Hybrid Bicycles - Upgrade or keep the old comfort bike?

I have been commuting by bike for almost a year in a diamondback wildwood deluxe. I am thinking about upgrading to an insight 1 which is somewhat less comfy but a lot lighter. Do you think it is worth it to upgrade? I ride about 50 to 70 miles a week, in Newyork conditions. (For those who dont live here, that includes rain, snow, light sand, potholes, road salt and extreme temps on both ends of the scale). I got a great deal on the wildwood that I got in January of 2010 for 170 and the insight is available for 280 on nashbar.com

Since I newly did an overhaul upgrade I´m somewhat bias. The question is what you want to achieve? I wanted to benefit from drop bar hand- and overall positions. I do winter commuting and training and needed a no-nonsens and not-so-tender bike that allows me to go into speed. And all things achieved I think! One alternative is always to buy more bikes!

In a nutshell, I want more speed. On the wildwood, I can effortlessly average 12 mph or 14 if I exert myself. I rode a friend's road bike but I didnt like the riding position, which is why I am looking for a lightweight hybrid.

I am not familiar with the bike you are looking at, but a $280 bike may not be much lighter than what you have. You should try and find one locally to see what it feels and rides like before you buy one on-line. I do think a hybrid is a good upgrade from a comfort bike, since that is exactly what I did (Navigator 2.0 to FX 7.5). Actually I have both so I can choose which I prefer to ride.

Good Luck and Enjoy,
P2

specialized sirrus, trek fx, cannondale quick series... check those out. what is your budget?? $280 wont get you much to be honest.

misbah, grab that Diamondback Insight 1 and keep it nice by riding your old bike on bad weather days. Unless you only have room for one bike. Definitely upgrade though in either case! :thumb:


specialized sirrus, trek fx, cannondale quick series... check those out. what is your budget?? $280 wont get you much to be honest.

Are you kidding me? Did you look at the bike?
http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_514526_-1_202003_10000_200281#ReviewHeader

Get that Insight 1 now and use the extra 20% off code to save.

In a nutshell, I want more speed. On the wildwood, I can effortlessly average 12 mph or 14 if I exert myself. I rode a friend's road bike but I didnt like the riding position, which is why I am looking for a lightweight hybrid.

1 Switch your tires to skinnier slicks(no tread pattern), get the narrowest tires that will fit your rims.
Less rolling resistance will make it easier to spin your wheels, save your original tires to use when it starts snowing.

2 Lockout the suspension forks, no compression. Your suspension fork makes the ride smoother, but also saps some
of your energy used to propel the bike forward. No cost.

3 Lockout your suspension seatpost or put it in the hardest setting, see # 2. Or switch to a standard, lighter seatpost.

4 Switch to a standard lighter seat (this bike has a suspension post and springed seat!).

You can do some or all of these changes for less than a $100 and minimal tools and knowhow, you can even do more
changes if you're willing to spend more money and time for labor. Get used parts if possible; Craigslist, Recycle a bicyle
or from the other bike coops, Bike Forums, etc.

I am not familiar with the bike you are looking at, but a $280 bike may not be much lighter than what you have. You should try and find one locally to see what it feels and rides like before you buy one on-line. I do think a hybrid is a good upgrade from a comfort bike, since that is exactly what I did (Navigator 2.0 to FX 7.5). Actually I have both so I can choose which I prefer to ride.

Good Luck and Enjoy,
P2

I tried one out at the local sporting goods store. That store and the LBS both sell the bike for around 400 to 430 dollars with free maintenance. which is pretty close to what a base trek FX would sell for. I am basically trying to save money by buying online because I know how to do my own maintenance. As for the weight issue, the insight is noticeably lighter than the wildwood. One of my questions is that if I keep the front tire pressure low, would it compensate for the harsh ride from the aluminum forks?
As for the old bike I will probably keep that too for now because I love taking it off-road.

You seem to be inclined to keep the old bike, which is good. On paper the Insight looks good, especially for it's price. I would not recommend lowering the front tire pressure too far lest you suffer a pinch flat. Depending on your body weight, however, you may be able to lower it substantially and still remain safe. Check out this little calculator to estimate tire pressures that you need for front and rear: http://www.dorkypantsr.us/bike-tire-pressure-calculator.html. You're right that an aluminum frameset could translate into a rougher ride, but IMO this is something that you could adjust to. You can learn to stand up out of the saddle (even slightly) when going over bumps, and to keep a light grip on the bars with your elbows bent. Another option is to install fatter tires (if they'll fit). That being said I weigh nearly 300 lbs. and I find that my 32mm tires are just fine.

You seem to be inclined to keep the old bike, which is good. On paper the Insight looks good, especially for it's price. I would not recommend lowering the front tire pressure too far lest you suffer a pinch flat. Depending on your body weight, however, you may be able to lower it substantially and still remain safe. Check out this little calculator to estimate tire pressures that you need for front and rear: http://www.dorkypantsr.us/bike-tire-pressure-calculator.html. You're right that an aluminum frameset could translate into a rougher ride, but IMO this is something that you could adjust to. You can learn to stand up out of the saddle (even slightly) when going over bumps, and to keep a light grip on the bars with your elbows bent. Another option is to install fatter tires (if they'll fit). That being said I weigh nearly 300 lbs. and I find that my 32mm tires are just fine.

I dont expect that to be a problem since I only weigh 155 lb. At 5'9", I will probably got the large frame. Thanks for the calculator. The specs seem pretty solid. If anything, I might buy a lighter wheelset down the road since the stock wheels are probably designed for much heavier riders.