!
WALK!
+1

When there is no special reason to get one bike over another I most often opt to support my LBS. The service you can get from a neighborhood shop can be worth the difference in cost.

Thanks for all your comments. I called my LBS and cancelled my order. I told them people on the bike forum said to walk the 1.8 miles. Just kidding-------Can't wait-to ride-----

PS--1.8 miles one way,then home for lunch, back to work, home again, so a total of 8 miles or so-----
thanks.

stan

8 miles a day, 5 days a week, is a healthy amount of riding. I'm sure you will feel much better for it.