Road Cycling - Roadie Or MTB W/slicks for San Francisco

I'm a new rider with a slightly broken bike in need of donation or repair. I'm definitely buying a new bike. That much is decided. I'm new and want to stay between 300 and 400 dollars american. There are no shortage of local bike shops as I live in San Francisco.
The question is should I go with a low end roadie like the Raleigh sport $319.00
Or a Low end MTB with street slicks like the Trek 4500 $379.00

I'm not trying to start a brand war. I'm mostly interested in others experience with using a bike to get to and from work, and for functional use around a very hilly city. The traffic here is a little crazy and there isn't always alot of space between cars so the roadie may make sense. But on the other hand the condition of the roads here is very questionable. Alot of dips and cracks. I know theres no easy answer but I figured I would ask for some others experience and opinion.
No Thread Hijacking....LOL ;)

By the way I'll be using the bike for maybe 5-15 miles a day.
Thanks in advance for reading and especially replying... :D

Even with the cracks in the road, you don't really need suspension unless you're planning on going off-road so in your price range you might be better off with a hybrid. The bike will be a lot lighter than a mtb which helps a lot on the hills, though I've never been brave enough to test that theory in the city, just in Marin. Have you considered looking second hand on Craigslist?

I'll second the hybrid. You will be able to go much faster with the hybrid, and it should hold up to pot holes, hills, and curbs better than a true roadie, though spening $300. I would try to get a little better components than that. Check out the trek 7500FX: Comes with Deore LX (good drivetrain) that should be trouble free for a long time.
http://www.trekbikes.com/bikes/2004/citybike/7500fx.jsp

Or if you are into Raleigh. They have a "cross" bike that would work well:
http://www.raleighusa.com/items.asp?deptid=7&itemid=229&va=0

Try to stay away from suspension bikes unless you plan to go offroad, otherwise you lose a lot(especially climbing) with that front suspension pogoing up and down.

Don't know how long you've lived in The City, but you'll definitely want the hybrid, and a triple if you plan on riding everywhere and are not in really good shape. The divots, ridges and rail lines are going to be demanding of your bike handling and your wheels. Finally, coming into winter, you will likely want a tire with some tread, because whether moisture on the road from intense fog or rain, there's gonna be water on the streets a lot of the time if you're out in morning or evening.

Good luck!
:)

When I was going to UC Davis a few years ago I set aside my road bike and mountain bike and got a hybrid. Adding fenders and a rack made it more user friendly. Today I commute to work on my road bike but I have smooth bike paths on the way to work, unlike SF. You will likely be better off with the hybrid.

Thanks alot for the great experience and advice. I know I'm posting in the road bike forum. I just thought you guys might have some good advice. I do have a hair up my ass to get a road bike. Especially because I just watched Breaking Away again.."Cutters"!!! I looked at the fuji Forza series and they look really cool. straight bars, no suspension,street slicks, and a roadie frame. Hybrid sounds like a good idea.
I'm assuming that hybrid and cross are nearly the same thing? I looked at some comfort bike type hybrids and while they are really practical and seemingly ergonomic the cool factor is way down. The seating position seems to be good for traffic, but the look is just not that cool. I know it's vain but I can't help it. It sounds like you guys are saying that for the conditions I'm living in: City streets with bad pavement/ lots of traffic/ wet conditions/ as well as hills, that suspension is a bad idea and tires should be some kind of slick with a little tread to them. I wish I could afford a cyclocross bike. But that would mean waiting, and I'm very bad at that.
Thanks again :)
Oh and to the question of how long I've lived here: All my life. I just started riding recently though

If the upright hybrid is a little too 'uncool' for you then you might want to look at an urban bike or a flat bar roadie - something like
marin muir woods http://www.marinbikes.com/html/spec_04_muirwoods.html
specialized sirrus http://www.specialized.com/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=9354

If you hunt for 2004 models on sale then these might sneak inside the top-end of your budget.

If the upright hybrid is a little too 'uncool' for you then you might want to look at an urban bike or a flat bar roadie - something like
marin muir woods http://www.marinbikes.com/html/spec_04_muirwoods.html

If you hunt for 2004 models on sale then these might sneak inside the top-end of your budget.

Yup that bike would work well. It comes with Tires: WTB Stickosaurus 26"x 1.5"


Those would work really good on the street.


And the bike definately doesn't look like a "comfort" bike
http://www.marinbikes.com/graphics/v_04_muirwoods.jpg

Advertised Retail:
$420.00*

Another plus is you live not too far from where they are made/assembled.

Though I think I would probably go for the Fairfax instead. It has 700c wheels. It comes with 700x35's, but if you decide you want to ride with the faster group, you could probably go down to 700X28. The bike in the above photo has 26" rims and you would be limited to only MTB type of tires. I think the skinniest that I've seen is 26X1.5"

http://www.marinbikes.com/html/spec_04_fairfax.html

http://www.marinbikes.com/graphics/v_04_fairfax.jpg
Fairfax

Advertised Retail:
$472.00*

My wife has a 2003 Novara Buzz which is a very similar style bike but this years model has dual chain rings and disk brakes and is significantly more expensive so I didn't recommend that.

http://a1072.g.akamai.net/f/1072/2062/1d/gallery.rei.com//big/chips/715869_321.jpg

WHat do you guys think about this one? : http://www.fujibikes.com/road/bike.asp?category_short_name=road&myArray=87,88,89,90,91,92,93,102,94,95,96,103,97,104,106,99,98,100,105,101,107,108,109,112,110,111,1 13,114&myArrayID=27&yr=2004

The Fugi Sagres looks very cool. I don't know about the comps or the rims,(if they're wide enough for traction.
By the way the marin reccomendation looks really nice. Thanks. Are the rims on the marin a roadie/hybrid size that cover alot of ground?

WHat do you guys think about this one? : http://www.fujibikes.com/road/bike.asp?category_short_name=road&myArray=87,88,89,90,91,92,93,102,94,95,96,103,97,104,106,99,98,100,105,101,107,108,109,112,110,111,1 13,114&myArrayID=27&yr=2004

The Fugi Sagres looks very cool. I don't know about the comps or the rims,(if they're wide enough for traction.
By the way the marin reccomendation looks really nice. Thanks. Are the rims on the marin a roadie/hybrid size that cover alot of ground?

What you want in a city/urban tire is one with enough width that will help absorb some of the shock of the road, the beefier the tire the more it can take before it blows or allows the "curb or pothole" to hit your rim. The thing is if you get too wide you lose a lot of energy to friction. So it's a tight balance.

I would say look for something at least 28C (a touring tire) but 30-35C would be better. Most hybrids will be around 35C.

On the Fuji, it comes with 26c tires, and the gearing looks like more what a roadbike would have (which is good if you want to go fast) But if you want an all around bike that you can ride on sidewalks, off curbs, over trolly tracks, and even some well worn trails, a "fatter" tire would be better.

Now that doesn't mean you can't put a thicker tire on that bike. I'm just saying that bike is made for more speed and the others mentioned.

Another option would be a touring bike. They have the larger tires, but usually have the drop bars like a race bike.

http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/05/cusa/model-5TR8.html

WHat do you guys think about this one? : [url] Thanks. Are the rims on the marin a roadie/hybrid size that cover alot of ground?

Oh forgot to answer. Yes the second one I listed has 700X35. That is plenty wide for comfort but won't drag too much like a MTB tire even one with slicks.

Yep, the fuji is another example of that sort of bike. The cheaper Marin uses 26" wheels (standard mountain bike size) whereas the more expensive Marin and the Fuji use 700c wheels (standard road bike size). You'd have to ask a real expert to see if there's any real difference performance characteristics but I presume the increased circumference of the wheels mean that you go further for any given pedal stroke. The width of the tyre is a compromise between comfort and performance. The wider the tyre the more it'll absorb bumps but the increase in rolling resistance (due to heavier tyre and increased contact patch on the road) means you need to do more work for any given speed. A typical mountain bike slick will be 26"x1.5" whereas a typical flat-bar roadie tyre seems to be anywhere between 25mm (about an inch) to 38 mm (about 1.5 inches).
Ideally you want to research a few bikes that you like and then try and find a shop where you can test ride them - buy the one that feels the best that's within your budget.

Great advice everyone. I think I'm going to save my pennies and try to get a Marin Peformance Hybrid. Or maybe a Fuji Hybrid from the Forza series. I heard from someone that the comp quality on the marin hybrids can actually be pretty good all around. Is this true?
For now I'll continue riding my junkie Giant Rincon with questionable gearing and squeaky brakes. It does get me around after all. And it's still pretty fun.
with the new budget range around 600 american sre there any other recomendations for a good city bike with a little zip to it???? ;)

Great advice everyone. I think I'm going to save my pennies and try to get a Marin Peformance Hybrid. Or maybe a Fuji Hybrid from the Forza series. I heard from someone that the comp quality on the marin hybrids can actually be pretty good all around. Is this true?
For now I'll continue riding my junkie Giant Rincon with questionable gearing and squeaky brakes. It does get me around after all. And it's still pretty fun.
with the new budget range around 600 american sre there any other recomendations for a good city bike with a little zip to it???? ;)

NO, NO, NO, forget the hybrid! GET A ROAD bike! just put wider tires on it and it will be fine for the city. My commute is 10 miles each way and I go over street car tracks, road construction, around potholes, up and down curbs (I use curb cuts...I ride on the sidewalk going up a long hill that is well traveled by cars but not by peds) lots of cracks and debris and a roadie works great!

A road bike fast and fun, this guy said he will be riding 5 to 15 miles a day, any road bike is designed to be comfortable for 50 miles! What is wrong with you people, are you roadies or what? Road bikes rule! Trust me on this, you don't want to be riding a comfy hybrid! hybids are low end heavy bikes for granny to ride on the bike path! ...someone had to say it...so get on craigslist and find and nice used road bike! ;)

Uh Oh!! Now I'm confused again. Just kidding. :eek: I have been considering a roadie for a while. I think they're great. I don't have alot of experience on them though. I was thinking that the seating position of the dropped bars might be a little precarious in traffic. But that's just an assumption. It's not based on experience.
My budget is currently expanding as i get more imformation about what will be most efficient and last a while. I like the more performance oriented hybrid city bikes like the urban series of Marin bikes. They don't look like they're made for a Grandma. In fact I don't want a grandma bike at all if you read the inital post in the thread. :D

NO, NO, NO, forget the hybrid! GET A ROAD bike! just put wider tires on it and it will be fine for the city. My commute is 10 miles each way and I go over street car tracks, road construction, around potholes, up and down curbs (I use curb cuts...I ride on the sidewalk going up a long hill that is well traveled by cars but not by peds) lots of cracks and debris and a roadie works great!

A road bike fast and fun, this guy said he will be riding 5 to 15 miles a day, any road bike is designed to be comfortable for 50 miles! What is wrong with you people, are you roadies or what? Road bikes rule! Trust me on this, you don't want to be riding a comfy hybrid! hybids are low end heavy bikes for granny to ride on the bike path! ...someone had to say it...so get on craigslist and find and nice used road bike! ;)Ya' know, I'd generally agree with you, but Scott said he a relatively new roadie and in-traffic-in-TheCity is not the place to test your bike handling skills. Skinny tires present a whole new dimension to avoiding road hazards and learning this in a place like SF could be hazardous to one's health. If you're going to have a chance to practice in similar conditions without the traffic, I suppose I'd give it a go. For instance, I remember a time when riding parallel to a rail line as I was slowing and didn't notice the rail moving closer to my line of travel - when the wheel went into it, I almost stopped dead and fell over. Fortunately I was able to think quickly enough to hop out of it and not eat it. Should I have been more attentive? Duh. But I shudder to think about what might have happened if I had been a less experienced rider....

Does anyone have an opinion on this bike here? It's a roadie with straight bars. Might be fast and good for me to see and steer. Plus it looks hot.. :p http://www.fujibikes.com/road/bike.asp?category_short_name=road&myArray=87,88,89,90,91,92,93,102,94,95,96,103,97,104,106,99,98,100,105,101,107,108,109,112,110,111,1 13,114&myArrayID=27&yr=2004

I'm also considering this Marin urban bike: http://www.marinbikes.com/html/spec_04_muirwoods.html
The one above it Novato also looks nice.
I'm a little confused about wheel diameter and if these bikes have enough diameter for some speed. I'm guessing they're both different diameters.