Road Cycling - just bought a new bike... Specialized Sirrus

i have a specialized rockhopper, but an older model that i use for commute. well, at first i thought about getting a new mtb and a lighter model. then, the night before as i was looking at the specialized site to compare between the hardrock vs. rockhopper, i found sirrus... the road bike with a mtb handle bar.

well, i test rode all three of them... and it must've been fate, because both rockhopper and hardrock didn't have my size (which was 17"). someone at my lbs suggested Giant Ridcon, but something happened. i was testing the brakes on the bike... and then i fliped because the front fork was too soft. i landed on the floor, the bike fell, i hurt my palm, scratched my knee. therefore it must've been fate because the sirrus was there on the rack, untouched... then i took it for a test ride... OH MY GOD! that is sooo sweet! so i bought it.. :D i am loving it!!! can't wait to ride to work!! i am sooo stoked!

just wanna share my joy.

rui

Looks like a SWEET ride to me.! :D

i used to ride mt. bikes as well. don't think i can go back though, i just love how much faster and lighter a road bike is. congratulations on your "find"!

Looks like a SWEET ride to me.! :D
Thanks hillyman, it is really sweet. i know it's probably far in comparison to the traditional roadbikes but i like this one cuz the seat (specialized milano) with the seatpost suspension is very comfy! if you get a chance you should try it... because it's really nice. or a while i was thinking my hybrid wasn't welcome here... 50+ views and no reply till now. ;)



i used to ride mt. bikes as well. don't think i can go back though, i just love how much faster and lighter a road bike is. congratulations on your "find"!
Thanks timmhaan, yeah i totally agree. this bike was sooo much faster! plus since it's a hybrid... it gives you the MTB handle while giving you the agility and handling of a road bike. :drool:

now the only thing that holds me back from riding fast is the thought that those skinny tires might pop. :eek: i heard that you can make the inner lining thicker so it won't be punchured easily. how is that done? also, what kinda tires would you recommend? the stock ones now are nice... but i have a feeling it won't last too long cuz it looks very thin. so if were to upgrade.. what kind of tires are available?

Nice bike! One of my riding buddies has a 2 year old Specialized Sirrus. It's a great bike and he loves it. Don't worry about the thin tires, they'll be just fine. You'll get used to them and they make you go faster! One word of warning: get a rear fender if you're going to ride in the rain. Those slicks don't channel any water away, they just grab it and release it at the top of the wheel. On our last ride of last year, we rode 35 miles in the rain - my buddy had his own personal biddet. Funny, but his backside was totally soaked by the time we finished. We still laugh about it.

now the only thing that holds me back from riding fast is the thought that those skinny tires might pop. :eek: i heard that you can make the inner lining thicker so it won't be punchured easily. how is that done? also, what kinda tires would you recommend? the stock ones now are nice... but i have a feeling it won't last too long cuz it looks very thin. so if were to upgrade.. what kind of tires are available?

According to the specialized website, the sirrus has the "all condition" tires in 700x28 size. The tire has "Flak Jacket" which, according to specialized:

"Exclusive Flak Jacket aramid/elastomer subtread extrusion reduces flats by 60% with less than 1gm weight penalty"

So maybe you should try these tires and see how they hold up. 700x28 is a decent size for road riding, and I think they only weighed 320 grams. For better protection you could try Specialized's Armadillo tires, or the Continental Top Touring tires. The Top Touring tires are pretty heavy, though.

Nice bike! One of my riding buddies has a 2 year old Specialized Sirrus. It's a great bike and he loves it. Don't worry about the thin tires, they'll be just fine. You'll get used to them and they make you go faster! One word of warning: get a rear fender if you're going to ride in the rain. Those slicks don't channel any water away, they just grab it and release it at the top of the wheel. On our last ride of last year, we rode 35 miles in the rain - my buddy had his own personal biddet. Funny, but his backside was totally soaked by the time we finished. We still laugh about it.
right now, i try not to ride in the rain.. i love my baby sirrus too much to get water on it. as for the rear fenders, i have a rear rack mount on there so my bag will be able to block all that stuff being grabbed by the tires. yeah i noticed that these tires doesn't have any water channels, i rode it 3 miles yesterday and already a there were a lot of sand and little pebbles on my bike. gotta clean that off today.

yeah i think i should be able to get use to it. mtb tires were so wide, i didn't care what i was ridding over but on these... i brake whenever i see rocks, glass or what not. do you guys bring like a pump and spare tires with you? i think that's those are the two things i don't have right now.. and i would hate to roll my bike back home from a 5 mile commute.



According to the specialized website, the sirrus has the "all condition" tires in 700x28 size. The tire has "Flak Jacket" which, according to specialized:

"Exclusive Flak Jacket aramid/elastomer subtread extrusion reduces flats by 60% with less than 1gm weight penalty"

So maybe you should try these tires and see how they hold up. 700x28 is a decent size for road riding, and I think they only weighed 320 grams. For better protection you could try Specialized's Armadillo tires, or the Continental Top Touring tires. The Top Touring tires are pretty heavy, though.

yeah that's what the owner at my lbs said. so we'll see how well it holds up. but i will keep those other brand of tires in mind. besides, i'm only 150lbs right now, and so far it seems to be fine. now i just need to double check what's the exact psi i should pump it to.

if I recall correctly, there are a few threads floating around about what folks bring on rides if you're wondering. (do a search)
No matter how far I'm going, there's always a spare tube in my seat pouch with tools and I currently have a pump on my frame. It's nice insurance no matter how close or far from home that inevitable flat happens.

i was testing the brakes on the bike... and then i fliped because the front fork was too soft. i landed on the floor, the bike fell, i hurt my palm, scratched my knee.

man, you must've really felt like a dumbass. hehe :D the salesman was probably like, "OMG FREAK OUT MODE! HE'S GONNA SUE US!" hehe. at my work, it seems like liability is the ONLY THING we care about, customer service be darned...

Nice ride! Should be great for commuting, especially with a rear rack. The tires will be fine at speed. If you have any problems with punctures on the commute, the Specialized Armadillo tire is a good suggestion.

Make sure you do grab some emergency spare parts, though. A pump and a couple of spare tubes (I always carry at least one tube on a commute), and an adhesive patch kit will make sure you can always get to work or, more importantly, home ;).

Do you own a good floor pump with a pressure gauge? Something like this... (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.cfm?SKU=14972) The skinnier tires are more sensitive to pressure - they require a high pressure, and you risk pinch flats (tube getting pinched between the rim and the tire casing when you hit big bumps/holes) if they're not inflated high enough.

man, you must've really felt like a dumbass. hehe :D the salesman was probably like, "OMG FREAK OUT MODE! HE'S GONNA SUE US!" hehe. at my work, it seems like liability is the ONLY THING we care about, customer service be darned...

yup... i felt like a dumbass indeed. but the thing was, it was out in the parking lot, no one was there, not even the sales guy. however, there were people driving by that were laughing. so after that, i realized one thing.. mtb was not meant to be the choice that day for me to buy. so, now i got the sirrus, i don't have to worry about flipping over.. i hope... :p



Nice ride! Should be great for commuting, especially with a rear rack. The tires will be fine at speed. If you have any problems with punctures on the commute, the Specialized Armadillo tire is a good suggestion.

Make sure you do grab some emergency spare parts, though. A pump and a couple of spare tubes (I always carry at least one tube on a commute), and an adhesive patch kit will make sure you can always get to work or, more importantly, home ;).

Do you own a good floor pump with a pressure gauge? Something like this... (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.cfm?SKU=14972) The skinnier tires are more sensitive to pressure - they require a high pressure, and you risk pinch flats (tube getting pinched between the rim and the tire casing when you hit big bumps/holes) if they're not inflated high enough.

ic... for sure i should get me a mini pump to bring along for the ride and then get some spare tires with some patch kit. now i've tried the mini pump before but it doesn't seem to pump very well. is there a particular one you guys recommend? what i've noticed was the difference in the connector part to the valve stem. some of them seems to fit very well whereas others are weak. as for the floor pump, i don't have a floor pump, but i have a automatic pump that i use for my car and a valve gauge for my car as well. i normally just use that one cuz the gauge is fairly accurate.

but a mini pump... humm that a good idea... ;) pretty soon my sirrus will be fully loaded with all these accessories.. hehe :p