Hybrid Bicycles - Trek Wingra vs Specialized Sirrus

Hello,

I visited a local bike shop this afternoon and after telling the staff what I wanted. They brought out a specialized Sirrus fpr $420 and Trek Wingra for $489. I really wanted a specialized bike after riding both the sirrus and wingra, I liked the Wingra alot more.

I want a bike for everyday fitness and commuting to work about 10 miles each way.

Can I have the communities opinion on the on these bikes and any other suggestions?

I am trying to stay under $500.

Nicer components in general on the Wingra. I'd especially like the shifters on the Wingra over the Sirrus.

Can you look at and ride a Jamis Coda? Very nice.

You've answered your own question. If you like the Wingra more than the Sirrus (and I'm a Sirrus owner/rider), than that's that!

No one on here can tell what you (or 'what to') prefer; bicycles at similar price points from any of the major manufacturers are going to be more or less comparable in all respects. There will be minor differences in components, wheels, etc. but none of that matters (or should matter).

If you distinctly like the 'feel' (or look, or fit, etc.) of one over the other, then ... go with that.

I wouldn't mind either of 'em. One advantage that the GF has is those "flip-flop dropouts". Though it comes as a geared bike, you could switch to SS easily. You might even be able to run IGH, but not positive on that. That being said, go with the one that put the biggest grin on your face.

Thanks everyone!

I have not tried the Coda yet, I would like to.

How does the Coda compare to Wingra?

Also I found a listing on CL for the Coda 21" @ $500. I am 5'9 would this be a good fit?

The Coda is a flat bar road bike made from steel. The Wingra is not- but it ain't a bad choice.

If you are unsure if a 21" framed bike on CL will fit, then you really should stick to shopping at the LBS. You will get assistance in properly fitting you to the bike, plus if there any glaring defects the LBS should take of them.

Edit: Then again, you could arrange for a test ride of that Coda and see how it feels. Looking at the specs for the Coda (http://jamisbikes.com/usa/thebikes/street/coda/11_coda_geo.html), the standover height is 32.16". What's your inseam? Then again, the info is for the current Coda and may not match the one you're looking at...

The Wingra will serve you very well, and it's the one you like best. Go with the Wingra or you will wish you had.

I just ordered this bike

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/motobecane_record_x.htm

I just ordered this bike

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/motobecane_record_x.htm


This bike you ordered is not the same style of bike the OP is looking at. I would also say to buy from a LBS and stay away from BD and others like them.

yup, I am leaning towards the Wingra.

I also have the opportunity to get a trek FX 7.2 for $100, it has flat tires and a rusted chain ( seller left it locked up outside in the rain and snow for two years cause he could not find the key to his lock ).

Debating on what to do now.

I'd pass on the FX. There may be other hidden issues after sitting out in the elements that long...

And seriously, the owner/seller was more concerned about not breaking the lock than leaving the bike out like that?

Yeah, he said he didn't have the tools to do it and just forgot about it.

would taking it to a bike shop to get it tuned up if it has hidden issues be more expensive then just getting a Wingra?

Or do you have any suggestion on what to look for if I go take a look at the FX?

This bike you ordered is not the same style of bike the OP is looking at. I would also say to buy from a LBS and stay away from BD and others like them.


You do realize that some areas are devoid of a decent LBS don't you? I have walked out of bad LBSs and bought online and ended up very happy with my decision. I have bought from good LBS's and been very happy with my decision. Blanket, unqualified support of the LBS is the best way I know of to get them to take you for granted.

Yeah, he said he didn't have the tools to do it and just forgot about it.

would taking it to a bike shop to get it tuned up if it has hidden issues be more expensive then just getting a Wingra?

Or do you have any suggestion on what to look for if I go take a look at the FX?


You can count on cables needing replacing. I can't imagine them not suffering from sitting outside unused for so long. Bearings may have rusted too. There could be a lot of hidden corrosion that you can't see without dismantling the bike. If you are good at wrenching, it may be a good deal. Tires, tubes, chains and cables are cheap. Greasing the hubs and servicing the bottom bracket may be all it needs. Too hard to say without laying eyes on it.

You can count on cables needing replacing. I can't imagine them not suffering from sitting outside unused for so long. Bearings may have rusted too. There could be a lot of hidden corrosion that you can't see without dismantling the bike. If you are good at wrenching, it may be a good deal. Tires, tubes, chains and cables are cheap. Greasing the hubs and servicing the bottom bracket may be all it needs. Too hard to say without laying eyes on it.


Thanks! I will see if I can take some detailed pictures of it later today and post it up so see what you think.

1. The BD is not the same type of bike that the OP has expressed interest in.
2. BD should be the last resort for complete noobs. Once someone attains a basic knowledge of their own personal geometry needs and basic wrenching skills, then BD may be a good choice.

@OP- I tried in vain to find the Service menu from the local Trek shop near me. But to answer your question- it could get pricey in a hurry in a worst case scenario. You might see if you can arrange to either meet the seller at an LBS or take it to an LBS for a quick once over. Most shops worth their salt will do a quick visual inspection and provide an estimate for repairs for free.

Forget the battered FX and stick with the bike you know you like the (Wingra). In the long run it will be money well spent.

my girl firend wants a kaitai but the LBS that sells treks says they don't have any and can't get anymore.

So I went to see the fx 7.1 and the tires are flat and chain all rusted. When I said I didn't want it he gave it to me for free.

I brought it to a bike shop, its called ace wheelworks in somerville ma if anyone around the area.

They said its in pretty good shape and that it would cost 130 for a tune up and repairs. Tune up is 70 bucks by itself.

I said id get back to them on it and I wanted to come here first to find out everyones opinion.

Sounds perfect, a free bike that costs $130 to be roadworthy. Consider it your lucky day!

If it's a proper fit, spring for the repairs and ride it into the ground. There's a couple of sayings that float around here- n+1 and "the first bike is almost always the wrong bike". Let the Trek help you discover what type of riding you like or don't like.

If it can be brought into good condition and all it cost you was $130 that seems like a good deal to me. Is it a 7.1 or 7.2? Even better deal if the latter.

When I first saw the FX 7.2 it I thought it looked really bad, there was rust on the chain, cassette and peddles. Also the frame looked like it skidded on some pavement.

But when I went to a LBS they said it was pretty decent and that once they fix it up I can sell it for at least 250 and put it towards the Wingra.

The service receipt I got said Tune up, replace chain, replace shift cables, replace flat tire.

The tune up is 70 bucks, for that price do they usually remove all the rust and polish the bike as well?

If I were you and the tune up gets the bike back in shape, I'd keep the FX and forget about buying the wingra. Keep the $350 you saved and hold onto it for a future project or bike.

i want to see this

i want to see this

I wish I took before pictures, I was really excited when I got it for free that I brought it to my LBS immediately and left it there. It should be ready on Wednesday, and I'll post pics.

There's nothing wrong with a bike that just needs some work to get it going. I personally seek out those bikes. bought my Trek mountain bike for $35, it was kept indoors, but it was it pretty beat up, and well used, but I just cleaned the drive train, trued the wheels, replaced the pedals and tighten up some bolts and I have a perfectly working bike, which I can re-sell for a lot more than I what I bought it for.
The best part about a beat up bike, is that when you get your first scratch from a lock job or if it falls over, you're not going to care.
Enjoy your ride.

my girl firend wants a kaitai but the LBS that sells treks says they don't have any and can't get anymore.

I've been casually poking around for a new bike for my wife, and so far I have two problems with the kaitai:

1 - nobody seems to be able to keep this model in stock very long

2 - If she goes with the Kaitai, it looks like I'll most likely spend way too long riding around on her bike

130 for the fixed up FX seems like a great deal - on paper it would take alot of abuse before you wouldn't be able to sell it at a profit towards a Wingra or something else later. In reality, you'll probably find its very similar (I think?), and have a reserve pile of cash to upgrade at will.

I've been casually poking around for a new bike for my wife, and so far I have two problems with the kaitai:

1 - nobody seems to be able to keep this model in stock very long

2 - If she goes with the Kaitai, it looks like I'll most likely spend way too long riding around on her bike


I'm glad I bought mine when I did, cause my LBS sold out, and they are not sure if they can get any more. They sold nine of them in the past week, and they have people on a waiting list if they are able to get a few more. The Kaitai is just a fantastic do-it-all bike. Here is mine.......



http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p286/deerslayer1961/IMG_3016.jpg

Actually, it was one of your previous posts about the kaitai led me to look up website in the first place... her step-through 7100 isn't agressive enough, her 3500 isn't very road friendly no matter what tires I slap on it. Thanks for getting the word out!

So aside from what is getting worked on at my LBS, I wanted to replace the saddle, handlebar grips because they are beat up and add fenders.

I was thinking of calling them and requesting they replace those things but it might cost alot (price of those parts + labor).

Can anyone suggest whats a good handlebar grip + bar ends, saddle, and fender that I can get online cheap?

Edit: I just called my LBS to request a drive train cleaning because I want all the rust on this bike taken off. A women picked up and I was surprised tho because I thought the whole staff was men from what I saw the two times I was there. She told me there nothing they can really do about rust and that they can put some oil on it. There website stats " Drive Train Cleaning Includes: Washing crankset, chain, cassette, front and rear derailleur in an industrial parts cleaner. Also includes installation of new chain and cassette." I asked since my cassette is all rusted can I request a drive train service and doesn't that include a new cassette? and she said no. I think when I drop off the bike, the mechanic that helped me said not to worry about the rust because it was only surface rust. I am not sure if there a difference between surface rust and when I just said rust on the phone to the girl.

Then I said well can I just pay whatever it cost to remove all the rust from the bike or replace the parts with the rust (mostly the cassette) and she told me that if the mechanic feels like the parts need to be replaced he will give me a call. I feel like they are just going to bring the bike to working order and not really clean it up, which I wanted to request basically. I want the bike to look at new as possible...how can I accomplish this? Should I call back and talk to someone else? This place is called Ace Wheelworks and they have great reviews on yelp and from personal in store experience but this phone call between me and this girl made me feel they didn't care about my requests.

So aside from what is getting worked on at my LBS, I wanted to replace the saddle, handlebar grips because they are beat up and add fenders.

I was thinking of calling them and requesting they replace those things but it might cost alot (price of those parts + labor).

Can anyone suggest whats a good handlebar grip + bar ends, saddle, and fender that I can get online cheap?

Edit: I just called my LBS to request a drive train cleaning because I want all the rust on this bike taken off. A women picked up and I was surprised tho because I thought the whole staff was men from what I saw the two times I was there. She told me there nothing they can really do about rust and that they can put some oil on it. There website stats " Drive Train Cleaning Includes: Washing crankset, chain, cassette, front and rear derailleur in an industrial parts cleaner. Also includes installation of new chain and cassette." I asked since my cassette is all rusted can I request a drive train service and doesn't that include a new cassette? and she said no. I think when I drop off the bike, the mechanic that helped me said not to worry about the rust because it was only surface rust. I am not sure if there a difference between surface rust and when I just said rust on the phone to the girl.

Then I said well can I just pay whatever it cost to remove all the rust from the bike or replace the parts with the rust (mostly the cassette) and she told me that if the mechanic feels like the parts need to be replaced he will give me a call. I feel like they are just going to bring the bike to working order and not really clean it up, which I wanted to request basically. I want the bike to look at new as possible...how can I accomplish this? Should I call back and talk to someone else? This place is called Ace Wheelworks and they have great reviews on yelp and from personal in store experience but this phone call between me and this girl made me feel they didn't care about my requests.


I can tell you that no bike shop around is going to waste time trying to remove rust from a chain or cassette during the busy season, or any season for that matter....... They can throw on a new chain and cassette in a few minutes for not a lot of money. Just let them get the bike up and running and go from there.

Very prophetic statements, given the OP's current frustrations...
The Wingra will serve you very well, and it's the one you like best. Go with the Wingra or you will wish you had.


Forget the battered FX and stick with the bike you know you like the (Wingra). In the long run it will be money well spent.

Grips- go with Ergon. Pick your own flavor.
Saddle- highly personal choice as no two people are the same. Get measured. Take a look at Specialized's BG video on saddles. http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=57285

Surface rust just means it's ugly, but it won't affect the way it runs. To remove all the rust would take hours to do, and the labour you would have to pay for would be high. A new cassette and chain would probably be cheaper than getting that rust removed. Your shop sounds pretty honest in trying to help you save money. If it were me, I'd would get what the shop recommends, which is just to get a new chain, and have the drivetrain properly lubed. Since they're not going to give you a cassette for free, I'd ask them to offer a free install within the next year if you think your cassette is no good in the near future. Try to save your money as much as possible in terms of repairs, and use it for upgrades and accessories in the future.

Don't worry about the rust. Worry about the mark-up on chains and cassettes. If you let a bike shop change those parts, you will get low quality for top price unless you specify the components in which case it will cost even more. Lube the chain and ride until it shows wear (measure for chain "stretch" with a ruler or a chain wear measuring tool). Learn how to change those parts yourself and buy them online.

Very prophetic statements, given the OP's current frustrations...

Yeah I mean the 130 could have gone towards the Wingra, right now I'm using a Huffy from Kmart. I think I'm just getting ahead of myself with all these accessories because I want it to be like the Wingra so much.

But I think the FX will serve as a test for me to really commit to biking and when I am for sure its what I am going to do for a long time I will invest in the Wingra.

I really appreciates everyone thoughts and opinions.

Don't worry about the rust. Worry about the mark-up on chains and cassettes. If you let a bike shop change those parts, you will get low quality for top price unless you specify the components in which case it will cost even more. Lube the chain and ride until it shows wear (measure for chain "stretch" with a ruler or a chain wear measuring tool). Learn how to change those parts yourself and buy them online.

Thanks, I am going to use this bike as a learning experience.

I've been casually poking around for a new bike for my wife, and so far I have two problems with the kaitai:

1 - nobody seems to be able to keep this model in stock very long

2 - If she goes with the Kaitai, it looks like I'll most likely spend way too long riding around on her bike


Around here the whole line is flying out of the stores too. I bought a Utopia about 4 weeks ago, at the time there were no montaires available and a few different trek dealers told me that they wouldn't have anymore the rest of the season, of course a week after I bought the Utopia one of the stores my husband goes to near his work got 3 in stock, 1 in my size. This week I went into the store where I bought the utopia and they were selling their last one of those and only had 1 kaitai left. They said they didn't know when they would get more but they were selling them like crazy lately.


Btw, I'm a woman and I love my utopia. I had them switch out the stem for one with a higher rise and swapped the Evoke saddle for a Bontrager nebula plus. I added my own personal touch of reflective orange flower stickers to girly it up a bit and it is the perfect bike for me. After years of on again/ off again road riding on a very light road bike that was too much of a racing
geometry for me I have found a great fit for recreational riding. Now I am just trying to drop hints to the husband that I need some ergon grips.

So if you can still find a Kaitai for your wife grab it for her, she will love it! And get one for yourself too! You won't regret it at all.

Hey guys I was looking around on CL and someone is selling a fx 7.3 missing the two wheels for 30 bucks.

If its the same size as the 7.2 would be a good idea to get this frame and take the parts from the 7.2?

http://i433.photobucket.com/albums/qq57/jaytxvo/IMG_20110601_203505.jpg

...and here it is! When I came back to my LBS, the final price was only $106!

I just need new pedals or simply remove all the rust from it and give the bike a nice clean and it be good as new.