Hybrid Bicycles - LBS clueless: cannondale quick or quick cx vs trek fx vs specialized sirrus comp

OK, thanks for your help in advance. I need a hybrid bike. I ride 3-6 miles, fitness and some commuting. I am a very thin and short guy. I am looking at the quick 4, the quick cx2, the trek 7.3 and the specialized sirrus comp.

I guess the first question is, do I need the front suspension (like the cx 2). it adds a few pounds, but the LBS tells me that it is better for potholes, curbs, etc, and the wheels and brakes may make me feel safer.

As far as the other hybrids, the LBS tells me that I should pick a carbon fork. So that rules out the 7.3 and pushes me to a 7.5 or the other cannondale and specialized bikes.

Seems like they want me to pick the cx2, but my riding will be on roads, not off road. They think I am a little wimpy i think, and want to sell me the safer bike???

How bad are the roads in your area, particularly on your commuting route?

If they are really that bad (potholes and cracks everywhere), then a front suspension would indeed come in handy.

Otherwise, a carbon fork would be a good choice, which offers more vibration dampening than alloy forks but won't do much to cushion shocks from potholes or cracks.

Sounds like they want your money.

For street riding, many many people lock out the front suspension after the novelty wears off.

My preference (I am a Mechanical Design Engineer, though I do not design bicycles) is for a Cro-Moly frame and forks; with 2nd choice being low carbon steel. Three of my bikes are Cro-Moly, and one is low carbon steel.

I don't know the terrain where you live. If it is flat, a seven or eight speed (in hub or derailluer, with single chainwheel) will be more than enough. If you have severe grades to go up, the triple chain wheel with seven or eight cogs in the back may be worth it to you.

For street riding, make sure you get street tires, not knobbies. At the low end, Bell brand with Kevlar belts sold at Wal-mart are fine long last tires that are very puncture resistant. At the high end, I like Continental Gatorbacks and Specialized Armadillos. I have had bad experience with Michelin City tires, though thier specifications look great. My commuting bikes (12 miles each way, almost flat) have Slime brand tubes, which offer a little extra protection.

some hills, sounds like i dont need a suspension, but what the heck do i know...
bascially, after reading these forums it seems like the trek FX line is the safe bet for any purpose, but dont know if everyone agrees on that.
Maybe i need a road bike, and they mentioned that i should consider car-"velo". It was a little pricy, but looked great, and they also told me that if i was not going off road, that this was the bike i should get.

Is there another LBS you can turn to? There are some that will try to direct you toward features you might not need so they can move their current stock out the door.

Front suspension is usually not recommended for a street bike. A carbon fork does help with road buzz on an aluminum frame. But even better-steel is amazing for a smoother ride.

If you must deal with this LBS (I personally wouldn't-given what you've told us), ride them all and see if any stand out. I'd listen to the bike before the sales person.

Find a Jamis dealer and try out the Coda Sport. Steel frame, carbon fork, similar components as the Trek 7.3FX and probably faster. Less expensive than the Specialized Sirrus Comp, although I really liked this bike when I rode it (2006).

Another bike looking into is the GT Tachyon 3.0
I ended up going with the Trek 7.3FX, while its not the smoothest riding bike I feel that a lot of people overestimate the harshness of aluminum. I definitely would have regretted getting a suspension fork but then again I have a mountain bike for the rough stuff.

i have my eye on a cannondale quick 2 which has the tiagra package, or a carvelo road bike, just so unsure. Dont have another LBS. It is really tough here, and i feel like i am being taken advantage of, but i have little choice

i have my eye on a cannondale quick 2 which has the tiagra package, or a carvelo road bike, just so unsure. Dont have another LBS. It is really tough here, and i feel like i am being taken advantage of, but i have little choice

@OP: you don't actually say how much experience (of bikes and riding) you have? I'm guessing not too much (if that's wrong, apologies)?

If so, your LBS sounds extremely suspect; I think by 'carvelo' you mean Cervelo?? Cervelos are high-end road racing bicycles; nothing wrong with that, but as a first serious bicycle (even road bicycle) purchase such a recommendation seems very very odd, especially in light of your stated intitial plans for cycling.

The only way you are going to know what kind of bike/which bike will suit you/your intended riding conditions for now (i.e. the next year or so) is to get out and ride 'em! Is your LBS facilitating that? If not, then again ... something is wrong here.

I ride on some roads that look like they are maintained by 6 year olds with Tonka Trucks. Suffice to say, they are far from perfect. I'm riding a Marin Muirwoods 29er which Marin calls an "Urban bicycle." It's more or less a mountain bike with street tires. It can handle pot holes, but it's better to avoid them when possible. It's not the fastest thing out there, but it works pretty well for my commute. The fat 700x42 tires also help to smooth out the ride and can take on some groomed dirt trails. The fork is fully rigid cro-moly also.

The down side to the Marin Muirwoods is that it is slower than some of the performance hybrids such as the Trek 7.3FX or Canondale Quck series bikes due to the big tires and heavier wheels.

Aluminum bike and aluminum alloy fork yields a really rough ride.